零距离美语会话[社会问题]Lesson2:Aboutsociety

2.  Helping homeless people.
Jim:  Hey, Sandy, what's new?  Interested in a movie tonight?
Sandy:  I wish I could, but I'm busy.  I'm going to work at a soup kitchen7 tonight.
Jim:  Soup kitchen?  Is that a new restaurant or something?
Sandy:  Nah, it's a place where homeless people go to eat.
Jim:  How did you get involved in something like that? 
Sandy:  Well, the minister8 at my church told us about it, and it seemed interesting.  I thought I'd try it once, and if I didn't like it I'd stop.
Jim:  So what do you do there? 
Sandy:  It's simple.  All we do is prepare some food, usually sandwiches and some fruit, and give it out to them at the soup kitchen.
Jim:  Yeah, it sounds easy.  How long does it take?
Sandy:  Only about two hours, for a couple of days a month.  Why don't you give it a try? 
Jim:  I don't know.  I mean, I like helping the community and all that, but I don't know if I have the time……
Sandy:  Come on, it's easy, and it'll make you feel good.  Why don't you come with me tonight?
Jim:  I don't know……
Sandy:  I won't accept no for an answer.  I'll pick you up at seven tonight.
【译文】
——嘿，珊迪，最近忙什么？今晚有兴趣看电影吗？
——我希望我能去，但我很忙。今晚我要去施粥场上班。
——施粥场？是个新开张的餐馆吗？
——不是，是专供无家可归者去吃饭的地方。
——你怎么会牵扯上做那种事？
——唔，教堂的牧师告诉我们的，似乎很有趣。我想我会去尝试一次，如果我不喜欢，我就不做了。
——那么你在那儿做些什么？
——很简单。我们所要做的就是准备些食物，通常是三明治和一些水果，然后在施粥场把这些食物分发给他们。
——噢，听起来容易。需要多长时间？
——只不过大约两小时，一个月几天而已。你为什么不试一次？
——我不知道。我是说，我喜欢帮助社区之类的，但我不知道我是否有时间……
——别犹豫了，很容易，而且会使你感觉很好。为什么今晚你不和我一起来？
——我不知道……
——我不接受回答是“不”。今晚7点我会去接你。

3.   Two students, one white (Anthony) and one black (Charles), are talking together.
Kate:  So it is hard to be a black student on campus?
Charles:  Yes, in many ways it is.  There are many stereotypes I have to deal with in my daily life.
Kate:  Stereotypes?  Like what? 
Charles:  Well, like since I'm black, I must like rap music10, come from the inner city, or play basketball well.
Kate:  I do know you like rap music, but the other two are definitely false. I’ve seen you play basketball.
Charles:  Hey!  But that's not the only problem.  There's also the affirmative action11 stigma12. 
Kate:  You mean that people look down upon you because they think you're in school because of a quota13? That's not true at all; you're really a smart guy.
Charles:  I know that, but some people don't think like that.  And I get problems from teachers as well.
Kate:  Teachers?  I didn't think that they would be racist14 at all. 
Charles:  Racist?  Not exactly.  It's how they look at me and ask for my opinion on a topic, as if I can speak for all black people and give them the black opinion on a subject.  Suddenly I become the representative15 of the black race, as if we all had the same opinion.
Kate:  I see.  It looks like there are still a lot of issues we need to work on in the US.
【译文】
——在校园里当黑人学生很难吗？
——是的，多方面是这样。在我的日常生活中，有许多旧框框我不得不去面对。
——旧框框？什么样的？
——唔，像因为我是黑人，我必定喜欢说唱音乐，必定来自内地城市，必定很会打篮球。
——我知道你喜欢说唱音乐，但其它两个绝对是错误的。我看过你打篮球。
——嘿！但问题还不止那些。防止种族歧视的积极行动还是有污点的。
——你是说人们看不起你，因为他们认为你是因为配额而在学校？那完全不对；你真的是个精明人。
——我知道，但是有些人不那样认为。而且老师那儿我也遇到了麻烦。
——老师？我想他们根本不可能是种族主义者。
——种族主义者？不准确。是他们怎么看我，问我对一个话题的看法，好像我能代表所有的黑人，对一个
话题告诉他们“黑人的观点”。突然，我成为黑种人的代表，好像我们所有的黑人都有同样的看法。
——我明白。看起来在美国还有许多问题需要我们继续努力。

4.  Karen is walking on the street.  She just saw a Chinese man throwing rubbish on the ground.
Karen:  Hey, you, pick up that piece of garbage! 
Man:  Huh?  Me?
Karen:  Yeah, you.  I just saw you throw a piece of garbage on the ground.  Can't you read the No Littering sign?  It's a $500 penalty16 for littering17, so go pick it up and put it in the garbage can18 over there.
Man:  Why should I do that?  It's only a piece of garbage.  Why should you care?
Karen:  Because this is a public place, and I want to spend my time here without having to look at your garbage.
Man:  Listen; I really don't know why you're making this into such a big issue.  It's only a small piece of garbage in a large space.  It's not like there's garbage everywhere.  Besides, someone will come along to clean it up at some time or another.
Karen:  It's not the cleaner's responsibility to pick up after lazy people.  It's part of your responsibility to make sure that the place is neat for other people.  If everyone thought like you, there'd be garbage everywhere!  The cleaners can't be everywhere! 
Man:  Ok, whatever.  See, I'm putting it in the garbage can.
Karen:  Hold on, that's an item.  You should put that in the recycle19 bin next to the trashcan.
Man:  Recycle bin?  Garbage is garbage! 
Karen:  No, it isn't.  There are many times we can take what we've used and reuse it.  It saves from having to use new materials, and it creates less garbage.
Man:   Ok, ok.  I'll do whatever you want as long as you get off my back20.
【译文】
——嘿，你，把那块垃圾捡起来！
——嗯？是指我吗？
——是，就是你。我刚才看见你往地上扔了一块垃圾。难道你没看见“禁止随地乱扔”标记吗？乱扔垃圾，罚款500美元，所以去把垃圾捡起来，并扔进那边的垃圾箱里。
——我为什么要那样做呢？只是一块垃圾。你为什么要管？
——因为这是公共场所，我想在这儿消磨时间，不想看你的垃圾。
——听着，我实在搞不懂你为什么把这看成是一个大问题。只不过是一大块空地上的一小片垃圾而已。又不是到处都是垃圾。而且，不时会有人来清扫垃圾。
——拾捡懒人走后的垃圾又不是清洁工的责任。为他人确保这个地方整洁，你也有部分责任。如果每个人都像你这么想，那么到处都将是垃圾！清洁工不可能无处不在。
——好吧，不管你说什么。看着，我把它扔进垃圾桶了。
——等一下，那是可回收垃圾。你应该放进紧挨废物桶的那个可回收垃圾箱里。
——可回收垃圾箱？垃圾就是垃圾!
——不，不是。很多时候我们可以拿我们用过的重新使用。省用新材料，还少了些垃圾。
——好，好。只要你不再纠缠我，你想让我怎么做，我就怎么做。

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