精美英文欣赏:集体生活方式

A Collective Style of Living

集体生活方式

The way in which people use social space reflects their social relationships and their ethnic¹ identity.

人们利用社交空间的方式反映出他们的社会关系和他们的种族身份。

Early immigrants to America from Europe brought with them a collective style of living,which they retained until late in the 18th century.

早期从欧洲到美国的移民带来一种集体生活方式，这种生活方式他们一直保持到18世纪晚期。

Historical records document a group-oriented existence,in which one room was used for eating,entertaining guests, and sleeping.

历史文献记载了一种面向群体的生活，一个房间被用作进餐，招待客人及睡觉的地方。

People ate soups from a communal² pot,shared drinking cups,and used a common pit toilet.

人们喝同一个锅里的汤，共用酒杯，使用公共的坑式厕所。

With the development of ideas about individualism,people soon began to shift to the use of individual cups and plates;the eating of meals that included meat, bread,and vegetables served on separate plates;and the use of private toilets.

随着个人主义观念的加强，人们开始转向使用单独的杯子，盘子；一日三餐包括肉，面包，蔬菜都放在分开的盘子里端上餐桌。人们开始使用独立的小卫生间。

They began to build their houses with separate rooms to entertain guests—living rooms,separate bedrooms for sleeping,separate work areas—kitchen, laundry room,and separate bathrooms.

他们开始建造待独立房间的房子，比如有招待客人的独立房间—客厅，独立的卧室，独立的工作间—厨房，洗衣间，以及独立的浴室。

In Mexico, the meaning and organization of domestic space is strikingly different.

在墨西哥，家庭空间的意义和布局明显不同。房子依天井或院子而建。

Houses are organized around a patio³, or courtyard.Rooms open onto the patio,where all kinds of domestic activities take place.

房间门朝向天井看着，天井是家庭一切活动的场地。

Individuals do not have separate bedrooms.

个人没有独立的卧室。

Children often sleep with parents,and brothers or sisters share a bed,emphasizing familial interdependence.

孩子们常常和父母一起睡，兄弟或姐妹睡一张床，突出家庭内部的相互依赖性。

Rooms in Mexican houses are locations for multiple activities that, in contrast, are rigidly⁴ separated in the United States.

墨西哥房子里的房间都是进行多种活动的场所，与此形成鲜明对比的是，这样的活动场所在美国是有严格区分的。

1 ethnic   

adj.人种的，种族的，异教徒的

参考例句：

• This music would sound more ethnic if you played it in steel drums.如果你用钢鼓演奏，这首乐曲将更具民族特色。
• The plan is likely only to aggravate ethnic frictions.这一方案很有可能只会加剧种族冲突。

2 communal   

adj.公有的，公共的，公社的，公社制的

参考例句：

• There was a communal toilet on the landing for the four flats.在楼梯平台上有一处公共卫生间供4套公寓使用。
• The toilets and other communal facilities were in a shocking state.厕所及其他公共设施的状况极其糟糕。

3 patio   

n.庭院，平台

参考例句：

• Suddenly, the thought of my beautiful patio came to mind. I can be quiet out there,I thought.我又忽然想到家里漂亮的院子，我能够在这里宁静地呆会。
• They had a barbecue on their patio on Sunday.星期天他们在院子里进行烧烤。

4 rigidly   

adv.刻板地，僵化地

参考例句：

• Life today is rigidly compartmentalized into work and leisure. 当今的生活被严格划分为工作和休闲两部分。
• The curriculum is rigidly prescribed from an early age. 自儿童时起即已开始有严格的课程设置。