英语角-圆桌会议 RoundTable0122 - 老人带娃带出焦虑症

 Topic1 Parents Unable to Get Euthanasia for ChildA couple in Anhui Province plea for euthanasia for their 1-year-old son, who is diagnosed with incurable¹ brain atrophy². However, the request was rejected by the local authorities as euthanasia is illegal in China. The parents are left with no choice but watching their boy in agony.

What happened to the boy? And is there a good reason for the parents to want euthanasia?

Topic2 Commutation of jail-terms through patents remains³ problematicIt's been reported recently that some entrepreneurial prisoners are sidestepping life behind bars by applying for low-cost patents.

While cases of ex-officials behind bars making invention to earn commutation have recently made headlines, some patent agency websites are openly offering to help inmates⁴ develop inventions and apply for patents in order to buy time off their jail sentences.

Why are we talking about it? Is it a big deal?

Topic3 Grandparents Who Look after Grandchildren Feel Over-anxiousUrban white-collar workers are busy working every day and hardly have time looking after their children. So, many turn to their parents for help. Grandchildren may bring lots of joy to the elders, but the responsibility is so huge for them that some have developed anxiety disorder⁵.

Is it a prevalent problem?

Topic4 Why Chinese aren't great neighbors in the US?

More Chinese are buying houses in the United States.

But some of them aren't that welcomed in their new residential⁶ communities. Neighbors' accusations⁷ include a disturbing smell of stinky food and some Chinese turning the lawn into a veggie garden.

Why? Are Chinese terrible neighbors?

1 incurable   

adj.不能医治的，不能矫正的，无救的；n.不治的病人，无救的人

参考例句：

• All three babies were born with an incurable heart condition.三个婴儿都有不可治瘉的先天性心脏病。
• He has an incurable and widespread nepotism.他们有不可救药的，到处蔓延的裙带主义。

2 atrophy   

n./v.萎缩，虚脱，衰退

参考例句：

• Patients exercised their atrophied limbs in the swimming pool.病人们在泳池里锻炼萎缩的四肢。
• Many hoped he would renew the country's atrophied political system.很多人都期望他能使该国萎靡的政治体系振作起来。

3 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

4 inmates   

n.囚犯( inmate的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• One of the inmates has escaped. 被收容的人中有一个逃跑了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The inmates were moved to an undisclosed location. 监狱里的囚犯被转移到一个秘密处所。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 disorder   

n.紊乱，混乱；骚动，骚乱；疾病，失调

参考例句：

• When returning back,he discovered the room to be in disorder.回家后，他发现屋子里乱七八糟。
• It contained a vast number of letters in great disorder.里面七零八落地装着许多信件。

6 residential   

adj.提供住宿的；居住的；住宅的

参考例句：

• The mayor inspected the residential section of the city.市长视察了该市的住宅区。
• The residential blocks were integrated with the rest of the college.住宿区与学院其他部分结合在了一起。

7 accusations   

n.指责( accusation的名词复数 )；指控；控告；（被告发、控告的）罪名

参考例句：

• There were accusations of plagiarism. 曾有过关于剽窃的指控。
• He remained unruffled by their accusations. 对于他们的指控他处之泰然。