超乎尋常的快速
If you had a son who could not finish his undergraduate studies on time, would you ask him to drop out and pursue a Ph.D. instead?
如果你有個兒子，他無法及時完成大學學業，你會要他輟學轉而攻讀博士嗎？
if you had 假設語氣、與現實相反用過去式undergraduate(n.)大學生（未畢業）graduate(n.)大學生（已畢業）postgraduate(n.)研究生
For most of us, that would be sheer folly, but for the parents of a nine-year-old Belgian genius, it has become a reality.
大於大多數人這個行為荒謬至極，但是比利時九歲天才兒童的父母可不這麼想。
sheer(adj.)=complete=absolute完全的folly(n.)愚蠢、荒唐的行為
Laurent Simons, nine, was studying electrical engineering at the Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e) in the Netherlands.
九歲的羅倫賽門斯，在荷蘭的愛因荷芬科技大學就讀電機工程學系。
major or minor in主修副修什麼a +subject major or minor什麼戲的主修或副修學生
Enrolled there on the understanding that he would complete the three-year program in ten months, he was expected to graduate by the end of this year.
在他就學以前，原先預計會以十個月的時間完成為期三年的課程，並且在今年底畢業。
enroll(v.)註冊學籍register(v.)註冊program(n.)學位課程、學分學程online program網路課程
However, it became clear that this expectation would not be met when the university declared that there remains too many exams for Simons to pass in order to graduate at the originally planned date.
然而，這項計劃變得無法達成，因為大學表示，還有太多考試要考，所以賽門斯沒辦法在原定的日期結業。
it became clear that顯然地meet(v.)符合＋expectations, standard, criteriaplanned date計劃的日期
It would be impossible for him to fulfill all the degree requirements as well as develop “insight, creativity and critical analysis” before he turns ten, a university spokesperson said.
校方也認為，賽門斯無法在十歲以前既達到所有學分要求，同時又發展「洞察、創意、和批判性思考」。
fulfill(v.)實現、履行=realizerequirement(n.)要求、門檻insight(n.)洞察力vision(n.)遠見
It has been recommended that he finish his studies by mid-2020, which would still be “a phenomenally quick scheme,” the university said in a statement.
校方的發言人建議賽門斯在2020年中期完成他的學業，並在聲明中表示，這樣的安排仍會是「超乎尋常的快速」。
建議動詞recommend, suggest, advise＋that sb.（should）V原型phenomenal(adj.)非凡的、傑出的scheme(n.)計劃、方案=program、陰謀詭計
Alexander Simons, the boy’s father, rejected the recommendation and withdrew his son from the university.
神童的父親亞歷山大賽門斯，回絕了學校的提議並替兒子辦理退學。
withdraw-withdrew-withdrawnwithdraw money提款
He claimed that the university extended the completion date of the program simply because he had decided to send the child to the US to work on a doctoral degree.
他宣稱，校方刻意延長結業時間，只因為他打算送孩子去美國攻讀博士，
extend(v.)延長（線性）expand(v.)膨脹、擴張（面、立體）doctoral degree博士學位master’s degree碩士學位bachelor’s degree學士學位to a certain degree就一定的程度而言to some extent就某種程度來說
“It’s very peculiar that this all comes right at the time when we were finalizing our plans for Laurent’s Ph.D. at a different university,” the father said.
並說明：「這些變動直到我們決定讓羅倫前往另一所大學攻讀博士才都冒出來，這很弔詭。」
peculiar(adj.)奇怪的、特定的Ph.D.博士=Doctor of Philosophy
If Laurent Simons could graduate before his birthday on December 26, he would break the record of Michael Kearney, who earned his bachelor’s degree at the University of Alabama in 1984 at the age of ten.
如果羅倫賽門斯能夠在他的生日12月26號之前畢業，他就會打破最年輕的大學畢業生麥可柯爾尼在1984年以10歲於阿拉巴馬大學取得學士學位的記錄。
break the record打破紀錄earn(v.)獲得（經過努力）acquire(v.)習得（經過學習）