零距离美语会话[社会问题]Lesson 2:About society

Two   About society. 
    关于社会

 1   Introduction
A    Some people find it’s very meaningful to be kind to the young and care for the old.  America is a wealthy nation, but it has many problems like poverty and loneliness.  So, many people volunteer their time to help teach poor children, or they visit elderly people who are lonely.
一些人觉得尊老爱幼很有意义。美国是个富强的国家，但是也有很多贫穷和孤独这些问题。所以，许多人自愿给出时间来帮助教育贫穷的孩子，或者去探望年迈孤寂的老人。
B    In many western nations, people are concerned about others who drink or smoke too much.  And drugs are a problem that people openly discuss.
在西方许多国家，人们关注那些酗酒或抽烟太多的人。毒品问题就是人们公开谈论的一个话题。
C    Pregnancy 1 can be an issue that causes arguments in America.  Pregnancy, abortion 2, and birth control, are topics that people do not agree on.
在美国，怀孕是一个可以引起争执的话题。关于怀孕、堕胎以及节育这些问题，人们都持有不同意见。
D    It is a common tradition for some Westerners to donate money to charities that help to solve problems such as poverty, disease 3, and intolerance.
捐钱给慈善机构去帮助解决像贫穷、疾病和无法容忍这样的问题，这是一些西方人所共有的一个传统。
E    The suburbs 4 are popular because people enjoy more space for their homes and the crime rate is usually lower. 
郊区很受欢迎，因为人们可以享受更大的住房空间，犯罪率通常也要低一些。

 2    Sample Sentences
1.   Do you prefer the city or the country?
     你喜欢城市还是乡下？
2.   Watch your diet.
注意节食。
3.   You have lost some weight. / You have come off some weight.
     你瘦了一些。
4.   At an early age, I found that positive relationships with elderly, infirmed, and disabled people, were personally fulfilling 5.
    早年，我就发现和年老的、体弱者，还有残疾人积极地相处很令人充实。
5.   I have the power to change my body and my health, yet I can’t seem to get the job done. 
     我有能力改变我的身体状况和健康，但是我似乎就是不能把这事搞定。
6.   I think that once you become accustomed to life in a place like New York State, New England, or Minnesota, you would be happy to live there.
    我想一旦你习惯了在像纽约州、新英格兰（美国东北部六州的总称）或者明尼苏达州这样的地方生活，你会很高兴住在那儿的。
7.   Carl was very supportive of your right to be an individual.
     Carl 很支持你作为个人的权力。
8.   He seems very respectful 6 of people of different backgrounds.
     他看起来很尊重来自不同出生背景的人。
9.   How would you react if your friend wanted an abortion?
如果你的朋友要求流产的话，你会有什么反应？
10.  I haven't had a personal experience with abortion other than knowing someone who had one.
     除了认识一个人有过此经历外，我个人还从未经历过流产。

 3   Conversations
1.  Dieting.
George:  Do you hear what happened to Sally?
Joanne:  No, what?
George:  She had to go to the hospital. 
Joanne:  Why?
George:  She passed out1 in class.  Seems she hadn't eaten anything in days.
Joanne:  Why on earth would she do that? You mean that she intentionally2 did not eat any food for days?  That's crazy!
George:  Yeah, but that's what she did. 
Joanne:  I can't believe that there are girls who are willing to do that to their bodies.  And all for a certain look.
George:  Well, it's not just the girl’s fault.  It's also society's fault - magazines and ads that show wafer3 - thin models all saying “It's in to be thin”.  It's hard for them not to listen. 
Joanne:  True, but there are limits.  Being thin is one thing; starving oneself to death is another.  No one forces them to do this.
George:  I know that, but sometimes it's hard to make the right decision.  And besides, anorexia4 is a psychological5 problem as well.  Anorexics never think that they are thin enough, and they keep pushing themselves.
Joanne:  Well, they should do more to tone 8 down6 those messages and try to promote a healthier body image. It really hurts girls if they grow up thinking they're always too fat.
George:  I agree.
【译文】
——你听说莎利出什么事了吗？
——没有，什么事？
——她必须去医院。
——为什么？
——她在课堂上昏倒了。好像她几天没有吃东西了。
——她究竟为什么要那样做？你是说她故意几天不吃东西？那真是疯狂！
——是的，但她是那么做的。
——我不相信有女孩子愿意对她的身体那样做，况且仅仅是为了某些方面好看。
——唔，这不只是这个女孩子的过错。也是社会的过错——那些登着最瘦模特的杂志和广告都说“减肥很流行”。对她们来说，不听是很难的。
——是这样，但也要有限度。减肥是一回事，把自己饿死是另外一回事。没有人强迫她们这样做。
——我知道，但有时做出正确的决策是很难的。而且此外，厌食症也是一个心理问题。厌食者从不认为她们已经够瘦了，而不停地压制她们自己。
——唔，她们应该努力减弱这些信息的影响，尽量提倡一个更健康的身体形象。如果女孩子长大时总认为她们太胖了，这确实是在伤害她们自己。
——我同意。

2.  Helping 9 homeless people.
Jim:  Hey, Sandy, what's new?  Interested in a movie tonight?
Sandy:  I wish I could, but I'm busy.  I'm going to work at a soup kitchen7 tonight.
Jim:  Soup kitchen?  Is that a new restaurant or something?
Sandy:  Nah, it's a place where homeless people go to eat.
Jim:  How did you get involved in something like that? 
Sandy:  Well, the minister8 at my church told us about it, and it seemed interesting.  I thought I'd try it once, and if I didn't like it I'd stop.
Jim:  So what do you do there? 
Sandy:  It's simple.  All we do is prepare some food, usually sandwiches and some fruit, and give it out to them at the soup kitchen.
Jim:  Yeah, it sounds easy.  How long does it take?
Sandy:  Only about two hours, for a couple of days a month.  Why don't you give it a try? 
Jim:  I don't know.  I mean, I like helping the community and all that, but I don't know if I have the time……
Sandy:  Come on, it's easy, and it'll make you feel good.  Why don't you come with me tonight?
Jim:  I don't know……
Sandy:  I won't accept no for an answer.  I'll pick you up at seven tonight.
【译文】
——嘿，珊迪，最近忙什么？今晚有兴趣看电影吗？
——我希望我能去，但我很忙。今晚我要去施粥场上班。
——施粥场？是个新开张的餐馆吗？
——不是，是专供无家可归者去吃饭的地方。
——你怎么会牵扯上做那种事？
——唔，教堂的牧师告诉我们的，似乎很有趣。我想我会去尝试一次，如果我不喜欢，我就不做了。
——那么你在那儿做些什么？
——很简单。我们所要做的就是准备些食物，通常是三明治和一些水果，然后在施粥场把这些食物分发给他们。
——噢，听起来容易。需要多长时间？
——只不过大约两小时，一个月几天而已。你为什么不试一次？
——我不知道。我是说，我喜欢帮助社区之类的，但我不知道我是否有时间……
——别犹豫了，很容易，而且会使你感觉很好。为什么今晚你不和我一起来？
——我不知道……
——我不接受回答是“不”。今晚7点我会去接你。

3.   Two students, one white (Anthony) and one black (Charles), are talking together.
Kate:  So it is hard to be a black student on campus 10?
Charles:  Yes, in many ways it is.  There are many stereotypes 11 I have to deal with in my daily life.
Kate:  Stereotypes?  Like what? 
Charles:  Well, like since I'm black, I must like rap 12 music10, come from the inner 13 city, or play basketball well.
Kate:  I do know you like rap music, but the other two are definitely 14 false. I’ve seen you play basketball.
Charles:  Hey!  But that's not the only problem.  There's also the affirmative action11 stigma12. 
Kate:  You mean that people look down upon you because they think you're in school because of a quota13? That's not true at all; you're really a smart guy.
Charles:  I know that, but some people don't think like that.  And I get problems from teachers as well.
Kate:  Teachers?  I didn't think that they would be racist14 at all. 
Charles:  Racist 16?  Not exactly.  It's how they look at me and ask for my opinion on a topic, as if I can speak for all black people and give them the black opinion on a subject.  Suddenly I become the representative15 of the black race, as if we all had the same opinion.
Kate:  I see.  It looks like there are still a lot of issues we need to work on in the US.
【译文】
——在校园里当黑人学生很难吗？
——是的，多方面是这样。在我的日常生活中，有许多旧框框我不得不去面对。
——旧框框？什么样的？
——唔，像因为我是黑人，我必定喜欢说唱音乐，必定来自内地城市，必定很会打篮球。
——我知道你喜欢说唱音乐，但其它两个绝对是错误的。我看过你打篮球。
——嘿！但问题还不止那些。防止种族歧视的积极行动还是有污点的。
——你是说人们看不起你，因为他们认为你是因为配额而在学校？那完全不对；你真的是个精明人。
——我知道，但是有些人不那样认为。而且老师那儿我也遇到了麻烦。
——老师？我想他们根本不可能是种族主义者。
——种族主义者？不准确。是他们怎么看我，问我对一个话题的看法，好像我能代表所有的黑人，对一个
话题告诉他们“黑人的观点”。突然，我成为黑种人的代表，好像我们所有的黑人都有同样的看法。
——我明白。看起来在美国还有许多问题需要我们继续努力。

4.  Karen is walking on the street.  She just saw a Chinese man throwing rubbish on the ground.
Karen:  Hey, you, pick up that piece of garbage! 
Man:  Huh?  Me?
Karen:  Yeah, you.  I just saw you throw a piece of garbage on the ground.  Can't you read the No Littering sign?  It's a $500 penalty16 for littering17, so go pick it up and put it in the garbage can18 over there.
Man:  Why should I do that?  It's only a piece of garbage.  Why should you care?
Karen:  Because this is a public place, and I want to spend my time here without having to look at your garbage.
Man:  Listen; I really don't know why you're making this into such a big issue.  It's only a small piece of garbage in a large space.  It's not like there's garbage everywhere.  Besides, someone will come along to clean it up at some time or another.
Karen:  It's not the cleaner's responsibility to pick up after lazy people.  It's part of your responsibility to make sure that the place is neat for other people.  If everyone thought like you, there'd be garbage everywhere!  The cleaners can't be everywhere! 
Man:  Ok, whatever.  See, I'm putting it in the garbage can.
Karen:  Hold on, that's an item.  You should put that in the recycle19 bin 18 next to the trashcan.
Man:  Recycle bin?  Garbage is garbage! 
Karen:  No, it isn't.  There are many times we can take what we've used and reuse it.  It saves from having to use new materials, and it creates less garbage.
Man:   Ok, ok.  I'll do whatever you want as long as you get off my back20.
【译文】
——嘿，你，把那块垃圾捡起来！
——嗯？是指我吗？
——是，就是你。我刚才看见你往地上扔了一块垃圾。难道你没看见“禁止随地乱扔”标记吗？乱扔垃圾，罚款500美元，所以去把垃圾捡起来，并扔进那边的垃圾箱里。
——我为什么要那样做呢？只是一块垃圾。你为什么要管？
——因为这是公共场所，我想在这儿消磨时间，不想看你的垃圾。
——听着，我实在搞不懂你为什么把这看成是一个大问题。只不过是一大块空地上的一小片垃圾而已。又不是到处都是垃圾。而且，不时会有人来清扫垃圾。
——拾捡懒人走后的垃圾又不是清洁工的责任。为他人确保这个地方整洁，你也有部分责任。如果每个人都像你这么想，那么到处都将是垃圾！清洁工不可能无处不在。
——好吧，不管你说什么。看着，我把它扔进垃圾桶了。
——等一下，那是可回收垃圾。你应该放进紧挨废物桶的那个可回收垃圾箱里。
——可回收垃圾箱？垃圾就是垃圾!
——不，不是。很多时候我们可以拿我们用过的重新使用。省用新材料，还少了些垃圾。
——好，好。只要你不再纠缠我，你想让我怎么做，我就怎么做。

 4    Words and Expressions
1. pass out 昏倒
2. intentionally 7 有意地, 故意地
3. wafer  薄酥饼; 威化饼
4. anorexia  食欲缺乏(症);厌食症
5. psychological  心理学的
6. tone down  使柔和
7. soup kitchen 施舍食物给穷人之处所; 施粥场 
8. minister  部长; 大臣; 牧师, 神职人员
9. stereotype  刻板模式 
10. rap music   说唱音乐
11. affirmative action] 以新证据推翻原告所控事实的抗辩
12. stigma  耻辱, 污名
13. quota 15 配额; 定额; 限额
14. racist  种族主义者
15. representative  代表
16. penalty 17 处罚; 刑罚；罚款
17. litter 乱扔废弃物 
18. garbage can  垃圾箱 
19. recycle 使再循环; 回收
20. get off one's back   不再打扰某人