英語聽力小短文走遍全世界46: 美國現(xiàn)代的移民問題

英語聽力原文：

The percentage of immigrants (including those unlawfully present) in the United States has been creeping upward for years. At 12.6 percent, it is now higher than at any point since the mid 1920s.

美國移民的比例(包括目前非法的)已持續(xù)數(shù)年猛增。達到了12.6%，是20世紀20年代以來最高的比例。

We are not about to go back to the days when Congress openly worried about interior races polluting America's bloodstream. But once again we are wondering whether we have too many of the wrong sort of newcomers. Their loudest critics argue that the new wave of immigrants cannot, and indeed do not want to, fit in as previous generations did.

我們并非要回到國會公開地表示憂慮劣等民族會影響美國的血統(tǒng)的年代。但是，我們再次擔憂，我們對待這些新來者犯了很多錯誤。他們最響亮的評論家指出，新一代移民不能，事實上也不想，像他們的前輩那樣適應(yīng)美國。

We now know that these racist views were wrong. In time, Italians, Romanians and members of other so-called inferior races became exemplary Amerians and contributed greatly, in ways too numerous to detail, to the building of this magnificent nation. There is no reason why these new immigrants should not have the same success.

我們現(xiàn)在知道這些種族分子的觀點是錯誤的。在過去，意大利人、羅馬尼亞人和其他被成為劣等名族的成員構(gòu)成了美國人，他們在難以計數(shù)的方面為這個偉大國家的建立做出了巨大貢獻。沒有理由認為這些新移民不應(yīng)該取得相同的成功。

Although children of Mexican immigrants do better, in terms of educational and professional attainment, than their parents, UCLA sociologist Edward Telles has found that the gains don't continue. Indeed, the fourth generation is marginally worse off than the third. James Jackson, of the University of Michigan, has found a similar tend among black Caribbean immigrants.

盡管墨西哥移民的后代在教育、職業(yè)上比他們父母親做得更好，加州大學洛杉磯分校社會學家愛德華·特列斯發(fā)現(xiàn)優(yōu)勢沒有繼續(xù)。事實上，第四代移民被遍及化了，比第三代移民更糟。密歇根大學詹姆斯·杰克遜發(fā)現(xiàn)加勒比黑人移民也有相似的趨勢。

Tells fears that Mexican-Americans may be fated to follow in the footsteps of American blacks that large parts of the community may become mired(陷入) in a seemingly state of poverty and underachievement. Like African-Americans, Mexican-Americans are increasingly relegated to (降入) segregated, substandard schools, and their dropout rate is the highest for any ethnic group in the country.

特列斯擔心墨西哥裔美國人命中注定要跟隨美國黑人的腳步，他們大部分人陷入了似乎貧窮和無所成就的境地。像非洲裔美國人一樣，墨西哥裔美國人日益增多地陷入了分離的、低等的學校，他們的輟學率是美國所有族裔中最高的。

We have learned much about the foolish idea of excluding people on the presumption of ethnic/ racial inferiority. But what we have not yet learned is how to make the process of Americanization work for all.

我們已經(jīng)了解基于民族或種族的劣等而將某些人排除在外是多么愚蠢的想法。但是我們還沒有學會的是怎樣實現(xiàn)美國化的進程。

I am not talking about requiring people to learn English or to adopt American ways; those things happen pretty much on their own. But as arguments about immigration hear up the campaign trail, we also ought to ask some broader question about assimilation, about how to ensure that people, once outsiders, don't forever remain marginalized within these shores.

我并不是要求人們?nèi)W英語或采取美國人的的方式;這樣的事只要是靠他們自己。但是隨著移民的爭論在競選活動中討論得越來越熱烈，我們也應(yīng)該問些關(guān)于融入社會更寬泛的問題，如何確保曾經(jīng)的門外漢不會永遠在美國被邊緣化。

That is a much larger question than what should happen with undocumented workers, or how best to secure the border, and it is one that affects not only newcomers but groups that have been here for generations. It will have more impact on our future than where we decide to set the admissions bar for the latest ware of would-be Americans. And it would be nice if we finally got the answer right.

這個問題比如何對待非法移民用工，或如何更好地保衛(wèi)海岸等問題更寬廣，這個問題不僅影響了新移民，也包括上幾代的移民。這個問題對我們未來的影響比我們決定為將來的美國移民潮設(shè)置準入門檻的影響更大。如果我們找到正確答案就好辦了。

英語詞匯整理：

1. immigrant n. 移民

eg: Canada has many immigrants from Europe.

加拿大有許多歐洲移民。

短語：

illegal immigrant 非法移民;非法入境者

immigrant visa 移民簽證

2. unlawfully adv. 非法地

eg: He's the one who's peddling the drugs unlawfully.

他是個非法販賣藥品的人。

同近義詞：

wrong/ unfairly adv.不正當?shù)?不合法地

3. creep v. 漸漸產(chǎn)生

eg: Mistakes start to creep in when you work too hard.

你工作過于辛苦時,錯誤就會逐漸出現(xiàn)。

短語：

make one's flesh (skin) creep 使人毛骨悚然，使人不寒而栗

the creeps [口語]毛骨悚然的感覺

creep up 爬上去,漸漸靠近,悄悄逼近

creep down 滑落

creep away 悄悄離開

creep forward 匍匐前進

creep along 沿著……爬行

creep into 悄悄進入,逐漸產(chǎn)生

creep on (時間、歲月等)不知不覺地來臨

creep over (upon) 爬上

4. congress n. 代表大會，國會，議會

eg: A lot has changed after the party congress.

該黨代表大會后很多都變了。

短語：

congress party 國大黨

member of congress 國會議員;美國眾議院議員

act of congress 國會法

5. inferior adj. 下等的，低等的

eg: He preferred the company of those who were intellectually inferior to himself.

他喜歡與那些智力不如他的人為伍。

短語：

inferior quality 低質(zhì)量;次質(zhì)量

inferior in 在……方面低劣

inferior products 劣質(zhì)產(chǎn)品

6. bloodstream n. 血統(tǒng)

eg: The disease releases toxins into the bloodstream.

這種疾病將毒素釋放進血流中。

短語：

impedance bloodstream 阻抗血流

fuse into your bloodstream 融進你的血液

7. previous adj. 先前的

eg: The author mentioned it in the previous paragraph.

作者在前一段里提到這件事。

短語：

previous to 在……以前;在……之前

previous to sb's arrival 在某人到達之前

previous period 前期

8. racist n. 民族差別主義者

eg: He is a racist who refuses to employ blacks.

他是個種族主義者,拒絕雇傭黑人。

短語：

racist views 種族主義觀點

9. exemplary adj. 可仿效的，可做模范的

eg: And this exemplary treatment of herself by herself constitutes her presence.

這種作為模范的自我待遇，正構(gòu)成了她的風度。

短語：

exemplary damages 懲罰性的損害賠償

exemplary deeds 模范事跡

10. contribute v. 貢獻

eg: I believe that each of us can contribute to the future of the world.

我相信我們每一個人都能為世界的未來做出貢獻。

短語：

contribute for 為……捐助

contribute to (towards) (把……)捐給……,投(稿)給……

contribute little 無助于

11. magnificent adj. 壯觀的，宏偉的

eg: The Taj Mahal is a magnificent building.

泰姬陵是一座宏偉的建筑。

詞義辨析：

splendid, gorgeous, glorious, superb, magnificent 華麗的，宏傳的，輝煌的

1) splendid: 側(cè)重指給觀察者留下壯麗輝煌或燦爛奪目的印象。

2) gorgeous: 指色彩的富麗和豪華，有時含炫耀和賣弄意味。

3) glorious: 指光芒四射的絢麗，也指值得稱傾、贊美或揚名的壯麗輝煌。

4) superb: 指壯麗輝煌、宏偉等的極點。

5) magnificent: 側(cè)重指建筑物、寶石等的華麗堂皇。

12. attainment n. 成就，學識

eg: That will help lead you to the attainment of your goals.

那會有助于你達到目標。

短語：

academic attainment 學力

attainment age 成績年齡

13. marginally adv. 邊緣化地

eg: But they can only marginally reduce, not eliminate the hazards .

但這也只是在一定程度上減少了，而不是消除了危險性。

詞根：

margin 邊緣，頁邊的空白

eg: We came to the margin of the wood.

我們來到樹林的邊緣。

短語：

narrow margin 沒有多少余地

wide margin 廣泛的回旋余地

in the margin 在空白處

on the margin 在空白處,在邊緣

by a margin 以……(幅度)之差

by a narrow margin 勉強地

14. footstep n. 腳步

eg: Her footsteps were clearly marked in the snow.

她的足跡清晰地印在雪地上。

短語：

dog someone's footsteps (heels) 尾隨某人，盯梢

follow (tread) in someone's footsteps 步某人的后塵;繼承某人的事業(yè)

hear sb's footsteps 聽到某人的腳步聲

15. poverty n. 貧窮

eg: They lived in poverty.

他們生活在貧困之中。

短語：

poverty line 貧困線

in poverty 貧困;處于貧困當中

abject poverty 一貧如洗，赤貧

(as) witness someone's poverty 某人的貧困足以證明

live in genteel poverty 窮而擺闊，過著無力支撐的闊氣生活

諺語：

Poverty is no sin. 貧非罪。

Poverty is not a shame, but being ashamed of it is. 貧非恥，恥貧乃恥。

Poverty makes (或acquaints men with) strange bedfellows. 同病相憐;難中不擇友。

16. underachievement n. 低成就

eg: Yet she focused almost obsessively on her "underachievement.

可她卻幾乎癡迷地關(guān)注于自己的”不足“。

短語:

aggressive underachievement 消極反叛性低成就

academic underachievement 學科低成就

17. segregate v. 分離

eg: We have to segregate for a few day.

我們得分離一段日子。

短語：

segregate from 分開，分離

segregate fund 保本基金

18. substandard adj. 次等的

eg: Too many families are still living in substandard housing.

仍有太多家庭居住條件達不到標準。

短語：

substandard goods 副品

substandard parts 次等零件

19. dropout n. 輟學

eg: Don't put him down simply because he's a high-school dropout.

不要只是因為他中學退學就說他不行。

短語：

school dropout 輟學

dropout detector 失落檢測器

dropout error遺失誤差

20. presumption n. 設(shè)想

eg: I don't think that's a false presumption.

我認為那并不是錯誤的推測。

短語：

presumption of innocence 無罪推定

legal presumption 法律推定

presumption of fact 事實之推測

21. immigrantion n. 移民

eg: When you enter the immigration and customs, they will ask to see your airline ticket and passport.

辦海關(guān)入境手續(xù)的時候，他們要看你的機票和護照。

短語：

immigrantion procedure 移民手續(xù)

22. campaign n. 活動

eg: The campaign was a blockbuster.

這次競選運動聲勢浩大。

短語：

campaign for 為……助選

campaign against 開展反對……的活動

election campaign 競選活動

23. assimilation n. 吸收，同化

eg: The assimilation of people in USA is common.

在美國，人的同化很普遍。

短語：

cultural assimilation 文化訓(xùn)練

nitrogen assimilation 氮同化;氮素同化

24. marginalize v. 排斥;忽視

eg: We've always been marginalized, exploited, and constantly threatened.

我們總是遭到排擠、剝削和不斷的恐嚇。

同近義詞：

ignore/ reject vt.排斥;忽視;使處于社會邊緣

25. undocumented adj. 無正式文件的

eg: The place is rife with smugglers, dealers, undocumented immigrants, and slaves.

這里到處都是走私者、交易商、無證移民甚至奴隸。

短語：

undocumented alien 非法入境移民;非法入境

undocumented worker 無證工人

undocumented property 非文件式屬性

Undocumented immigration 非法移民

佳句采摘：

But as arguments about immigration hear up the campaign trail, we also ought to ask some broader question about assimilation, about how to ensure that people, once outsiders, don't forever remain marginalized within these shores. That is a much larger question than what should happen with undocumented workers, or how best to secure the border, and it is one that affects not only newcomers but groups that have been here for generations. It will have more impact on our future than where we decide to set the admissions bar for the latest ware of would-be Americans. And it would be nice if we finally got the answer right.

但是隨著移民的爭論在競選活動中討論得越來越熱烈，我們也應(yīng)該問些關(guān)于融入社會更寬泛的問題，如何確保曾經(jīng)的門外漢不會永遠在美國被邊緣化。