1.While traveling for various speaking engagements, I frequently stay overnightin the home of a family and am assigned to one of the children''s bedrooms.——On my speaking tour, I often stay in the house of a family for the night and I am given one of the children''s bedrooms. 在我應(yīng)邀到各地演說(shuō)時(shí),經(jīng)常在別人過(guò)夜,往往被安排到這家孩子的一間臥室。
stay overnight:過(guò)夜
eg: Jane''s parents never allows her to stay overnight at any of her friends''
簡(jiǎn)的父母從不容光煥發(fā)許她在朋友家過(guò)夜。
eg:It was too late, he had to stay overnight at the station.
2. no room for my small toilet kit.沒(méi)有地方放我那小小洗漱包。
room:
eg: There is enough room in the car for 5 persons. 車?yán)镉凶銐虻目臻g坐五個(gè)人。
Make room for 給……騰地方/空間
eg: Could you please make room for me? 你能給我騰個(gè)地方嗎?
3. And the closet is usually so tightly packed with clothes that I can barely squeeze in my jacket.——The closet is usually so full of clothes that I can hardly put my jacket in .
(1) be packed with 裝滿了
eg: The box is packed with books. 這個(gè)箱子裝滿了書(shū)
eg: The hall was packed with guests.大廳里擠滿了人
4.I am not complaining, only making a point. 我并不是抱怨,只是表明一個(gè)看法。
(1) complain(of,about)抱怨,申訴
eg:The people in that area often complain about bad weather.那個(gè)地區(qū)的人們常常抱怨槽糕的天氣。
(2) make a one''s point 發(fā)表看法,證明立論
eg: Every one can make their points at the meeting. 每個(gè)人都可以發(fā)表自己的看法。
make a point of doing決心做,堅(jiān)持做
5. I think that the tendency to give children an overabundance of toys and clothes is quite common in American families, and I think in far too many families not only do children come to take their parents'' generosity for granted, but also the effects of this can actually be somewhat harmful to children.…。
the tendency to do 做——的傾向
eg:The conditions in some schools have a tendency to improve.一些學(xué)校的條件呈現(xiàn)改善趨勢(shì)
6. Children can also be overindulged with too many privileges——for example, when parents send a child to an expensive summer camp that parents can''t really afford.
be overindulged with過(guò)分享受到
7 Parents who both hold down full-time jobs may feel guilty about the amount of time they spend away from their children and may attempt to compensate by showering them with material possessions.
(1)hold down a job:有穩(wěn)定的工作;做好工作以保住飯碗
eg: He is always working hard to hold down his job. 他在努力工作以便保住工作。
(2) feel guilty about對(duì)……感到內(nèi)疚
eg:He felt guilty about spoiling the computer of his friend''s. 他為弄壞了朋友的電腦感到內(nèi)疚。
(3) shower sb. with sth. 給某人大量的:
When he returned with victory, our country showered him with great honors.
當(dāng)他凱旋歸來(lái)時(shí),國(guó)家給了他大量的榮譽(yù)。
8. Other parents overindulge because they want their children to have everything they had while growing up, along with those things the parents yearned for but did''t get.
along with sth. /sb.:除此之外;同樣;一起
eg: They got financial aid, along with encouragement.他們得到了資助,也得到了鼓勵(lì)。
eg: He, along with his best friends, went to the party
9. Overindulgence of a child also happens when parents are unable to stand up to their children''s unreasonable demands
stand up to 后面一般跟sb.,表示頂住某人要求等
eg:If you stand up to them, they will stop troubling you. 你要是頂住,他們就不會(huì)再麻煩你了。
stand up to sth.:(物質(zhì)或物品)耐磨,耐用
In 1998, the dam stood up to the severest flood in history. 1998年,那個(gè)大壩經(jīng)受了歷最嚴(yán)重的洪水的考驗(yàn)
10. Such parents vacillate between saying no and giving in——but neither response seems satisfactory to them
vacillate between:(正式)猶疑
eg:She vacillated between her two admirers. 在兩個(gè)追求者之間,她舉棋不定。
11 If they refuse a request, they immediately feel a wave of remorse for having been so strict or ungenerous.
wave:波動(dòng),高漲
12. If they give in, they feel regret and resentment over having been a pushover.
pushover: someone who is easily influenced or defeated易被勸服(或擊敗、引誘、欺騙等)的人
eg: He was always trying new medicines and was a pushover for all the advertisements he saw.
他總是在嘗試新的藥品,看到什么廣告他都忍不住要試一試
13. This kind of vacillation not only impairs the parents'' ability to set limits, it also sours the parent-child relationship to some degree, robbing parents and their children of some of the happiness and mutual respect that should be present in healthy families.…。
impair: to damage sth.or make sth. weaker:
eg: The accident impaired his vision. 那次事故損傷了他的視力
14.Instead, the effects of overindulgence can be harmful. Children may, to some degree tbecome greedy, self-centered, ungrateful and insensitive to the needs and feelings of others, beginning with their parents.
to some degree 在某種程度上
eg:I agree to your proposal to some degree. 我在一定程度上同意你的建議。
insensitive to:對(duì)……感覺(jué)遲鈍;不敏感;不在乎
eg:Doctors found him insensitive to pain. 醫(yī)生發(fā)現(xiàn)他對(duì)疼痛不敏感。
15 When children are given too much, it undermines their respect for their parents.
undermine: to make sth./sb. gradually weaker or less effective破壞,毀壞
eg: These incidents could seriously undermine support for the police.
發(fā)生這么多事故會(huì)嚴(yán)懲影響人們對(duì)警察的支持。
16 if they push too hard, they will force their parents into setting limits.
force sb. into doing/to do強(qiáng)迫/迫使某人做某事
He was forced to sell his house to pay off his debts. 他被迫賣(mài)房子來(lái)還債
17. They have fewer opportunities to learn the value of money ,and have less experience in learning to deal with a delay in gratification, it every requested object is given on demand.
have opportunities to do:有機(jī)會(huì)做的
eg:He had a lot of opportunities to communicate with foreigners when he was at
college.他在大學(xué)時(shí),有許多機(jī)會(huì)與外國(guó)人交流。
have experience in doing
eg:He has a lot of experience of dealing with rejects. 他有處理退貨問(wèn)題的經(jīng)驗(yàn)
18. Rather my intent is to help those parents who have already sensed that they might be overindulging their children but don''t know how to stop——My purpose is to offer some advice some advice to those parents who have somewhat realized that they are overindulging their children but don''t know how to stop.
rather: adv.(用來(lái)修正或補(bǔ)充上文)并非那樣,而是…,更確切地說(shuō)
eg: He seemed pleased to hear the criticism. Or rather, he pretended to be pleased
19. Parents who are fortunate enough not to have a problem with feelings of guilt don''t need to respond crossly to their children when denying a specific request which is thought to be unreasonable.
have a problem with有問(wèn)題
20 It''s the cheerfulness and lack of hesitation that impress upon the child that parents mean what they say.
impress sth. on/upon sb./one''s mind/memory使某人對(duì)……明確無(wú)誤,使銘記在腦海/記憶中
eg: The manager impressed upon the salesmen the importance of creating new markets.
經(jīng)理使每個(gè)推銷員深感到開(kāi)辟新市場(chǎng)的重要。
21. A cross response signals that the parents are in inner conflict.——When parents reject an unreasonable request angrily, it shows that deep down they are not really sure whether or not they should do so
signal: to make sth. clear使清楚,表明
22. They only begin arguing and pestering when they detect uncertainty or guilt, and sense that their parents can be pushed to give them what they want, if they just keep at it.
push sb. to do /into doing sth.催促,鼓勵(lì)或逼迫某人做
eg: The boy is a diligent student. His parents never have to push him to do his homework.
那少年是個(gè)用功的學(xué)生,他的家長(zhǎng)根本不需要去催促他做作業(yè)
23.But the truth is that a child really wants parents to be in control and to act with conviction in a kind and loving fashion.
conviction: very firm opinion and belief深信,確信
He was a man of strong conviction. 他是一個(gè)信仰堅(jiān)定的人。
24. In fact, I''ll make a rash statement that I believe is true, by and large Children will abide by what their parents sincerely believe is right.
by and large:大體上,基本上,總的說(shuō)來(lái)
eg:By and large, he has been doing well. 總體上看,他還算是表現(xiàn)很好
abide by遵守(法律,決定),信守(諾言)
eg:The spokesman of the Tax Bureau impressed upon all businessmen and businesswomen that they must abide by the new tax regulation. 稅務(wù)局的發(fā)言人讓所有的商人明白他們必須遵守新的稅務(wù)規(guī)定。
25. But the truth is that a child really wants parents to be in control ……
be in control of: to direct, manage or rule負(fù)責(zé),指揮
eg:Who is in control of the project? 誰(shuí)負(fù)責(zé)這項(xiàng)工程?
26. ……a kind and loving fashion.
fashion:a way of doing things方法,方式
eg: Don''t speak to me in that fashion. 不要用那種方式同我講話。
27.practice responding to your children''s requests in a prompt, definite
prompt, without delay 即刻的,馬上的,不拖延
definite,確定的,不模棱兩可的
30. Once you turn over a new leaf you can''t expect to change completely right away
turn over a new leaf: become a better person.改過(guò)自新
22. You are bound to vacillate at times.——You are sure to hesitate sometimes between saying yes or no to your children''s unreasonable demands.
Be bound to do: be certain to do肯定
eg: The weather is bound to improve in a day or two…… 會(huì)一兩天后天氣肯定會(huì)好轉(zhuǎn)。
23. The key is to be satisfied with gradual improvement, expecting and accepting the occasional slips that come with any change.
be satisfied with 滿意
eg:Children are not easily satisfied nowadays. The more you give them, the more they want.
現(xiàn)在要讓孩子們滿意可不容易。給他們的越多,他們的欲望也就越多。
occasional slips:偶爾偏離你的正確做法
31. For a while they''ll keep on applying the old pressures
Keep on doing:不停地做,反復(fù)做
eg:His children kept on pestering him with homework questions while he was working on a book.
他在寫(xiě)書(shū)時(shí)孩子們不斷地來(lái)打擾他問(wèn)他問(wèn)題。
stay overnight:過(guò)夜
eg: Jane''s parents never allows her to stay overnight at any of her friends''
簡(jiǎn)的父母從不容光煥發(fā)許她在朋友家過(guò)夜。
eg:It was too late, he had to stay overnight at the station.
2. no room for my small toilet kit.沒(méi)有地方放我那小小洗漱包。
room:
eg: There is enough room in the car for 5 persons. 車?yán)镉凶銐虻目臻g坐五個(gè)人。
Make room for 給……騰地方/空間
eg: Could you please make room for me? 你能給我騰個(gè)地方嗎?
3. And the closet is usually so tightly packed with clothes that I can barely squeeze in my jacket.——The closet is usually so full of clothes that I can hardly put my jacket in .
(1) be packed with 裝滿了
eg: The box is packed with books. 這個(gè)箱子裝滿了書(shū)
eg: The hall was packed with guests.大廳里擠滿了人
4.I am not complaining, only making a point. 我并不是抱怨,只是表明一個(gè)看法。
(1) complain(of,about)抱怨,申訴
eg:The people in that area often complain about bad weather.那個(gè)地區(qū)的人們常常抱怨槽糕的天氣。
(2) make a one''s point 發(fā)表看法,證明立論
eg: Every one can make their points at the meeting. 每個(gè)人都可以發(fā)表自己的看法。
make a point of doing決心做,堅(jiān)持做
5. I think that the tendency to give children an overabundance of toys and clothes is quite common in American families, and I think in far too many families not only do children come to take their parents'' generosity for granted, but also the effects of this can actually be somewhat harmful to children.…。
the tendency to do 做——的傾向
eg:The conditions in some schools have a tendency to improve.一些學(xué)校的條件呈現(xiàn)改善趨勢(shì)
6. Children can also be overindulged with too many privileges——for example, when parents send a child to an expensive summer camp that parents can''t really afford.
be overindulged with過(guò)分享受到
7 Parents who both hold down full-time jobs may feel guilty about the amount of time they spend away from their children and may attempt to compensate by showering them with material possessions.
(1)hold down a job:有穩(wěn)定的工作;做好工作以保住飯碗
eg: He is always working hard to hold down his job. 他在努力工作以便保住工作。
(2) feel guilty about對(duì)……感到內(nèi)疚
eg:He felt guilty about spoiling the computer of his friend''s. 他為弄壞了朋友的電腦感到內(nèi)疚。
(3) shower sb. with sth. 給某人大量的:
When he returned with victory, our country showered him with great honors.
當(dāng)他凱旋歸來(lái)時(shí),國(guó)家給了他大量的榮譽(yù)。
8. Other parents overindulge because they want their children to have everything they had while growing up, along with those things the parents yearned for but did''t get.
along with sth. /sb.:除此之外;同樣;一起
eg: They got financial aid, along with encouragement.他們得到了資助,也得到了鼓勵(lì)。
eg: He, along with his best friends, went to the party
9. Overindulgence of a child also happens when parents are unable to stand up to their children''s unreasonable demands
stand up to 后面一般跟sb.,表示頂住某人要求等
eg:If you stand up to them, they will stop troubling you. 你要是頂住,他們就不會(huì)再麻煩你了。
stand up to sth.:(物質(zhì)或物品)耐磨,耐用
In 1998, the dam stood up to the severest flood in history. 1998年,那個(gè)大壩經(jīng)受了歷最嚴(yán)重的洪水的考驗(yàn)
10. Such parents vacillate between saying no and giving in——but neither response seems satisfactory to them
vacillate between:(正式)猶疑
eg:She vacillated between her two admirers. 在兩個(gè)追求者之間,她舉棋不定。
11 If they refuse a request, they immediately feel a wave of remorse for having been so strict or ungenerous.
wave:波動(dòng),高漲
12. If they give in, they feel regret and resentment over having been a pushover.
pushover: someone who is easily influenced or defeated易被勸服(或擊敗、引誘、欺騙等)的人
eg: He was always trying new medicines and was a pushover for all the advertisements he saw.
他總是在嘗試新的藥品,看到什么廣告他都忍不住要試一試
13. This kind of vacillation not only impairs the parents'' ability to set limits, it also sours the parent-child relationship to some degree, robbing parents and their children of some of the happiness and mutual respect that should be present in healthy families.…。
impair: to damage sth.or make sth. weaker:
eg: The accident impaired his vision. 那次事故損傷了他的視力
14.Instead, the effects of overindulgence can be harmful. Children may, to some degree tbecome greedy, self-centered, ungrateful and insensitive to the needs and feelings of others, beginning with their parents.
to some degree 在某種程度上
eg:I agree to your proposal to some degree. 我在一定程度上同意你的建議。
insensitive to:對(duì)……感覺(jué)遲鈍;不敏感;不在乎
eg:Doctors found him insensitive to pain. 醫(yī)生發(fā)現(xiàn)他對(duì)疼痛不敏感。
15 When children are given too much, it undermines their respect for their parents.
undermine: to make sth./sb. gradually weaker or less effective破壞,毀壞
eg: These incidents could seriously undermine support for the police.
發(fā)生這么多事故會(huì)嚴(yán)懲影響人們對(duì)警察的支持。
16 if they push too hard, they will force their parents into setting limits.
force sb. into doing/to do強(qiáng)迫/迫使某人做某事
He was forced to sell his house to pay off his debts. 他被迫賣(mài)房子來(lái)還債
17. They have fewer opportunities to learn the value of money ,and have less experience in learning to deal with a delay in gratification, it every requested object is given on demand.
have opportunities to do:有機(jī)會(huì)做的
eg:He had a lot of opportunities to communicate with foreigners when he was at
college.他在大學(xué)時(shí),有許多機(jī)會(huì)與外國(guó)人交流。
have experience in doing
eg:He has a lot of experience of dealing with rejects. 他有處理退貨問(wèn)題的經(jīng)驗(yàn)
18. Rather my intent is to help those parents who have already sensed that they might be overindulging their children but don''t know how to stop——My purpose is to offer some advice some advice to those parents who have somewhat realized that they are overindulging their children but don''t know how to stop.
rather: adv.(用來(lái)修正或補(bǔ)充上文)并非那樣,而是…,更確切地說(shuō)
eg: He seemed pleased to hear the criticism. Or rather, he pretended to be pleased
19. Parents who are fortunate enough not to have a problem with feelings of guilt don''t need to respond crossly to their children when denying a specific request which is thought to be unreasonable.
have a problem with有問(wèn)題
20 It''s the cheerfulness and lack of hesitation that impress upon the child that parents mean what they say.
impress sth. on/upon sb./one''s mind/memory使某人對(duì)……明確無(wú)誤,使銘記在腦海/記憶中
eg: The manager impressed upon the salesmen the importance of creating new markets.
經(jīng)理使每個(gè)推銷員深感到開(kāi)辟新市場(chǎng)的重要。
21. A cross response signals that the parents are in inner conflict.——When parents reject an unreasonable request angrily, it shows that deep down they are not really sure whether or not they should do so
signal: to make sth. clear使清楚,表明
22. They only begin arguing and pestering when they detect uncertainty or guilt, and sense that their parents can be pushed to give them what they want, if they just keep at it.
push sb. to do /into doing sth.催促,鼓勵(lì)或逼迫某人做
eg: The boy is a diligent student. His parents never have to push him to do his homework.
那少年是個(gè)用功的學(xué)生,他的家長(zhǎng)根本不需要去催促他做作業(yè)
23.But the truth is that a child really wants parents to be in control and to act with conviction in a kind and loving fashion.
conviction: very firm opinion and belief深信,確信
He was a man of strong conviction. 他是一個(gè)信仰堅(jiān)定的人。
24. In fact, I''ll make a rash statement that I believe is true, by and large Children will abide by what their parents sincerely believe is right.
by and large:大體上,基本上,總的說(shuō)來(lái)
eg:By and large, he has been doing well. 總體上看,他還算是表現(xiàn)很好
abide by遵守(法律,決定),信守(諾言)
eg:The spokesman of the Tax Bureau impressed upon all businessmen and businesswomen that they must abide by the new tax regulation. 稅務(wù)局的發(fā)言人讓所有的商人明白他們必須遵守新的稅務(wù)規(guī)定。
25. But the truth is that a child really wants parents to be in control ……
be in control of: to direct, manage or rule負(fù)責(zé),指揮
eg:Who is in control of the project? 誰(shuí)負(fù)責(zé)這項(xiàng)工程?
26. ……a kind and loving fashion.
fashion:a way of doing things方法,方式
eg: Don''t speak to me in that fashion. 不要用那種方式同我講話。
27.practice responding to your children''s requests in a prompt, definite
prompt, without delay 即刻的,馬上的,不拖延
definite,確定的,不模棱兩可的
30. Once you turn over a new leaf you can''t expect to change completely right away
turn over a new leaf: become a better person.改過(guò)自新
22. You are bound to vacillate at times.——You are sure to hesitate sometimes between saying yes or no to your children''s unreasonable demands.
Be bound to do: be certain to do肯定
eg: The weather is bound to improve in a day or two…… 會(huì)一兩天后天氣肯定會(huì)好轉(zhuǎn)。
23. The key is to be satisfied with gradual improvement, expecting and accepting the occasional slips that come with any change.
be satisfied with 滿意
eg:Children are not easily satisfied nowadays. The more you give them, the more they want.
現(xiàn)在要讓孩子們滿意可不容易。給他們的越多,他們的欲望也就越多。
occasional slips:偶爾偏離你的正確做法
31. For a while they''ll keep on applying the old pressures
Keep on doing:不停地做,反復(fù)做
eg:His children kept on pestering him with homework questions while he was working on a book.
他在寫(xiě)書(shū)時(shí)孩子們不斷地來(lái)打擾他問(wèn)他問(wèn)題。