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Recording Three
录音三
I would like particularly to talk about the need to develop a new style of aging in our own society.
我想特别谈谈在我们自己的社会发展一种新的老龄化方式的必要性。
Young people in this country have been accused of not caring for their parents the way they would have in the old country. And this is true.
这个国家的年轻人被指责没有像以前的国家那样照顾他们的父母。确实如此。
But it is also true that old people have been influenced by an American ideal of independence and autonomy.
但老年人也确实受到了美国人独立自主的思想的影响。
So we live alone, perhaps on the verge of starvation in time without friends.
所以我们独自生活，在没有朋友的情况下，也许有时候甚至处于饥饿的边缘。
But we are independent.
但我们是独立的。
This standard American style has been forced on every ethnic group, although there are many groups for whom the ideal is not practical.
这种标准的美国风格已被强加于每个种族群体，尽管对许多群体来说，这种想法并不实际。
It is a poor ideal in pursuing it does a great deal of harm.
这是一个糟糕的理想，追求它会造成很大的伤害。
This ideal of independence also contains a tremendous amount of unselfishness.
这种独立的理想也包含着极大的无私。
In talking to today's young mothers, I have asked them what kind of grandmothers they think they are going to be.
在与当今年轻的母亲们的谈话中，我问她们，她们认为自己会成为怎样的祖母。
I hear devoted, loving mothers say that when they are through raising their children, they have no intention of becoming grandmothers.
我听那些慈爱的母亲们说，当她们在抚养孩子的过程中，根本就没有成为祖母的意识。
They were astonished to hear that in most of the world, throughout most of its history, families have been three or four generation families living under the same roof.
她们很惊讶地听说，在世界上的大多数地方，在其历史的大部分时间里，家庭都是三代或四代人住在同一个屋檐下。
We have overemphasized the small family unit, father, mother, small children.
我们过分强调了小的家庭单位，父亲、母亲和孩子。
We think it is wonderful if grandma and grandpa, if they're still alive, can live alone.
我们认为，如果爷爷奶奶还活着，如果他们能独自生活，那就太好了。
We have reached the point where we think the only thing we can do for our children is to stay out of their way.
我们已经到了这样的地步——认为自己能为孩子们做的唯一的事情就是远离他们。
And the only thing we can do for our daughter in law is to see as little of her as possible.
我们能为我们的儿媳做的唯一的事就是尽量少见面。
Old peoples' nursing homes, even the best run are filled with older people who believe the only thing they can do for their children is to look cheerful when they come to visit.
在养老院，即使是最好的跑步场地也挤满了老年人，他们相信他们能为孩子做的唯一事情就是在孩子来的时候笑容满面。
So in the end, older people have to devote all their energies to not being a burden.
最终，老年人必须集中精力尽量不让自己成为年轻人的负担。
We are beginning to see what a tremendous price we've paid for our emphasis on independence and autonomy.
我们开始看到，我们为强调独立和自治付出了多么巨大的代价。
We've isolated old people and we've cut off the children from their grandparents.
我们孤立了老人，我们也切断了孩子和他们祖父母的联系。
One of the reasons we have as bad a generation gap today as we do is that grandparents have stepped out.
今天之所以有如此严重的代沟，原因之一是祖父母已经退出了我们的生活。
Young people are being deprived of the things they need most:
年轻人被剥夺了他们最需要的东西:
perspective to know why their parents behave so peculiarly and why their grandparents say the things they do.
了解他们的父母行为如此怪异，他们的祖父母谈论自己做了什么的原因。
22: What have young Americans been accused of?
22：年轻的美国人因为什么被指责?
23: What does the speaker say about old people in the United States?
23：关于美国的老年人，说话者说了些什么?
24: What is astonishing to the young mothers interviewed by the speaker?
24:对说话者采访的年轻妈妈们来说，什么让她们感到惊讶?
25: What does the speaker say older people try their best to do?
25:说话者说老年人在尽力做什么?
