B15_I America Falling Apart.docVIP

Lesson Fifteen Is America Falling Apart?美国在分崩离析吗？15-1 I am back in Bracciano, a castellated(城堡式) town about 13 miles north of Rome, after a year in New Jersey.我在新泽西州呆了一年之后，回到了布拉奇阿诺，这是一座位于罗马以北约13英里的城堡式的小城。I find the Italian Government still unstable, gasoline more expensive than anywhere in the world, butchers and bank clerks and tobacconists(煙店老板) ready to go on strike at the drop of a hat(隨時的),我发现意大利政府仍不稳定，汽油比世界任何地方都贵，賣肉的、银行职员和烟店老板随时都准备罢工，neo-fascists at their dirty work, the hammer(錘子) and sickle（鐮刀） painted on the rumps of public statues, a thousand-lira note (officially worth about $1.63) shrunk to the slightness of a dollar bill.新法西斯分子在干着卑鄙肮脏的勾当，公共场所雕像臀部画着锤子和镰刀，1000里拉（按官价折合1.63美元左右）的钞票贬值到只值一美元。15-2 Nevertheless(然而), its delightful to be back. People are underpaid but they go through an act of liking their work, the open markets are luscious with esculent color , the community is important than the state, the human condition is humorously accepted.然而回到这里仍然令我高兴。人们得到的工资很低，但仍做出喜欢他们的工作的样子，露天市场里是香甜味美的可口食品，社区比国家重要，人们怀着幽默感接受了这种人生状况。The northern wind blows viciously today, and theres no central heating (中央暖氣)to turn on, but it will be pleasant when the wind drops.今天刮着猛烈的干冷的北风，而且也没有中央暖气可供采暖，但风停了就会舒服了。The two television channels are inadequate(不充分的), but next Wednesdays return of an old Western is something to look forward to.两个电视频道太少了，但下个星期三重播一部老西部片，这给了大家一个盼头。Manifold consumption(多樣化的消費) isnt important here.在这儿多样化的消费并不重要。The quality of life has nothing to do with the quantity of brand names.生活的质量与品牌名称的数量无关What matters is talk, family, cheap wine in the open air, the wresting of minimal sweetness out of the long-known bitterness of living .重要的是聊天，家庭，露天喝廉价酒，从久已熟知的痛苦生活中榨取最低限度的甜蜜。I was spoiled in(寵壞的) New Jersey.我在新泽西州被惯坏了。15-3 In New Jersey, I never had to shiver by a fire that wouldnt draw, or go without canned food .在新泽西州，我从来不坐在通风不良的炉前发抖。或吃不上罐头。America made me develop new appetites in order to make proper use of the