零距離美語會話[社會問題]Lesson 2:About society

Two About society.
關於社會

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.
一些人覺得尊老愛幼很有意義。美國是個富強的國家，但是也有很多貧窮和孤獨這些問題。所以，許多人自願給出時間來幫助教育貧窮的孩子，或者去探望年邁孤寂的老人。
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.
在西方許多國家，人們關注那些酗酒或抽菸太多的人。毒品問題就是人們公開談論的一個話題。
C Pregnancy can be an issue that causes arguments in America. Pregnancy, abortion, and birth control, are topics that people do not agree on.
在美國，懷孕是一個可以引起爭執的話題。關於懷孕、墮胎以及節育這些問題，人們都持有不同意見。
D It is a common tradition for some Westerners to donate money to charities that help to solve problems such as poverty, disease, and intolerance.
捐錢給慈善機構去幫助解決像貧窮、疾病和無法容忍這樣的問題，這是一些西方人所共有的一個傳統。
E The suburbs are popular because people enjoy more space for their homes and the crime rate is usually lower.
郊區很受歡迎，因爲人們可以享受更大的住房空間，犯罪率通常也要低一些。

2 Sample Sentences
1. Do you prefer the city or the country?
你喜歡城市還是鄉下？
2. Watch your diet.
注意節食。
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.
早年，我就發現和年老的、體弱者，還有殘疾人積極地相處很令人充實。
5. I have the power to change my body and my health, yet I can’t seem to get the job done.
我有能力改變我的身體狀況和健康，但是我似乎就是不能把這事搞定。
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.
我想一旦你習慣了在像紐約州、新英格蘭（美國東北部六州的總稱）或者明尼蘇達州這樣的地方生活，你會很高興住在那兒的。
7. Carl was very supportive of your right to be an individual.
Carl 很支持你作爲個人的權力。
8. He seems very respectful of people of different backgrounds.
他看起來很尊重來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產的話，你會有什麼反應？
10. I haven't had a personal experience with abortion other than knowing someone who had one.
除了認識一個人有過此經歷外，我個人還從未經歷過流產。

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 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.
【譯文】
——你聽說莎利出什麼事了嗎？
——沒有，什麼事？
——她必須去醫院。
——爲什麼？
——她在課堂上昏倒了。好像她幾天沒有吃東西了。
——她究竟爲什麼要那樣做？你是說她故意幾天不吃東西？那真是瘋狂！
——是的，但她是那麼做的。
——我不相信有女孩子願意對她的身體那樣做，況且僅僅是爲了某些方面好看。
——唔，這不只是這個女孩子的過錯。也是社會的過錯——那些登着最瘦模特的雜誌和廣告都說“減肥很流行”。對她們來說，不聽是很難的。
——是這樣，但也要有限度。減肥是一回事，把自己餓死是另外一回事。沒有人強迫她們這樣做。
——我知道，但有時做出正確的決策是很難的。而且此外，厭食症也是一個心理問題。厭食者從不認爲她們已經夠瘦了，而不停地壓制她們自己。
——唔，她們應該努力減弱這些信息的影響，儘量提倡一個更健康的身體形象。如果女孩子長大時總認爲她們太胖了，這確實是在傷害她們自己。
——我同意。

2. Helping 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.
【譯文】
——嘿，珊迪，最近忙什麼？今晚有興趣看電影嗎？
——我希望我能去，但我很忙。今晚我要去施粥場上班。
——施粥場？是個新開張的餐館嗎？
——不是，是專供無家可歸者去吃飯的地方。
——你怎麼會牽扯上做那種事？
——唔，教堂的牧師告訴我們的，似乎很有趣。我想我會去嘗試一次，如果我不喜歡，我就不做了。
——那麼你在那兒做些什麼？
——很簡單。我們所要做的就是準備些食物，通常是三明治和一些水果，然後在施粥場把這些食物分發給他們。
——噢，聽起來容易。需要多長時間？
——只不過大約兩小時，一個月幾天而已。你爲什麼不試一次？
——我不知道。我是說，我喜歡幫助社區之類的，但我不知道我是否有時間……
——別猶豫了，很容易，而且會使你感覺很好。爲什麼今晚你不和我一起來？
——我不知道……
——我不接受回答是“不”。今晚7點我會去接你。

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?
Charles: Yes, in many ways it is. There are many stereotypes I have to deal with in my daily life.
Kate: Stereotypes? Like what?
Charles: Well, like since I'm black, I must like rap music10, come from the inner city, or play basketball well.
Kate: I do know you like rap music, but the other two are definitely 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? 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.
【譯文】
——在校園裏當黑人學生很難嗎？
——是的，多方面是這樣。在我的日常生活中，有許多舊框框我不得不去面對。
——舊框框？什麼樣的？
——唔，像因爲我是黑人，我必定喜歡說唱音樂，必定來自內地城市，必定很會打籃球。
——我知道你喜歡說唱音樂，但其它兩個絕對是錯誤的。我看過你打籃球。
——嘿！但問題還不止那些。防止種族歧視的積極行動還是有污點的。
——你是說人們看不起你，因爲他們認爲你是因爲配額而在學校？那完全不對；你真的是個精明人。
——我知道，但是有些人不那樣認爲。而且老師那兒我也遇到了麻煩。
——老師？我想他們根本不可能是種族主義者。
——種族主義者？不準確。是他們怎麼看我，問我對一個話題的看法，好像我能代表所有的黑人，對一個
話題告訴他們“黑人的觀點”。突然，我成爲黑種人的代表，好像我們所有的黑人都有同樣的看法。
——我明白。看起來在美國還有許多問題需要我們繼續努力。

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 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.
【譯文】
——嘿，你，把那塊垃圾撿起來！
——嗯？是指我嗎？
——是，就是你。我剛纔看見你往地上扔了一塊垃圾。難道你沒看見“禁止隨地亂扔”標記嗎？亂扔垃圾，罰款500美元，所以去把垃圾撿起來，並扔進那邊的垃圾箱裏。
——我爲什麼要那樣做呢？只是一塊垃圾。你爲什麼要管？
——因爲這是公共場所，我想在這兒消磨時間，不想看你的垃圾。
——聽着，我實在搞不懂你爲什麼把這看成是一個大問題。只不過是一大塊空地上的一小片垃圾而已。又不是到處都是垃圾。而且，不時會有人來清掃垃圾。
——拾撿懶人走後的垃圾又不是清潔工的責任。爲他人確保這個地方整潔，你也有部分責任。如果每個人都像你這麼想，那麼到處都將是垃圾！清潔工不可能無處不在。
——好吧，不管你說什麼。看着，我把它扔進垃圾桶了。
——等一下，那是可回收垃圾。你應該放進緊挨廢物桶的那個可回收垃圾箱裏。
——可回收垃圾箱？垃圾就是垃圾!
——不，不是。很多時候我們可以拿我們用過的重新使用。省用新材料，還少了些垃圾。
——好，好。只要你不再糾纏我，你想讓我怎麼做，我就怎麼做。

4 Words and Expressions
1. pass out 昏倒
2. intentionally 有意地, 故意地
3. wafer 薄酥餅; 威化餅
4. anorexia 食慾缺乏(症);厭食症
5. psychological 心理學的
6. tone down 使柔和
7. soup kitchen 施捨食物給窮人之處所; 施粥場
8. minister 部長; 大臣; 牧師, 神職人員
9. stereotype 刻板模式
10. rap music 說唱音樂
11. affirmative action] 以新證據推翻原告所控事實的抗辯
12. stigma 恥辱, 污名
13. quota 配額; 定額; 限額
14. racist 種族主義者
15. representative 代表
16. penalty 處罰; 刑罰；罰款
17. litter 亂扔廢棄物
18. garbage can 垃圾箱
19. recycle 使再循環; 回收
20. get off one's back 不再打擾某人