Unit2TheVirtuesofGrowingOlder课文翻译综合教程二

Unit2TheVirtuesofGrowingOlder课文翻译综合教程二Unit2TheVirtuesofGrowingOlder课文翻译综合教程二3/3Unit2TheVirtuesofGrowingOlder课文翻译综合教程二Unit2TheVirtuesofGrowingOlderOursocietyworshipsyouth.AdvertisementsconvinceustobuyGrecianFormulaandOilofOlaysowecanhidethegrayinourhairandsmooththelinesonourface.Televisionshowsfeatureattractiveyoungstarswithfirmbodies,perfectcomplexions,andthickmanesofhair.Middle-agedfolksworkoutingymsandjogdownthestreet,tryingtodelaytheeffectsofage.Wouldn'tanypersonoverthirtygladlysignwiththedeviljusttobeyoungagain?Isn'taginganexperiencetobedreaded?PerhapsitisunAmericantosayso,butIbelievetheansweris"No."Beingyoungisoftenpleasant,butbeingolderhasdistinctadvantages.Whenyoung,youareapttobeobsessedwithyourappearance.WhenmybrotherDaveandIwereteens,weworkedfeverishlytoperfectthebodieswehad.Daveliftedweights,tookmegadosesofvitamins,anddrankahalf-dozenmilkshakesadayinordertoturnhiswiryadolescentframeintosomemuscularideal.Andasateenager,Idietedconstantly.NomatterwhatIweighed,though,IwasneversatisfiedwiththewayIlooked.Mylegsweretooheavy,myshoulderstoobroad,mywaisttoobig.WhenDaveandIwereyoung,webeggedandpleadedforthe"right"clothes.Ifourparentsdidn'tgetthemforus,wefeltourworldwouldfallapart.Howcouldwegotoschoolwearingloose-fittingblazerswheneveryoneelsewouldbewearingsmartlytailoredleatherjackets?Wecouldbeconsideredfreaks.Ioftenwonderhowmyparents,andparentsingeneral,managetotoleratetheirchildrenduringtheadolescentyears.Now,however,DaveandIarebeyondsuchadolescentagonies.Myroundedfigureseemsfine,anddon'tdenymyselfasliceofpecanpieifIfeelinthemood.Davestillworksout,buthehasactuallybecomefondofhistall,lankyframe.Thetwoofusenjoywearingfashionableclothes,butwearenolongerslavestostyle.Andwomen,I'membarrassedtoadmit,evenmorethanmen,havealwaysseemedtobeatthemercyoffashion.Nowmyclothesandmybrother'sareattractiveyeteasytowear.Wenolongerfeelanxiousaboutwhatotherswillthink.Aslongaswefeelgoodabouthowwelook,wearehappy.Beingolderispreferabletobeingyoungerinanotherway.Obviously,Istillhaveimportantchoicestomakeaboutmylife,butIhavealreadymademanyofthecriticaldecisionsthatconfrontthosejuststartingout.IchosethemanIwantedtomarry.Idecidedtohavechildren.Ielectedtoreturntocollegetocompletemyeducation.Butwhenyouareyoung,majordecisionsawaityouateveryturn."WhatcollegeshouldIattend?WhatcareershouldIpursue?ShouldIgetmarried?ShouldIhavechildren?"Therearejustafewoftheissuesfacingyoungpeople.It'snowonderthat,despitetheircarefreefacade,theyareoftenconfused,uncertain,andtroubledbyalltheunknownsintheirfuture.ButthegreatestbenefitofbeingfortyisknowingwhoIam.Themostunsettlingaspectofyouthistheuncertaintyyoufeelaboutyourvalues,goals,anddreams.Beingyoungmeanswonderingwhatisworthworkingfor.Beingyoungmeansfeelinghappywithyourselfonedayandwishingyouwereneverbornthenext.Itmeanstryingonnewselvesbytakingupwithdifferentcrowds.Itmeansresentingyourparentsandtheirwayoflifeoneminuteandthenfeelingyouwillneverbeasgoodorasaccomplishedastheyare.Bywayofcontrast,fortyissanity.Ihaveasurerself-identitynow.Idon'tlaughatjokesIdon'tthinkarefunny.IcanmakeaspeechinfrontofatownmeetingorcomplaininastorebecauseIamnolongerterrifiedthatpeoplewilllaughatme;Iamnolongeranxiousthateveryonemustlikeme.Inolongerblamemyparentsformyeverypersonalityquirkorkeeparunningscoreofeverythingtheydidwrongraisingme.LifehastaughtmethatI,notthey,amresponsibleforwhoIam.Weareallhumanbeings—neithersaintsnordevils.MostAmericansblindlyaccepttheideathatnewerisautomaticallybetter.Butahumanlifecontradictsthispremise.Thereisagreatdealofhappinesstobefoundaswegrowolder.Myownparents,nowintheirsixties,recentlytoldmethattheyarehappiernowthantheyhaveeverbeen.Theywouldnotwanttobemyage.Didthissurpriseme?Atfirst,yes.Thenitgladdenedme.TheircontentmentholdsoutgreatpromiseformeasImoveintothenextperhapsevenbetterphaseofmylife.年光老去的利处我们所处的社会崇尚年青。连篇累牍的广告劝我们买希腊配方的洗发水和玉兰油，这样的话，鹤发无处可寻，面部的皱纹也能被抚平。电视节目上尽是体魄强壮，肤色无暇，头发旺盛的年青明星。而中年人则在体育馆里锻炼，在马路上慢跑，尽量不让光阴过早地留下印迹。不是全部三十出头的人都会为了重获青春而心甘宁愿地与魔鬼订立合约吗？长大变老莫非不能够怕吗？说它不能够怕可能不是美国人的回答，但我却以为长大变老不能够怕。青春年少令人欢喜，但长大变老也有显然的利处。年青时，你可能为你的外形伤脑筋。我兄弟戴维和我十明年时拼死锻炼以健美体形。戴维练举重，大批服用维生素，一天喝上半打奶昔，目的是想让他瘦长的体形变得想象中那般肌肉发达。我在十明年时坚持节食。但不论我体重是多少，都对自己的外形不满意。我嫌自己腿太结实，肩膀太阔，腰围太大。那时候，戴维和我都缠着父亲母亲，恳求他们买“适合”的衣服。假如父亲母亲没给买的话，我们就感觉自己的世界要倒塌了同样。我们怎么好衣着松松垮垮的运动衣去上学，他人但是衣着样式时兴的皮夹克啊！人家会把我们当怪人来看的。我经常诱惑：我的父亲母亲和大部分的父亲母亲怎能这样纵容他们的儿童子。但此刻戴维和我都已度过了伤心的青少年时期。此刻我圆鼓鼓的身躯看上去也不坏，只需我喜爱，我也不会不让自己吃上一块核桃馅饼。戴维还在坚持运动，只但是他真的喜爱上了自己瘦长的体形。我们两人仍是喜爱穿时兴衣服，但是我们不再是流行时兴的奴隶。这一点我不得不认可，女人忧如要比男人更简单为流行时兴所左右。此刻我的衣服，还有戴维的衣服都美丽大方，我们不再为他人怎么想而感觉不安了。只需我们对自己的形象感觉不坏，就很快乐。从另一个方面来看，年迈比年青要好。很显然，我还要就我的生活作一些重要的决定，但我已经作了很多很重要的决定，而年青人生活方才起步，他们还面对着选择。我选择了我丈夫，我选择了生育孩子，我选择了回到大学达成我的教育。但当你还年青时，你的每一次转折都等候你作出决定。“我该上哪所大学？我该做什么工作？我能否要成婚？我能否该要孩子？”这几个问题还但是年青人面对的问题中间的一部分。这就难怪为何年青人表面无忧无虑，而事实上诱惑诱惑，缺少信心，为未来的各种未知要素而内心不安。但人到四十的最大利处即是知道我自己终究是谁。年青时最令人不安的就是不清楚自己的价值、目标和梦想。年青就意味着你不知道什么值得做。年青意味着你在今日特别快乐而明日就宁愿自己没来过这个世界。年青还意味着你会在某一刻恼恨你的父亲母亲和他们的生活方式，紧接着又感觉永久不会像他们那么好那么成功。比较之下，四十岁代表着理智。我现在更清楚自己是谁。对自己以为无趣的笑话，我不会牵强自己笑；我能够在全城的人眼前演讲，也能够在商铺里发怨言，由于我不再担忧人们会讥笑