研究生读说写第一册NNIT 7life without father.docx

研究生读说写第一册NNIT 7life without father.docx

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研究生读说写第一册NNIT7lifewithoutfather

Unit7LifeWithoutFather

BackgroundInformation

1.Abouttheauthorandthetext

DavidBlankenhornisfounderandpresidentoftheInstituteforAmericanValues,aprivate,nonpartisanorganizationdevotedtocontributingintellectuallytotherenewalofmarriageandfamilylifeandthesourcesofcompetence,character,andcitizenshipintheUnitedStates.ThistextisfromhisbookFatherlessAmerica:

ConfrontingOurMostUrgentSocialProblem,whichwaspublishedin1995.

2.ThechangeinAmericanfamilystructure

NoothercenturypromotedsuchrapidchangeinAmericanfamiliesthanthetwentiethcenturydid.Throughmostofthefirsthalfofthecenturyfamiliesweretwo-parentpluschildrenunits,butbythe1980sand1990sdivorcewascommoninhalfofthehomesandmanyfamiliesweresingle-parentorincludedstep-parents,step-siblingsandhalf-siblings.Themajorchangesinopinionsandevensomelawsonrace,genderandsexualityduringthe1960sand1970sbroughtchangetofamiliesaswell.Somefamilieswereheadedbygayparents,livedincommunesorothernon-traditionalhomes,wereofmixedrace,orhadadoptedchildren.Familylifehadchangeddramaticallyinlessthan50years.Thechangeinthecoremake-upofwhatwasconsideredafamilyusheredinnewcelebrationsandholidays,waysofcooking,eating,andentertainment,andevendailyactivities.

3.Thechangeofgenderroles

AmongthemostfundamentalchangesaffectingAmericansocietyoverthelastgenerationhasbeentheredefinitionoftherolesofmenandwomenandhusbandsandwives.Atraditionalperspectiveinwhichwomenwereoccupiedintheprivatesphereoflifecenteringaroundrunningahomeandraisingafamilywhilemenengagedinthepublicsphereofearningalivingandparticipatingincivicandpoliticaleventshasrapidlybeenreplacedbyamodernperspectiveinwhichthereismuchlessgender-rolespecializationandwomenhaveincreasinglybeenenteringthelaborforceaswellasotherareasofpubliclife.

First,theacceptanceofwomeninpoliticshasgrownsubstantiallyoverthelastquartercentury.In1972,74%saidtheywouldbewillingtovoteforawomanforpresidentandin199894%acceptedfemalecandidates.Similarly,disagreementwiththestatementthat"mostmenarebettersuitedemotionallyforpoliticsthanaremostwomen"climbedfromabout50%intheearly1970sto77-79%inthemid-1990sandwhileintheearly1970s64%opposedtheideathat"womenshouldtakecareofrunningtheirhomesandleaverunningthecountryuptomen,"about85%nowdisagreewiththissentiment.

Second,peoplehavere-evaluatedtheparticipationofwomeninthelaborforce.In197267%approvedofawifeworkingevenifherhusbandcouldsupportherandinthe1990s82-83.5%agreed.Similarly,while43%in1977disagreedthatawifeshouldhelpherhusband'scareerratherthanhaveoneofherown,81%disagreedby1998.Whileonly34%in1977opposedtheideathat"itismuchbetterforeveryoneinvolvedifthemanistheachieveroutsidethehomeandthewomantakescareofthehomeandfamily",62-66%disagreedinthe1990s.Infact,peopleincreasinglythinkthatboththehusbandandwifeshouldearnmoney.

Third,peoplehavebecomemoreconvincedthathavingaworkingmotherdoesnotnegativelyaffectherchildren.In1977,49%feltthataworkingmothercanhavejustas"warmandsecurearelationshipwithherchildren"asamotherwhodoesnotworkandin199868%agreed.Butatthesametimemostpeoplearestillnotconvincedthatmothersofyoungchildrenshouldhavefull-timejobs.In1994,85%feltthatawifeshouldworkbeforehavingchildrenand80%favoredherbeingemployedafterheryoungestchildlefthome.Butonly38%endorsedafull-timejobaftertheyoungesthadstartedschoolandjust12%wereforsuchemploymentwhentherewasachildunderschoolage.However,undereachcondition,approvalofamotherworkingwasincreasing.

4.Fatherlessasasocialproblem

•63%ofyouthsuicidesarefromfatherlesshomes{Source:

U.S.D.H.H.S.,BureauoftheCensus）

•90%ofallhomelessandrunawaychildrenarefromfatherlesshomes

•85%ofallchildrenthatexhibitbehavioraldisorderscomefromfatherlesshomes[Source:

CenterforDiseaseControl）

•80%ofrapistsmotivatedwithdisplacedangercomefromfatherlesshomes（Source:

CriminalJustice&Behavior,Vol14,p.403-26,1978.）

•71%ofallhighschooldropoutscomefromfatherlesshomes（Source:

NationalPrincipalsAssociationReportontheStateofHighSchools.）

•75%ofalladolescentpatientsinchemicalabusecenterscomefromfatherlesshomes（Source:

RainbowsforallGod'sChildren.）

•70%ofjuvenilesinstate-operatedinstitutionscomefromfatherlesshomes（Source:

U.S.Dept.ofJustice,SpecialReport,Sept1988）

.85%ofallyouthssittinginprisonsgrewupinafatherlesshome（Source:

FultonCo.Georgiajailpopulations,TexasDept.ofCorrections1992）

Notes

1.Fatherlessnessisapproachingaroughparitywithfatherhoodasadefiningfeatureofchildhood.（Para.1）:

Nowadays,achildhoodwithoutafatherissoprevalentthatitisalmostascommonasachildhoodwithafather.

2.Neverbeforeinthiscountryhavesomanychildrenbeenvoluntarilyabandonedbytheirfathers.（Para.2）:

Thenumberoffatherswhochoosenottolivetogetherwiththeirchildrenismuchgreaterthanthatusedtobe.

3....itremainsaproblemwithnoname.（Para.3）:

...thisproblemisstillnotwellrecognized.

4.Canoursocietyfindwaystoinvigorateeffectivefatherhoodasanormofmalebehavior?

（Para.4）:

Canoursocietyfindwaystoconvincepeoplethatbeingagoodfatheriswhatamanshoulddo?

5.Ourinheritedunderstandingoffatherhoodisundersiege.（Para.5）:

Thetraditionalunderstandingoffatherhoodisunderagreatdealofpressure.

siege:

apersistentattackorcampaignofpersuasion围困，围攻；劝诱

e.g.Underourpowerfulsiege,theenemieswerepowerlesstosavethedesperatesituation.

Mrs.Smithregainedhealthafterasiegeofillness.

6.Atstakeisnothinglessthan...:

（Para.6）:

Weputeverythingintomoreconsiderationthan...

atstake:

atrisk;dependingontheoutcomeofanevent冒风险，利害攸关

e.g.Myfutureisatstake.Ihavetodosomething.

Whatisatstakeifwelosethegame?

7．Itsmeaningisshapedlessbybiologythanbyaculturalscript,...（Para.8）:

Itsmeaningislessdecidedbybiology,itdependsmoreonsocialconventions.

8．Becausemendon'tvolunteerforfatherhoodasmuchastheyareconscriptedintoitbythesurroundingculture,onlyanauthoritativeculturalcommitmenttofatherhoodcanfusebiologicalandsocialpaternityintoacoherentmaleidentity.（Para.11）:

Ifnotforcedbythesurroundingculture,menwouldnottakemuchresponsibilityforraisingachild.Onlyasenseofresponsibilitybroughtaboutbythesurroundingculturecancombinethebiologicalandsocialdimensionoffatherhoodandmakeamaleawholeman.

9．Oursociety'sconspicuousfailuretosustainnormsoffatherhoodrevealsafailureofcollectivememoryandacollapseofmoralimagination.（Para12）:

Itisobviousthatthesocietyasawholefailtoobservethebehavioralcodesoffatherhood,thatis,thefathersinoursocietyhavenowillingnesstodevoteenergyandresourcestothecareoftheiroffspring.Thissituationmirrorstheinabilityofthesocietytokeepitscommonlysharedgoodtraditionanditalsoindicatesthefallingdownofmorality.

collectivememory:

atermcoinedbyMauriceHalbwachs,separatingthenotionfromtheindividualmemory.Thecollectivememoryisshared,passedonandalsoconstructedbythegroup,ormodernsociety.集体记忆

collective:

formedbycollection,consideredasawhole集体的，共同的

e.g.Asaresultofcollectiveeffort,thedifficultsituationchangedintoafavorableone.

Itisthecollectiveopinionofthegovernmentsthatpeaceisalwaysbetterthanwar.

10.Inshort,itreflectsaculturethatfailsto"enculture"individualmenandwomen,mothersandfathers.（Para.13）:

Encultureheremeanstosocializethemembersofthesocietysothattheycouldfollowtheconventionsofthecivilizedcultureandharmonizetheirownhappinesswiththewell-beingofthewholesociety.Here"enculture"isawordcoinedbytheauthor.

11.Inpersonalterms,themainresultofthisfailureisthespreadofame-firstegotismhostiletoallexceptthemostpuerileunderstandingsofpersonalhappiness.（Para.14）:

Asfarasindividualsareconcerned,themainresultofthisfailureisthatmanypeoplebecameself-centered.Theyunderstandpersonalhappinessinachildishwayandareunfriendlytoeverythingelse.

12．moreprogramsaimedatsubstitutingforfathers（Para.15）:

moreprogramsareofferedtoremedytheconsequencesofnothavingafather.

substitute:

putinplaceofanother替代

e.g.Wesubstituteredballforblue,toseeifthebabywouldnotice.

Theydon'tlikepotatoes,sowesubstitutedrice.

13.YetwhatAbrahamLincolncalledthebetterangelsofournature...（Para.16）:

Thebetterangelsofournaturemeansallthatisgoodanddecentinthehumanheart.InhisfirstinauguraladdressAbrahamLincolntriedtodissuadetheSouthernersfromstartingthewar.Heendedtheaddresswiththefamousclosing:

Wearenotenemies,butfriends.Wemustnotbeenemies.Thoughpassionmayhavestraineditmustnotbreakourbondsofaffection.Themysticchordsofmemory,stretchingfromeverybattlefieldandpatriotgravetoeverylivingheartandhearthstonealloverthisbroadland,willyetswellthechorusoftheUnion,whenagaintouched,assurelytheywillbe,bythebetterangelsofournature.

14.Ifmygoalcouldbedistilledintoonesentence...（Pare.19）:

IfIamallowedtouseonesent