美国人的现代生活方式英文阅读

美国人的现代生活方式 Throughout their history, Americans have been people on the move. The early immigrants had to travel to get to the New World. Once they arrived, they settled along the East Coast. But they weren't content to stay there. Explorers and traders journeyed to the unknown western territories. Later, settlers moved west to develop these new areas. 纵观整个历史，美国一直是个迁移的民族。早期的移民者必须长途跋涉 才能抵达新大陆，他们到达后就会沿着东岸定居，但却不满于长居此地，冒 险家和商人旅行至未知的西部地区。稍后，移民者也向西迁移去开发这些新 地区。 As a result of this westward migration, Americans eventually occupied the whole continent-from the Atlantic to the Pacific. Even today, Americans seem unable to stay put. Research says that the average American moves every five years. 由于向西迁移，美国人最后占据了整块新大陆——从大西洋到太平洋。 即使到今天，美国人似乎仍然无法在一地久居。根据研究，美国人平均每五 年要搬一次家。 Besides their habit of changing addresses, Americans are used to traveling. Some people make long-distance commutes to work daily. Their jobs may even require them to take frequent business trips. Most companies provide an annual vacation for their employees, and people often use that time to travel. 除了搬家的习惯以外，美国人也很习惯旅行。有些人每天上下班得做长 距离的通勤，工作上甚至经常需要因公旅行。大部分的公司每年会提供年假 给员工，人们通常会利用这段时间去旅行。 Some people just visit friends or relatives in distant states. Others go on low-budget weekend excursions and stay in economy motels. Those with more expensive tastes choose luxurious resorts and hotels. Camping out in the great outdoors appeals to adventurous types. Some travel in recreational vehicles (RVs) to camp out in comfort, while others "rough it" by sleeping in tents. 有些人去远一点的其他州拜访朋友或亲戚，有些则在周末有个经济的小 假期，并住在花费不高的旅馆里。品位较昂贵的人选择豪华的度假地点和饭 店;绝佳的户外露营则吸引冒险型的人。有些人开着旅行车出游，以舒适的方 式露营;有些人则睡帐篷尝试野外生活。 Most Americans prefer to travel within their nation's borders. Why? For one thing, it's cheaper than traveling abroad, and there's no language problem. But besides that, the vast American territory offers numerous tourist attractions. 大部分美国人比较喜欢在国内旅游，为什么呢?其中一个原因是，国内 旅游比国外旅游便宜，也没有语言交流的问题。但除此原因以外，占地极广 的美国国土提供了许多能吸引游客的地点。 Nations lovers can enjoy beaches, mountains, canyons, lakes and a wealth of natural wonders. Major cities offer visitors a multitude of urban delights. The convenience of modern freeways, railways and airplanes makes travel in America as easy as pie. 爱好大自然的人可以到海滩、山上、峡谷、湖泊和很多大自然奇景地区 游览。大城市也提供给游客们很多都市形态的娱乐。现代高速公路、铁路和 飞机使得在美国旅行很容易。 四种生活方式让美国人减寿 Life expectancy is rising in much of the world. But doctors are seeing another trend that is disturbing. Some people are choosing lifestyles that contribute to early death. A new U.S. study looks at four lifestyle choices that prevent people from staying healthy and living longer. It used to be rare for people to live to 100. But babies born in the U.S. today can hope to live that long. In the 20th century, life expectancy in wealthy nations increased by as much as 30 years. Average life expectancy for Americans is 78. But doctors are seeing people adopt bad habits that can cut their lives short....like eating too much or eating too much junk food, exercising too little and smoking cigarettes. These habits increase the risk for cancer, diabetes, heart disease and stroke. Researchers at Harvard University and the University of Washington wanted to find out how many years are lost with these lifestyle choices. "What we found was that high blood pressure, smoking, overweight/obesity and high blood glucose account for five years of loss of life expectancy in men and about four years in women at the national level," Goodarz Danaei, one of the principal researchers said. The researchers broke down the data into race, income and locale and they found even greater differences. Middle-income whites have the best blood pressure. But AsianAmericans have fewer bad habits and the best health. "They are not getting heart disease because of low blood pressure, they are not getting cancer because they have low risk factors for cancer, including smoking," Danaei said. The researchers found a 14-year difference in life expectancy between Asian-American and African-American men who can expect to live an average of 67 years. "African-American men in the south have the lowest life expectancy, along with African-American men living in high-risk urban areas, places like downtown Los Angeles," Danaei explained. African-American women are another group with low life expectancy because of their high rates of obesity. People battling excess weight have higher rates of disability, diabetes and heart disease - disorders that make them sicker at younger ages and dependent on medications for many years. The researchers say public health officials could use the study to plan programs that will help people make better lifestyle choices. 日本流行的现代生活方式 In Japanese society, where consumerism has become almost a national obsession, an increasing number of people are opting away from materialism and embracing a minimalist lifestyle, which they claim provides them with enormous freedom. 在消费主义几乎成为国民强迫症的日本社会，越来越多人选择远离物质 主义，拥抱极简主义的生活方式，他们表示这使得自己获得了极大的自由。 Fumio Sasaki has just 20 items of clothing in his closet, with an electric toothbrush and a vacuum cleaner among the possessions in his tiny apartment. His apartment, measuring 20 sq. meters (215 sq. feet), has no trace of everyday things, such as chairs, a desk or even a bed. 佐佐木文雄的衣橱里只有 20 件衣物，在他极小的公寓里，还有一把电 动牙刷和一个吸尘器。他的 20 平米的公寓，没有椅子、桌子，甚至没有床。 "I don't need them. I have the essentials," he told EFE. 他接受 EFE 采访时表示：“我不需要这些。我已经有了必需品，”。 Two years ago, Fumio began practicing a life philosophy that calls on people to do away with material possessions and get richer through their experiences, a lifestyle that is attracting an increasing number of people in Japan. 两年前，佐佐木文雄开始实践一种生活哲学：他号召人们远离物质财产， 通过生活经历而丰富自己，这种生活方式正在吸引着越来越多的日本人。 Books, clothing and furniture have disappeared from his house. At the age of 36, he does not need to worry about arranging his things in order, or comparing his possessions to those of others. 书籍、衣物和家具都从他的家里消失了。36 岁的他不需要考虑如何整理 他的物品，或者把自己的所有物和别人的作比较。 "I was deeply affected by the freedom this lifestyle offers you," the publishing house employee in Tokyo, one of the world's most fast-paced cities, said. 在东京这个世界上节奏最快的城市的一家出版社工作的佐佐木文雄说： “我受到这种生活方式所赋予自由很深的影响，” "There is a certain freedom when all you need to put are 15 things in your backpack," he said, referring to the "extreme minimalism" of American Andrew Hyde, who one day decided to sell all his possessions (except 15 objects) and tour 42 countries. “当你的背包只需要 15 件物品的时候，你随之获得了一种自由，”他指的 是美国的安德鲁·海德提出的“极致极简主义”，有一天，他决定卖掉自己所有 的财产(除了 15 件物品)并巡游 42 个国家。 Motivated by Hyde's ideas, Fumio has a backpack in which he carries a MacBook Air, Wi-Fi cell phone, Kindle e-reader, a book and a battery charger, as well as socks and some underwear. 受到海德思想的触动，佐佐文木雄的背包里只带有着一个 MacBook Air，Wi-Fi 手机，Kindle 电子书阅读器，一本书和一个充电宝，还有袜子和 内裤。 "With just this many things, I can work anywhere, I have sufficient entertainment and I can travel any time I want," he said. 他说：“拥有这些东西，我可以在任何地方工作，有充足的娱乐，想何时 旅游就何时旅游，” While Fumio's approach to minimalism borders on extreme austerity, he says that each person has his own idea of minimalism and "it is not just about having few things in your house, it is about feeling that what you have is absolutely essential for you." 虽然佐佐文木雄的极简主义临近了简朴的极限，但是他表示，每个人都 对极简主义有自己的理解，而且“这不是说你的家里有多么少的物品，而是一 种感觉，你拥有了对你来说完全基本的东西。” Fumio has written a book on his philosophy of life, titled "For Us Material Things Are No Longer Necessary," which has already sold more than 150,000 copies in Japan. 佐佐文木雄写了一本关于其生活哲学的书，名为《对我们而言，物质已 不再必需》，该书在日本已经卖出超过 15 万册。