第三周：星期三　Talking about Family 談家庭

☆The two brothers are as alike as two peas in a pod. 這倆兄弟非常相像，有如一個(gè)豆莢里的兩顆豆。

☆We are family. 我們是一家人。

☆Wash one's dirty linen at home. 家丑不可外揚(yáng)。

☆East or west, home is best. 金窩銀窩，不如自己的狗窩。

☆Home is where the heart is. 家是心所向往的地方。

☆She is the spit and image of her mother. 她和她母親長得簡(jiǎn)直一模一樣。

A：Do you think young people are given too much freedom nowadays, and that as a result they've lost respect for their parents and their elders?

B：I don't think so. My parents never interfered with my plans too much. They advised me but never forced me to do anything I didn't want to do. I think I respect them more for this.

A：Are you quite independent of them now?

B：Yes, since I left school and started my studies as a nurse. But I still stay with them a lot.

A：You seem very close to your parents.

B：I am. I know that many young people today say they have nothing in common with their parents but I'm rather lucky because I get along very well with mine. What about you?

A：I'm very fond of my family, but I don't always get along very well with them. They try to control me too much.

B：Maybe it's just because of a lack of communication.

A：你有沒有覺得人們給現(xiàn)在的年輕人太多自由了，結(jié)果導(dǎo)致他們對(duì)父母和其他長輩不那么尊重了?

B：我不這樣認(rèn)為。我父母從不過多地干涉我自己的計(jì)劃。他們給我提建議，但從不強(qiáng)迫我去做我不想做的事情。我因此更尊重他們了。

A：你現(xiàn)在獨(dú)立生活了嗎?

B：是的，自從我畢業(yè)開始學(xué)護(hù)理。但我和他們待在一起的時(shí)間還是很多的。

A：看起來你和你家人的關(guān)系非常親密。

B：是的。我知道現(xiàn)在許多年輕人說自己和父母沒有共同話題，但我很幸運(yùn)因?yàn)槲液透改赶嗵幍煤芎?。你?

A：我很熱愛自己的家庭，但有時(shí)候和他們處不來。他們處處想控制我。

B：可能是因?yàn)槿狈贤ò伞?/p>

A：Have your parents retired?

B：Yes, they have. But they both have found other jobs and are still working.

A：Are they worrying about the money?

B：Money is part of the reason. They also want to keephysically and mentally active.

A：My parents are always worried about their low income after retirement which will increase our burden.

B：Well, my parents keep in good health after retirement.

A：I hold the traditional ideas that we must take care of our parents.

B：I agree with you.

A：Will the security and welfares for the aged be improved in the near future?

B：I hope so.

A：I don't consider supporting seniors as only the government's duty.

B：Yes, we need to save for the rainy days, and make financial planning for ourselves.

A：你的父母退休了嗎?

B：是的，已經(jīng)退休了。但是他們又找了別的工作，現(xiàn)在還在上班呢。

A：他們是不是擔(dān)心錢的問題?

B：錢只是一部分原因。他們還想利用工作鍛煉身體，活躍思維。

A：我爸媽總擔(dān)心退休后自己月收入少了會(huì)給我們兒女增加負(fù)擔(dān)。

B：呃，我的父母退休后身體一直都保持得很好。

A：我的觀念非常傳統(tǒng)，覺得父母一定要由子女來贍養(yǎng)。

B：我的想法和你一樣。

A：未來老年人的福利和保障會(huì)不會(huì)再提高一些呢?

B：希望如此。

A：我覺得養(yǎng)老不僅僅是政府的責(zé)任。

B：是的，我們也應(yīng)該未雨綢繆，做好自己的財(cái)務(wù)規(guī)劃。

A：My husband and I are only-children.

B：That'll be tough for you to take care of four parents when they are old.

A：Yes, I'm worrying about it.

B：You need a lot of extra time and energy then.

A：News says three out of ten Chinese will be seniors by the year 2050. I believe most of the burden has to be shouldered by their only-children.

B：That's true. But it just reminds me that it may be a nice business opportunity in the future to set up more care centers for elderly people.

A：Our neighborhood is in lack of a fully-equipped senior care center.

B：Recreation centers for seniors can help the elderly people get rid of loneliness after retirement.

A：We should make earlier investments for our old age in the future.

B：I have heard that the pension will be increased along with the average salary level.

A：我和丈夫都是獨(dú)生子女。

B：雙方父母老的時(shí)候，你們要照顧四個(gè)老人，一定很不容易。

A：是啊，我也為此感到憂慮呢。

B：到時(shí)候，你需要許多額外的時(shí)間和精力。

A：新聞?wù)f，到2050年為止，三成的中國人口都將是老年人。我想照顧他們的負(fù)擔(dān)大部分會(huì)落在這些獨(dú)生子女們的肩膀上。

B：說的沒錯(cuò)。但是這也提醒了我，建立更多的養(yǎng)老中心也許在未來會(huì)是不錯(cuò)的賺錢機(jī)會(huì)。

A：我家附近缺少一個(gè)設(shè)施齊全的養(yǎng)老院。

B：有了老年人活動(dòng)中心，可以幫助那些老年人擺脫退休之后的孤獨(dú)寂寞。

A：我們也應(yīng)該早點(diǎn)兒為以后上了歲數(shù)的日子進(jìn)行投資。

B：我聽說養(yǎng)老金發(fā)放金額會(huì)隨著社會(huì)平均工資水平的提高而提高。

A：Ellen, how have things been?

B：Oh, much the same. My husband and I still seem to have rows all the time.

A：What do you quarrel about?

B：Oh, everything. For example, when he gets home, he expects me to run around and get his tea. He never does anything athome.

A：Really?

B：Yes! And yesterday, he even invited four of his friends to come round for a drink and didn't tell me before hand.

A：I see.

B：He's so untidy, and even worse than the kids. He always throws his clothes on the floor. After all, I'm not his servant. You see, that's the trouble.

A：Maybe you two should have a serious talk about that.

A：艾倫，近來好嗎?

B：噢，跟以前差不多。我和我丈夫似乎一直在吵個(gè)不停。

A：你們吵什么?

B：哦，什么都要吵。比如他一到家，就要我跑來跑去地為他倒茶。他在家里什么都不做。

A：真的嗎?

B：是的!還有昨天，他甚至都沒有提前跟我說一聲就請(qǐng)了四個(gè)朋友來喝酒。

A：我理解。

B：他那么不愛干凈，甚至連小孩都不如。他總是把衣服扔在地板上。畢竟我不是他的仆人，你看，問題就在這里。

A：或許你們兩個(gè)人應(yīng)該認(rèn)真地談一談了。

A：How many people are there in your family?

B：Four: my parents, my older brother and I.

A：What type of family do you like?

B：I like a small family, composed of parents and one child. In America, people call it a nuclear family.

A：Do you get on well with your family?

B：Yes, quite well.

A：How do you often spend weekends with your family?

B：We often go out or shopping.

A：Do your parents care about you?

B：Of course. They often talk to me like we are friends.

A：Do your parents like children?

B：Yes, they like my brother's two children very much.

A：Do they live together with your brother?

B：No, they have their own house.

A：你家有幾口人?

B：四口：父母、哥哥和我。

A：你喜歡什么類型的家庭?

B：我喜歡由雙親及一個(gè)孩子組成的小家庭。在美國，人們稱之為核心家庭。

A：你與家人相處得好嗎?

B：是的，很和睦。

A：你通常是怎樣與家人度周末的?

B：我們常去郊游或購物。

A：你父母關(guān)心你嗎?

B：當(dāng)然。他們經(jīng)常像朋友一樣和我聊天。

A：你父母喜歡孩子嗎?

B：是的，他們非常喜歡我哥哥的兩個(gè)孩子。

A：他們跟你哥哥住在一起嗎?

B：不，他們有自己的房子。