英国新闻听力 从关爱孩子和青少年中获得成就感

Yesterday, a Department of Health taskforce published a report recommending sweeping¹ changes in the funding and operation of mental health provision for children and adolescents. The report follows a series of Times articles on a growing epidemic² of mental health problems in children and adolescents resulting in a huge rise in children resorting to self-harm and exhibiting symptoms of anxiety and depression in schools.

Many are seeking treatment for mental health problems in hospitals, or worse ending up in prisons. In one of these articles, the columnist³ Libby Purves highlights the urgent need for parents, to re-set their priorities and recognise the ground realities of pressures on their children.

Her comments reminded me of a story of Guru Nanak meeting with a group of people in a mountain retreat searching for an understanding of God. They greeted the Guru with the words ‘ how goes the world below’ the Guru was not impressed and told the group that God was not to be found in the wilderness⁴ but in the service of family and wider society.

Today there’s not much wilderness left for retreat – selfish or otherwise - but it is all too easy to spend all our time on personal pursuits or lose, ourselves in the virtual wilderness of the internet to the neglect of those around. Worse, in the absence of comfort and support from parents, children may look to friendship, love and support on internet chat lines oblivious⁵ to the dangers of grooming⁶, blackmail⁷ and the hurt that can be caused by on-line bullying⁸.

While yesterday’s promise of enhanced provision will help, Sikh teachings and those of sister faiths suggest that the real remedy lies in the home.

Reflecting on parental⁹ responsibility, Guru Nanak reminded us that the birth of a child comes with an attached responsibility for the child’s care and comfort that continues even if parents split. It is the family rather than on the internet that children should share both triumphs and concerns and receive time consuming but necessary encouragement and support. Today, obsession¹⁰ with personal fulfilment has replaced a search for God. Our different faiths remind us that both personal fulfilment and God can be found in looking beyond ourselves to the care and support of those around us.

昨天，卫生部特别小组发布一份报告，建议对儿童和青少年心理健康服务的资金和运作进行彻底改革。此前泰晤士报有系列文章，报道儿童和青少年越来越普遍的心理健康问题，并导致越多越多的儿童诉诸于自残，并在学校里表现出焦虑和抑郁的症状。

很多孩子到医院寻求心理健康问题的治疗，或者更糟糕的是最后入了监狱。在其中一篇文章中，专栏作者利比·波维斯强调父母们迫切需要重新设定其关注重点，认识到自己孩子面临的压力等现实问题。

她的建议让我想到圣人那纳克的故事，他在山间隐居处见到一群希望认识上帝的人。他们问圣人，“下面的世界怎么样？”圣人对此无所动容，告诉这些人，在荒野中是找不到上帝的，而要到对家庭和社会的服务中去找寻。

如今已经没有多少供人们隐居的荒野了，不管是自私还是其他原因，但是将我们的全部时间花在个人追求或损失上太容易了，或者将自己置身于互联网的虚拟荒野中、而不顾周围的人也很简单。更糟的是，由于缺少来自父母的关心和支持，孩子们可能在互联网聊天室寻找友谊、爱和支持，而忽略了敲诈的危险和互联网欺凌带来的伤害。

尽管昨天有关改善心理健康服务的承诺能起到作用，锡克教和其他信仰中的教义都表明，真正的解决办法在家中。

在思考父母的责任时，圣人那纳克提醒我们，孩子的出生伴随着对关心和安慰孩子的附加责任，即使父母亲分离，这种责任仍要继续下去。孩子们应该在家中而不是在互联网上分享胜利和忧虑，并得到必要的鼓励和支持，尽管这比较耗费时间。今天，对个人成就的痴迷取代了对上帝的追寻。我们不同的信仰提醒我们，不管是个人成就还是上帝都可以通过关爱和支持周围人来找到。

1 sweeping   

adj.范围广大的，一扫无遗的

参考例句：

• The citizens voted for sweeping reforms.公民投票支持全面的改革。
• Can you hear the wind sweeping through the branches?你能听到风掠过树枝的声音吗？

2 epidemic   

n.流行病；盛行；adj.流行性的，流传极广的

参考例句：

• That kind of epidemic disease has long been stamped out.那种传染病早已绝迹。
• The authorities tried to localise the epidemic.当局试图把流行病限制在局部范围。

3 columnist   

n.专栏作家

参考例句：

• The host was interviewing a local columnist.节目主持人正在同一位当地的专栏作家交谈。
• She's a columnist for USA Today.她是《今日美国报》的专栏作家。

4 wilderness   

n.杳无人烟的一片陆地、水等，荒漠

参考例句：

• She drove the herd of cattle through the wilderness.她赶着牛群穿过荒野。
• Education in the wilderness is not a matter of monetary means.荒凉地区的教育不是钱财问题。

5 oblivious   

adj.易忘的，遗忘的，忘却的，健忘的

参考例句：

• Mother has become quite oblivious after the illness.这次病后，妈妈变得特别健忘。
• He was quite oblivious of the danger.他完全没有察觉到危险。

6 grooming   

n. 修饰, 美容，（动物）梳理毛发

参考例句：

• You should always pay attention to personal grooming. 你应随时注意个人仪容。
• We watched two apes grooming each other. 我们看两只猩猩在互相理毛。

7 blackmail   

n.讹诈，敲诈，勒索，胁迫，恫吓

参考例句：

• She demanded ＄1000 blackmail from him.她向他敲诈了1000美元。
• The journalist used blackmail to make the lawyer give him the documents.记者讹诈那名律师交给他文件。

8 bullying   

v.恐吓，威逼( bully的现在分词 )；豪；跋扈

参考例句：

• Many cases of bullying go unreported . 很多恐吓案件都没有人告发。
• All cases of bullying will be severely dealt with. 所有以大欺小的情况都将受到严肃处理。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 parental   

adj.父母的；父的；母的

参考例句：

• He encourages parental involvement in the running of school.他鼓励学生家长参与学校的管理。
• Children always revolt against parental disciplines.孩子们总是反抗父母的管束。

10 obsession   

n.困扰，无法摆脱的思想(或情感)

参考例句：

• I was suffering from obsession that my career would be ended.那时的我陷入了我的事业有可能就此终止的困扰当中。
• She would try to forget her obsession with Christopher.她会努力忘记对克里斯托弗的迷恋。