零距离美语会话[家庭]Lesson 3:Why did your parents have so many

Three    Why did your parents have so many?
为什么你父母要这么多孩子？

 1     Introduction    
A     Many American couples that can not have a baby come to Asia to adopt babies.
许多不能生育的美国夫妻来亚洲领养小孩。
B    Some Americans think abortion 1 is very cruel and against humanity 2.  Most American women use contraceptive methods such as the birth control pill.
一些美国人认为堕胎是很残忍的，没有人道。大多数美国妇女采用避孕措施如避孕丸。
C     Modern families have a tendency of bearing 3 children in their thirties or late twenties.  It’s the responsibilities that couples are worried about.
现代家庭有一种倾向：那就是在他们三十多岁或者二十好几的年龄生育。让夫妻担心的是这种责任。
D     In America, about half of workingwomen return to work within a year of having a baby.  American women with children usually work.
在美国，大约一半的妇女劳动者生完小孩一年之内就返回工作。美国妇女通常有小孩的情况下也工作。

 2    Sample Sentences
1.   Tell me about your brother and sister.
     跟我说说你的哥哥、妹妹。
2.   She has only a single parent.
     她只有一个单身父（母）亲。
3.   My daughter was attending a meeting and asked me to baby-sit my 3-year old granddaughter.
     我的女儿要去参加一个会议，所以要我照顾我三岁的小孙女。
4.  The teacher of my 4-year old daughter, a very attractive single woman in her mid 4 twenties, told me the following story.
    我四岁女儿的老师，一位很迷人的二十多岁的单身女人，告诉了我以下的故事。
5.  Hans is his first child, so it’s understandable that he pampers 5 him so much.
    汉斯是他的第一个小孩，所以他过分宠爱他是可以理解的。  
6.  Some friends of ours, who have a son our daughter's age, are getting divorced.
    我们的朋友要离婚了，他们有一个像我女儿这么大的儿子。
7.  My wife was explaining to my seven-year old daughter why they had decided 6 to get divorced.
    我的妻子对我七岁的女儿解释为什么他们决定了离婚。
8.  My elder son remarried.
    我年长的那个儿子重婚了。
9.  We are expecting a child and will be getting married very shortly.
    我们在等着小孩的出生，并且不久我们就会结婚。
10.  Do you two plan to have a baby sometime soon? 
     你们两个打算不久的将来生一个小孩吗？

 3    Conversations
1.   A big family.
Terry:  So Chris, I've heard that you're from a big family.  How many people?
Chris:  Nine total.  Seven children and my parents. 
Terry:  Seven children?  That's a lot.  Why did your parents have so many?
Chris:  Well, my mother came from a big family, and wanted to have one of her own.  My father was an only child, and didn't really care about having a large family, but my mother talked him into it.
Terry:  Jeez, seven children.  That must have a lot of problems.  We have four children in my family and my grandparents can never get our names right.
Chris:  It can be hard, and there are certain sacrifices1 you have to make.
Terry:  Like what?  I assume that there's no privacy 7.
Chris:  That's one.  Another is the lack of personal property2.  Everything you have, from toys to clothes, is used by your brothers and sisters.  Especially clothes.  Three quarters of my wardrobe3 are hand-me-downs.
Terry:  And the age gap4 is also annoying.  There's a ten-year difference between my younger brother and me. We have nothing in common.
Chris:  Same problem here.  There's an 18-year gap between the oldest and youngest child in my family.  The last child was born just as the oldest was going to college.
Terry:  Well, at least going to college won't be too bad.  Since both of your parents are college professors, they must give you reduced tuition5 at the college.
Chris:  They do, but it doesn't help too much.  Having seven children means that the money situation in my home is always pretty tight.
【译文】
——克里斯，我听说你来自一个大家庭。有多少人？
——一共9人。7个孩子和我父母。
——7个孩子？那很多喔。为什么你父母要这么多孩子？
——嗯，我母亲来自一个大家庭，因而想要一个自己的大家庭。我父亲是独子，因而确实不想要一个大家庭，但我母亲说服了他。
——唉呀，7个孩子。那一定有很多问题。我家有4个孩子，我祖父母从未叫对过我们的名字。
——确实很难，你必须做出某些牺牲。
——什么样的？我想是没有隐私。
——那是一个。另外一个是没有个人财产。你所有的东西，从玩具到衣服，都被你的兄弟和姐妹用过。特别是衣服。我衣柜里四分之三的衣服都是传过来的。
——再者代沟也很恼人。我弟弟和我相差十岁。我们没有任何共同之处。
——这里也是同样的问题。在我家最大的和最小的相差18岁。最小的出生时正好最大的要上大学。
——嗯，至少上大学不会太难。既然你父母亲都是大学教授，大学肯定会给你减少学费。
——他们会，但不会有太大的帮助。有7个孩子意味着我家的经济状况总是很紧张。

2.    A troublemaker 8.
Mrs. Brown:  I just got a call from Mrs. Fitzgerald.  See what your Willie has just done.
Mr. Brown:  My Willie?  Why has he suddenly become my Willie? 
Mrs. Brown:  Because he takes after6 you, he's got into trouble7 again.
Mr. Brown:  What did he do this time?  I remember last time he was painting her fence to repay 9 her for breaking it, and he accidentally8 painted her cat.
Mrs. Brown:  That was last time.  This time it's worse.
Mr. Brown:  Ok, tell me. 
Mrs. Brown:  Well, he was playing baseball with some friends…
Mr. Brown:  And the ball went through her window?  That's not as bad as last time. 
Mrs. Brown:  True, but that's not all.  The ball went through the window and hit the vase she has in her front window……
Mr. Brown:  Ok, that's probably expensive, but not that bad.
Mrs. Brown:  And then, ricocheted9 off her fish bowl.  Mrs. Fitzgerald at the last minute10 dived and saved her fish. 
Mr. Brown:  At least the fish were saved.  If that's the end of the damages, then everything isn't that bad. 
Mrs. Brown:  Stop interrupting me.  Finally, the ball flew through the air and knocked out11 Willie's school principal12, who was having a cup of coffee with Mrs. Fitzgerald.
Mr. Brown:  Hmm, that is bad.
【译文】
——我刚接到菲茨格尔德太太的电话。看看你的威利刚刚做了些什么。
——我的威利？怎么又突然变成了我的威利？
——因为他像你，他又有麻烦了。
——这次他干了什么？我记得上次他破坏了她的栅栏，在给她的栅栏上油漆时，却也附带地给她的小猫涂了颜色。
——那是上一次。这次更糟。
——好吧，告诉我什么事。
——唔，他正在和几个朋友打棒球……
——球飞进了她的窗户？那没有上次糟糕。
——对，但还没完。球飞进窗户，打在她前窗的花瓶上……
——还好，那个花瓶可能很贵，但那没那么糟糕。
——然后球跳飞过她的鱼缸。最后关头菲茨格尔德太太跳下了水，救起了她的鱼。
——至少鱼得救了。如果最后的损失就是这样的话，那么一切都不是太糟糕。
——不要打断我。最后，球飞到空中，把正和菲茨格尔德太太一起喝咖啡的威利学校的校长打晕了。
——嗯，那糟了。

3.  A Chinese woman is talking to an American woman about raising kids.
Chinese:  Do you have much experience with kids?
American:  Yes.  I have three sons.  Actually I also have a grandson.
Chinese:  To tell you the truth, sometimes I regret having a baby so early.  I have been making so many sacrifices just because my husband insisted on keeping the baby.
American:  I understand.  I was in your position before.  At that time I couldn’t depend on anyone taking care of the children for me.  My husband seldom stayed at home.
Chinese:  What about your mother?  Did she help you?
American:  Yes, she did a little.  But you see, Americans are different from Chinese.  You can’t depend on your own mother to be a full-time 10 babysitter.  She could baby-sit only once or twice a week.  That’s it.  I had to care for them most of the time.
Chinese:  I see.  So if my little family goes to America, I would end up taking care of my child all the time.  My husband would have to make the bread for us.  I just don’t know how I would get some education and be able to get a job some day.
American:  Don’t worry.   You can take night classes.  I did that when I had kids.  And soon your child will be old enough to attend kindergarten13.  Then you could find a job and work.
Chinese:  Sounds not so easy to me.  When that happens, I will be too old to learn.
American:  No.  You see, I went back to school to get my Master’s Degree14 when I was in my thirties.  You won’t be older than that.
【译文】
——你对小孩有经验吗？
——有。我有三个儿子。实际上我还有一个孙子。
——说老实话，有时候我后悔这么早有个小孩。我做了这么多牺牲就是因为我老公坚持要生下这个小孩。
——我可以理解。我以前跟你一样。那时候我不能指望谁帮我照看小孩。我的丈夫很少在家。
——你的妈妈呢？她有没有帮你？
——有，她帮过我一点点。但是你知道的，美国人不同于中国人。你不能指望你自己的妈妈做一个全职保姆。她只能一周照看一两次。就这样。大部分时间我还得自己照料。
——我明白了。所以如果我们去了美国，我就会终日带着我的小孩。我老公得去为我们生计。我只是不知道我怎样才会受教育，然后有天能够找份工作。
——不要担心。你可以上夜校。我有小孩的时候，我就是这么做的。而且不久你的小孩就会够年龄上幼儿园。那么你就可以找份工作上班了。
——听起来不这么简单。当那一天到来时，我都会老得学不了了。
——不会的。你知道吗，我重回学校拿到硕士文凭时都三十多岁了。你不会超过那个年龄的。

4. Expecting a baby.
A:  Darling, I have news for you.  Bobby and his wife, Evelyn, are going to have a baby soon.
B:  Really?  I thought his wife couldn’t have a baby.
A:  Actually they’re expecting the baby to come on my birthday.
B:  Oh, what a coincidence15!  I bet Bobby must be very happy about it.  He likes children and always wants a child of his own.
A:  In fact, they’re both very excited about the coming baby.  Evelyn imagines what their baby would be look like, since one parent is American and the other one is Chinese.
B:  Oh, right.  Now I know why they would want to see our boy.  It’s hard to imagine the wonder!  Are they expecting a boy or a girl?
A:  It’s still a mystery.  Because Evelyn is only three-month pregnant16.  But she begins to take her maternity 12 leave17 now.
B:  Oh!  You mean she doesn’t have to work now?  It’s hard for young parents not to overreact18, isn’t it?
【译文】
——亲爱的，我有个小消息告诉你。波比和他的妻子伊芙琳就要生孩子了。
——真的吗？我原以为他的妻子不能生小孩。

>——他们的小孩预计竟然会在我生日的那天出生。
——噢，这么巧！我猜波比肯定很高兴。他喜欢小孩，而且一直都想有个自己的小孩。
——实际上，对于即将要出生的小孩，他们两个都很兴奋。既然一个父母是美国人，另一个又是中国人，伊芙琳想象着他们的小孩将会是个什么样子。
——噢，是啊。现在我知道他们为什么会想看到我们的小孩了。这种奇迹是很难想象的！他们的小孩会是个男孩还是女孩？
——还是个谜呢。因为伊芙琳还只怀孕三个月呢。但是她现在就开始休产假了。
——哦！你是说她现在不用上班了吗？很少有年青父母不过度反应，对不对？
                  
 4   Words and Expressions
1. sacrifice 牺牲; 献出
2. personal property  (个人) 动产
3. wardrobe 衣橱, 衣柜 
4. gap 分歧,隔阂; 差距
5. reduced tuition    降低的学费
6. take after 像; 与...相似 
7. get into trouble 使自己或他人陷入(困扰之境)
8. accidentally 偶然地; 附带地
9. ricochet 使跳飞; 用跳弹射击 
10. last minute   最后关头，最后时刻
11. knock out  使失去知觉
12. principal 校长
13. kindergarten   幼儿园
14. Master’s Degree   硕士学位
15. coincidence 巧合; 巧事
16. pregnant 11 怀孕的, 怀胎的
17. maternity leave   产假
18. overreact  反应过度