whenwelookatthescreen,theschoolatmosphereissolively.highschoolstudentsalwayshangoutwithfriendsandtakepartinallkindsofparties,whichseemsthattheydon’tneedtoworryabouttheirstudy.whenweseethis,wefeelenvious.howniceitwouldbeifourschoollifeislikethis
我们看向屏幕里的校园，学校气氛很活泼，高中生总是与朋友出去玩，参加各种各样的聚会，似乎他们不需要担心学习。当我们看到这个的时候，就会感到嫉妒，如果我们的学校生活是这样那该有多好啊。
actually,whatweknowabouttheamericanteenagers’lifeisnottrueforall.somehighschoolstudentsknowtheywillnotgotocollegeandchoosetoenjoytheschoollife.whileforsomestudentswhowanttofightforthetopcollege,theyneedtostudyveryhard.atthesametime,theyalsoneedtotakepartinsomeactivitiestocaterforthecollege’spermission.sodon’tbemisledbythesuperficialphenomenon.
实际上，我们所了解的美国青少年的生活是不正确的。一些高中学生知道自己不会去上大学，所以选择享受学校生活。而对于一些想要争夺顶尖大学的学生，他们需要非常努力学习，同时，他们也需要参加一些活动来满足大学的录取条件。所以不要被表面现象所误导。
americanhousesusuallyhaveprivatekitchens,alivingroomandsometimesseparateareasforeatingandwatchingtelevision.ahouseusuallyhasitsownmailbox,ayardwithplantsorperhapsalawn,andaplacetostoregarbageoutofsight.
abungalowisasmallhousewithoneortwobedroomsandusuallyonebathroom.
amansionisarealbighousewithmanybedroomsandseveralbathrooms.
aranchhouseusuallyhasthreeorfourbedrooms.themasterbedroomforthemotherandfatherusuallyhasitsownbathroom.
anapartmentisusuallyonelivingspacewithinabuilding.severalapartmentcanbeinthesamebuilding,withasharedyard,parkingspaces,andgarbage.
atownhouseisatwo-floorapartment.thekitchen,livingroomanddiningroomareusuallyonthefirstfloorandthebedroomsareonthesecondfloor.
astudioapartmentmayhaveaseparatekitchen,butthelivingroomisalsothebedroom!
acondominium,orcondoforshort,isanapartmentthatisownedbytheoccupant,notthebuildingowners.
mostamericanarehappytotalkabouttheirhomes.andiftheyvedoneanythingspecialintheirhome,theyllletyouknowwhatitwas,andmaybetellyouwhatitcosttoputinthejacuzzi,deckorpatio,etc.mostamericansliveincities,butnearlyasmanyliveinsuburbs.suburbanamericanhasshoppingcenterscalledmallsandresidentsusuallyneedacaretogetaround.mostofthehousesinthesuburbsareoneortwostoriestall,withprivateyardsandgardensandgarage.therearefewtallbuildingsinthesuburbs.citieshaveneighborhoods,warehousestores,andpublictransportationisusuallyprettygood.privatehousesmightonlyhaveabackyard,andifthereisagarageitprobablyissmall.citieshavealotofapartmentbuildingsandsometallbuildingsmayseemtoscrapethesky,sotheyarecalledskyscraper.
whatisamericandream
什么是美国梦？
whatistheamericandreamisitthesameforallamericansisitamythisitsimplyasearchforabetterlifehowhastheamericandreamchangedovertimesomeseetheirdreamswitheranddiewhileothersseetheirdreamsfulfilled.whyeveryonehasdreamsabutapersonallyfulfilledlife...andwhatisyourdream
thetermamericandreamwasfirstusedbyjamesadamsinhisbooktheepicofamericawhichwaswrittenin1931.hestates:theamericandreamisthatdreamofalandinwhichlifeshouldbebetterandricherandfullerforeveryone,withopportunityforeachaccordingtoabilityorachievement.itisadifficultdreamfortheeuropeanupperclassestointerpretadequately,andtoomanyofusourselveshavegrowntiredandmistrustfulofit.itisnotadreamofcarsandhighwagesmerely,butadreamofsocialorderinwhicheachmanandeachwomanshallbeabletogettothefulleststatureofwhichtheyarecapable,andberecognizedbyothersforwhattheyare,regardlessofthefortuitouscircumstancesofbirthorposition."
美国梦这个词最早出现在詹姆斯·亚当斯1931年写的《美国史诗》这本书中。他写道：美国梦是指渴望生活在能够让人们生活丰裕富足的热土上，每个人都有机会实现自己的价值。它是一个欧洲上流社会很难理解和体会的梦想，并且我们中的相当多人对此持怀疑和不信任的态度。这个梦想不仅仅是拥有汽车和高工资，而且还应当包括这样一种社会秩序，在这种秩序下，男人和女人不论他们出身如何，社会地位如何，都能最大程度地实现自己的潜能并为他人所认可和接受”。
intheunitedstates'declarationofindependence,ourfoundingfathersstate:"...allmenarecreatedequal,thattheyareendowedbytheircreatorwithcertainunalienablerights,thatamongthesearelife,libertyandthepursuitofhappiness."mightthisviewbeconsideredthefoundationoftheamericandream
在美国的《独立宣言》中，我们的创始人指出：“……所有的人人生而平等，创物主赋予他们若干不可剥夺的权利，这其中包括生命权，自由权和追求幸福的权利。”这一说法也许可能被视为美国梦的基础？
werehomesteaderswholeftthebigcitiesoftheeasttofindhappinessandtheirpieceoflandintheunknownwildernessofthewestpursuingtheserightsweretheimmigrantswhocametotheunitedstateslookingfortheirbitoflife,liberty,happinessandtheirdreamandwhatdidthedesireoftheveteranofworldwarii—tosettledown,tohaveahome,acarandafamily—tellusaboutthisdreamistheamericandreamattainablebyallamericanswouldmartinlutherkingfeelhisdreamwasattaineddidmalcolmxrealizehisdream
农场主为了寻找幸福离开了东部的大城市，抛弃了他们在西部未知荒野上的土地，他们是在实现自己权利吗？移民来到美国，是为了自己想要的.生活，追求自由、幸福和梦想吗？二战老兵的愿望又是什么呢，安定下来，有居住的房子，汽车然后组建家庭——告诉我们这就是梦想？所有美国人都能实现美国梦吗？马丁·路德金会认为自己能够梦想成真吗？马尔科姆·x实现自己的梦想了吗？
raisingchildren美式教养观
thejobofraisingchildrenisatoughone.childrendon'tcomewithaninstructionmanual.andeachchildisdifferent.soparentssometimespulltheirhairoutinfrustration,notknowingwhattodo.butinraisingchildren-asinalloflife-whatwedoisinfluencedbyourculture.naturallythen,americanparentsteachtheirchildrenbasicamericanvalues.
养育孩子是件伤脑筋的差事，孩子们并不是生下来就附有说明书的，而每个孩子又都不尽相同，所以有时候父母们真是挫折地扯光了头发，还不知该怎幺办。然而以教养孩子而言，就像生活中所有的事一样，我们的行为都受文化的影响，因此，美国父母很自然地会教导他们的孩子基本的美国价值观。
toamericans,thegoalofparentsistohelpchildrenstandontheirowntwofeet.frominfancy,eachchildmaygethisorherownroom.aschildrengrow,theygainmorefreedomtomaketheirownchoices.teenagerschoosetheirownformsofentertainment,aswellasthefriendstosharethemwith.whentheyreachyoungadulthood,theychoosetheirowncareersandmarriagepartners.ofcourse,manyyoungadultsstillseektheirparents'adviceandapprovalforthechoicestheymake.butoncethey"leavethenest"ataround18to21yearsold,theywanttobeontheirown,not"tiedtotheirmother'sapronstrings."
对美国人而言，教养的目标在于帮助孩子们自立更生。从婴幼儿期开始，每一个孩子都可能拥有自己的房间;随着孩子的成长，他们有更多机会自己作决定;青少年们选择自己喜欢的娱乐方式，以及跟什幺样的朋友一起玩;当他们进入了青年期之后，他们选择自己的事业和结婚伴侣。当然，很多的年轻人在作选择时，还是会寻求父母的忠告和赞同，但是当他们一旦在十八到二十一岁左右「离了巢」之后，就希望能够独立，不再是个离不开妈妈的孩子了。
therelationshipbetweenparentsandchildreninamericaisveryinformal.americanparentstrytotreattheirchildrenasinspaniduals-notasextensionsofthemselves.theyallowthemtofulfilltheirowndreams.americanspraiseandencouragetheirchildrentogivethemtheconfidencetosucceed.whenchildrenbecomeadults,theirrelationshipwiththeirparentsbecomesmorelikeafriendshipamongequals.butcontrarytopopularbelief,mostadultamericansdon'tmaketheirparentspayforroomandboardwhentheycometovisit.evenasadults,theyrespectandhonortheirparents.
在美国，亲子之间的关系不是那么地严肃，美国父母们试着将孩子视为个体，而不是他们自我的延伸，他们允许孩子去实现自己的梦想。美国人会赞美并鼓励孩子以给予他们成功的信心。当孩子长大成人之后，亲子之间的关系会更像地位平等的朋友，可是与大家一向所以为的恰好相反，当父母来访时，大部份的美国成年人并不会要求父母付食宿费，因为就算已经成年，他们还是很敬重父母的。
mostyoungcoupleswithchildrenstrugglewiththeissueofchildcare.mothershavetraditionallystayedhomewiththeirchildren.inrecentyears,though,agrowingtrendistoputpreschoolersinadaycarecentersomomcanwork.manyamericanshavestrongfeelingsaboutwhichtypeofarrangementisbest.somearguethatattendingadaycarecentercanbeapositiveexperienceforchildren.othersinsistthatmothersarethebestcaregiversforchildren.anumberofwomenarenowleavingtheworkforcetobecomefull-timehomemakers.
大部份有孩子的年轻夫妻们都为了养育孩子的问题而大伤脑筋。传统上，母亲们会和孩子待在家里，但是近几年来，把孩子放在幼儿园好让妈妈去工作的趋势渐长。对于哪一种安排才是最好的，许多美国人都有自己强烈的主张，有些人认为进幼儿园对孩子而言是很正向的经历，另一群人则坚持母亲是照顾孩子的最佳人选，许多的妇女现在也离开工作市场成为全职的家庭主妇。母来访时，大部份的美国成年人并不会要求父母付食宿费，因为就算已经成年，他们还是很敬重父母的。
discipliningchildrenisanotherareathatamericanparentshavedifferingopinionsparentsfeelthatanold-fashionedspankinghelpsyoungsterslearnwhat"no!"preferalternateformsofdiscipline.forexample,"timeouts"havebecomepopularinrecentyears.childrenin"timeout"havetositinacornerorbyawall.theycangetuponlywhentheyarereadytoactnicely.olderchildrenandteenagerswhobreaktherulesmaybegrounded,ornotallowedtogooutwithfriends.someoftheirprivilegesathome-liketvortelephoneuse-mayalsobetakenawayforawhile.althoughdisciplineisn'tfunforparentsorchildren,it'sanecessarypartoftraining.
beingaparentisatallorder.ittakespatience,love,wisdom,courageandagoodsenseofhumortoraisechildren(andnotloseyoursanity).somepeoplearejustdecidingnottohavechildrenatall,sincethey'renotsureit'sworthit.butraisingchildrenmeanstrainingthenextgenerationandpreservingourculture.whatcouldbeworthmorethanthat
担任亲职是必须付出极大代价的，教养孩子需要付出耐心、爱心、智能、勇气以及高度的幽默感(同时不失去你明智的判断力)。有些人根本就决定不生孩子，因为他们不确定这样的付出值不值得，但是养育孩子意味着训练下一代并且保留我们的文化，又有什么会比这更有价值呢