評論
打印
Recording Three
錄音三
I would like particularly to talk about the need to develop a new style of aging in our own society.
我想特別談談在我們自己的社會發(fā)展一種新的老齡化方式的必要性。
Young people in this country have been accused of not caring for their parents the way they would have in the old country. And this is true.
這個國家的年輕人被指責沒有像以前的國家那樣照顧他們的父母。確實如此。
But it is also true that old people have been influenced by an American ideal of independence and autonomy.
但老年人也確實受到了美國人獨立自主的思想的影響。
So we live alone, perhaps on the verge of starvation in time without friends.
所以我們獨自生活，在沒有朋友的情況下，也許有時候甚至處于饑餓的邊緣。
But we are independent.
但我們是獨立的。
This standard American style has been forced on every ethnic group, although there are many groups for whom the ideal is not practical.
這種標準的美國風格已被強加于每個種族群體，盡管對許多群體來說，這種想法并不實際。
It is a poor ideal in pursuing it does a great deal of harm.
這是一個糟糕的理想，追求它會造成很大的傷害。
This ideal of independence also contains a tremendous amount of unselfishness.
這種獨立的理想也包含著極大的無私。
In talking to today's young mothers, I have asked them what kind of grandmothers they think they are going to be.
在與當今年輕的母親們的談話中，我問她們，她們認為自己會成為怎樣的祖母。
I hear devoted, loving mothers say that when they are through raising their children, they have no intention of becoming grandmothers.
我聽那些慈愛的母親們說，當她們在撫養(yǎng)孩子的過程中，根本就沒有成為祖母的意識。
They were astonished to hear that in most of the world, throughout most of its history, families have been three or four generation families living under the same roof.
她們很驚訝地聽說，在世界上的大多數(shù)地方，在其歷史的大部分時間里，家庭都是三代或四代人住在同一個屋檐下。
We have overemphasized the small family unit, father, mother, small children.
我們過分強調(diào)了小的家庭單位，父親、母親和孩子。
We think it is wonderful if grandma and grandpa, if they're still alive, can live alone.
我們認為，如果爺爺奶奶還活著，如果他們能獨自生活，那就太好了。
We have reached the point where we think the only thing we can do for our children is to stay out of their way.
我們已經(jīng)到了這樣的地步——認為自己能為孩子們做的唯一的事情就是遠離他們。
And the only thing we can do for our daughter in law is to see as little of her as possible.
我們能為我們的兒媳做的唯一的事就是盡量少見面。
Old peoples' nursing homes, even the best run are filled with older people who believe the only thing they can do for their children is to look cheerful when they come to visit.
在養(yǎng)老院，即使是最好的跑步場地也擠滿了老年人，他們相信他們能為孩子做的唯一事情就是在孩子來的時候笑容滿面。
So in the end, older people have to devote all their energies to not being a burden.
最終，老年人必須集中精力盡量不讓自己成為年輕人的負擔。
We are beginning to see what a tremendous price we've paid for our emphasis on independence and autonomy.
我們開始看到，我們?yōu)閺娬{(diào)獨立和自治付出了多么巨大的代價。
We've isolated old people and we've cut off the children from their grandparents.
我們孤立了老人，我們也切斷了孩子和他們祖父母的聯(lián)系。
One of the reasons we have as bad a generation gap today as we do is that grandparents have stepped out.
今天之所以有如此嚴重的代溝，原因之一是祖父母已經(jīng)退出了我們的生活。
Young people are being deprived of the things they need most:
年輕人被剝奪了他們最需要的東西:
perspective to know why their parents behave so peculiarly and why their grandparents say the things they do.
了解他們的父母行為如此怪異，他們的祖父母談論自己做了什么的原因。
22: What have young Americans been accused of?
22：年輕的美國人因為什么被指責?
23: What does the speaker say about old people in the United States?
23：關(guān)于美國的老年人，說話者說了些什么?
24: What is astonishing to the young mothers interviewed by the speaker?
24:對說話者采訪的年輕媽媽們來說，什么讓她們感到驚訝?
25: What does the speaker say older people try their best to do?
25:說話者說老年人在盡力做什么?
