英语畅谈中国文化50主题8.doc

Eight: Two Boats in the Yangtze RiverA: A Norwegian was told by his Chinese friend that， figuratively， the Yangtze River has two boats, one called “fame”, and the other，“ wealth”. He said that Chinese students are in a busy pursuit of fame and wealth, while their western counterparts are more interested in “an ordinary life”.B: Although many westerners are critical of the obsession with fame and wealth by young Chinese people, few westerners understand the reason behind it. In traditional Chinese culture, fame and wealth were two indicators of a familys glory. Every man had an obligation to both their immediate and extended families as well as to the entire village. His actions would either glorify or defame his family.A: Why is that?B: Well, China is a developing country with scarce resources and opportunities, which means that one has to be very successful in order to live a quality life. For example, in the rural areas in order for someone in the family to go to university, his brothers and sisters may have to drop out of school to save costs. After graduation, this student will do everything he can to gain fame and wealth, in the hope of lifting his family out of poverty. Such is a popular story line of a number of movies, but Gao Jianlin in a 1980s movie called Life is probably the most well-known. He has to do everything he can in order to live in a city, even though it is achieved at the expense of giving up his hometown sweetheart.A: To be fair though, there are also many young Chinese people who are less interested in fame and wealth, and are more focused on a lifestyle they can enjoy.B: Correct. Chinas economic progress has made it possible for these young people to choose that sort of lifestyle. Young people of different time periods have different pursuits. In the 1950s and 1960s, shortly after the Peoples Republic was founded, people truly believed there wouldnt be any personal wealth without building a prosperous country in the first place. So they devoted themselves to the construction of a new China. The economic reforms in the 1980s and 1990s gave people an opportunity to focus on their personal pursuits. Today, thanks to increased disposable income, people are able to constantly upgrade their lifestyle. However, many people have begun to worry about Chinas future, because they see a diminishing sense of family and social responsibility among the young generation.A: Im not too worried though. As people become more affluent, their sense of responsibility will become stronger and they will make decisions which best reflect their values. Many young people in the West have chosen to do voluntary work in Asia, Africa and other underdeveloped areas. As a matter of fact, more and more young Chinese people have also signed up as volunteers.Background Reading背景阅读Youth live with Anxiety 年轻人的生存压力 A recent online survey by the social research center of China Youth Daily found that 55 per cent of young people thought they lacked enthusiasm for life，and 71 per cent considered themselves under heavy pressure It is hard to judge whether the whole social group is so pessimistic just based on the result of a survey of about 4，000 peopleBut anxiety is surely a common phenomenon among young Chinese todayAccording to psychologists, a healthy mental status should be one of optimism and confidenceAnxiety is a mental problem, whose roots are in inner fear over the uncertainties in lifeOr，say，it is a feeling of insecurityThe prospering market economy reflected in conspicuous consumption is the reason for some peoples anxietyBrand-name cars， luxurious houses and elitist lives are within sight of common people with high profilesBut as they are hardly achievable for many，some people feel frustrated Such anxiety over the worship of money，however，is not representativeThe major reasons causing anxiety for most people are high housing prices，education expenses and medical costsPeople are living under high pressure, but they see little hope for escape as their incomes are low and their increases are slowAt a time that seems to be full of opportunities, people live with many anxieties 据中国青年报最近的网上调查显示，55的中国青年认为自己对生活缺乏热情，71%的人认为他们承受着巨大的压力。 仅仅依据这项调查所问及的4000名受访者，很难判断是否整个社会的这一群体都对生活如此悲观。但是焦虑的情绪的确普遍存在于当今的中国年轻人中。据心理学家称，乐观与自信是健康的心理状态所应具备的要素。焦虑是一种心理问题，它源自对生活中的不确定因素的内在恐惧，或者说是一种不安全感。繁荣的市场经济中躁动的消费需求是某些人焦虑情绪产生的原因。名车、豪宅和优越的生活被人们视作高档的标志。但是，由于多数人难以达到这样的生活标准，有些人就会产生失落感。然而，这种出于对金钱崇拜而产生的焦虑感并不具有代表性。对于多数人来说，引起焦虑的主要原因是高昂的房价、教育支出和医疗费用。人们生活在巨大的压力之下，但是低廉并且增长缓慢的工资使他们看不到脱离困境的希望。有时似乎是机会多多，人们也会因此而产生焦虑。Figuratively 比喻地，象征性地 in a pursuit of 追求are critical of 对持批评意见 obsession 执迷，迷恋lift out of poverty 使脱贫 at the expense of 代价是in the first place 首先 personal pursuits 个人追求Eight: Two Boats in the Yangtze(jtsi 扬子江,长江) RiverA: A Norwegian（挪威人）was told by his Chinese friend that， figuratively（象征性地；比喻地）， the Yangtze River has two boats, one called “fame（名）”, and the other，“ wealth（利）”. He said that Chinese students are in a busy pursuit（追求）of fame and wealth, while their western counterparts are more interested in “an ordinary life”.B: Although many westerners are critical（批评的）of the obsession（痴迷）with fame and wealth by young Chinese people, few westerners understand the reason behind it. In traditional Chinese culture, fame and wealth were two indicators（指标）of a familys glory（光荣，荣誉）. Every man had an obligation（义务；职责）to both their immediate（直接的；最接近的；直系的）and extended（延伸的；扩大的）families as well as to the entire village. His actions（行动；活动）would either glorify（加荣耀于）or defame（破坏的名誉） his family.A: Why is that?B: Well, China is a developing country（发展中国家 developed country：发达国家）with scarce（缺乏的，不足的）resources（资源）and opportunities, which means that one has to be very successful in order to live a quality（adj. 高品质的）life. For example, in the rural（农村的，乡下的）areas in order for（为了，目的在于）someone in the family to go to university, his brothers and sisters may have to drop out of school（退学，辍学）to save costs（省钱）. After graduation, this student will do everything he can（竭尽全力）to gain fame and wealth, in the hope of（期待着，希望）lifting（举起；提升；脱离） his family out of poverty（贫困）. Such is a popular story line（故事情节，剧情）of a number of（一些，许多）movies, but Gao Jianlin in a 1980s movie called Life（人生） is probably the most well-known（著名的；众所周知的）. He has to do everything he can in order to live in a city, even though it is achieved at the expense of（以 . 作为代价）giving up his hometown sweetheart（爱人；心上人）.A: To be fair though（公平地讲，话又说回来）, there are also many young Chinese people who are less interested in fame and wealth, and are more focused on（集中于，关注）a lifestyle（生活方式）they can enjoy.B: Correct（对）. Chinas economic progress（发展）has made it possible for these young people to choose that sort of lifestyle. Young people of different time periods（时期）have different pursuits. In the 1950s and 1960s, shortly after（不久之后）the Peoples Republic was founded, people truly believed there wouldnt be any personal wealth without building a prosperous（繁荣的；兴旺的）country in the first place（起初，本来）. So they devoted themselves to（专心致力于）the construction of a new China. The economic reforms in the 1980s and 1990s gave people an opportunity to focus on their personal pursuits（个人追求，个人奋斗）. Today, thanks to（由于，幸亏）increased disposable（可任意处理的；可自由使用的）income（可支配收入）, people are able to constantly（不断地）upgrade（提升）their lifestyle. However, many people have begun to worry about Chinas future, because they see a diminishing（衰减的；逐渐缩小的）sense（感觉，观念）of family and social responsibility among the young generation（一代人）.A: Im not too worried though. As people become more affluent（富裕的）, their sense of responsibility will become stronger and they will make decisions（作决定）which best reflect their values. Many young people in the West have chosen to do voluntary（志愿者）work in Asia, Africa and other underdeveloped areas. As a matter of fact（事实上）, more and more young Chinese people have also signed up（登记）as volunteers.Background Reading背景阅读Youth live with Anxiety 年轻人的生存压力 A recent online survey（在线调查）by the social research center of China Youth Daily found that 55 per cent of young people thought they lacked（缺乏）enthusiasm（热情）for life，and 71 per cent considered themselves under heavy pressure It is hard to judge whether the whole social group is so pessimistic（悲观的，厌世的；悲观主义的）just based on the result of a survey（调查）of about 4，000 peopleBut anxiety（ zaiti 焦虑）is surely a common phenomenon（普遍现象）among young Chinese todayAccording to psychologists（心理学家）, a healthy mental（心理的，精神的）status should be one of optimism（乐观；乐观主义）and confidence（信心）Anxiety is a mental problem, whose roots（根；根源）are in inner（内部的）fear over the uncertainties（不确定性；不确定因素）in lifeOr，say，it is a feeling of insecurity（不安全；不牢靠）The prospering（繁荣的）market economy（市场经济）reflected in（体现）conspicuous（显著的；显而易见的）consumption（消费；消耗）is the reason for some peoples anxietyBrand-name（名牌的）cars， luxurious（豪华的）houses and elitist（精英）lives are within sight of（被见到，看得见）common people with high profiles（鲜明的姿态，鲜明的态度, 明确的立场）But as they are hardly achievable for many，some people feel frustrated(失意的，挫败的；泄气的) Such anxiety over the worship(崇拜)of money，however，is not representative(代表性的，典型的)The major reasons causing anxiety for most people are high housing prices，education expenses and medical costsPeople are living under high pressure, but they see little hope for escape as their incomes are low and their increases are slowAt a time（在某些时侯）that seems to be full of(充满)opportunities, people live with many anxieties 据中国青年报最近的网上调查显示，55的中国青年认为自己对生活缺乏热情，71%的人认为他们承受着巨大的压力。 仅仅依据这项调查所问及的4000名受访者，很难判断是否整个社会的这一群体都对生活如此悲观。但是焦虑的情绪的确普遍存在于当今的中国年轻人中。据心理学家称，乐观与自信是健康的心理