Gap year is an English expression (also known as drop year, deferred¹ year, bridging year, etc) referring to a period of time - not necessarily a year in which students take time off and do something other than schooling², such as travel or work. The year out is most commonly taken after secondary school and before starting university. However, over recent years there has been an increase in 21-23 year olds taking a year out after completing their degree.

Gap year（空档年）是一个英国词儿，指学生离开学校一段时间，经历一些学习以外的事情，比如外出旅行或者工作。当然，这段时间不一定非得是一年。空档年一般选在离开中学进入大学之前。不过，近几年越来越多21到23岁、已经获得学位的年轻人也开始给自己一个空档年。

The practice of taking a deferred year developed in the United Kingdom in the 1960s. During this time, a student might travel, engage in volunteer work overseas or undertake a working holiday abroad.

空档年这种做法于二十世纪六十年代兴起于英国。在空档年期间，学生可以旅行、参与海外义工活动或者到国外打工度假。

A year out has grown very popular among students in the UK, Australia, New Zealand and Canada. A trend for year out is to participate in international education programs that combine language study, homestays, cultural immersion³, community service, and independent study.

如今，空档年在英国、澳大利亚、新西兰以及加拿大的学生当中都已非常流行。新近的趋势是在空档年期间参与国际教育项目，其中包括语言学习、住家、文化渗透、社区服务以及独立学习等。