美国价值观(中英文对照)

Basic American Values and Beliefs

基本的美国价值观和信仰

Individual Freedom and Self-Reliance

个人自由和自力更生

The earliest settlers came to the North American continent to establish colonies which were free from the controls that existed in European societies. They wanted to escape the controls placed on their lives by kings and governments,priests and churches,noblemen and aristocrats. To a great extent,they succeeded. In 1776 the British colonial settlers declared their independence from England and established a new nation,the United States of America. In so doing,they overthrew the king of England and declared that the power to govern would lie in the hands of the people. They were now free from the power of the king. In 1789,when they wrote the Constitution for their new nation,they separated church and state so that there would never be a government-supported church. Also,in writing the Constitution they expressly forbade titles of nobility to ensure that an aristocratic society would not develop. There would be no ruling class of noblemen in the new nation.

最早的定居者来到北美大陆建立殖民地是自由的控制存在于欧洲社会。他们想逃避国王和政府的控制他们的生活,牧师和教会、贵族和贵族中流行。在很大程度上,他们成功了。1776年,英国殖民定居者宣布脱离英国独立,建立了一个新国家,美利坚合众国。这样做,他们推翻了英格兰国王,宣布权力治理将躺在人民的手中。他们现在没有国王的力量。在1789年,当

时他们写宪法为他们的新国家,他们教会和国家分离,不会有一个由政府支持的教会。同时,在写宪法明确禁止贵族头衔的,以确保一个贵族社会不会发展。就没有贵族统治阶级的新国家。

The historic decisions made by those first settlers have had a profound effect on the shaping of the American character. By limiting the power of the government and eliminating a formal aristocracy,they created a climate of freedom where the emphasis was on the individual. The United States came to be associated in their minds with the concept of individual freedom. This is probably the most basic of all the American values. 历史决定的第一批移民有一个对美国人的性格的形成产生深远的影响。通过限制政府权力和消除一个正式的贵族,他们创造了一个气候重点是个体的自由。美国有关在他们心目中与个人自由的概念。这可能是最基本的美国价值观。

Scholars and outside observes often call this value”individualism,”but many Americans use the word”freedom. ”Perhaps the word”freedom” is one of the most respected popular words in the United States today.

学者和外部观察通常称之为价值“个人主义”,但许多美国人使用“自由这个词。“也许“自由”这个词是当今美国最受尊敬的流行词。

There is,however,a price to be paid for this individual freedom:self-reliance. Americans believe that individuals must learn to rely on themselves or risk losing freedom. This means achieving both financial and emotional independence from their parents as early as possible,usually by age 18 or 21. It means that Americans believe they should take care of themselves,solve their own problems,and”stand on their own two feet. ”Tocqueville observed the Americans’belief in self-reliance 150years ago in the

1830s:

然而,要付出代价这种个人自由:自力更生。美国人认为,个人必须学会依靠自己,否则可能失去自由。这意味着实现金融和情感尽早独立于他们的父母,通常通过18岁或21。这意味着美国人认为他们应该照顾自己,解决他们自己的问题,站在自己的两只脚。“托克维尔观察美国人的信仰在150年前自力更生在1830年代:

They owe nothing to any man,they expect nothing from any man;they acquire the habit of always

他们欠什么人,他们期望从任何的人,他们总是获得的习惯

considering themselves as standing alone,and they

考虑自己是孤独,他们

are apt to imagine that their whole destiny is in their own hands.

容易想象,他们的整个命运在自己的手中。

Self-reliance is one of the most difficult aspects of the American character to understand,but it is profoundly important. It stands in direct contrast to dependence,which has a negative connotation to most Americans. By being dependence,not only do you risk losing freedom,but you also risk losing the respect of your peers.

自力更生是最困难的一个方面了解美国人的性格,但它是极其重要的。它直接依赖相比,大多数美国人的负面内涵。被依赖,不仅你会失去自由,但你也可能失去你的同行的尊敬。

Equality of Opportunity and Competition

机会平等和竞争

A second important reason why immigrants have traditionally been drawn to the United States is the beliefs that everyone has a chance to succeed in the U.S. Generations of immigrants from the earliest settlers to the present day have come with the expectation. They have felt that because individual are free from excessive political,and social controls,they have a better chance for success. Particularly important is the lack of a hereditary aristocracy.

第二个重要原因移民一直是吸引美国的信仰在美国每个人都有成功的机会一代又一代的移民从最早的定居者至今与期望。他们觉得由于过度的政治、个人自由和社会控制,他们有一个更好的成功机会。特别重要的是缺乏一个世袭贵族。

Because titles of nobility were forbidden in the Constitution,no formal class system developed in the United States. In the early years of American history many immigrants chose to leave the older European societies,believing that they had a better chance to succeed in America than in”the old country,”where their place in life was determined largely by the social class into which they were born.

因为贵族头衔的宪法,禁止没有正式的等级制度在美国发展。早期的美国历史上许多移民选择离开老欧洲社会,相信他们有一个更好的机会去成功的在美国比在“故国”,他们在生活中的地位,主要取决于社会阶层,他们出生。

There is,however,a price to be paid for this equality of opportunity:competition. If much of life is seen as a race,then a person must run the race in order to succeed;a person must compete with others. The pressures of competition in the life of an American begin in

childhood and continue until retirement from work. Learn to compete successfully is part of grow up in the United States.

然而,要付出代价这机会平等:竞争。如果生活被视为一个比赛,然后一个人必须参加比赛为了成功,一个人必须与他人竞争。竞争的压力在童年和一个美国人的生活开始继续工作直到退休。学会竞争成功是在美国长大的一部分。

Material Wealth and Hard Work

物质财富和辛勤工作

A third reason why immigrants have traditionally come to the United States is to have a better life-that is,to raise their standard of living. For the vast majority of the immigrants who came here,it was probably the most compelling reason for leaving their homeland. Because of its incredibly abundant natural resources,the United States appeard to be a”land of plenty”where millions could come to seek their fortunes. Of course,most immigrants did not “get rich overnight”,and many of them suffered terribly,but the majority of them were eventually able to improve upon their former standard of living. Even if they were not able to achive the economic success they wanted,they could be fairly certain that their children would have the opportunity for a better life. The phrase “going from rags to riches”became a slogan for the great American drean. Because of the vast riches of the North American continent,the dream came true for many of the immigrants. They achieved material success;they became very attached to material things. Material wealth became a value to the American people.

第三个原因传统的移民来到美国有更好的一生,来提高他们的生活标准。绝大多数的移民来到这里,这可能是最令人信服的理由离开他们的家园。因为它的令人难以置信的丰富的自然资源,美国看上去好像是一个“鱼米之乡”,数百万可能会寻求他们的财富。当然,大多数移民没有“一夜暴富”,和他们中的很多人吃尽了苦头,但他们中的大多数最终能够改进他们的前的生活水平。即使他们不能达到他们想要的经济上的成功,他们可以相当肯定他们的孩子将有机会更好的生活。“从白手起家”一词成为伟大的美国梦想的口号。由于北美大陆的巨大财富,许多移民的梦想成真。他们取得了物质的成功,他们变得非常依附于物质的东西。物质财富成为了美国人的价值。

In understanding the relationship between what American believe and how they live,it is important to distinguish between idealism and reality. Ameican values such as equality of opportunity and self-reliance are ideals that may not necessarily describe the facts of American life. equality of opportunity,for example,is an ideal that is not always put into practice. In reality,some people have a better chance for success than others. Those who opportunities are born into rich families have more opportunities than those who are born into poor families. Inheriting money does give a person a decided advantage. Many black American have fewer opportunities than the average white Ameican,in spite of laws designed to promote equality of opportunity for all races.

在理解美国认为之间的关系以及它们如何生活、理想主义和现实之间的区别非常重要。近千值等机会平等和自力更生是理想不一定描述美国生活的事实。平等的机会,例如,是一个理想,并不总是付诸实践。在现实中,有些人比其他人有更好的机会成功。那些机会是出生于富裕家庭有更多的机会比那些出生在贫穷的家庭。继承钱给人一个决定的优势。许多美国黑人有更少的机会比普通白近千,尽管法律对所有比赛旨在促进机会平等。

The fact that American ideal are only partly carried out in real life does not diminish their importance. Most American still believe in them and are strongly affected by them in their everyday lives. It is easier to understand what Americans are thinking and feeling if we can understand what these basic American values are and how they influence almost every facet of life in the United States.

美国理想的事实只是部分进行了在现实生活中并没有降低其重要性。大多数美国人仍然相信他们,强烈影响他们在他们的日常生活。更容易理解美国人的思维和感觉如果我们能了解这些基本的美国价值观和他们如何影响在美国生活的方方面面。

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