Unit 3B - The Young and the Old
The Young and the Old
Someone said to a man, "Travel and see the world." He answered, "Why should I? People are the same everywhere. They are born. They are babies. They are children. They are adults. They grow old. They die. While they are alive, they have the same emotions. They feel love and hate, happiness and sadness, security and fear, pride and shame, comfort and discomfort. That is why I do not want to travel. I can learn everything here. I'm going to stay home."
The man was right. He was also wrong. People are the same, but people are also different. They all have the same pattern of life — birth, youth, old age, death. But these stages of life have different values in different cultures. Also, while all people have the same emotions, the causes of these emotions are different. A situation that may bring happiness in one place may not bring happiness in another place.
For example, in many countries old age is a happy time. Young people in these countries show respect to the old people. Young people listen when old people speak because they believe that an old person is a wise person. In that kind of society old people receive honor, privilege and satisfaction. In Korea, old people are honored and respected. When they are too old to live alone, they live with a son, daughter, or other relatives. When they become sixty-one years old, it is a very happy and important event. There is a big party with many guests. They receive many gifts. This birthday even has a special name. All other birthdays are called “sing il”. The sixty-first birthday is called “huan gup” (beginning of new life). The sixty-first birthday has a special name because when people reach this time in life, the attitudes of their family and their community change toward them. The younger people call them "grandfather" or "grandmother", even if they are not related to them. Their position in life is good because they receive honors and respect. Everyone looks forward to this time.
In the United States, it is quite different for old people. Most old people do not live with their children or relatives. If they have enough money, they buy houses or apartments in places where other old people live. If they are not healthy and strong enough to live alone, they live in special homes for old people. There, strangers take care of them. For many North Americans, old age is not a happy time. Most North Americans want to stay young. They try to stay thin and they act like young people as long as possible. They even try to speak the language of the young. They do not like to grow old because they will not get honor or respect or attention. Also, businesses do not want old people to work for them. So, old people usually live alone and they do not have many things to do. Old age can be a sad and lonely time for them.
So we can see that the man who stayed home was wrong. People are different in their customs and their values. There are young people and there are old people in Korea and in North America, but it may be better to be young in North America and old in Korea.
参考译文——青年与老人
青年与老人
有人曾对一个男子说：“出去走走，开开眼界。”他回答说： “何必呢？人嘛，到处都一样。人总是呱呱落地，从婴儿长成儿童，再长大成人，然后逐渐变老，最后死去。人们活着的时候，有着同样的情感：有爱憎、哀乐之情，有安全、恐惧之感，有尊荣、羞辱之心，也能体察舒适与不适之变。这就是我不愿外出旅游的缘由。我待在家里可以知道天底下的各种事情。我就想一直待在家里。”
这人说的，既对又不对。人与人既相同又相异。他们都有着相同的生命模式——出生，青春，年迈，死亡，但人生的这些阶段，在不同的文化群体里却有着不同的价值。再者，虽然所有的人都有着相同的情感，但这些情感的起因却不尽相同。此地能带来快乐的景况，换了他处未必也能给人带来快乐。
举例来说，在许多国家老年时期是个颐养天年的快乐时期。这些国家的年轻人敬重老年人。老年人说话时年轻人洗耳恭听，因为他们相信老年人自有其智慧。在这种社会里，老年人受到尊重，享有优待，心满意足。在朝鲜，老年人就受到敬重与爱戴。当他们年迈无法独自生活时，便与儿女或别的亲人共同生活。年满61岁是件大喜事。照例要举行贺客满堂的盛大聚会。老人会收到各种礼物。 61岁生日甚至还有个特别的名字。所有别的生日都叫做sing il（出生之日），而61岁的生日则叫做huan gup（新生命的开始）。61岁生日之所以有个特别的名称，是因为当人们进入人生的这一阶段时，家庭和社会对他们的态度便有所变化。即使没有亲戚关系，年轻人也都要尊称他们为“爷爷”、“奶奶”。他们的生活处境相当不错，他们受到敬重与爱戴。人人都盼望这一时期的到来。
在美国，老年人的境遇则大不相同。大多数老年人都不与子女或亲戚同住。要是手头宽裕，他们就在老年人聚居的地方买幢住房或一套公寓房。如果他们的身体不够健壮，不能单独生活，那他们便住进特设的养老院。在那儿，陌生人照料他们。对许多北美人来说，并无幸福的晚年可言。大多数北美人都想要保持年轻。他们努力保持体形，尽可能地像年轻人那样行事，他们甚至试着使用年轻人的词汇。他们不愿进入老年，因为他们得不到荣誉、尊敬和关心。再说，各行各业都不愿雇用老年人。因此，老年人通常总是孤居独处，他们没有多少事可做。对他们来说，晚年凄凉而又孤独。
由此可见，那个闭门不出的人错了。人们的风俗习惯、价值观念因地而异。朝鲜和北美都有年轻人和老年人，但年轻时也许待在北美为好，老年时则待在朝鲜为好。
Key Words:
security [si'kju:riti]
n. 安全，防护措施，保证，抵押，债券，证券
comfort ['kʌmfət]
n. 舒适，安逸，安慰，慰藉
vt. 安慰，使
pride [praid]
n. 自豪，骄傲，引以自豪的东西，自尊心
respected [ri'spektid]
adj. 受尊敬的 v. 尊敬；重视（respect的过去式）
pattern ['pætən]
n. 图案，式样，典范，模式，型
community [kə'mju:niti]
n. 社区，社会，团体，共同体，公众，[生]群落
related [ri'leitid]
adj. 相关的，有亲属关系的
discomfort [dis'kʌmfət]
n. 不便之处，不适 vt. 使不适
satisfaction [.sætis'fækʃən]
n. 赔偿，满意，妥善处理，乐事，确信
privilege ['privilidʒ]
n. 特权，特别恩典，基本人权，荣幸
参考资料：
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