双语有声阅读：美国人的性格

Most Americans have great vigor¹ and enthusiasm.They prefer to discipline themselves rather than be disciplined by others.They pride themselves on their independence, their right to make up their own minds.They are prepared to take the initiative, even when there is a risk in doing so. They have courage and do not give in easily.They will take any sort of job anywhere rather than be unemployed².They do not care to be looked after by the government.The average American changes his or her job nine or ten times during his or her working life.

 

Americans have a warmth and friendliness³ which is less superficial than many foreigners think.They are considered sentimental⁴. When on ceremonial occasions they see a flag,or attend parades celebrating America’ glorious past, tears may come to their eyes.Reunions with family and friends tend to be emotional, too.They like to dress correctly, even if “correctly” means flamboyantly⁵.They love to boast, though often with tongue in cheek.They can laugh at themselves and their country, and they can be very self-critical,while remaining always intensely patriotic⁶. They have a wide knowledge of everyday things,and a keen interest in their particular city and state. Foreigners sometimes complain, however, that they have little interest inor knowledge of the outside world.

 

The Americans have a passion for grandeur⁷. Their skyscrapers⁸, bridges and dams often have a splendor⁹ whichmatches in beauty and scale the country’s natural wonders.Is the sole aim of most Americans to make moneyand possess luxuries which could be called excessive?The majority of Americans would certainly deny this,though most feel proud to amass¹⁰ wealth and possessions through hard work.In the USA, about 90% of the population is well enough off to expect a brighter future. The USA still has one of the highest standards of living in the world, although,at the present time, 10% are below what the Government considers to be the “poverty line.”While these underprivileged people receive help from the Government,they have no high hopes for their future.It is from this “underclass,”and those who take advantage of it, that most of the violence springs,which is one of the least pleasant aspects of American society.Americans are beginning to realize that this terrible problem of poverty is their problem and not just the Government’s.It has been saidthat the individual American is generous, but that the American nation is hard.

 

The USA is reputed to be a classless society.There is certainly not much social snobbery¹¹ or job snobbery.The manual worker is usually quite at ease in any company.This is partly explained by the fact that people of all income groups go together to the same schools.Americans are far more race-conscious than they are class-conscious.

 

大多数的美国人精力充沛，热情高涨。他们宁愿自律，而不愿受制于人。他们为能独立行事、为有权做出自己的决定 而感到自豪。他们做事会采取主动，即使这样做要冒风险，也在所不惜。他们有勇气，不会轻易屈服。他们愿意到任何地方干任何工作，也不愿意失业。他们不想得到政府的照顾。普通美国人一生中换九到十次工作。

 

笑国人热情友好，其友好程度要比许多外国人所想的更真实一些。人们认为美国人易动感情。在典礼上看到国旗，或者参加庆祝美国光荣历史的游行时，美国人可能会热泪盈眶。与家人团圆或与朋友相聚时，他们也会十分激动。他们喜欢穿着得体，即使"得体”无异子奢华炫耀。他们喜欢自吹自擂，尽管多数情况下只不过是说说而已。他们有时会嘲笑自己、嘲笑自 己的国家，有时候甚至极为自责，然而他们始终有着强烈的爱国之心。他们对曰常事情所知甚广，对自己所在的城市和州深为关切。然而，有时候外国人却抱怨说，美国人对外部世界漠不关心，一无所知。

 

美国人酷爱豪华的气派。他们的庳天大楼、桥梁和水坝往往气势壮观，与美国的自然奇观之壮美和恢宏相得益彰。赚钱和拥有称得上过多的奢侈品，是不是大多数美国人惟一的目标？多数美国人肯定会予以否认，虽然他们对通过辛勘劳动积撗钱财引以为豪。在美国,90%左右的人们生话寓足，可以期盼更美好的未来。美国的生活水平世界上依然名列前茅，尽管现在还有10%左右的人处在政府认为的贫困线”以下。这些生活水平低下的人们虽然得到政府的救助，但是他们对未来不抱多大希望。正是这个“社会下层阶级”以及利用这个阶层的人引发了社会上的大多数暴乱，使之成为美国社会中最令人不快的一面。美国人开始意识到，这个非常严重的问题是他们自身的问 题,而不仅仅是政府的问题。有这样的说法：美国入作为个人是慊慨的，但美国作为一个民族则是吝啬的。

 

人们普遍认为，美国是个没有阶级的社会。的确，美国人对社会地位或不同工作没有什么势利眼。体力劳动者在任何场合通常都相当自在。收入档次不同的人上同一所学校，这个事实多少说明了这一点。与其说美国人有阶级意识，倒不如说他们有种族意识。

1 vigor   

n.活力，精力，元气

参考例句：

• The choir sang the words out with great vigor.合唱团以极大的热情唱出了歌词。
• She didn't want to be reminded of her beauty or her former vigor.现在，她不愿人们提起她昔日的美丽和以前的精力充沛。

2 unemployed   

adj.失业的，没有工作的；未动用的，闲置的

参考例句：

• There are now over four million unemployed workers in this country.这个国家现有四百万失业人员。
• The unemployed hunger for jobs.失业者渴望得到工作。

3 friendliness   

n.友谊，亲切，亲密

参考例句：

• Behind the mask of friendliness,I know he really dislikes me.在友善的面具后面，我知道他其实并不喜欢我。
• His manner was a blend of friendliness and respect.他的态度友善且毕恭毕敬。

4 sentimental   

adj.多愁善感的，感伤的

参考例句：

• She's a sentimental woman who believes marriage comes by destiny.她是多愁善感的人，她相信姻缘命中注定。
• We were deeply touched by the sentimental movie.我们深深被那感伤的电影所感动。

5 flamboyantly   

adv.艳丽地、奢华地、绚丽地。

参考例句：

• He dresses rather flamboyantly. 他衣着华丽。 来自互联网
• The criticism of Mr Obama's handling of the oil spill has been especially and flamboyantly unreasonable. 对于奥巴马对漏油事件的处理，人们的批评尤其夸大得没有道理。 来自互联网

6 patriotic   

adj.爱国的，有爱国心的

参考例句：

• His speech was full of patriotic sentiments.他的演说充满了爱国之情。
• The old man is a patriotic overseas Chinese.这位老人是一位爱国华侨。

7 grandeur   

n.伟大，崇高，宏伟，庄严，豪华

参考例句：

• The grandeur of the Great Wall is unmatched.长城的壮观是独一无二的。
• These ruins sufficiently attest the former grandeur of the place.这些遗迹充分证明此处昔日的宏伟。

8 skyscrapers   

n.摩天大楼

参考例句：

• A lot of skyscrapers in Manhattan are rising up to the skies. 曼哈顿有许多摩天大楼耸入云霄。
• On all sides, skyscrapers rose like jagged teeth. 四周耸起的摩天大楼参差不齐。

9 splendor   

n.光彩；壮丽，华丽；显赫，辉煌

参考例句：

• Never in his life had he gazed on such splendor.他生平从没有见过如此辉煌壮丽的场面。
• All the splendor in the world is not worth a good friend.人世间所有的荣华富贵不如一个好朋友。

10 amass   

vt.积累，积聚

参考例句：

• How had he amassed his fortune?他是如何积累财富的呢？
• The capitalists amass great wealth by exploiting workers.资本家剥削工人而积累了巨额财富。

11 snobbery   

n. 充绅士气派, 俗不可耐的性格

参考例句：

• Jocelyn accused Dexter of snobbery. 乔斯琳指责德克斯特势力。
• Snobbery is not so common in English today as it was said fifty years ago. 如今＂Snobbery＂在英语中已不象50年前那么普遍使用。