零距离学美语口语[家庭]Lesson 3:Why did your parents have so many

Three    Why did your parents have so many?
为什么你父母要这么多孩子？

 1     Introduction    
A     Many American couples that can not have a baby come to Asia to adopt babies.
许多不能生育的美国夫妻来亚洲领养小孩。
B    Some Americans think abortion is very cruel and against humanity.  Most American women use contraceptive methods such as the birth control pill.
一些美国人认为堕胎是很残忍的，没有人道。大多数美国妇女采用避孕措施如避孕丸。
C     Modern families have a tendency of bearing children in their thirties or late twenties.  It’s the responsibilities that couples are worried about.
现代家庭有一种倾向：那就是在他们三十多岁或者二十好几的年龄生育。让夫妻担心的是这种责任。
D     In America, about half of workingwomen return to work within a year of having a baby.  American women with children usually work.
在美国，大约一半的妇女劳动者生完小孩一年之内就返回工作。美国妇女通常有小孩的情况下也工作。

 2    Sample Sentences
1.   Tell me about your brother and sister.
     跟我说说你的哥哥、妹妹。
2.   She has only a single parent.
     她只有一个单身父（母）亲。
3.   My daughter was attending a meeting and asked me to baby-sit my 3-year old granddaughter.
     我的女儿要去参加一个会议，所以要我照顾我三岁的小孙女。
4.  The teacher of my 4-year old daughter, a very attractive single woman in her mid twenties, told me the following story.
    我四岁女儿的老师，一位很迷人的二十多岁的单身女人，告诉了我以下的故事。
5.  Hans is his first child, so it’s understandable that he pampers him so much.
    汉斯是他的第一个小孩，所以他过分宠爱他是可以理解的。  
6.  Some friends of ours, who have a son our daughter's age, are getting divorced.
    我们的朋友要离婚了，他们有一个像我女儿这么大的儿子。
7.  My wife was explaining to my seven-year old daughter why they had decided to get divorced.
    我的妻子对我七岁的女儿解释为什么他们决定了离婚。
8.  My elder son remarried.
    我年长的那个儿子重婚了。
9.  We are expecting a child and will be getting married very shortly.
    我们在等着小孩的出生，并且不久我们就会结婚。
10.  Do you two plan to have a baby sometime soon? 
     你们两个打算不久的将来生一个小孩吗？

 3    Conversations
1.   A big family.
Terry:  So Chris, I've heard that you're from a big family.  How many people?
Chris:  Nine total.  Seven children and my parents.
Terry:  Seven children?  That's a lot.  Why did your parents have so many?
Chris:  Well, my mother came from a big family, and wanted to have one of her own.  My father was an only child, and didn't really care about having a large family, but my mother talked him into it.
Terry:  Jeez, seven children.  That must have a lot of problems.  We have four children in my family and my grandparents can never get our names right.
Chris:  It can be hard, and there are certain sacrifices1 you have to make.
Terry:  Like what?  I assume that there's no privacy.
Chris:  That's one.  Another is the lack of personal property2.  Everything you have, from toys to clothes, is used by your brothers and sisters.  Especially clothes.  Three quarters of my wardrobe3 are hand-me-downs.
Terry:  And the age gap4 is also annoying.  There's a ten-year difference between my younger brother and me. We have nothing in common.
Chris:  Same problem here.  There's an 18-year gap between the oldest and youngest child in my family.  The last child was born just as the oldest was going to college.
Terry:  Well, at least going to college won't be too bad.  Since both of your parents are college professors, they must give you reduced tuition5 at the college.
Chris:  They do, but it doesn't help too much.  Having seven children means that the money situation in my home is always pretty tight.
【译文】
——克里斯，我听说你来自一个大家庭。有多少人？
——一共9人。7个孩子和我父母。
——7个孩子？那很多喔。为什么你父母要这么多孩子？
——嗯，我母亲来自一个大家庭，因而想要一个自己的大家庭。我父亲是独子，因而确实不想要一个大家庭，但我母亲说服了他。
——唉呀，7个孩子。那一定有很多问题。我家有4个孩子，我祖父母从未叫对过我们的名字。
——确实很难，你必须做出某些牺牲。
——什么样的？我想是没有隐私。
——那是一个。另外一个是没有个人财产。你所有的东西，从玩具到衣服，都被你的兄弟和姐妹用过。特别是衣服。我衣柜里四分之三的衣服都是传过来的。
——再者代沟也很恼人。我弟弟和我相差十岁。我们没有任何共同之处。
——这里也是同样的问题。在我家最大的和最小的相差18岁。最小的出生时正好最大的要上大学。
——嗯，至少上大学不会太难。既然你父母亲都是大学教授，大学肯定会给你减少学费。
——他们会，但不会有太大的帮助。有7个孩子意味着我家的经济状况总是很紧张。

2.    A troublemaker.
Mrs. Brown:  I just got a call from Mrs. Fitzgerald.  See what your Willie has just done.
Mr. Brown:  My Willie?  Why has he suddenly become my Willie?
Mrs. Brown:  Because he takes after6 you, he's got into trouble7 again.
Mr. Brown:  What did he do this time?  I remember last time he was painting her fence to repay her for breaking it, and he accidentally8 painted her cat.
Mrs. Brown:  That was last time.  This time it's worse.
Mr. Brown:  Ok, tell me.
Mrs. Brown:  Well, he was playing baseball with some friends…
Mr. Brown:  And the ball went through her window?  That's not as bad as last time.
Mrs. Brown:  True, but that's not all.  The ball went through the window and hit the vase she has in her front window……
Mr. Brown:  Ok, that's probably expensive, but not that bad.
Mrs. Brown:  And then, ricocheted9 off her fish bowl.  Mrs. Fitzgerald at the last minute10 dived and saved her fish.
Mr. Brown:  At least the fish were saved.  If that's the end of the damages, then everything isn't that bad.
Mrs. Brown:  Stop interrupting me.  Finally, the ball flew through the air and knocked out11 Willie's school principal12, who was having a cup of coffee with Mrs. Fitzgerald.
Mr. Brown:  Hmm, that is bad.
【译文】
——我刚接到菲茨格尔德太太的电话。看看你的威利刚刚做了些什么。
——我的威利？怎么又突然变成了我的威利？
——因为他像你，他又有麻烦了。
——这次他干了什么？我记得上次他破坏了她的栅栏，在给她的栅栏上油漆时，却也附带地给她的小猫涂了颜色。
——那是上一次。这次更糟。
——好吧，告诉我什么事。
——唔，他正在和几个朋友打棒球……
——球飞进了她的窗户？那没有上次糟糕。
——对，但还没完。球飞进窗户，打在她前窗的花瓶上……
——还好，那个花瓶可能很贵，但那没那么糟糕。
——然后球跳飞过她的鱼缸。最后关头菲茨格尔德太太跳下了水，救起了她的鱼。
——至少鱼得救了。如果最后的损失就是这样的话，那么一切都不是太糟糕。
——不要打断我。最后，球飞到空中，把正和菲茨格尔德太太一起喝咖啡的威利学校的校长打晕了。
——嗯，那糟了。

3.  A Chinese woman is talking to an American woman about raising kids.
Chinese:  Do you have much experience with kids?
American:  Yes.  I have three sons.  Actually I also have a grandson.
Chinese:  To tell you the truth, sometimes I regret having a baby so early.  I have been making so many sacrifices just because my husband insisted on keeping the baby.
American:  I understand.  I was in your position before.  At that time I couldn’t depend on anyone taking care of the children for me.  My husband seldom stayed at home.
Chinese:  What about your mother?  Did she help you?
American:  Yes, she did a little.  But you see, Americans are different from Chinese.  You can’t depend on your own mother to be a full-time babysitter.  She could baby-sit only once or twice a week.  That’s it.  I had to care for them most of the time.
Chinese:  I see.  So if my little family goes to America, I would end up taking care of my child all the time.  My husband would have to make the bread for us.  I just don’t know how I would get some education and be able to get a job some day.
American:  Don’t worry.   You can take night classes.  I did that when I had kids.  And soon your child will be old enough to attend kindergarten13.  Then you could find a job and work.
Chinese:  Sounds not so easy to me.  When that happens, I will be too old to learn.
American:  No.  You see, I went back to school to get my Master’s Degree14 when I was in my thirties.  You won’t be older than that.
【译文】
——你对小孩有经验吗？
——有。我有三个儿子。实际上我还有一个孙子。
——说老实话，有时候我后悔这么早有个小孩。我做了这么多牺牲就是因为我老公坚持要生下这个小孩。
——我可以理解。我以前跟你一样。那时候我不能指望谁帮我照看小孩。我的丈夫很少在家。
——你的妈妈呢？她有没有帮你？
——有，她帮过我一点点。但是你知道的，美国人不同于中国人。你不能指望你自己的妈妈做一个全职保姆。她只能一周照看一两次。就这样。大部分时间我还得自己照料。
——我明白了。所以如果我们去了美国，我就会终日带着我的小孩。我老公得去为我们生计。我只是不知道我怎样才会受教育，然后有天能够找份工作。
——不要担心。你可以上夜校。我有小孩的时候，我就是这么做的。而且不久你的小孩就会够年龄上幼儿园。那么你就可以找份工作上班了。
——听起来不这么简单。当那一天到来时，我都会老得学不了了。
——不会的。你知道吗，我重回学校拿到硕士文凭时都三十多岁了。你不会超过那个年龄的。

4. Expecting a baby.
A:  Darling, I have news for you.  Bobby and his wife, Evelyn, are going to have a baby soon.
B:  Really?  I thought his wife couldn’t have a baby.
A:  Actually they’re expecting the baby to come on my birthday.
B:  Oh, what a coincidence15!  I bet Bobby must be very happy about it.  He likes children and always wants a child of his own.
A:  In fact, they’re both very excited about the coming baby.  Evelyn imagines what their baby would be look like, since one parent is American and the other one is Chinese.
B:  Oh, right.  Now I know why they would want to see our boy.  It’s hard to imagine the wonder!  Are they expecting a boy or a girl?
A:  It’s still a mystery.  Because Evelyn is only three-month pregnant16.  But she begins to take her maternity leave17 now.
B:  Oh!  You mean she doesn’t have to work now?  It’s hard for young parents not to overreact18, isn’t it?
【译文】
——亲爱的，我有个小消息告诉你。波比和他的妻子伊芙琳就要生孩子了。
——真的吗？我原以为他的妻子不能生小孩。
——他们的小孩预计竟然会在我生日的那天出生。
——噢，这么巧！我猜波比肯定很高兴。他喜欢小孩，而且一直都想有个自己的小孩。
——实际上，对于即将要出生的小孩，他们两个都很兴奋。既然一个父母是美国人，另一个又是中国人，伊芙琳想象着他们的小孩将会是个什么样子。
——噢，是啊。现在我知道他们为什么会想看到我们的小孩了。这种奇迹是很难想象的！他们的小孩会是个男孩还是女孩？
——还是个谜呢。因为伊芙琳还只怀孕三个月呢。但是她现在就开始休产假了。
——哦！你是说她现在不用上班了吗？很少有年青父母不过度反应，对不对？
                  
 4   Words and Expressions
1. sacrifice 牺牲; 献出
2. personal property  (个人) 动产
3. wardrobe 衣橱, 衣柜
4. gap 分歧,隔阂; 差距
5. reduced tuition    降低的学费
6. take after 像; 与...相似
7. get into trouble 使自己或他人陷入(困扰之境)
8. accidentally 偶然地; 附带地
9. ricochet 使跳飞; 用跳弹射击 
10. last minute   最后关头，最后时刻
11. knock out  使失去知觉
12. principal 校长
13. kindergarten   幼儿园
14. Master’s Degree   硕士学位
15. coincidence 巧合; 巧事
16. pregnant 怀孕的, 怀胎的
17. maternity leave   产假
18. overreact  反应过度