【英语语言学习】美国的中产阶级

UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN #1: I think most people hate to think of themselves as middle-class.

UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN #2: Have what you need, but maybe not everything you want.

UNIDENTIFIED MAN #1: We have a car, but we live in an apartment. That's middle class.

UNIDENTIFIED MAN #2: If you add a boat, then you're not middle class anymore. That's what changes it right there.

UNIDENTIFIED MAN #3: The middle class are families who are earning six figures.

UNIDENTIFIED MAN #4: $30,000, $35,000 probably.

UNIDENTIFIED MAN #5: That means me (laughter). And it means I'm in trouble (laughter).

(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)

RACHEL MARTIN, HOST:

This is Hanging On, our continuing series about the American middle class. Today we go to Charlotte, N.C., where we visited Las Delicias Bakery. It's on the East Side of Charlotte, which is home to many of the city's Latino immigrants¹, including a man named Manolo Betancur and his wife, Zhenia Martinez. They own the bakery, which sells churros and tres leches cakes to grocery stores across the state. Betancur is from Colombia. Martinez is from Mexico. They have both been American citizens for years. But for them, in this moment, the American dream feels fragile².

MANOLO BETANCUR: I came to his country just with two pants, two shirts, my pair of shoes and $100 in my pocket, and I didn't even speak any English. And I was able to get my college degree here, and I was able to become American citizen. And now we own this business. And, you know, we never thought that we will have our cakes in one of the biggest and coolest supermarkets here in Charlotte and in North Carolina. So yeah, the American dream is still there. It's maybe harder to find now. You got to work a little bit harder to find it. But also there is the feeling that American greed³ is taking over the American dream.

MARTIN: So you've gotten everything you wanted?

BETANCUR: (Laughter) That's a good question. Depends what you mean with that. You know, if you - I got everything that I wanted, you know, if you mean about happiness. Because, you know, the business, the car, the dollars that you put in pocket, it's nothing compared, you know, to having my kids around. You know, that's the love of our lives. So you meaning that, yes, I got everything I want, you know?

If you mean, like, in an economic way, well, it's getting better, yes - better than many countries around the world. But if you mean it, like, anger and everything for the government and for the politicians, no, I'm not. I'm not, you know, because I hate that feeling that the government is just always helping⁴ and being nice with big corporations⁵. And everybody, they feel so proud. We help the small businesses, you know? Go to Bank of America or Wells Fargo, these huge corporations and get bail⁶ out from the government. How easy it is for us to get a loan⁷ from them? It's very hard, you know.

ZHENIA MARTINEZ: I want to say that I think - I think happiness is within. So I think I have gotten what I want. But I think as a community and as a country, we could do so much better because I think it's the working class that's been forgotten. You see a lot of people that can't even pay their bills. And that's just - it's sad. I mean, as a mother I can't imagine what they have to go through. And it's just not something that should happen when you have CEOs that are earning millions of dollars, as simple as that.

You know, it's - overall⁸, the working class - more companies are moving to having part-time jobs basically⁹ because it benefits them financially. You know, if they have part-time positions, they don't have to provide health care. They don't have to provide retirement¹⁰. Something needs to change in that perspective¹¹. We need to start focusing more on the people that do everything and make the country move as a whole and step away from focusing on the greed that has taken over.

MARTIN: I asked Manolo Betancur and Zhenia Martinez how they're doing now, if they feel like they are on good footing financially. Manolo said the recession¹² was hard on them. Their family had to close three bakeries. No one was coming. It took a while to recover, but now they sell their breads and pastries¹³ in a major grocery store chain around the state.

As we talk, their 6-year-old daughter fidgets in Manolo's arms. He brushes her long brown hair from her forehead. He tells me he became an American citizen in 2008.

BETANCUR: Yeah. I'm very proud. Don't take me - don't take us wrong. We love this country. We are very happy that our kids are born in this country, are raised in this country. We work hard, and we love this country. But, like, that doesn't mean that, like any place around the world, there are things that we can do better.

MARTIN: That was Manolo Betancur and Zhenia Martinez. You'll hear more of their story on today's For the Record when we look at how immigrants in North Carolina are thinking about their presidential choices.

 

 

1 immigrants   

n.移民( immigrant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Illegal immigrants were given the opportunity to regularize their position. 非法移民得到了使其身份合法化的机会。
• Immigrants from all over the world populate this city. 这个城市里生活着来自世界各地的移民。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 fragile   

adj.易碎的，脆的，易损坏的，虚弱的，脆弱的

参考例句：

• The old lady was increasingly fragile after her operation.那位老太太手术后身体越来越虚弱。
• This glass disc looks very fragile.这个玻璃盘子看起来很容易碎。

3 greed   

n.贪食，贪心，贪婪

参考例句：

• His greed knows no limits.他的贪心永无止境。
• Greed was his only motive for stealing.贪婪是他盗窃的唯一动机。

4 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

5 corporations   

法人( corporation的名词复数 )； （政治、经济的）组合； 市政委员会

参考例句：

• The bulk of the funds are supplied by some of America's largest and most powerful corporations. 大部分资金是由美国一些最大和最有实力的公司提供的。
• He didn't sympathise with the corporations, but strength was with them. "他并不同情公司，但是力量属于他们。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹

6 bail   

v.舀（水），保释；n.保证金，保释，保释人

参考例句：

• One of the prisoner's friends offered to bail him out.犯人的一个朋友答应保释他出来。
• She has been granted conditional bail.她被准予有条件保释。

7 loan   

n.贷款；借出的东西；借；vt.借出；贷予

参考例句：

• I asked the bank to help me with a loan.我请银行给我一笔贷款。
• Has the bank okayed your request for a loan?银行批准你的贷款要求了吗？

8 overall   

n.工作服，工装裤；全面的，全体的

参考例句：

• The shop assistant was wearing a white overall.那店员穿着白色的工作服。
• How much will it cost overall?一共多少钱？

9 basically   

adv.基本上，从根本上说

参考例句：

• His heart is basically sound.他的心脏基本上健康。
• Basically I agree with your plan.我基本上同意你的计划。

10 retirement   

n.退休，退职

参考例句：

• She wanted to enjoy her retirement without being beset by financial worries.她想享受退休生活而不必为金钱担忧。
• I have to put everything away for my retirement.我必须把一切都积蓄起来以便退休后用。

11 perspective   

n.视角，观点，想法

参考例句：

• You can get a perspective of the whole city from here.从这里你可以看到城市的全景。
• We may get a clear perspective of the people's happy lives.我们知道人民对幸福生活的展望。

12 recession   

n.（工商业的）衷退（期），萧条（期）

参考例句：

• Manufacturing fell sharply under the impact of the recession.受到经济萧条的影响，制造业急剧衰退。
• A rise in interest rates plunged Britain deeper into recession.利率的提高导致英国经济更加萧条。

13 pastries   

n.面粉制的糕点

参考例句：

• He gave a dry laugh, then sat down and started on the pastries. 杜新箨说着干笑一声，坐下去就吃点心。 来自子夜部分
• Mike: So many! I like Xijiang raisins, beef jerky, and local pastries. 麦克：太多了。我最喜欢吃新疆葡萄干、牛肉干和风味点心。