1.If J had to select a word that best describes the majority of American I parents,that word would be guilt-ridden. How sad it is to see parents become the | willing victims of the "givc-me game*1,only lo discover that,no matter what they j do,it isn't enough. In the end,they are despised for their lack of firmness and blamed when their spoiled children get in trouble. With this in mind,I shall first answer this question:" What do parents owe their children?" and I shall start with what they don't owe them.
1、如果我必須挑選取一個詞，來描述美國的大多數(shù)父母，這個詞便是“內(nèi)疚”。目睹父母們甘愿做“給我游戲”的犧牲者是很令人傷心的。但我們發(fā)現(xiàn)無論他們怎么做，都還是不夠。到后，父母們都會因自己的軟弱而受到蔑視，因他們寵壞的孩子惹出事端而受到責(zé)備。認(rèn)識到這些，我們應(yīng)該首先回答這個問題：“父母欠子女些什么?”而我首先要從他們不欠子女什么談起。
2.Parents don't owe their children every minute of their day and every ounce of their energy. They don*t owe them round-the-clock car service,singing lessons,tennis lessons,expensive bicycles,a motorcycle or a car when they reach sixteen,or a trip to Hurope when they graduate.
2、父母不必把分分鈔鈔、點(diǎn)點(diǎn)滴滴的精力都花在孩子們身上。不必時時準(zhǔn)備替他們開車外出，不必讓他們上音樂課和網(wǎng)球課，不必給他們買很貴的自行車、摩托車、或在他們滿十六歲時給他們買汽車，也不在他們畢業(yè)時出錢讓他們?nèi)W洲旅游。父母并不欠子女這些。
3.I take the firm position that parents do not owe their children a college education. If they can afford it,line; they can certainly send them to the best universities. But they must not feel guiltily if they can't. If the children really want lo go,they'll find a way. There are plenty of loans and scholarships for the bright and eager who can't afford to pay.
3、我還確信父母并不欠孩子高等教育的費(fèi)用。如果付的起，很好，他們當(dāng)然可以將子女送進(jìn)一流大學(xué)。但付不起亦無須感到愧疚。假如子女們真愿意上大學(xué)，他們自己會找到辦法。因?yàn)橛性S多為聰明好學(xué)而又無力支付學(xué)費(fèi)的年輕人設(shè)立的貸款項(xiàng)目和獎學(xué)金。
4.After children marry,their parents do not owe them a down payment on a house or money for the furniture. They do not have an obligation to baby-sit or to take their grandchildren in their house when the parents were on vacation. If they want ro do it,it must be considered a favor,not an obligation.
4、孩子結(jié)婚后，父母無須為他們分期付款買房子而出底金，無須為他們購買家具，也不一定要照顧孫輩。倘若父母樂意這么做，子女應(yīng)把這看作恩惠而不是義務(wù)。
5.In my opinion,'parents do not owe their children an inheritance,no matter how much money they have. One of the surest ways to produce a loafer is to let children know that their future is assured.
5、在我看來，無論父母多么有錢，都不一定要給子女一筆遺產(chǎn)。讓子女知道自己前途已有保障無疑能使他們變?yōu)閼邢x。
6.Do parents owe their children anything ? Yes,they owe them a great deal.
6、那么，父母難道就不欠子女什么了嗎?不，欠得很多很多。
7.One of their chief obligations is to give their children a sense of personal worth of self-esteem is the basis of a good mental health. A youngster,who is constantly made to feci stupid and unworthy,constantly compared to brighter brothers,sisters or cousins,will become so unsure,so afraid of failing,that he (or she) won't try at ail. Of course,they should be corrected when they do wrong ; this is the way children learn. But the criticisms should be balanced with praises,preferably with a smile and a kiss. No child is ever too old to be hugged. Parents owe their children iirm guidance and consistent discipline. It is frightening for ayoungster to feel thai he is in charge of himself; it's like being in a car without brakes. The parents who say "Mo" when other parents say "Yes" sends a double message. He is also saying: "I love you,and I am ready to risk your anger,because I don't want you to get into trouble."
7、父母主要的責(zé)任之一就是使孩子們尊重自己的價值。因?yàn)橹挥凶宰鹱灾夭攀墙】档木駹顟B(tài)的基礎(chǔ)。如果總讓孩子感到自己愚蠢無為，老是把他與聰明的兄弟姐妹比較，他就會變得缺乏信心，懼怕失敗，結(jié)果連嘗試一下的勇氣都沒有了。當(dāng)然，孩子有錯誤應(yīng)當(dāng)及時糾正，這樣孩子才能有所長進(jìn)。不過有批評也須有表揚(yáng)，微笑和親吻是比較好的方式。孩子再大也可以擁抱。父母有義務(wù)對孩子進(jìn)行不間斷的引導(dǎo)和管束。讓十幾歲的孩子覺得自己可以隨心所欲是危險的，管束孩子的父母實(shí)際上讓孩子接收到了一種雙重信息。在說“不行”的同時，他們的意思也包含了：“我們愛你。我們知道你會生氣，但我們不愿讓你陷入困境�！�
8.Parents owe their children some religious training. The tact that so many strange cults are enjoying such success is proof that children feel the need for something spiritual in their life.
8、父母有義務(wù)給予孩子一些宗教訓(xùn)練。事實(shí)上，很多奇怪的宗教團(tuán)體享受著成功，這正說明了孩子們在他們的生活中，需要一些精神上的東西。
9.Parents owe their children a comfortable feeling about their body,and enough information about sex to balance the misinformation that they will surely receive from their friends.
9、父母也有義務(wù)注意孩子的身心健康，教給孩子必要的性知識，使他能夠抵御那些將來無疑會從朋友們那兒得到的錯誤概念。
10.Parents owe their children privacy and respect for their personalbelongings. This means not borrowing things without permission,not readingdiaries and mail,not looking through purses,pockets,and drawers. If a motherfeels that she must read her daughter's diary to know what is going on,thecommunication between them must be pretty bad.
10、父母還應(yīng)給予孩子們個人空間，尊重屬于他的物品。這包括未經(jīng)孩子同意不使用他的東西。不看他的日記和信件，不檢查他的錢包、抽屜或衣袋。倘若一位母親感到不看女兒的日記就不知道女兒的情況時，她們之間的關(guān)系便已到了相當(dāng)糟糕的地步了。
11.Parents owe their chi Idren a set of solid values around which to build theirlives. This means teaching them to respect the rights and opinions of others; it means being respectful to elders,to teachers,and to the law. The best way to t eachsuch values is by example. A child who is lied to will lie. A child who sees hisparents steal tools from the factory or towels from a hotel will think thai it is allright to steal. A youngster who sees no laughter and no love in the home will havea difficult time laughing and loving.
11、后，父母還有責(zé)任教給子女系列處世準(zhǔn)則，包括教育他們尊重別人的權(quán)利與意見，尊重師長，遵守紀(jì)律。而好的教育方法便是以身作則。受到騙的孩子會去騙人。孩子若看到家長從工廠里偷工具或在旅館里偷毛巾便會以為偷竊不是錯事。在家里看不見家長的笑臉。得不到愛撫的孩子將來很難變得開朗和友愛。
12. No child asks to be born. If you bring a life into the world,you owe the children something. And if you give him his due,he'll have something of value to pass along to your grandchi Idren.
12、沒有任何孩子是自己要求出世的。倘若你將一個生命帶到世界上來，你便對他負(fù)有義務(wù)。如果你給予了他應(yīng)得的，他也將會有一些有價值的東西傳給你的孫輩們。
