新視野讀寫教程2第三版課文UNIT5

1、TEXT ASpend or save The student's dilemma 花錢還是存錢，學(xué)生進(jìn)退維谷1 Do you feel as confused and manipulated as I do with this question, "Should I spend or should I save?" I think that the messages we get from our environment seem to defy common sense and contradict each other. The government tell

2、s us to spend or we'll never get out of the recession. At the same time, they tell us that unless we save more, our country is in grave danger. Banks offer higher interest rates so we increase savings. Then the same banks send us credit card offers so we can spend more.你是不是跟我一樣對 “我應(yīng)該花錢還是存錢”這個問題感

3、到困惑， 且有被操縱的感覺？我覺得我們從生活的環(huán)境里所獲得的信息似乎是有違常識、 互相矛盾的。 政府告訴我們要花錢， 否 則我們將永遠(yuǎn)走不出衰退；與此同時，他們又告訴我們， 除非我們節(jié)省更多的錢， 否則我們 的國家會處于嚴(yán)重危險之中。 銀行提供較高的利率以增加儲蓄。 然后， 同樣是這些銀行又提 供信用卡讓我們可以花更多的錢。2 Here's another familiar example: If we don't pay our credit card bill on time, we get demanding, nasty emails from the credit c

4、ard company saying something like: "Your failure to pay is unacceptable. Pay immediately or you'll be in trouble!" Then, as soon as we pay, we get a follow-up email in a charming tone telling us how valuable a customer we are and encouraging us to resume spending. Which depiction is co

5、rrect: a failing consumer in trouble or a valued customer? The gap between these two messages is enormous.這里還有一個大家熟悉的例子： 如果我們不按時支付信用卡賬單， 我們會收到從信用卡公司發(fā)來的類似這樣的令人討厭的催繳賬單的電子郵件： 不還款是不可接受的。 請立即繳付， 否 則后果自負(fù)！之后，一旦還款，我們就會收到一封跟進(jìn)的電子郵件，語氣和藹可親，說我們是多么寶貴的客戶， 并鼓勵我們繼續(xù)花錢。 到底哪一個描述是正確的？有麻煩的失敗消費者還是寶貴的客戶？這兩者之間可是天壤之別！3 The

6、paradox is that every day we get two sets of messages at odds with each other. One is the "permissive" perspective, "Buy, spend, get it now. You need this!" The other we could call an "upright" message, which urges us, "Work hard and save. Suspend your desires. Avo

7、id luxuries. Control your appetite for more than you truly need." This message comes to us from many sources: from school, from parents, even from political figures referring to "traditional values".Hard work, family loyalty, and the capacity to postpone desires are core American valu

8、es that have made our country great.自相矛盾的情況還有，我們每天都收到彼此相左的兩種信息。一種從 “縱容 ” 的角度，讓我們“買東西，花錢，現(xiàn)在就得到它。你需要這個！ ”另外一種，我們可稱之為 “正直 ”的信息，它力勸我們： “努力工作，把錢存起來?？刂颇愕挠?，不要買奢侈品，不要垂涎那些你并不真正需要的東西。 ”這類信息來源甚多，有學(xué)校方面的，有家長方面的，甚至還來自提及傳統(tǒng)價值觀的政治人物。艱苦創(chuàng)業(yè)，忠于家庭、 能推遲欲望是美國價值觀的核心，它使我們的國家變得強(qiáng)大。4 But the opposite message, advertising's

9、 permissive message, is inescapable. Though sometimes disguised, the messages are everywhere we look: on TV, in movies on printed media and road signs, in stores, and on busses, trains and subways. Advertisements invade our daily lives. We are constantly surrounded by the message to spend, spend, sp

10、end. Someone recently said, "The only time you can escape advertising is when you're in your bed asleep!" 但相反的信息， 即那些縱容人們不斷花錢的廣告， 無所不在。 雖然此類信息有時經(jīng)過了喬裝 打扮，但仍隨處可見，電視、電影、印刷媒介和路牌、商店，及公共汽車、火車和地鐵上， 比比皆是。廣告侵入了我們的日常生活。我們時時被包圍在花錢，花錢，花錢的信息中。最近有人說： “唯一可以逃脫廣告的時候是當(dāng)在床上睡著時！ ”5 It's been calculated

11、 that by the age of 18, the average American will have seen 600,000 ads; by the age of 40, the total is almost one million. Each advertisement is doing its utmost to influence our diverse buying decisions, from the breakfast cereal we eat to which cruise line we will use for our vacation. There is n

12、o shortage of ideas and things to buy! Now, of course, we don't remember exactly what the products were, but the essential message is cemented into our consciousness, "It's good to satisfy your desires. You should have what you want. You deserve the best. So, you should buy it now!"

13、; A famous advertisement said it perfectly, "I love me. I'm a good friend to myself. I do what makes me feel good. I derive pleasure from nice things and feel nourished by them. I used to put things off. Not anymore. Today I'll buy new ski equipment, look at new compact cars, and buy th

14、at camera I've always wanted. I live my dreams today, not tomorrow." 據(jù)計算，普通的美國人到 18 歲時，會看過60 萬則廣告；到 40 歲時，看過的廣告總數(shù)近百萬。 每個廣告都在盡最大努力影響我們形形色色的購買決定 從我們吃的早餐麥片到我們的假期將使用哪條郵輪線路。 決不會缺少怎么花錢和買什么東西的廣告！ 現(xiàn)在， 我們當(dāng)然不能確切地記得廣告上的產(chǎn)品，但重要的信息已凝聚在我們的意識里： “要滿足你的愿望。你應(yīng)該擁有你想要的。你應(yīng)該得到最好的。所以，你應(yīng)該買下它 現(xiàn)在！ ”一個著名的廣告詮釋得很完美： “我愛自

15、己。我是自己的好朋友。我做讓我感覺舒服的事。我從精美的東西里得到樂趣， 并感覺到它們給我的滋養(yǎng)。 我過去常想著等一下再買， 現(xiàn)在再也不會了。 今天， 我會購買全新的滑雪裝備， 看看新型的小巧靈便的轎車， 買下那臺我一直想要的相機(jī)。 我今 天就要實現(xiàn)我的夢想，不會等到明天。 ”6 What happens as we take in these contradictory but explicit messages? What are the psychological and social consequences of this campaign to control our spendin

16、g habits? On one hand, we want more things because we want to satisfy our material appetite. Most of us derive pleasure from treating ourselves. On the other hand, a little voice inside us echoes those upright messages: "Watch out, take stock of your life, don't let your attention get scatt

17、ered. Postpone your desires. Don't fall into debt. Wait! Retain control over your own life. It will make you stronger." 當(dāng)我們接受這些相互矛盾但很明確的信息時， 會有什么事情發(fā)生呢？這種控制我們花錢習(xí)慣 的宣傳活動會造成什么心理和社會上的影響呢？一方面， 我們希望買更多的東西， 來滿足我 們的物質(zhì)欲望。 我們中的大多數(shù)通過善待自己來得到樂趣。 與此同時， 我們身體里面有一個 微弱的聲音與那些正直的信息在共鳴： “當(dāng)心， 要掂量掂量自己的生活， 不要讓注意力分

18、散。推遲欲望。不要陷入債務(wù)。要等待！保留對自己生活的控制權(quán)。這會讓你更堅強(qiáng)。 ”7 Anyway, many of the skills you need as a successful student can be applied to your finances. Consider your financial well-being as a key ingredient of your university education as money worries are extremely stressful and distracting. They can make you feel

19、terrible and hinder your ability to focus on your prime objective: successfully completing your education.總之， 一個成功的學(xué)生所需要的很多技能可以應(yīng)用到你的財務(wù)中去。 把良好的財務(wù)狀況看成是大學(xué)教育中的一個關(guān)鍵因素， 因為對金錢的擔(dān)憂會讓人倍感壓力， 并讓人分心。 它們會讓 你感覺很糟糕，并阻止你專注首要目標(biāo)，即成功完成學(xué)業(yè)。8 How can you be a smart and educated consumer? Many schools, community organizati

20、ons, and even some banks offer financial literacy classes. Consider consulting with your school's financial aid office or seek input from your parents or other respected adults in setting up a budget. An additional option is finding a partner to help you stay on track and find pleasure in the ad

21、ministration of your own financial affairs. Most importantly, if you find yourself getting into financial trouble, don't let your ego get in your way; urgently get help with tackling your problem before it spins out of control and lands you in legal troubles.怎樣才能成為一個聰明、 有相關(guān)知識的消費者呢？許多學(xué)校、 社區(qū)組織， 甚至

22、一些銀行都提供金融掃盲班。 可以考慮向?qū)W校的財務(wù)援助辦公室咨詢， 或向父母或其他值得尊敬的成年人請教如何建立一個預(yù)算方案。另外一個選擇是找一個合作伙伴來幫你保持良好的財務(wù)狀況，并在管理自己的金融事務(wù)中找到樂趣。 最重要的是， 如果你發(fā)現(xiàn)自己正陷入財務(wù)困境， 不要 讓你的自大妨礙你，在情況變得失控并惹上法律麻煩前，趕緊尋求幫助 來解決問題。9 All this will help you become an educated consumer and saver. As you learn to balance spending and saving, you will become the c

23、aptain of your own ship, steering your life in a successful and productive direction through the choppy waters.這一切都將幫助你成為一個擁有相關(guān)知識的消費者和儲蓄者。學(xué)會了如何平衡支出和儲蓄，你就會成為你自己的船長，駕駛著你的生活之船，乘風(fēng)破浪，駛向成功和富有。TEXT BA $3,000 dictionary 價值三千美元的字典1 I remember a day some years back on one of the first days of a new semester i

24、n college. People were tossing balls, passing out catalogs, and handing out free stuff. I was completely charmed by all the activity. After all, a major feature of college life is limited finances. Free stuff is like gold and I felt entitled to my share!我記得那是幾年前的一天，是大學(xué)的新學(xué)期剛開學(xué)的日子。人們正在忙著扔球，分發(fā)目錄，發(fā)放免費的東

25、西。 我完全被這些活動吸引了。 畢竟大學(xué)生活的主要特點就是只能利用有限的資金，所以免費的東西就像金子一樣，我覺得我理所當(dāng)然也有份！2 I moved closer to scout out the situation. In my mind, I heard my mother issue her famous line: "There is no such thing as free stuff!", as the student behind the table urged me to receive a brand-new dictionary. My mom'

26、;s voice was quickly filtered out as I reached out to claim my gift. I was handed a form instead. Once I completed the credit card application, I was told, I would receive a free dictionary. With the confidence that a probe of my finances would reveal the sheer weakness of my profile, I completed th

27、e form and submitted it.我走近前去察看詳情。 當(dāng)桌子背后的那位學(xué)生慫恿我去領(lǐng)一本免費的全新的字典時， 我的腦海里仿佛聽到了母親的那句名言： “世上絕沒有免費的東西。 ”母親的聲音隨著我伸手去索要禮物很快就被過濾掉了。 然而遞給我的不是字典卻是一張表格。 我被告知， 一旦填寫信用卡申請表，就會收到一本免費的字典。我確信對我財產(chǎn)狀況的調(diào)查會暴露我在財務(wù)上的不足， 所以我填了表格，并把它交了。3 To my sheer amazement, plastic freedom made its way into my mailbox a few weeks later. At f

28、irst, I was shocked that these huge credit card corporations trusted me, a struggling student holding two minimum wage part-time jobs and paying monthly installments on a purchased computer. But the credit card company seemed to know more than I did, so I accepted the card and decided it was perfect

29、 to develop my own credit like so many had done before me.令我十分驚奇的是， 信用卡竟在幾個星期后寄到了我的郵箱。 起初，我感到震驚， 這些龐大的信用卡公司竟然信任我這個在經(jīng)濟(jì)上苦苦掙扎的學(xué)生， 我只持有兩份拿最低工資的兼職工作， 每月還在分期支付之前所買的電腦。 但這家信用卡公司似乎比我更了解自己， 所以我接受了信用卡， 并認(rèn)為它是讓我建立自己的信用的絕佳機(jī)會， 就如許多人已在我之前就這么做 的那樣。4 My first purchases were tame: a T-shirt, vitamins, or a CD as if I

30、 hadn't had the card. Soon, however, I began to buy things that I wanted. With my artificial sense of security, I bought a guitar, a fishing rod and a hunting rifle, long-stem roses for my girlfriend, a brand-new wardrobe, a sophisticated new calculator, and countless other trifles I felt I &quo

31、t;absolutely needed". I began to accumulate debt.我最初買的東西平淡無奇：一件T 恤衫，一點維生素，或一盤光碟，沒有信用卡時我也買這些。然而， 很快我就開始買我想要的東西了。 有了信用卡給我的那份虛假的安全感，我買了一把吉他，一根釣竿，一支獵槍，給我女朋友的長莖玫瑰，一個全新的衣柜，一個精密的新計算器，和無數(shù)其他我覺得 “非要不可 ”但卻是毫無價值的東西。我開始累積債務(wù)了。5 Making matters worse, I lost one part-time job and with it my output of funds gre

32、w ever smaller, like those now long-dead roses. I began taking cash advances just to eat. There was barely enough money from my paychecks to cover basic ongoing living expenses, and satisfying the minimum monthly payment on the card was impossible. Now, the principal balance doubled due to late paym

33、ent penalties and other sanctions that the credit card issuer imposed in accordance with the contract.更糟的是， 我失去了一份兼職工作， 這樣我能使用的資金就如那些凋零的玫瑰一樣， 越來越 少。 我開始為了吃飯而預(yù)支現(xiàn)金。 我的薪水勉強(qiáng)夠維持基本生活費， 我無法還信用卡的每月最低支付額。 現(xiàn)在， 由于信用卡發(fā)行公司按照合同規(guī)定對逾期還款進(jìn)行了罰款， 再加上其他 懲處，我所欠余額增加了一倍。6 Usually, I'm not a person who takes things too

34、seriously. I always see the positive side of negative situations, but the gravity of my credit card debt crisis had left me in despair. My parents provided the tuition for school, so I believed it was my responsibility to take care of everything else in my life. I owed them more than I could possibl

35、y imagine, specifically their vision of a boy becoming a truly autonomous man. Now, I was letting them, and myself, down. Every time my mom called to chat, she always asked if I needed money. I knew her heart would break if I had said "Yes", so I shrugged it off and hid everything from her

36、.通常情況下，我不是一個把什么都太當(dāng)回事的人。我總會在消極的情況下看到積極的一面，但我嚴(yán)重的信用卡債務(wù)危機(jī)使我感到絕望。 我的父母為我提供了學(xué)費， 所以我認(rèn)為照料好我生活中的其他一切是我的責(zé)任。 我欠他們的比我能想象的更多， 說得明確些， 我辜負(fù)了他們 盼望一個男孩能成為一個真正有自主能力的男人的期望。現(xiàn)在，我讓他們和我本人失望了。每次我媽媽打電話來跟我閑聊，總會問我是否需要錢。我知道如果我說 “是 ” ， 她的心會碎 掉的，所以我裝作滿不在乎，對她隱瞞了一切。7 I began to lose interest in many activities in which I'd beco

37、me involved. Friends would call and invite me for dinner, but my finances would prohibit any expenses, so I'd decline every time. I would manufacture excuses for why I always said "No" to their offers. My dirty little secret began to tear at my emotional stability. Soon, calls from fri

38、ends became more infrequent, meeting new people was out of the question, and my mom began exclaiming she didn't know why she even bothered to call me. A simple matter of credit card debt caused me to drive everything I cared about from my life. I felt emotionally crippled and financially bankrup

39、t!我開始對我以往熱衷的很多活動失去興趣。 朋友們打電話來邀請我去吃飯， 但我的財務(wù)狀況使我不能花任何錢， 所以我每次都拒絕。 我會編造借口來解釋為什么我對他們的提議總是說“不 ”。我那見不得人的小秘密開始擾亂自己的情緒。不久，朋友的電話變少了，也不可能結(jié)識新朋友， 我媽媽也開始感嘆她不知為什么還要費心給我打電話。 信用卡債務(wù)這一簡單的事 件讓我不得不將我所在乎的一切都從我的生活中驅(qū)逐出去。我已精神崩潰，且財務(wù)破產(chǎn)！8 After graduation, I finally explained my financial distress to my mother. It had been se

40、veral years since my awful money issues began, so I believed the wound to be fairly well healed, but the blend of disgust and emotion I felt when I explained my credit card debt was torture. I choked on every word, and I hesitated on the number. I felt physical pain when I looked her in the eye. There was nothing more terrifying to me than exemplifying a parent's nightmare. The time had come to move tow