你和普通青少年不一样吗？：英语精读讲义

Was life easier for previous generations?

过去几代人的生活更容易吗？

Do teenagers today have a bright future to look forward to, 短語動詞

如今的青少年是否拥有可以期待的光明未来，

or have they inherited a world more competitive than that of their parents? 語法

还是说他们继承了一个比他们父母辈竞争更激烈的世界？

What do teenagers today spend all day doing?

如今的青少年整天都在干嘛？

Is a life connected to a handheld device beneficial to today's teenagers,

依赖手持设备的生活对今天的青少年有益吗，

or would they be happier in an unconnected world?

还是在没有网络的世界里他们会更快乐？

Today we'll be looking into the life of modern teenagers and seeing how they spend their time, 短語動詞

今天我们将探究现代青少年的生活，看看他们如何打发时间，

what they enjoy doing,

他们喜欢做什么，

and how their development could well be hindered by today's rapid lifestyle 語法

以及他们的发展在当今快节奏的生活方式下可能受到怎样的阻碍

in this episode of The Infographics Show,

就在《The Infographics Show》的本期节目中，

Most Common Traits of Today's Teenagers.

今天青少年的最常见特征。

Let's first look at the psychology of teenagers and how it develops.

首先让我们看看青少年的心理及其如何发展。

So,

那么，

little Johnny grows up and around the age of 13,

小强尼长大了，大约到了13岁，

that sweet little smile disappears.

那个甜美的小小笑容消失了。

He begins to frown and become isolated.

他开始皱眉，变得孤僻。

If you look close enough at the temples on his head,

如果你凑近看他头上的太阳穴，

you might be able to see tiny little horns begin to grow.

你可能会看到正在长出的小小犄角。

Johnny seems to be,

强尼似乎，

to his parents' horror,

让他的父母感到恐惧地，

turning into a little monster.

变成了一个小怪物。

Teenagers develop a streak of independence 短語搭配

青少年发展出一种独立的倾向

and parents often find it hard to reach out and relate to them. 短語動詞

父母常常发现很难接近和理解他们。

They are becoming their own person. 習語

他们正在成为独立的个体。

This is a completely natural part of human evolution that we all experience.

这是我们所有人都会经历的人类进化中完全自然的一部分。

The problem is,

问题是，

teenagers are still,

青少年仍然，

for the most part, 短語搭配

在很大程度上，

reliant on their parents. 短語搭配

依赖他们的父母。

They need their parents for food and shelter,

他们需要父母提供食物和住所，

for their education,

提供教育，

and for their day-to-day expenses.

以及支付日常开销。

So,

所以，

although a fierce independence is a teenage trait,

尽管强烈的独立性是青少年的特征，

in a practical sense, 短語搭配

但在实际意义上，

they are still usually being cared for. 短語動詞

他们通常仍处于被照顾的状态。

This creates conflict

这产生了冲突

and teenagers are normally always experiencing some type of conflict.

而青少年通常总是经历着某种类型的冲突。

Teenagers often withdraw into their own space

青少年经常退缩到自己的空间里

and construct a world whereby they are alone and independent. 用詞

并构建一个属于自己、独立的世界。

Nobody apart from some close friends really understands them.

除了几个好朋友之外，没人真正了解他们。

Nobody has ever experienced the feelings that they are feeling.

没人经历过他们正在感受的那些情感。

Teens rely more heavily on their own decisions rather than the advice of their elders,

青少年更严重地依赖自己的决定，而不是长辈的建议，

trying to learn how to think and act for themselves for the first time.

第一次试图学习如何为自己思考和行动。

They find they have separate goals from their parents,

他们发现自己有着跟父母不同的目标，

their peers,

跟同龄人不同，

and their teachers,

跟老师不同，

and often isolate themselves with their own thoughts,

并经常把自己的想法孤立起来，

feelings,

感情，

and ambitions.

以及抱负。

Teenagers also begin to take more risks as they grow up. 短語搭配

青少年随着成长也开始承担更多风险。

No longer will they need to hold their parent's hand while crossing the road 語法

过马路时他们不再需要牵着父母的手

or have a book read to them.

也不再需要别人读书给他们听。

Oh no,

噢不，

those years are long behind them. 習語

那些岁月早就离他们远去了。

Again,

再次强调，

this is to do with evolution. 短語搭配

这与进化有关。

Dr. Paul Marzkeit,

保罗·马兹凯特（Paul Marzkeit）博士，

author of the book The Teenage Brain,

《The Teenage Brain》一书的作者，

observes that the brain of a teenager is not yet fully developed,

观察到青少年的大脑尚未完全发育，

particularly within the frontal lobes.

尤其是额叶。

These lobes are the areas of the brain responsible for decision-making

这些脑叶是大脑中负责做决定

and the weighing up of potential consequences following dangerous activity. 短語動詞

以及权衡危险活动后潜在后果的区域。

Even the most well-balanced teen will have a tendency to behave in ways 短語搭配

即使是最稳重的青少年，也会有倾向做出

that seem odd or risky to their elders.

在长辈看来古怪或危险的行为。

But then again, 表達脈絡

话又说回来，

many adults also act in ways that may seem bizarre and risky to a teenager.

许多成年人的行为在青少年看来也可能显得古怪和危险。

During the early high school years,

在初中早期，

kids generally become more extroverted.

孩子们通常变得更加外向。

They begin to establish closer friends within their peer groups rather than their parents.

他们开始在同龄人中而不是和父母之间建立更亲密的朋友关系。

Even teenagers who are naturally introverted will experience a developmental stage in their teens

即使是天生内向的青少年，也会在青少年时期经历一个发展阶段

when communication and interaction seem like the most important things in the world.

在那时沟通和互动似乎是世界上最重要的事情。

By doing this, 表達脈絡

通过这样做，

teenagers are preparing for early childhood and a time in the future

青少年正在为幼儿期以及未来的某个时期做准备

when personal relationships are essential for work and family life.

在那个时期人际关系对于工作和家庭生活至关重要。

Parents should be willing to let their teenage children spend time with their friends,

父母应该愿意让青少年子女和他们的朋友待在一起，

but monitor who those friends are.

但要监督这些朋友是谁。

Teenagers begin to experience new emotions as they develop.

青少年在成长过程中开始体验新的情绪。

Hormones flood through their body, 習語

荷尔蒙在体内泛滥，

meaning that they will begin to consider romantic attachments for probably the first time in their lives.

意味着他们可能一生中第一次开始考虑恋爱关系。

Mostly,

大多时候，

this is harmless flirting online or perhaps a crush on a celebrity. 短語搭配

这只是网上的无害调情，或者对名人的迷恋。

Sometimes these hormones might lead to early romantic attachments

有时这些荷尔蒙可能导致早期的恋爱关系

and to coupling with members of their preferred sex.

以及与他们偏好的异性结为伴侣。

This may be harmless enough

这可能很无害

or could lead to unwanted pregnancy

或者可能导致意外怀孕

and a lifetime commitment that neither teenager is equipped emotionally to deal with, 短語搭配

以及一种这两个青少年在情感上都无法应对的终生承诺，

having just left childhood themselves. 語法

因为他们自己才刚刚告别童年。

Parents can't control their children's chemistry,

父母无法控制孩子们的生理化学反应，

so instead they should educate them on the dangers of early parenthood.

因此相反，他们应该教育孩子了解过早为人父母的危险。

But what do teenagers like to do?

但是青少年喜欢做什么呢？

A family technology education non-profit group called Common Sense Media

一个名为Common Sense Media的家庭技术教育非营利组织

surveyed 2600 youths as recently as November 2015. 短語搭配

在最近的2015年11月调查了2600名年轻人。

Their census shows that teens are spending over a third of their average day,

他们的普查显示，青少年平均每天花费超过三分之一的时间，

or 9 hours,

即9个小时，

online using social media,

在线使用社交媒体、

watching videos,

看视频、

or listening to music.

或听音乐。

The survey also showed that teenagers are multitasking.

调查还显示青少年习惯多任务处理。

For example,

例如，

they may be listening to music online while shopping 語法

他们可能会在购物时在线听音乐

or while traveling to and from school. 短語搭配

或在上下学的路上。

Teens from lower income backgrounds tend to use online media more often on average 用詞

来自较低收入家庭背景的青少年平均更频繁地使用在线媒体

in comparison with those teens with higher income families.

与那些较高收入家庭的青少年相比。

The 2010 Kaiser Family Foundation study estimated

2010年凯撒家庭基金会的一项研究估计

that teenagers are online for 8 hours a day.

青少年每天上网8小时。

According to a 2015 survey by Piper Jaffray,

根据Piper Jaffray在2015年的调查，

teens also do a fair amount of shopping online 短語搭配

青少年也在网上进行大量的购物

with over 60% of teens saying that they prefer to buy clothes over the internet

超过60%的青少年表示他们更喜欢在网上买衣服

rather than visiting the store and trying on the garments first.

而不是去实体店先试穿衣物。

Each generation in history is molded not only by their parents' views on the world, 語法

历史上每一代人不仅受到父母对世界看法的塑造，

but also partly by social,

也部分受到社会、

political,

政治、

cultural,

文化、

and economic factors.

以及经济因素的影响。

Today's teenagers are among the first whose entire lives has existed 語法

今天的青少年是第一批整个生命历程中都存在

with cell phone technology and social media.

手机技术和社交媒体的人。

Psychologist Jean Twenge put this new generation under the microscope 習語

心理学家让·特温吉（Jean Twenge）把这新一代放在显微镜下研究

in her book iGen.

在她的著作《iGen》中。

Today's super-connected kids are growing up less rebellious,

如今超级互联的孩子们在成长中不那么叛逆，

more tolerant,

更加宽容，

less happy,

不那么快乐，

and completely unprepared for adulthood

并且对成年完全没有准备好

and what that means for the rest of us.

以及这对我们其他人意味着什么。

That's quite a mouthful. 習語

这信息量确实有点大。

After looking into a number of national surveys

在研究了自20世纪60年代以来的多项国家级调查

of 11 million teenagers since the 1960s,

涉及1100万青少年之后，

she concludes that iGens or modern teens have a poor state of mental health

她得出结论：iGen或现代青少年的心理健康状况较差

in comparison with previous generations.

与前几代人相比。

New media causes anxiety,

新媒体引起焦虑、

loneliness,

孤独、

and panic disorders along with sleep loss,

和恐慌症以及失眠，

according to Dr. Twenge.

根据特温吉博士的说法。

She comes to these conclusions by pointing to figures 短語動詞

她得出这些结论的方式是指向那些数据，

displaying national rises in mental health problems among teens

数据表明全国青少年心理健康问题呈上升趋势

and drawing parallels with the increase in cell phones. 短語搭配

并将其与手机数量的增加作对比。

But what Twenge forgets to mention in her book

但特温吉在书中忘记提到的是

is that correlation doesn't mean causation. 文化背景

相关性并不意味着因果关系。

As we mentioned before, 表達脈絡

正如我们之前提到的，

teenagers are more sensitive to the world around them

青少年对周围的世界更加敏感

due to natural changes in hormone and brain activity,

由于荷尔蒙和大脑活动的自然变化，

so this could be an equally good explanation

所以这可能是一个同样合理的解释

as to why mental health problems are on the rise in teens.

说明为什么青少年的心理健康问题呈上升趋势。

And then we factor in the larger general awareness of mental health issues 短語動詞

然后我们把人们对心理健康问题更广泛的总体认知考虑在内

due in part to information on the internet. 短語搭配

这部分原因是由于互联网上的信息。

We also tend to diagnose mental illness earlier nowadays

如今我们也倾向于更早地诊断出精神疾病

owing to our better understanding of these conditions.

这归因于我们对这些病症有了更好的理解。

Twenge also explains in her book

特温吉还在她的书中解释说

that teenagers are spending less time with their friends in person,

青少年与朋友面对面相处的时间越来越少，

and this is difficult to dispute

这点很难反驳

when we look at the alleged 6 hours a day spent on the cell phone. 用詞

当我们看到据说每天有6个小时花在手机上时。

But can this time, 表達脈絡

但是如果这些时间，

if used to chat on social media,

是用来在社交媒体上聊天，

really be described as time actually spent alone?

真的能被描述为完全独处的时间吗？

And how healthy is this kind of interaction?

而且这种互动又有多健康呢？

Teens might be growing up at a slower rate than before.

青少年的成长速度可能比以前慢。

One theory,

一种理论，

known as life history theory, 文化背景

被称为生活史理论，

postulates that the rate in which teens grow up 講解

假设青少年成长的速度

is in direct correlation with how hostile their immediate environment is, 短語搭配

与他们直接环境的恶劣程度成正相关，

or at least their perception of their environment. 表達脈絡

或者至少是他们对环境的感知。

So,

所以，

in this theory,

在这个理论中，

a teen growing up in a war-stricken country

一个在饱受战争蹂躏的国家长大的青少年

would, 語法

将会，

if he survived,

如果他幸存下来，

be more likely to marry and become a parent at a younger age.

更有可能在更年轻的时候结婚并成为父母。

If the environment is perceived to be hostile, 語法

如果环境被认为是恶劣的，

teens employ a fast life strategy to grow up more rapidly

青少年会采取一种快生活策略来更快速地成长

and create larger families to form larger survival groups.

并且组建更大的家庭以形成更大的生存群体。

On the other side of the coin, 習語

另一方面，

a slow life strategy,

慢生活策略，

where the environment is perceived less hostile,

当环境被认为不那么恶劣时，

gives rise to a slower rate of development. 短語搭配

会导致较慢的发展速度。

And this might explain why teens are not rushing to buy that car,

这或许能解释为什么青少年不再急着买车、

get married,

结婚、

and have kids as quickly as they did in previous generations. 語法

和生孩子，就像他们前几代人那样快。

So,

那么，

what do you think are the most common traits of teenagers today? 語法

你认为今天青少年最常见的特征是什么？

Let us know in the comments.

在评论区告诉我们吧。

Also,

另外，

be sure to watch our other video called Google versus Facebook.

一定要看我们另一个名为《Google versus Facebook》的视频。

Thanks for watching and as always,

感谢观看，和往常一样，

don't forget to like,

别忘了点赞、

share,

分享、

and subscribe.

和订阅。

See you next time.

下次见。