美語情景對話 第874期:Immigration in America 美國的移民

Yuri: So, Todd, what about the situation with immigration in the United States? Is it similar to Italy or different?

尤里：託德，美國的移民情況怎麼樣？和意大利相似還是不同？

Todd: Actually, from what you're saying it sounds really similar. The U.S. has a lot of immigration, and it's very controversial now in America, probably because the economy is going bad but we get a lot of people from Latin America or Central America and they either cross the border through Mexico, the Mexican border, or they come by boat similar to Italy. So yeah, it's kind of a big problem.

託德：實際上，從你介紹的情況來看，聽起來非常相似。美國有很多移民，這在美國是個備受爭議的問題，可能是因爲現在經濟狀況不好，可是我們還是接收了拉丁美洲和中美洲的大量移民，這些移民要麼從墨西哥穿越邊境進入美國，要麼和前往意大利的移民一樣，用偷渡的方法。所以這是一個大問題。

Yuri: I have a question, please. I understand that a lot of the population, they are actually from South America or Central America. Do people now start to teach Spanish at schools?

尤里：我想問個問題。我知道美國境內有很多來自南美和中美的人。那他們是在學校裏教授西班牙語嗎？

Todd: Actually, the language is very controversial. We are taught Spanish actually, but they do a very bad job. Most people can't speak Spanish. But most of the immigrants actually, I think that come to the U.S., do a really good job of learning English. The first generation struggles, but always the second generation, their children, become bilingual rather quickly, so even though we try to learn Spanish, I think the fact is in reality people that come to America, just learn English really quickly.

託德：其實，語言是個備受爭議的問題。他們的確有教我們西班牙語，但是他們教的很差。大多數人經過學習以後不能說西班牙語。但是我認爲，大部分來到美國的移民在學習英語方面做得很好。第一代移民可能在英語方面有困難，但是他們的孩子都會說兩種語言，所以雖然我們有努力學習西班牙語，但我認爲現實是他們來到美國，只是更快地掌握了英語。

Yuri: One more question please. When a foreigner comes to the United States and finds a job. He get a job, he has the same amount of money he can earn as an American or not?

尤里：我還有一個問題。外國人在美國找工作。他找到工作後，他的工資是和美國人一樣嗎？

Todd: Ooh, that's interesting. I don't think you can discriminate pay for a lower paying job whether you're an American or not. I think most Employers probably pay the same wage, but what happens is is only people that are new to the country often will take certain jobs. So, for example maybe you know work as janitors or work in fast food companies or maybe farm work, sometimes construction. The pay is not that great, so they offer a really low wage so only people that just arrive to America or immigrants will apply for the job. So it is kind of a problem because some people think if there weren't so many people coming into the country, then people that were born in the country would apply for the those jobs and be paid more, so it's a very controversial thing. But in reality, in terms of history economically, the country was built on foreign labor coming in so, you know, that's just a fact. The country was developed by having immigrants come into the country so economically it's very important I think.

託德：哦，這個問題很有趣。我認爲低薪工作在薪資方面不能存在歧視情況，無論僱員是否是美國人。我認爲大部分僱員的薪資是一樣的，但是有些特定的工作是隻有剛到美國的人會做的工作。比如像門衛、快餐店服務員、建築工等工作。這些工作的薪資不太高，僱主給的薪水很低，所以只有剛到美國的移民會申請這類工作。這已經成爲了問題，因爲有些人認爲，如果沒有這麼多移民來到美國，那美國當地人就會申請這類工作，可能他們的薪水就會高一些，所以這也是一個存在爭議的問題。但是實際上，從歷史上的經濟情況來看，美國是由外國勞動力建造起來的，這是事實。美國是由移民發展起來的，所以從經濟角度來看，我認爲這非常重要。

Yuri: Alright, thank you very much Todd.

尤里：好，非常謝謝你，託德。

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重點講解：
1. be similar to 相像的；相仿的；類似的；
例句：His dress is very similar to mine in colour.
他衣服的顏色和我衣服的很相似。
2. ... （表示在兩者或多者中擇其一）或者，要麼；
例句：She is coming either today or tomorrow.
她不是今天就是明天來。
3. in reality 事實上；實際上；
例句：It seems as if he knew everything, but in reality, he is as stupid as can be.
他似乎是個萬事通，其實他是再愚蠢不過了。
4. in terms of 在…方面；從…角度看；根據…來說；
例句：The leader referred to their work in terms of high praise.
領導對他們的工作大爲讚許。