# 第四册 Lesson 34 Adolescence 青春期

## 一、课文原文

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, and often are foolish enough to let the adolescents see that they are annoyed. They may even accuse them of disloyalty, or make some spiteful remark about the friends' parents. Such a loss of dignity and descent into childish behaviour on the part of the adults deeply shocks the adolescents, and makes them resolve that in future they will not talk to their parents about the places or people they visit. Before very long the parents will be complaining that the child is so secretive and never tells them anything, but they seldom realize that they have brought this on themselves.

Disillusionment with the parents, however good and adequate they may be both as parents and as individuals, is to some degree inevitable. Most children have such a high ideal of their parents, unless the parents themselves have been unsatisfactory, that it can hardly hope to stand up to a realistic evaluation. Parents would be greatly surprised and deeply touched if they realized how much belief their children usually have in their character and infallibility, and how much this faith means to a child. If parents were prepared for this adolescent reaction, and realized that it was a sign that the child was growing up and developing valuable powers of observation and independent judgment, they would not be so hurt, and therefore would not drive the child into opposition by resenting and resisting it.

The adolescent, with his passion for sincerity, always respects a parent who admits that he is wrong, or ignorant, or even that he has been unfair or unjust. What the child cannot forgive is the parent's refusal to admit these charges if the child knows them to be true.

Victorian parents believed that they kept their dignity by retreating behind an unreasoning authoritarian attitude; in fact they did nothing of the kind, but children were then too cowed to let them know how they really felt. Today we tend to go to the other extreme, but on the whole this is a healthier attitude both for the child and the parent. It is always wiser and safer to face up to reality, however painful it may be at the moment.

## 二、重点词汇详解

| 单词 | 音标 | 词性 | 释义 | 用法说明 |
|------|------|------|------|----------|
| slur | /slɜː/ | n. | 诋毁，污点 | regard as a slur on 视为对……的诋毁 |
| spiteful | /ˈspaɪtfl/ | adj. | 恶意的，怀恨的 | spiteful remark 恶意的话 |
| dignity | /ˈdɪɡnəti/ | n. | 尊严 | loss of dignity 失去尊严 |
| descent | /dɪˈsent/ | n. | 下降，堕落 | descent into 堕落为 |
| resolve | /rɪˈzɒlv/ | v. | 决心，决定 | resolve that 决心…… |
| secretive | /ˈsiːkrətɪv/ | adj. | 隐瞒的，不坦率的 | so secretive 如此不坦率 |
| disillusionment | /ˌdɪsɪˈluːʒnmənt/ | n. | 幻灭，醒悟 | disillusionment with 对……的幻灭 |
| inevitable | /ɪnˈevɪtəbl/ | adj. | 不可避免的 | to some degree inevitable 某种程度上不可避免 |
| infallibility | /ɪnˌfæləˈbɪləti/ | n. | 一贯正确，无过失 | parents' infallibility 父母的一贯正确 |
| sincerity | /sɪnˈserəti/ | n. | 真诚 | passion for sincerity 对真诚的渴望 |
| refusal | /rɪˈfjuːzl/ | n. | 拒绝 | refusal to admit 拒绝承认 |
| authoritarian | /ɔːˌθɒrɪˈteəriən/ | adj. | 专制的 | authoritarian attitude 专制的态度 |
| cow | /kaʊ/ | v. | 恐吓，吓唬 | too cowed to 被吓得不敢 |

**固定搭配：**
- **on the part of**：在……方面
- **bring sth. on oneself**：自作自受
- **stand up to**：经受住
- **face up to**：勇敢面对

## 三、语法知识点

### 1. however + adj./adv. 让步状语从句

> **however good and adequate** they may be both as parents and as individuals

however = no matter how，引导让步状语从句。

| 结构 | 例句 | 翻译 |
|------|------|------|
| however + adj. | However difficult it may be, we must try. | 无论多困难，我们必须尝试 |
| however + adv. | However fast you run, you can't catch him. | 无论你跑多快 |

### 2. such...that... 结果状语从句

> Most children have **such** a high ideal of their parents...**that** it can hardly hope to stand up to a realistic evaluation

such + n. + that 引导结果状语从句。

### 3. 虚拟条件句

> **If** parents **were prepared** for this adolescent reaction...they **would not be** so hurt

与现在事实相反的虚拟条件句。

### 4. What 引导的主语从句

> **What the child cannot forgive** is the parent's refusal to admit these charges

What = the thing that，引导主语从句。

## 四、重点句型分析

### 句型1：因果链

> Such a loss of dignity and descent into childish behaviour on the part of the adults **deeply shocks** the adolescents, and **makes them resolve that** in future they will not talk to their parents

- 原因：成人失去尊严、行为幼稚
- 结果：青少年震惊→决心不再与父母交流

### 句型2：虚拟假设

> Parents would be greatly surprised and deeply touched **if they realized how much belief their children usually have in their character and infallibility**

- 虚拟条件：父母如果意识到
- 主句结果：会大为惊讶和深受感动
- 暗含：父母实际上没有意识到

### 句型3：对比结构

> Victorian parents believed...by retreating behind an unreasoning authoritarian attitude; **in fact they did nothing of the kind**...Today we tend to go to the other extreme

- 维多利亚时代：专制态度（一个极端）
- 今天：走向另一个极端
- 作者观点：面对现实最明智

## 五、课文翻译

当孩子称赞朋友的家时，父母常常感到不安，认为这是对自己烹饪、清洁或家具的贬低，而且常常愚蠢到让孩子看出他们生气了。他们甚至可能指责孩子不忠，或对朋友的父母说些恶意的话。成人方面这种尊严的丧失和堕落到幼稚行为，使青少年深感震惊，并使他们决心今后不再和父母谈论他们去过的地方或见过的人。不久父母就会抱怨孩子如此不坦率，什么也不告诉他们，但他们很少意识到这是他们自己造成的。

对父母的幻灭——无论他们作为父母和个人多么好多么称职——在某种程度上是不可避免的。大多数孩子对父母有如此高的理想，除非父母本身不令人满意，以至于这种理想几乎经不起现实的检验。如果父母意识到孩子们通常多么相信他们的品格和一贯正确，以及这种信任对孩子意味着多少，他们会大为惊讶和深受感动的。如果父母对这种青春期反应有所准备，并认识到这是孩子正在成长、正在发展宝贵的观察力和独立判断力的标志，他们就不会如此受伤，因此也不会通过怨恨和抵制而把孩子推到对立面。

青少年渴望真诚，总是尊重承认自己错了、无知、甚至不公平或不公正的父母。孩子不能原谅的是，如果孩子知道这些指责是真的，父母却拒绝承认。

维多利亚时代的父母相信，退缩到不讲道理的专制态度后面就能保持尊严；事实上他们并没有做到这一点，但那时的孩子被吓得不敢让他们知道自己真正的感受。今天我们倾向于走向另一个极端，但总的来说，这对孩子和父母都是更健康的态度。面对现实总是更明智更安全的，不管此刻多么痛苦。

## 六、语言点精讲

### 1. 写作手法：心理分析

- 文章从父母与青少年的日常冲突入手，进行深入的心理分析
- 指出冲突的根源：父母未意识到孩子对他们的高度信任

### 2. 论证结构

| 段落 | 主题 | 论证方式 |
|------|------|----------|
| 第一段 | 父母的不当反应 | 举例（称赞朋友家） |
| 第二段 | 幻灭的不可避免性 | 心理分析 |
| 第三段 | 青少年对真诚的渴望 | 结论 |
| 第四段 | 历史对比 | 维多利亚 vs 现代 |

### 3. 文化背景

- Victorian parents：维多利亚时代（1837-1901）的父母以严厉著称
- 青春期心理学在20世纪中叶才被系统研究
- "juvenile delinquency"是20世纪才引起广泛关注的社会问题

### 4. 修辞分析

- "descent into childish behaviour"——成人退化到幼稚行为，讽刺
- "too cowed to"——被动语态暗示权威压制
- "however painful it may be at the moment"——让步，增强说服力

## 七、课后练习要点

1. **词汇练习**：掌握 slur、spiteful、disillusionment、infallibility、cow 等核心词
2. **语法练习**：however 让步从句；such...that... 结果从句；虚拟条件句
3. **翻译练习**：注意让步从句和虚拟语气的翻译
4. **写作练习**：模仿课文的心理分析方法，讨论代沟问题

## 八、本课小结

本课分析青春期亲子关系的矛盾。核心观点：**青少年对父母的幻灭不可避免，但父母如果能理解这是成长的标志，并以真诚面对，就能避免把孩子推到对立面**。文章从日常冲突入手，逐步深入到心理分析，最后以历史对比得出结论。语法重点为 however 让步从句、such...that... 结果从句和虚拟条件句。