《英语流行话题阅读:语境识词4500》48 Chinese Immigrants in the USA

　　Unit 48
Chinese Immigrants in the USA
Chinese Americans make up a tiny fraction of US population, and their numerous contributions to their adopted land are much appreciated. However, it was once common in America to associate Chinese Americans with restaurants and laundries. People did not realize that the Chinese had been driven into these occupations by the prejudice and discrimination.
The first Chinese to reach the USA came during the California Gold Rush of 1849. In that largely unoccupied land, the men staked a claim for themselves by placing markers in the ground. Either because the Chinese were so different from the others in speech and appearance, including a long "pigtail" at the back of their otherwise shaved heads, or because they worked so patiently that they succeeded in turning a seemingly worthless mining claim into a profitable one, they became the scapegoats¹ of their envious² competitors. They were harassed³ in many ways, and therefore started to seek out other ways of earning a living. Some began to do the laundry for the white miners; others set up small restaurants. There being almost no women in California in those days, the Chinese filled a real need by doing this "woman's work".
In the early 1860's more Chinese were imported as work crews to construct the first transcontinental railroad. They were needed because the work was so backbreaking and dangerous, and was carried out in such a remote part of the country that the railroad company couldn't find other laborers⁴ for the job. As in the case of their predecessors⁵, these Chinese were almost all males and encountered a great deal of prejudice and hostility⁶. When times were hard, they were blamed for working for lower wages and taking jobs away from white men. Anti-Chinese riots broke out, and Chinese were barred from using courts and from becoming American citizens. Many Chinese returned to their homeland, and their numbers declined sharply in the early 20th century. However, during WW II, when China was an ally of the US, the Chinese Exclusion⁷ Act, passed in 1882, was ended. In 1965, in a general revision of US immigration laws, many more Chinese were permitted to settle.
From the start, Chinese had lived apart in "Chinatowns", where the residents organized unofficial governments to make community rules and to settle disputes. Unable to find jobs on the outside, many went into business for themselves -- primarily to serve their own neighborhood. To this day, certain Chinatowns, especially those of San Francisco and New York, are busy, thriving communities, which have become great attractions for tourists and those enjoying Chinese food. Chinese Americans retain many aspects of their ancient cultures. Children are imbued⁸ with the old values and attitudes, including respect for their elders and a feeling of responsibility to the family. This helps to explain why there is so little juvenile⁹ delinquency among them. The high regard for education, and the willingness to work hard for advancement¹⁰ are other noteworthy characteristics, which explains why so many descendants of uneducated laborers have succeeded in becoming doctors, lawyers and other professionals.

1 scapegoats   

n.代人受过的人，替罪羊( scapegoat的名词复数 )v.使成为替罪羊( scapegoat的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• They were made the scapegoats for the misfire of the program. 他们成了那个计划失败的替罪羊。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• Only some of the guards and a minor hotel employee, chosen as scapegoats, were imprisoned. 只有一些保镖和那个旅馆的小职员当了替罪羊，被关进了监狱。 来自辞典例句

2 envious   

adj.嫉妒的，羡慕的

参考例句：

• I don't think I'm envious of your success.我想我并不嫉妒你的成功。
• She is envious of Jane's good looks and covetous of her car.她既忌妒简的美貌又垂涎她的汽车。

3 harassed   

adj. 疲倦的，厌烦的 动词harass的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He has complained of being harassed by the police. 他投诉受到警方侵扰。
• harassed mothers with their children 带着孩子的疲惫不堪的母亲们

4 laborers   

n.体力劳动者，工人( laborer的名词复数 )；（熟练工人的）辅助工

参考例句：

• Laborers were trained to handle 50-ton compactors and giant cranes. 工人们接受操作五十吨压土机和巨型起重机的训练。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• Wage-labour rests exclusively on competition between the laborers. 雇佣劳动完全是建立在工人的自相竞争之上的。 来自英汉非文学 - 共产党宣言

5 predecessors   

n.前任( predecessor的名词复数 )；前辈；（被取代的）原有事物；前身

参考例句：

• The new government set about dismantling their predecessors' legislation. 新政府正着手废除其前任所制定的法律。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Will new plan be any more acceptable than its predecessors? 新计划比原先的计划更能令人满意吗？ 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 hostility   

n.敌对，敌意；抵制［pl.］交战，战争

参考例句：

• There is open hostility between the two leaders.两位领导人表现出公开的敌意。
• His hostility to your plan is well known.他对你的计划所持的敌意是众所周知的。

7 exclusion   

n.拒绝，排除，排斥，远足，远途旅行

参考例句：

• Don't revise a few topics to the exclusion of all others.不要修改少数论题以致排除所有其他的。
• He plays golf to the exclusion of all other sports.他专打高尔夫球，其他运动一概不参加。

8 imbued   

v.使（某人/某事）充满或激起（感情等）( imbue的过去式和过去分词 )；使充满；灌输；激发（强烈感情或品质等）

参考例句：

• Her voice was imbued with an unusual seriousness. 她的声音里充满着一种不寻常的严肃语气。
• These cultivated individuals have been imbued with a sense of social purpose. 这些有教养的人满怀着社会责任感。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 juvenile   

n.青少年，少年读物；adj.青少年的，幼稚的

参考例句：

• For a grown man he acted in a very juvenile manner.身为成年人，他的行为举止显得十分幼稚。
• Juvenile crime is increasing at a terrifying rate.青少年犯罪正在以惊人的速度增长。

10 advancement   

n.前进，促进，提升

参考例句：

• His new contribution to the advancement of physiology was well appreciated.他对生理学发展的新贡献获得高度赞赏。
• The aim of a university should be the advancement of learning.大学的目标应是促进学术。