有声英文阅读-少年“同志”：成长荆棘路

Gay Youth: The Straight Facts
少年“同志”：成长荆棘路

For most people, adolescence¹ is a difficult time of life filled with pressure from peers, parents, and school. For gay, lesbian, and bisexual teens, however, the stress of this period multiplies, especially for those living in societies which refuse to accept them.

Statistics on gay youth illustrate² some of the pain and isolation³ they face. Because many are rejected or disowned1 by their families, gay and lesbian teens make up 42 percent of the homeless youth in America. They also attempt suicide at a rate two to three times higher than that of their heterosexual counterparts, and are at greater risk for drug and alcohol abuse.

Beyond an often hostile home environment, gay youth also lack allies2 and avenues for support at school. One study indicates that 97 percent of non-heterosexual youth reported hearing homophobic3 taunts⁴ at school, while roughly 22 percent said they have been threatened with physical violence because of their sexual orientation⁵.

Attitudes may change, however, as schools are beginning to recognize such prejudice as a health and safety issue. Schools are searching for ways to ameliorate4 the situation, including setting up gay-straight alliance clubs and cracking down on harassment⁶. At the same time, many nonprofit groups are reaching out to provide services to gay and lesbian teens. The support that such youth need the most, however, is that of their families and friends.

1. disown v. 不承认与自己有关系
2. ally n. 同盟者，支持者
3. homophobic a. 厌恶同性恋的
4. ameliorate v. 改善

对大多数人来说，青春期是人生一段难熬的时期，充满来自同辈、父母和学校的压力。然而，对于同性恋和双性恋的青少年来说，这个阶段的压力更是倍增，尤其是那些身处不肯接纳他们的社会中的青少年。

统计数据表明了年轻同性恋者所面临的痛苦和孤独。由于许多同性恋者遭到家人的鄙弃甚至断绝关系，美国无家可归的年轻人中，男／女同性恋青少年就占了百分之四十二。他们企图自杀的比率也比同龄的异性恋者高出二至三倍，吸毒和酗酒的危险性也比较大。

除了有敌意的家庭环境外，年轻同性恋者在学校也缺乏伙伴，也找不到寻求支持的途径。一项研究指出，百分之九十七非异性恋的年轻人曾在学校听到有关厌恶同性恋的辱骂，同时，约有百分之二十二的人表示曾因为他们的性取向而受到暴力威胁。

不过，以上那些对待同性恋青少年的态度是有可能改变的，因为一些学校已经开始认识到这样的偏见是关系到健康和安全的问题。学校正在寻找改善这种状况的途径，包括成立同性恋—异性恋联合社团，并对骚扰采取严厉措施。同时，许多公益团体出面为男／女同性恋青少年提供服务。然而，同性恋青年最需要的是来自家庭和朋友的支持。

1 adolescence   

n.青春期，青少年

参考例句：

• Adolescence is the process of going from childhood to maturity.青春期是从少年到成年的过渡期。
• The film is about the trials and tribulations of adolescence.这部电影讲述了青春期的麻烦和苦恼。

2 illustrate   

v.举例说明，阐明；图解，加插图

参考例句：

• The company's bank statements illustrate its success.这家公司的银行报表说明了它的成功。
• This diagram will illustrate what I mean.这个图表可说明我的意思。

3 isolation   

n.隔离，孤立，分解，分离

参考例句：

• The millionaire lived in complete isolation from the outside world.这位富翁过着与世隔绝的生活。
• He retired and lived in relative isolation.他退休后，生活比较孤寂。

4 taunts   

嘲弄的言语，嘲笑，奚落( taunt的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• He had to endure the racist taunts of the crowd. 他不得不忍受那群人种族歧视的奚落。
• He had to endure the taunts of his successful rival. 他不得不忍受成功了的对手的讥笑。

5 orientation   

n.方向，目标；熟悉，适应，情况介绍

参考例句：

• Children need some orientation when they go to school.小孩子上学时需要适应。
• The traveller found his orientation with the aid of a good map.旅行者借助一幅好地图得知自己的方向。

6 harassment   

n.骚扰，扰乱，烦恼，烦乱

参考例句：

• She often got telephone harassment at night these days.这些天她经常在夜晚受到电话骚扰。
• The company prohibits any form of harassment.公司禁止任何形式的骚扰行为。