外刊賞讀|《基督教科學箴言報》單身國度——為什麼美國人不結婚
本文選自6月14日《基督教箴言報》一篇題為 Singles Nation: Why So Many Americans are Unmarried《單身國度——為什麼美國人不結婚》的文章。文章圍繞越來越多美國人不結婚的社會現象展開討論，內容涉及婚姻，社會，種族等方面問題。選段出自文章結尾，作者深入叩問婚姻制度：人們為什麼要結婚？為什麼大多數美國人仍舊渴望婚姻？(第一段)引用學者觀點說明選擇婚姻的各種原因(第二至八段)，末段總結婚姻雖勢不如前，還是很多人的優先選擇。本文話題屬於社會生活倫理類，介紹的雖是美國的情況，與當今中國廣泛討論的「剩女」現象十分相關，緊跟社會熱點，適合做閱讀材料。
原文I ①All of which raises the question: Why do people still get married at all? ②If being single is more common and widely accepted, and if it can be just as fulfilling as being married, why do the majority of Americans still yearn for matrimony?
II ①The answers,scholars say, range from the practical to the religious to the cultural.②As advocates such as Wright and DePaulo are quick to point out, married people enjoya slew of legal and logistical advantages, from Social Security benefits to inheritance rules.
III Indeed, a number of singles advocates have been trying to mitigate what they see as unfair practices toward unmarried adults– everything from housing discrimination (in many municipalities landlords can decide not to rent to singles) to attitudes by some employers that singles are more able to work late and take undesirable shifts than their married-with-children colleagues.
IV ①「The number of single people is growing and growing,」 says DePaulo. ②「It has been for decades. ③This should mean that single people have more ... power in our society ... ④[That』s] not happening at all. ⑤The marriage mafia is getting even stronger.」
V ①The growing acceptance of gay marriage, singles advocates say, has meant a joining of the political left and right in support of marriage and legal marriage protections.②Part of this, DePaulo believes, is because of increasing insecurity about marriage. ③And part of it, she says, is comfort in the easy 「marriage story.」
VI ①「It sounds so simple,」 she says. ②「You just find the one person, you get married, and your whole life path is figured out.」
VII ①But other scholars see deeper reasons for society』s continued reverence for matrimony. ②Marriage, numerous studies have found, increases health, longevity, quality of life, and wealth. ③Those people who describe themselves as being in 「good」 marriages are regularly found to be happier than the rest of the population. ④In the US, married couples, as a group, still provide the most durable family structure for children.
VIII ①Many people also believe in marriage as a religious necessity and gift. ②Even for the secular, marriage as an institution has long been seen as a hallmark of social stability – something woven into the very fabric of American society.
IX 「Marriage still remains a highly valued state,」 Cherlin says. 「It just doesn』t play as large a role in people』s lives as it used to.」
Singles Nation: Why So Many Americans are Unmarried by Stephanie Hanes
辭彙短語1. *matrimony n.結婚,婚姻生活
2. range from…to… 從…變化到…
3. *a slew of 許多,大量(後接可數名詞)
4. *logistical a.後勤的
5. *mitigate v.減輕,緩解
6. municipality n.(美國能自行選舉政府的)自治市
7. shift v.替換,轉移n.轉換,轉變;(輪)班,(換)班
8. *mafia n.黑手黨,勢力集團
9. reverence n.尊敬
10. longevity n.長壽
11. durable a.持久的,耐久的
12. *secular a.世俗的,非宗教的；the+adj.=一類人，例如the poor, the rich, the secular
13. *hallmark n.標誌
14. weave v.編(織) n.編織法，編織式樣
15. fabric n.織物;織品;結構;構造;建築物
注:標*為超綱詞
點評I ①All of which raises the question: Why do people still get married at all? ②If being single is more common and widely accepted, and if it can be just as fulfilling as being married, why do the majority of Americans still yearn for matrimony?
翻譯：以上所有討論都指向了一個問題：為什麼人們還是要結婚呢？如果單身現象既普遍存在，又廣為人所接受，甚至和結婚一樣使人滿足，那為什麼大多數美國人還是渴望婚姻呢？
點評：段I提出問題：為什麼人們還是要結婚？①句承上啟下提出問題，which指代（原文）上文提到單身人數增加的現象，單身人士生存現狀，選擇單身的原因，人們對單身的看法，以及黑人單身情況等內容。②句進一步細述上句中的問題：既然單身現象既普遍又使人滿足，為什麼大多數美國人仍然渴望婚姻？將問題前提（單身的普遍性和作用）點出來，表達更強烈的困惑，並在美國人前加上限定詞the majority of，引發讀者更大興趣，想要了解問題的答案。
II ①The answers, scholars say, range from the practical to the religious to the cultural.②As advocates such as Wright and DePaulo are quick to point out, married people enjoy a slew of legal and logistical advantages, from Social Security benefits to inheritance rules.
翻譯：學者認為，問題的答案從實際考量，宗教教義，到文化現象不一而足。Wright和DePaulo等單身維權人士迅速指出，已婚人士可享受眾多法律和制度優勢，包括社會保障福利、繼承法等方面。
點評：段II至VIII引用各方觀點，回答段I中的問題。段II為過渡段，引用學者觀點，總結以上問題的答案可能涉及實際考慮、宗教以及文化因素，並指出實際考慮的一個方面。①句為本段群的主題句，概括了以上問題答案涉及的三個方面。②句引用單身維權人士的觀點指出已婚人士享有法律和制度上的優勢，包括社會保障福利、繼承法等等，這些必然增加了婚姻的吸引力。
III Indeed, a number of singles advocates have been trying to mitigate what they see as unfair practices toward unmarried adults– everything from housing discrimination (in many municipalities landlords can decide not to rent to singles) to attitudes by some employers that singles are more able to work late and take undesirable shifts than their married-with-children colleagues.
翻譯：實際上，一些單身維權人士一直致力於改善針對未婚人士的不公平對待——住房歧視（很多自治市房東有權拒絕租房給單身人士），領導區別對待的態度（認為單身人士與已婚生子的同事相比，可以優先加班輪班）等等不一而足。
點評：段III承接上文提到的實際考量，單句成段，從單身人士角度來看，舉住房歧視，加班輪班歧視的具體事例，反面證明婚姻帶來的實際好處。
IV ①「The number of single people is growing and growing,」 says DePaulo. ②「It has been for decades. ③This should mean that single people have more ... power in our society ... ④[That』s] not happening at all. ⑤The marriage mafia is getting even stronger.」
翻譯：DePaulo表示：「單身人士數量越來越多。這種現象已經持續數十年了。這樣一來，單身人士理應在我們社會中擁有更大的權力……結果卻完全相反：婚姻勢力越來越強。
翻譯：DePaulo表示：「單身人士數量越來越多。這種現象已經持續數十年了。這樣一來，單身人士理應在我們社會中擁有更大的權力……結果卻完全相反：婚姻勢力越來越強。
V ①The growing acceptance of gay marriage, singles advocates say, has meant a joining of the political left and right in support of marriage and legal marriage protections.②Part of this, DePaulo believes, is because of increasing insecurity about marriage. ③And part of it, she says, is comfort in the easy 「marriage story.」
翻譯：單身維權人士指出，同性戀婚姻受到更多認可，意味著左右兩派攜手合作共同支持婚姻制度和合法婚姻保護。DePaulo認為，一部分原因在於婚姻越來越難以把握，另一部分原因則在於簡單「婚姻故事」帶來的安全舒適感。
點評：段V分析了婚姻制度得到政治、法律的支持，並分析其原因。①句指出同性戀婚姻越來越為人接受，說明政治上左右兩派合力支持婚姻，保護合法婚姻。②③句借用DePaulo的觀點解釋①句現象的原因：人們對婚姻越來越沒有把握，更需要穩固；「婚姻故事」提供一種簡單穩定的安全感。點評：段V分析了婚姻制度得到政治、法律的支持，並分析其原因。①句指出同性戀婚姻越來越為人接受，說明政治上左右兩派合力支持婚姻，保護合法婚姻。②③句借用DePaulo的觀點解釋①句現象的原因：人們對婚姻越來越沒有把握，更需要穩固；「婚姻故事」提供一種簡單穩定的安全感。
VI ①「It sounds so simple,」 she says. ②「You just find the one person, you get married, and your whole life path is figured out.」
翻譯：單身維權人士指出，同性戀婚姻受到更多認可，意味著左右兩派攜手合作共同支持婚姻制度和合法婚姻保護。DePaulo認為，一部分原因在於婚姻越來越難以把握，另一部分原因則在於簡單「婚姻故事」帶來的安全舒適感。
點評：段VI解釋前文提到的簡單「婚姻故事」：找到一個人，結婚，然後定下一生的路。
VII ①But other scholars see deeper reasons for society』s continued reverence for matrimony. ②Marriage, numerous studies have found, increases health, longevity, quality of life, and wealth. ③Those people who describe themselves as being in 「good」 marriages are regularly found to be happier than the rest of the population. ④In the US, married couples, as a group, still provide the most durable family structure for children.
翻譯：但是其他學者認為社會持續推崇婚姻背後有更深層的原因。大量研究表明，婚姻可以促進健康，延長壽命，提高生活質量，增加財富。一般來說，自認身處「好」婚姻的人士比其他人更開心。在美國，已婚夫妻作為一個整體仍舊為兒童提供著最為持久的家庭結構。
點評：段VII轉而引用其他學者觀點，介紹人們選擇婚姻的文化原因。①句為段落主旨句，指出這種現象背後還有更深層的文化原因。以下三句分別從不同方面證明婚姻的優勢。②句指出婚姻有利於人們的健康，長壽，生活質量和財富。③句指出婚姻有利於提升人們的幸福感。④句則從兒童成長所需的穩定家庭結構來證明婚姻的優點。
VIII ①Many people also believe in marriage as a religious necessity and gift. ②Even for the secular, marriage as an institution has long been seen as a hallmark of social stability – something woven into the very fabric of American society.
翻譯：很多人還認為從宗教角度來看，婚姻既是義務，也是禮物。即使對於非宗教人士，長期以來，婚姻作為一種社會制度都被視為社會穩定的標誌——成為美國社會結構的一部分。
點評：段VIII介紹這種現象背後的宗教原因。①句指出宗教人士認為必需結婚，同時婚姻還是一種恩賜。②句指出對非宗教人士來說，婚姻也作為社會穩定的重要標誌，成為美國社會結構的重要組成部分。
IX 「Marriage still remains a highly valued state,」 Cherlin says. 「It just doesn』t play as large a role in people』s lives as it used to.」
翻譯：Cherlin指出：「婚姻仍是人們很看重的一種狀態，只不過在人們生活中的作用不如以前重要了。」
點評：段IX借用他人原話，總結人們仍很看重婚姻，只不過地位稍遜從前。
2017真題同源外刊賞讀第 152 篇
張劍考研英語黃皮書
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