原文
The U.S. is still out in front of global rivals when it comes to innovation, but American universities—where new ideas often percolate—have reason to look over their shoulder.
That's especially true for technologies like 5G phone networks and artificial intelligence. They're exactly the fields where President Donald Trump recently insisted the U.S. has to lead—and also the ones where Asia, especially China, has caught up.
Universities from China get more patents than their U.S. peers in wireless communications, according to research firm GreyB Services. In AI, 17 of the top 20 universities and public research organizations are in China, with the Chinese Academy of Sciences topping the list, says the World Intellectual Property Organization in Geneva.
There's a special place for universities in the ecosystem of research. Universities groom future scientists and can be incubators for pie-in-the-sky ideas—some of which turn out to be game-changers. The list ranges from Google's search engine to DNA technology that's behind a whole industry of gene-manipulating treatments.
However, government grants to universities have been stagnant for more than a decade, meaning they've declined in real terms and as a share of the economy.
"If you look at the federal dollars, they've not really changed substantially," says Stephen Susalka, head of AUTM, a technology transfer association whose members include 800 universities. "Other countries are catching up. We can't sit on our laurels."
生词
vital
adjective, necessary for the success or continued existence of something; extremely important
edge
noun, an advantage over other people
rival
noun, a person, group, etc. competing with others for the same thing or in the same area
look over your shoulder
to behave in a way that shows you feel nervous about something that might happen
percolate
verb, If a liquid percolates, it moves slowly through a substance with very small holes in it
patent
noun, the official legal right to make or sell an invention for a particular number of years 专利
peer
noun, a person who is the same age or has the same social position or the same abilities as other people in a group
firm
noun, a company offering a professional service, for example a company of lawyers
Geneva
noun, 日内瓦
ecosystem
noun, 生态系统
groom
[T] to prepare someone for a special job or activity
incubator
noun, 育成中心；培养器
pie in the sky
something that you hope will happen but is very unlikely to happen:
e.g. Their plans to set up their own business are just pie in the sky
grant
verb, to give or allow someone something, usually in an official way
stagnant
adjective, not growing or developing
decline
verb, to gradually become less, worse, or lower
in real terms
扣除物价因素；按实质计算
federal
联邦的
substantially
adverb, to a large degree
e.g. The new rules will substantially change how we do things.
laurels
noun, praise for a person because of something they have done, usually in sport, the arts, or politics