新概念英語第四冊
Lesson 34 Adolescence
1 . unless the parents themselves have been unsatisfactory,除非父母自身不能令人滿意，
2 . but on the whole this is a healthier attitude both for the child and the parent.但總地來看，孩子和家長雙方態度都比較端正。
3 . Before very long the parents will be complaining that the child is so secretive and never tells them anything,不要很久，家長就會抱怨孩子守口如瓶，什麼事也不告訴他們，
4 . they would not be so hurt,那麼他們就不會那樣傷心，
5 . The adolescent, with his passion for sincerity,青少年酷愛真誠，
6 . and how much this faith means to a child.孩子們的這種信念會對孩子產生多麼大的影響，
7 . Such a loss of dignity and descent into childish behaviour on the part of the adults deeply shocks the adolescents,這種有失身份和孩子氣的作法使青春期的孩子大為震驚，
8 . in fact they did nothing of the kind,實際上那是根本不行的。
9 . Parents are often upset when their children praise the homes of their friends and regard it as a slur on their own cooking, or cleaning, or furniture,當家長聽到孩子讚揚自己朋友的家時，總感到不安，認為這是孩子在嫌棄自家的飯菜、衛生、或傢俱，
10 . and often are foolish enough to let the adolescents see that they are annoyed.而且愚蠢地讓孩子看出自己的煩惱。
11 . What the child cannot forgive is the parents' refusal to admit these charges if the child knows them to be true.父母錯了，孩子們也看出來了，可是做父母的還不肯承認。
12 . and realized that it was a sign that the child was growing up and developing valuable powers of observation and independent judgment,並且意識到這象徵著孩子們正在成熟和發展寶貴的觀察力、獨立判斷力，
13 . that it can hardly hope to stand up to a realistic evaluation.以致這種估價很難指望經受住現實的考驗。
14 . Most children have such a high ideal of their parents,大多數孩子對父母估價過高，
15 . is to some degree inevitable.在某種程度上是不可避免的。
16 . and therefore would not drive the child into opposition by resenting and resisting it.也就不會由於怨恨和牴觸這種反應，而把孩子推到自己的對立面去。
17 . Parents would be greatly surprised and deeply touched if they realized how much belief their children usually have in their character and infallibility,那麼家長會大為吃驚和深受感動的，如果家長意識到孩子們通常是多麼相信家長的品行和絕對正確，
18 . but they seldom realize that they have brought this on themselves.殊不知這是他們自找的。
19 . and makes them resolve that in future they will not talk to their parents about the places or people they visit.決心以後不再向父母講述去過的地方和見過的人。
20 . or make some spiteful remark about the friends' parents.或者講些小朋友家長的壞話。
21 . If parents were prepared for this adolescent reaction,如果家長對青少年的這種反應有思想準備，
22 . Disillusionment with the parents,孩子們對家長幻想的破滅
23 . or ignorant, or even that he has been unfair or unjust.甚至承認自己做得不公平或不公正的父母，
24 . always respects a parent who admits that he is wrong,他們總是尊敬的，對於能夠承認錯誤或無知、
25 . however good and adequate they may be both as parents and as individuals,不管家長的人品有多麼好，作為父母又多麼合格，
26 . Today we tend to go to the other extreme,雖然現在我們傾向於走向另一個極端，
27 . It is always wiser and safer to face up to reality,遇事採取面對現實的態度總是比較明智和穩妥的，
28 . however painful it may be at the moment.儘管會有暫時的痛苦。
29 . Victorian parents believed that they kept their dignity by retreating behind an unreasoning authoritarian attitude;維多利業時代的父母認為，他們可以靠無理的權威氣派來維護自己的尊嚴，
30 . but children were then too cowed to let them know how they really felt.孩子們只不過被嚇得不敢讓父母知道自己的想法罷了。
31 . They may even accuse them of disloyalty,他們甚至責備孩子不忠，