英语PK台 第70期:操碎心的中国父母(2)

 听力中英文本如下：

Dialogue:

Mom：哎，自从女儿上了重点高中，成绩越来越差了，从班里20名下滑到了第40名！

Since our daughter entered that elite¹ high school, her grades have been getting worse and worse. She used to rank 20th in her class but she has slipped to 40th!

Dad：那又能怎样？你在担心吗？

So what? Are you worried about her?

Mom：当然担心啊！如果考不上名牌大学，那孩子以后的工作也不会太理想，这可怎么办呢？

Of course I’m worried. If she doesn’t get into a prestigious² university, then she won’t get as ideal³ of a job in the future. What shall we do about that?

Dad：怎么办？我们得相信孩子吧，既然她能考上重点中学，也一定能考上大学，找工作的事跟考什么大学没有太大关系的。

What should we do? We have to have faith in our kid. Since she was able to get herself into an elite high school, she'll definitely⁴ get into a good university. Plus, where you went to university isn’t that important when it comes to finding⁵ a job.

Mom：你说，让孩子出国怎么样？国外的高等教育也不错，让孩子去接受不同文明的碰撞。

How about we send her to study overseas? Higher education in some other counties⁶ isn’t bad. She can learn a lot from the cultural differences.

Dad：出国是好，可适合咱们是工薪家庭，哪来那么多钱给孩子出国？我还担心，孩子如果出去，能适应国外的教育环境和生活环境吗？

Going abroad is good, but the thing is that we are just a working class family, how could we afford to send her abroad? I’m also worried that she’ll have a hard time adapting to the education and lifestyles overseas.

Mom：我们可以把房子卖了，再向亲戚借一些钱，先把她送出国再说！

We can sell the house and borrow some money from our relatives.We can send her abroad and then talk more!

Dad：那万一孩子出去了，不适应，还得回国找工作呀！如果回来每月工资挣个两三千块钱，还不如不出去了呢！？

What if she goes abroad and isn’t able to adapt? She’ll have to come back and find a job! If she can only earn a few thousand a month, then what's the point of studying abroad?

Mom：可现在的家庭都是一个孩子，所有的希望都寄托在她的身上了。

But now-a-days families only have one kid and all of the hope is riding on them!

Dad: 别的孩子家里有钱，任性，咱们没钱也任性吗？

Other children’s families are wealthy and wayward. We aren’t wealthy, but is our child wayward too?

Mom：做为中国父母，为了孩子的未来，我们就得豁出去了，也得试试吧！

As Chinese parents, we gotta do something for our kid's future. Maybe we should take a risk and see what happens?

Dad：现在的互联网这么发达，不出国也可以学到非常优秀的老师的课程，来自不同国家的学生可以在线交流，你也不用担心不上名牌大学，得不到好的教育资源。

The internet is so developed these days. You can have a class from an excellent teacher without even going abroad. Students from all over the world can communicate online. You don't have to worry about not getting into aprestigious university or not being able to get good resources.

Mom ：那毕竟只是未来的趋势，但现在还是认可文凭呀？你不上重点大学，你就没有好工作。

Well that’s where things are headed in the future, but would those diplomas be recognized? The reality is if you don't go to a prestigious university then there’s no way you’ll find an ideal job!

Dad:好吧，适者生存，我们只能瞎操心了！

Okay, “survival of the fittest”. All we can do is worry about her!

New words for dialogue

Elite high school = 重点高中

Prestigious university = 名牌大学

Have faith in = 相信[someone/something]

All the hope is riding on [something/someone] = 所有的希望都寄托在[something/someone]的身上

Wayward = 任性

1 elite   

n.精英阶层；实力集团；adj.杰出的，卓越的

参考例句：

• The power elite inside the government is controlling foreign policy.政府内部的一群握有实权的精英控制着对外政策。
• We have a political elite in this country.我们国家有一群政治精英。

2 prestigious   

adj.有威望的，有声望的，受尊敬的

参考例句：

• The young man graduated from a prestigious university.这个年轻人毕业于一所名牌大学。
• You may even join a prestigious magazine as a contributing editor.甚至可能会加入一个知名杂志做编辑。

3 ideal   

adj.理想的，完美的；空想的，观念的；n.理想

参考例句：

• The weather at the seaside was ideal—bright and breezy.海边的天气最宜人，风和日丽的。
• They promised to be faithful to their ideal for ever. 他们保证永远忠于自己的理想。

4 definitely   

adv.一定地，肯定地；明确地，确切地

参考例句：

• The team will definitely lose if he doesn't play.如果他不参加比赛，这个队肯定会输。
• I shall definitely be home before six o'clock.6点以前，我一定回家。

5 finding   

n.发现，发现物；调查的结果

参考例句：

• The finding makes some sense.该发现具有一定的意义。
• That's an encouraging finding.这是一个鼓舞人心的发现。

6 counties   

郡，县( county的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The deposits spread for 100 kilometers across four counties. 这些矿藏绵延一百公里，跨越四个县。
• The Jinggang Mountains stand where the boundaries of four counties meet. 井冈山位于四县之交。