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My family's first TV set in 1948
我家1948年的第一臺電視
had only three knobs that I quickly mastered:
只有三個(gè)旋鈕，我很快就掌握了要如何使用：
an on-off switch, a volume knob,
一個(gè)電源開關(guān)，一個(gè)音量旋鈕
and a channel selector knob.
和一個(gè)頻道選擇鈕。
Today, just to watch a program
今天，為了要在我自家的
on the TV set in my own house,
電視上看個(gè)節(jié)目，
I have to operate a 41-button TV remote
我必須要操作一個(gè) 41鈕的電視遙控器，
that utterly defeats me.
這完全難倒了我。
I have to telephone my 25-year-old sons
我只好打電話給我25歲的兒子們
and ask them to talk me through it
讓他們在電話里一步一步地告訴我
while I try to push those wretched 41 buttons.
怎么操作那些可悲的 41個(gè)按鈕。
What can we do to improve the lives of the elderly
我們可以做些什么來改善在美國的老人的生活
in the U.S., and to make better use of their value?
和更好地利用他們的價(jià)值嗎？
That's a huge problem.
這是一個(gè)巨大的問題。
In my remaining four minutes today,
在我今天剩下的四分鐘內(nèi)，
I can offer just a few suggestions.
我僅能提供幾個(gè)建議。
One value of older people is that they are
老人的一個(gè)價(jià)值是他們
increasingly useful as grandparents
作為祖父母，
for offering high-quality childcare
在為其孫輩提供高品質(zhì)的兒童照顧上
to their grandchildren, if they choose to do it,
越來越有用，如果他們選擇做這件事，
as more young women enter the workforce
因?yàn)樵絹碓蕉嗟哪贻p婦女參與勞動
and as fewer young parents of either gender
以及越來越少的年輕父母中任一一方
stay home as full-time caretakers of their children.
留在家里全職照顧他們的孩子。
Compared to the usual alternatives
相比于常見的
of paid babysitters and day care centers,
帶薪保姆和托兒所這些選擇，
grandparents offer superior, motivated,
祖父母提供更優(yōu)越，更有動力的，
experienced child care.
經(jīng)驗(yàn)豐富的兒童照顧。
They've already gained experience from raising their own children.
他們已經(jīng)從養(yǎng)育自己的孩子中取得了經(jīng)驗(yàn)。
They usually love their grandchildren,
他們通常愛他們的孫輩，
and are eager to spend time with them.
并渴望能花時(shí)間和他們在一起。
Unlike other caregivers,
與其他護(hù)理人員不同，
grandparents don't quit their job
爺爺奶奶不會因?yàn)?/div>
because they found another job with higher pay
找到了另一份收入更高的
looking after another baby.
照顧另一個(gè)孩子的工作而辭職。
A second value of older people is paradoxically
老年人的第二個(gè)價(jià)值，矛盾的是
related to their loss of value
與其因世界狀況和技術(shù)的變化
as a result of changing world conditions and technology.
造成的價(jià)值損失有關(guān)。
At the same time, older people have gained
與此同時(shí)，老人們獲得了
in value today precisely because
今天的價(jià)值恰恰是因?yàn)?/div>
of their unique experience of living conditions
他們在那些如今已經(jīng)罕見的生活狀況上
that have now become rare
的獨(dú)特經(jīng)驗(yàn)
because of rapid change, but that could come back.
這些情況由于快速的變化而變得罕見，但有可能會再出現(xiàn)。
For example, only Americans now in their 70s
例如，只有70多歲或更老的美國人
or older today can remember
今天會記得
the experience of living through a great depression,
在大蕭條中存活的經(jīng)驗(yàn)，
the experience of living through a world war,
在世界大戰(zhàn)中存活的經(jīng)驗(yàn)，
and agonizing whether or not
和煩惱到底是
dropping atomic bombs would be more horrible
扔原子炸彈的后果比較嚴(yán)重
than the likely consequences of not dropping atomic bombs.
還是不扔原子彈可能出現(xiàn)的后果比較嚴(yán)重。
Most of our current voters and politicians
大多數(shù)我們當(dāng)前的選民和政治家
have no personal experience of any of those things,
都沒有親身經(jīng)歷過這些事情，
but millions of older Americans do.
但數(shù)以百萬計(jì)的美國老年人經(jīng)歷過。
Unfortunately, all of those terrible situations
不幸的是，所有這些可怕的情況
could come back.
都有可能再發(fā)生。
Even if they don't come back,
即使它們不再發(fā)生，
we have to be able to plan for them
我們必須能夠?yàn)榇俗龊脺?zhǔn)備
on the basis of the experience of what they were like.
基于經(jīng)驗(yàn)所知的狀況。
Older people have that experience.
老人們有這個(gè)經(jīng)驗(yàn)。
Younger people don't.
但年輕人沒有。
The remaining value of older people
我將要提到的老人的其他價(jià)值
that I'll mention involves recognizing that
是關(guān)于（我們需要）認(rèn)識到
while there are many things that older people
雖然有很多事情，老人
can no longer do,
不能再做了，
there are other things that they can do
但也有其他的事情，他們?nèi)钥梢宰?/div>
better than younger people.
得比年輕人更好。
A challenge for society is to make use of those things
社會面臨的一個(gè)挑戰(zhàn)就是要利用那些
that older people are better at doing.
老人能做得更好事情。
| 重點(diǎn)單詞 | 查看全部解釋 | |||
| channel | ['tʃænl] |
想一想再看 n. 通道，頻道，（消息）渠道，海峽，方法 |
聯(lián)想記憶 | |
| experienced | [iks'piəriənst] |
想一想再看 adj. 有經(jīng)驗(yàn)的 |
||
| motivated | ['məutiveitid] |
想一想再看 adj. 有動機(jī)的；有積極性的 v. 使產(chǎn)生動機(jī)；激發(fā)… |
||
| related | [ri'leitid] |
想一想再看 adj. 相關(guān)的，有親屬關(guān)系的 |
||
| switch | [switʃ] |
想一想再看 n. 開關(guān)，轉(zhuǎn)換，鞭子 |
||
| challenge | ['tʃælindʒ] |
想一想再看 n. 挑戰(zhàn) |
||
| superior | [su:'piəriə] |
想一想再看 n. 上級，高手，上標(biāo) |
聯(lián)想記憶 | |
| remote | [ri'məut] |
想一想再看 adj. 偏僻的，遙遠(yuǎn)的，遠(yuǎn)程的，(感情等)距離很大 |
聯(lián)想記憶 | |
| confident | ['kɔnfidənt] |
想一想再看 adj. 自信的，有信心的，有把握的 |
聯(lián)想記憶 | |
| understand | [.ʌndə'stænd] |
想一想再看 vt. 理解，懂，聽說，獲悉，將 ... 理解為，認(rèn)為< |
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