Happy birthday! Do birthdays really make people happy? Of course they do. Birthdays celebrate the day we were born. Moreover, that extra candle on the cake represents another year of growth and maturity-or so we hope. We all like to imagine that we're getting wiser and not just older. Most of us enjoy observing the miracle of growth in others, as well. For instance, seeing our children develop and learn new things makes us feel proud. For Americans, like people in most cultures, growing up is a wonderful process. But growing old? That's a different story.
生日快乐！生日真能使人快乐吗？这是当然的啊，庆生是庆祝我们来到世上的日子，除此之外，蛋糕上多加一支蜡烛也代表了另一年的成长与成熟--或者说至少我们希望能如此。我们都喜欢想象着自己能够越来越有智能，而不只是变老，我们大部份人也同时较喜欢观察别人成长的奇迹。例如：看到我们的孩子长大并学习新的事物使我们感到骄傲。而对美国人而言，就像大部份其它文化中的人们一样，长大是一个美好的历程，但是变老呢？那可就是另外一回事了。
Growing old is not exactly pleasant for people in youth-oriented American culture. Most Americans like to look young, act young and feel young. As the old saying goes, "You're as young as you feel." Older people joke about how many years young they are, rather than how many years old. People in some countries value the aged as a source of experience and wisdom. But Americans seem to favor those that are young, or at least "young at heart."
在美国这个以年轻人为中心的社会中，老化对人们而言并不是一件愉快的事，大部份的美国人都希望自己看起来年轻、行动年轻、并且感觉年轻，如一句古老的名言说：「你感觉自己有多年轻，你就有多年轻。」老年人说自己的年龄时常开玩笑说自己是多少 years young，而不说多少 years old 。某些文化中的人视老年人为经验与智能的资源，可是美国人似乎比较喜欢年轻人，或者至少是「心里年轻」的人。
Many older Americans find the "golden years" to be anything but golden. Economically, "senior citizens" often struggle just to get by. Retirement-typically at age 65-brings a sharp decrease in personal income. Social Security benefits usually cannot make up the difference. Older people may suffer from poor nutrition, medical care and housing. Some even experience age discrimination. In 1987, American sociologist Pat Moore dressed up like an older person and wandered city streets. She was often treated rudely-even cheated and robbed. However, dressed as a young person, she received much more respect. Of course, not all elderly Americans have such negative experiences. But old age does present unique challenges.
许多美国的老年人觉得他们的「黄金年代」一点都不黄金。在经济上来说，老年人常是挣扎着勉强度日。退休--通常在六十五岁的时候--使个人收入骤减，而社会保障制度的福利并不能补足差额，老年人常遭遇营养、医疗照顾、和居住环境的问题。有些人甚至曾经碰到年龄歧视的问题，在一九八七年有一位美国的社会学家派特?摩尔装扮成老人在街上游荡，结果人们多半对她很粗鲁，甚至骗她或抢她的东西，可是当她穿著年轻时，人们就对她尊重多了。当然也不是所有的美国老人家都有这样糟糕的经验，不过年纪大确实会遭遇一些特别的挑战。 |
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