万花筒 2010-02-18&02-19 19岁爸爸的心路历程

Teen pregnancy¹ is tough, even in good times. But Nate Howell  and his 16-year-old girlfriend are facing parenthood during an economic downturn. We met Nate last May as he graduated from Central High in Elkhart, an Indiana town hit hard by hard times. This fall /the pizza place where Nate works² part-time, his new reality was setting³ in. It scares⁴ the living hell⁵ out of me that I’m gonna have a child. It just freaks me out. I thought I'd be in college right now, playing football. Nate and Sam are part of a growing trend⁶ as the US teen pregnancy rate is up for the first time in twenty years, which is longer than Nate's been alive. The baby dues⁸ this spring.

Nate’s future is uncertain. It’s gonna be a little bit harder to say we’ll have to go to college and pay bills and everything when the baby gets here. Despite working two jobs, the numbers don’t look good. Without food or the utilities⁹, bill price be about 900 to a thousand dollars a month, which I only get paid 1, 200 dollars a month. It’s gonna be really really hard. The days are already long. I’m there by 3:45 every morning, and I got off at 2:30. And some days I work a second job. And bound¹⁰ to get longer. I know I’m not ready for a kid. I always told myself that I’d never put my kid through the same thing I went through when I was little. My family was always in hard times for money. When my mum says that I’m not going to college right now, and she would work to college tried after high school. Then it could help me better.

The baby is due⁷ in five months, and I’m in the same predicament that my mum was in, and I’m trying to get myself out of that. Nate believes he may still attend college. But for now his dream is on hold. I’m working for my baby’s future now. I don’t care if I have to work in a factory for the rest of my life as long as my baby will have everything it needs. I’m fine with the second-rate life. Cerise Ray from msnbc.com, Elkhart, Indiana.

1 pregnancy   

n.怀孕，怀孕期

参考例句：

• Early pregnancy is often accompanied by nausea.怀孕早期常有恶心的现象。
• Smoking during pregnancy increases the risk of miscarriage.怀孕期吸烟会增加流产的危险。

2 works   

n.作品，著作；工厂，活动部件，机件

参考例句：

• We expect writers to produce more and better works.我们期望作家们写出更多更好的作品。
• The novel is regarded as one of the classic works.这篇小说被公认为是最优秀的作品之一。

3 setting   

n.背景

参考例句：

• The play has its setting in Vienna.该剧以维也纳为背景。
• Where and when a story takes place is called the setting.故事发生的地点和时间称为故事背景。

4 scares   

n.煤中黄铁矿薄片v.恐吓，使惊恐( scare的第三人称单数 )；受惊吓，感到害怕

参考例句：

• The horse scares easily. 马容易受惊。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• He scares people away by being so brash. 他狂妄自大把别人都吓跑了。 来自辞典例句

5 hell   

n.地狱，阴间；用以咒骂或表示愤怒，不满

参考例句：

• It's a hell of a hike from Sydney to Perth.从悉尼到珀斯的徒步旅行简直苦死了。
• The boss really gave me hell today.老板今天着实数落了我一通。

6 trend   

n.趋势，倾向，方位；vi.倾向，转向

参考例句：

• Today's trend is toward less formal clothing.眼下时尚趋向于穿着随便。
• The trend of prices is still upwards.物价的趋向是仍在上涨。

7 due   

n.应得物；adj.预定的，应付的，到期的，应有的

参考例句：

• I received nothing except what was due to me.除了我应得的东西，我并未接受任何东西。
• The rocket is due to lift off at noon on Friday.火箭定于星期五中午发射。

8 dues   

n.税，应付款，该缴之款；应有的权利，应得到的东西( due的名词复数 )；应缴款（如俱乐部会费）；会费

参考例句：

• The club members voted with one accord to raise the dues. 俱乐部成员一致通过提高会费。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He went round the various offices to collect the dues. 他到各个办公室去收会费。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

9 utilities   

n.[经济学]效用（ utility的名词复数 ）；实用；公用事业；神庙逃亡游戏中的一次性道具

参考例句：

• the administration of public utilities 公共事业的管理
• Phase II requires utilities to reduce emissions by an additional fifty percent. 第二阶段要求排放再减少50％。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法

10 bound   

adj.一定的，必然的；受约束的，有义务的

参考例句：

• I feel honor bound to repay the money I borrowed.我觉得有责任归还我借的钱。
• If he signs that paper,he will be bound hand and foot.如果他签署那份文件，他就会受到束缚。