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摄影： Sultry

You can always save money on textbooks by buying online, going ebook, or renting what you need. But there are riskier ways to save a buck that just may yield even greater payoff, such as getting the international or earlier edition of the text, or avoiding the purchase altogether.

您总是可以通过在线购买，购买电子书或租用所需的东西来节省教科书上的钱。 但是，有一些风险更高的方法可以节省开支，而这可能会带来更大的回报，例如获取该文本的国际版或更早版本，或者完全避免购买。

You already know that the textbook system is a scam. Publishers often crank out new editions without making substantial changes. Schools follow standard procedure over saving students money. And sometimes a class hardly uses the textbook at all.

您已经知道教科书系统是一个骗局。 发行商通常会在不进行实质性更改的情况下推出新版本。 学校遵循节省学生钱的标准程序。 有时，一个班级几乎根本不使用教科书。

If getting that perfect A is what you’re aiming for, it’s safer to play by the rules and buy your the required edition. However, if you just need to pass, are taking the class for fun, or are really that stripped for cash, consider the alternatives. And keep in mind that none of these alternatives come without some risk involved.

如果您想要获得完美的A，那么遵守规则并购买所需的版本会更安全。 但是，如果您只需要通过考试，为了好玩而上课，或者真的被剥夺了现金，请考虑选择其他方法。 并且请记住，所有这些选择都不会有任何风险。

获取教科书的冒险之路 (The Risky Route to Obtaining Your Textbooks)

Before you invest time or money in any alternative to buying straight from the school bookstore, you need to know:

除了直接从学校书店购买以外，在投入时间或金钱之前，您需要了解以下信息：

• The ISBN of the required book
  所需书籍的ISBN
• If the book comes with any CDs or DVDs — and if you’ll need them for class
  如果这本书随附CD或DVD，并且上课时需要使用它们
• If the book comes with any online access codes — and if you’ll need them for class (and if you may be able to purchase them separately from the text)
  如果这本书带有任何在线访问代码-并且您在课堂上需要它们(并且您可能可以与文字分开购买)
• Roughly how much you need the text and/or supplementary materials to succeed in the class — so check up on your instructor early on, find out how they run the class, and talk to past students about how important the textbook was in their experience
  要在课堂上取得成功，大约需要多少教科书和/或补充材料-因此，请尽早与您的老师联系，了解他们如何开展课程，并与过去的学生讨论教科书在他们的经历中的重要性

Once you’re familiar with each of these, you can weigh the costs and benefits of each of the alternatives listed below. Determine what route to take given your own academic goals and what it takes to reach them.

熟悉其中的每一种方法之后，就可以权衡下面列出的每种方法的成本和收益。 根据您自己的学术目标，确定应采取的路线以及达到目标所需要的条件。

获取国际版 (Get the International Edition)

What students in the U.S. don’t realize is that other countries manufacture textbooks much cheaper than the U.S. This means is that you can buy essentially the same book for less.

在美国的学生没有意识到的是，其他国家/地区生产的教科书要比美国便宜得多，这意味着您可以花更少的钱购买同一本书。

The international version will be different in that it:

国际版本的不同之处在于：

• Will likely be softcover
  可能是平装书
• May be printed in black and white in instead of color
  可能以黑白打印，而不是彩色打印
• May have different cover art
  可能有不同的封面
• May have the title page in another language
  可能有另一种语言的标题页
• Will have a different ISBN
  将具有不同的ISBN

For some texts, you can find the international version with the same content as the U.S. version — those are the books you can use with no risk. But you won’t know that the content is the same until you can compare it with the officially required version (at your school bookstore). So be sure the return policy covers you in case you find that the content doesn’t match up as you need it to. And if the product description doesn’t ensure the exact same content, don’t hesitate to ask the seller about it directly.

对于某些文本，您可以找到内容与美国版本相同的国际版本-这些是您可以毫无风险使用的书。 但是您不会知道内容是相同的，直到您可以将其与官方要求的版本(在您的学校书店)进行比较。 因此，请确保退货政策对您有所帮助，以防万一您发现内容与所需不符。 如果产品说明不能确保内容完全相同，请不要犹豫，直接向卖家询问。

Risks involved with getting the international edition:

获得国际版涉及的风险：

• You may end up with slightly different content, and have to return it. Which means shelling out more cash to get the official version.
  您最终可能会得到稍微不同的内容，并且必须将其返回。 这意味着要花更多的钱来获得正式版本。
• It may be harder to sell after the course, if buyers aren’t aware that they can use an international copy with no problems. So make sure to advertise this in any listings.
  如果买家不知道他们可以毫无问题地使用国际复制品，那么在课程结束后可能很难出售。 因此，请确保在任何列表中刊登广告。

取得旧版 (Get an Older Edition)

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图片由Wyoming_Jackrabbit

Sometimes you don’t need the exact edition for a particular class, because:

有时您不需要特定课程的确切版本，因为：

• You’re taking a course on a topic you’re already familiar with, and just need to the book to refresh on topics
  您正在上一个已经熟悉的主题的课程，只需要对本书进行主题更新
• The course is particularly easy and/or the instructor will provide most of the materials through supplements such as lecture slides and handouts
  该课程特别容易，并且/或者讲师将通过讲义和讲义之类的补充内容提供大部分资料
• The course doesn’t rely so much on the actual text, but refers to it in a more conceptual way
  该课程并不太依赖实际的课本，而是以更具概念性的方式进行引用

• In these cases, it’s a good idea to search for older, as in earlier editions, of the text. So if your class requires the 7th edition, you may be fine with the 6th or even the 5th edition. With each older edition, prices drop significantly.

  在这些情况下，最好搜索较早版本的文本，例如早期版本的文本。 因此，如果您的班级要求使用第7版，那么使用第6版甚至第5版可能会很好。 对于每个较旧的版本，价格都会大幅下降。

  Risks involved with getting an older version:

  取得较旧版本的风险：

  • Review questions, activities, or other sections required for assignments can be slightly different or shuffled around. So you might need to reference the current edition from a classmate or compare the tables of contents online in order to locate certain sections.
    复习问题，活动或作业所需的其他部分可能略有不同或乱序。 因此，您可能需要参考同班同学的最新版本或在线比较目录，以查找某些部分。
  • You might find out you do need the current edition halfway through the class. So be sure to ask your instructor what specific coursework requires the text (or refer to the syllabus) to be prepared.
    您可能会发现在课程中途确实需要当前版本。 因此，一定要问您的老师，哪些特殊的课程需要准备课本(或参考教学大纲)。

  其实不买书 (Don’t Actually Buy the Book)

  

  Photo by abrinsky

  图片由abrinsky

  Another option is to avoid buying the book altogether. You can do so by:

  另一种选择是避免完全购买这本书。 您可以这样做：

  • Using a textbook exchange service at your school — swapping one of your old books with another student for the one you need
    在您的学校使用教科书交换服务-将您的一本旧书与另一名学生交换为您需要的一本
  • Borrowing from a friend, or even sharing a copy with another classmate (you might end up buying half of the book)
    从朋友那里借钱，甚至与另一位同学分享一份副本(您可能最终会购买本书的一半)
  • Photocopying or scanning only the sections you’ll actually need for the class — based on the syllabus and/or what you instructor says you’ll need
    仅根据课程大纲和/或您的指导老师所说的内容，仅影印或扫描您实际需要的课程部分
  • Using a school, city, or county library copy, even if it’s a reference book and you have to visit the library to do your reading
    使用学校，城市或县图书馆的副本，即使它是参考书，您也必须访问图书馆进行阅读
  • Completing your reading and book assignments in a couple of sittings at your local bookstore, which actually puts you ahead of schedule
    在您当地书店的几次座谈会中完成阅读和读书作业，这实际上使您提前完成了计划

  Risks involved when avoiding the purchase:

  避免购买时涉及的风险：

  • Depending on the situation, you may not have as much time with the text to absorb the material at your own pace, which could compromise grades. So plan wisely and stay updated on the class schedule.
    根据情况的不同，您可能没有足够的时间按照自己的节奏来吸收材料，这可能会影响成绩。 因此，请明智地计划并及时掌握上课时间表。

  制定备份计划 (Have a Backup Plan in Place)

  Anytime you choose one of these risky ways to obtain your school textbook, have a backup plan in place. Be ready to buy the officially required version in a tight spot, if the course changes midway, or something else renders your method impractical or insufficient for meeting your academic goals. This is the ultimate risk of obtaining your text in nontraditional ways: you risk having to buy from the school bookstore — and on top of your first purchase if that’s the case.

  只要您选择以下有风险的方式之一来获取学校教科书，就应制定备份计划。 如果路线途中发生变化，或者其他原因使您的方法不切实际或不足以达到您的学术目标，请准备在紧迫的地方购买正式需要的版本。 这是以非传统方式获取文本的最终风险：您冒着必须从学校书店购买的风险，如果是这种情况，则是首次购买的风险。

  It’s up to you what risks you take, as well as how much money you save.

  由您自己承担什么风险以及您节省多少钱，由您自己决定。

  翻译自: https://www.howtogeek.com/54864/three-potentially-risky-ways-to-save-a-lot-on-textbooks/