英语沙龙：美国的周末

Weekend in America

In the United States Monday is the beginning of the workweek；it is the day most Americans like least．It is not surprising then that the day they like most is Saturday．Saturday is the end of the workweek；it is the beginning of the weekend．

Life is different on the weekend；most Americans take care of their house，car or garden．They sleep later in the morning．They enjoy the feeling that the time seems to move more slowly．The week is for things you have to do；the weekend is for things you want to do．Some people may get in a car and go for a drive in the country．They like to take part in a sports activity outdoors．And on Saturday night they might go to a public eating place or a movie．

The idea of the weekend is a recent invention．In １８７０s wealthy people began to speak of spending weekends in the country visiting friends．For most people back then，however，the work－day was six days long．It ended at about noon or later on Saturday．

Automobile¹ maker² Henry Ford³ was the first major employer⁴ in the United States to establish a workweek of ５days．He did that in １９２６．Henry Ford thought that if the working people had more free time they would spend more money，something good for the economy．By １９４０ it had become common for most Americans to work ８ hours a day，５ days a week．Today the lives of most Americans are organised that way：５days of work or school followed by ２ days of rest．For many people Saturday night is the highpoint of the weekend and the week．It is the night for going out and having fun．

Anything and everything can happen on Saturday night．People go dancing；they visit

friends and have parties．They drink too much alcohol⁵．They get killed or kill other people．They sleep，watch television，and sometimes fall in love．People do these same things on other nights of the week too，but they do them more often and with more emotion and purpose on Saturday night．

On Saturday night movie theaters sell more admission⁶ tickets．It also is the biggest night for places that sell alcoholic⁷ drinks．That is one reason why Saturday night wit－nesses most murders，fights and deadly car accidents．

In a town in Indiana there is a Saturday night custom called “cruising⁸”．Cruising means to spend the evening driving your car slowly up and down the town's main street．People who are cruising talk from car to car．They exchange greetings，jokes and friendly insults⁹．Cruising is most popular in small towns where there is not much else to do．

Many people spend the Saturday night at home with friends．They have dinner together．Perhaps they watch a movie on a video cassette¹⁰ recorder．Other people go on a date．A date usually involves two people．People on a date might go to a public concert，yet they talk only to each other．

Is there anything people do not like about the weekend？A study of １０００Americans found that half would gladly trade a paid workday for an extra day of free time．The only thing wrong with the weekend，they think，is that it does not last longer．

美国的周末

在美国，星期一是工作周的开始；大多数美国人最不喜欢这一天。难怪他们最喜欢的一天是星期六，星期六是工作周的结束，周末的开始。

周末的生活不尽相同；大多数美国人料理他们的家、汽车和花园。早上他们起得比平时晚。他们喜欢那种时间好像比平时走得慢的感觉。一周里的事情是你必须做的；周末的事情是你想做的。有的人可能乘车去郊外兜风。他们喜欢参加室外体育活动。星期六晚上他们也许去一家餐馆或电影院。

周末的概念是近期才出现的。１９世纪７０年代，有钱人开始谈论去郊外度周末，看望朋友。然而对于当时的大多数人来说，工作日是６天。星期六中午或下午工作才结束。

汽车制造商亨利·福特是第一个创立５天工作周的美国大雇主。他是在１９２６年实施此法的。福特认为如果工人有更多的空闲时间，他们就会花更多的钱，这对经济有好处。到１９４０年，大多数美国人一天工作８小时，一周工作５天已经变得司空见惯。如今多数美国人的生活都是依此来安排的：５天工作或上学，然后是２天休息。对许多人来说，星期六晚上是一周和周末的高潮。此晚是外出和玩乐的时间。

星期六晚上任何事都可能发生。人们跳舞、访友、举办聚会。他们喝过多的酒。他们被杀或杀人。他们睡觉，看电视，有时还相爱。这些事人们在一周的其他晚上也做，但在星期六晚上他们做得更勤，情感更投入，目的性也更强。

星期六晚上电影院卖出的票比往日多。对于卖酒的地方，这也是赢利最高的夜晚。这也正是星期六晚上谋杀、打架和恶性车祸发生率最高的原因之一。

在印第安纳州的一座小城镇，有一个叫做“滑车”的星期六夜晚习俗。滑车的意思是整个晚上在城镇的主要街道上来来回回地慢速驾车行驶。滑车人与另一辆车里的人聊天、相互寒暄、开玩笑、说俏皮话。滑车在没有什么事情可做的小城镇里十分盛行。

许多人星期六晚上和朋友一起呆在家里。他们共进晚餐，也许看录相电影。有的人则赴约会。约会通常有两个人。约会的人可以去听音乐会，但他们只是在两人之间交谈。

人们对周末有没有不喜欢的地方呢？对１０００名美国人的调查发现，一半的人乐于用可以赚钱的一天去换一天自由的时间。他们认为周末的惟一缺陷就是它太短暂。

1 automobile   

n.汽车，机动车

参考例句：

• He is repairing the brake lever of an automobile.他正在修理汽车的刹车杆。
• The automobile slowed down to go around the curves in the road.汽车在路上转弯时放慢了速度。

2 maker   

n.制造者，制造商

参考例句：

• He is a trouble maker，You must be distant with him.他是个捣蛋鬼，你不要跟他在一起。
• A cabinet maker must be a master craftsman.家具木工必须是技艺高超的手艺人。

3 Ford   

n.浅滩，水浅可涉处；v.涉水，涉过

参考例句：

• They were guarding the bridge,so we forded the river.他们驻守在那座桥上，所以我们只能涉水过河。
• If you decide to ford a stream,be extremely careful.如果已决定要涉过小溪，必须极度小心。

4 employer   

n.雇用方，雇主

参考例句：

• My employer deducted ten pounds from my wages this week.我的雇主从我本周的工钱中扣除了十英镑。
• His monthly salary is paid into the bank by his employer.他的月薪由雇主替他存入银行。

5 alcohol   

n.酒精，乙醇；含酒精的饮料

参考例句：

• The law forbids shops to sell alcohol to minors.法律禁止商店向未成年者出售含酒精的饮料。
• The alcohol is industrial.这些酒精是供工业用的。

6 admission   

n.允许进入；承认；入场费，入会费，入场券

参考例句：

• We attached a condition to his admission to our school.我们对准许他入校附加了一个条件。
• By her own admission,she was responsible for the accident.她自己承认，事故应该由她负责。

7 alcoholic   

adj.（含）酒精的，由酒精引起的；n.酗酒者

参考例句：

• The alcoholic strength of brandy far exceeds that of wine.白兰地的酒精浓度远远超过葡萄酒。
• Alcoholic drinks act as a poison to a child.酒精饮料对小孩犹如毒药。

8 cruising   

adj.巡航的v.乘船巡游( cruise的现在分词 )；以快而平稳的速度长距离行驶；巡航；轻而易举赢得（或获得）

参考例句：

• The car was cruising along at 100 kilometres an hour. 这辆汽车平稳地以每小时100公里的速度行驶。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• They will go cruising in the Mediterranean. 他们将在地中海上巡游。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 insults   

侮辱，辱骂，侮辱性的言论( insult的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• He shouted insults at the boy who had kicked him. 他大声辱骂那个踢了他的男孩。
• I will by no manner of means put up with such insults. 我绝不会容忍这种侮辱。

10 cassette   

n.卡式录音带盒；卡式胶卷盒

参考例句：

• He inserted a cassette into the machine.他把一盒录像带放入机器。
• And let's not forget our cassette player and some tapes.还别忘了带上我们的卡式录音机和一些录音带。