40期为什么善良父母会被指控忽视孩子~~考研英语题源外刊赏析

原标题：40期：为什么善良父母会被指控忽视孩子~~考研英语题源外刊赏析

原文期刊：读者文摘

原文标题：the criminalization of parenthood: why are good parents being charged with child neglect?

几十年以前，父母让孩子在无人照看时玩耍还是很常见的事，今天这种行为很可能会让他们惹上大麻烦。父母因“忽视（neglect）孩子”而受到指控的新闻已经屡见不鲜, 但是许多父母认为那些被指控的“忽视”行为是孩子成长过程所必需的。本文中作者首先指出儿童保护服务处（cps）的强制干预使父母们在育儿上处境艰难，进而指出当今媒体对儿童安全威胁的推测和报道脱离实际，这是父母遭受不合理指控的主要原因。

【原文】

i ①parenting practices common a couple of decades ago are now considered neglectful, even criminal. ②it’s hard to estimate how common this trend is because neglect is classified differently from state to state and because the reasons parents are charged vary widely, but dozens of experts—including lawyers, economists, sociologists, and embattled parents—agree it’s a growing problem.

ii ①national data on the number of kids taken away from their families by child protective services (cps) show a troubling increase. ②but more than 41 percent of children removed were not found to have been mistreated.

iii ①that statistic is even worse when you consider the consequences parents face. ②being investigated can add your name to a child-abuse registry, which comes up during employment background checks. ③there’s the threat—or reality—of being separated from your children. ④legal fees. ⑤criminal charges. ⑥erika doring was ultimately acquitted of her child-neglect charge, but only after she spent a quarter of her annual income on legal fees. ⑦of course, no one wants to stop cps from intervening where there is legitimate emotional or physical abuse or neglect. ⑧but that’s not these folks.

iv ①“parents feel like they don’t have the option of leaving their ten-year-old home to dash out to the store, because somebody could call the cops and start some legal nightmare,” says david pimentel, an expert on how the legal system addresses child neglect. ②“they can’t let their kid walk home from school, because what would the neighbors think?”

v ①in 2008, the bureau of justice statistics’ national crime victimization survey estimated that the rate of violent crime was 19.3 per 1,000 people over age 12—less than half the rate from 1973. ②kids under 12 are much safer: their assault rate is about one seventh; their robbery rate, about one twelfth; and their forcible sex rate, about half. ③stranger kidnappings—the threat parents fear most—are much rarer than people think.

vi ①you might be wondering: could crime rates be down because of stricter, more supervised parenting? ②experts who’ve extensively crunched these numbers say no. ③they attribute the decline in crime rates to more policing, aggressive prosecution of wrongdoers, the prevalence of cell phones, and greater use of psychiatric meds.

vii ①so objectively, childhood has never been safer. ②but media reports that misrepresent risks about kidnappings and other dangers get burned into parents’ minds—and those of community members who might call the police when they see kids alone or even those of jury members who have to decide whether a parent behaved negligently.

viii ①“if the public is misinformed about the risks children face in the world and driven by irrational fears inflamed by sensationalistic media reports, the jury may be in a poor position to judge the actions of a parent,” pimentel has argued. ②“because jurors can quickly and easily recall examples of child abductions, they will assume that such events are common and will be quick to condemn parenting choices that fail to guard against such ‘common’ and well-known risks.”

【词汇短语】

1. parenting [?pe?r?nt??] n. 养育孩子，教养，抚养

2. neglectful [[n?'ɡlektf(?)l] a. 忽视的，不重视的

3. embattled [?m'b?t(?)ld] a. 被敌人包围的；处境艰难的

4. child protective services (cps) n. 儿童保护服务处

5. *acquit [?'kw?t] v. ~ sb of sth 宣判...无罪，开释

6. legitimate [l?'d??t?m?t] a. 合情合理的，法律认可的，法定的

7. folk [f??k] n. 人们; 父母, 亲属

8. assault [?'s??lt] n. 攻击，袭击

9. forcible ['f??(r)s?b(?)l] a. 强行的，用暴力的

10. kidnapping ['k?dn?p] n. 绑架，拐骗

11. *crunch [kr?nt?] v. 嘎吱嘎吱地嚼；（快速大量地）处理信息

12. burn (sth) into v. 在…烧上、烙上(记号等), 使深印于...

13. jury ['d???ri] n. 陪审团，（比赛的）评判委员会

14. negligently ['neɡl?d??ntli] adv. 疏忽地，粗心大意地

15. misinform [.m?s?n'f??(r)m] v. 误传，告诉…错误消息

16. inflame [?n'fle?m] v. 激起…强烈感情，使愤怒，使激动

17. sensationalistic [sen'se???n?l?z?m] a. 追求轰动效应的，哗众取宠的

18. *abduction [?b'd?k?(?)n] n. 诱拐，劫持，绑架

（注：标*的为超纲词）

【翻译点评】

i ①parenting practices common a couple of decades ago are now considered neglectful, even criminal. ②it’s hard to estimate how common this trend is because neglect is classified differently from state to state and because the reasons parents are charged vary widely, but dozens of experts—including lawyers, economists, sociologists, and embattled parents—agree it’s a growing problem.

翻译：几十年之前普遍的育儿行为，现在被认为是忽视孩子的行为，甚至是犯罪行为。很难估计这种（观念转变）趋势有多普遍，因为各州对忽视孩子行为的分类不一致，还因为父母被指控的原因也千差万别，但许多专家--包括律师，经济学家，社会学家和处境艰难的父母--都同意这是个日益严重的问题。

点评：段 i 引出要评论的主题：父母以往常见的育儿行为现在被认为是忽视孩子的行为，这个问题日益严重。①句指出当前有关育儿行为的一个观念趋势，通过两组对比词汇a couple of decades ago vs now 以及 common vs neglectful引出观念的今昔对比：过去普遍常见的一些育儿行为，现在却被认作忽视孩子的行为。②句基于两个原因指出该趋势的普遍程度难以估计，但不可否认该趋势的日益严重性，用两个表示原因的表语从句说明为什么上述趋势普遍程度不可估计，但but一词将语义重点转向后面分句：（尽管趋势的普遍程度难以估计）许多专家都同意该趋势的日益严重性（growing problem），破折号内是对experts的补充说明，强调专家来自不同领域，增强可信度。

ii ①national data on the number of kids taken away from their families by child protective services (cps) show a troubling increase. ②but more than 41 percent of children removed were not found to have been mistreated.

翻译：全国性的统计数据显示，被儿童保护服务处（cps）从家中带走的孩子数量增长惊人。但被带走的孩子中有41％以上并没有被发现受到（父母）虐待。

点评：段 ii 援引有关cps带走孩子数量的统计事实。 ①句指出全国范围内cps带走的孩子数量很多，注：美国各州区政府都有儿童保护服务处（cps），做虐童事务调查、安排受虐待的孩子到养父母的家庭等事项。②句转折（but）指出, （虽然上述数量惊人）但带走的很多孩子实际并未受到虐待，暗示cps在处理虐童事务时可能冤枉了一些没有虐待行为的父母，此暗示信息为下文具体论述cps调查对父母们造成的影响埋下伏笔。

iii ①that statistic is even worse when you consider the consequences parents face. ②being investigated can add your name to a child-abuse registry, which comes up during employment background checks. ③there’s the threat—or reality—of being separated from your children. ④legal fees. ⑤criminal charges. ⑥erika doring was ultimately acquitted of her child-neglect charge, but only after she spent a quarter of her annual income on legal fees. ⑦of course, no one wants to stop cps from intervening where there is legitimate emotional or physical abuse or neglect. ⑧but that’s not these folks.

翻译：当你考虑到父母们所面临的后果时上述统计数字就更加糟糕。被（cps）调查会让你的名字列入虐童者名单，该记录在就业背景审查时会被发现。被强制与孩子分离的威胁，或者现实。律师费用。刑事指控。erika dorin最终在忽视孩子的指控中被宣告无罪，但这是以花费她四分之一的工资收入来支付律师费用的代价为前提的。诚然，没有人想要阻止cps去干预真正的精神或身体上的虐待或忽视行为。但是这些父母们不这么想。

点评：段 iii 论述cps对虐童事务的调查给父母们带来一系列麻烦。①句段落主旨句，点出父母们面临很多不利后果（consequences parents face）。②③④⑤句具体罗列父母们面临的一系列麻烦，包括：虐童实名记录对就业的不利影响、强制与孩子分开、法律指控和诉讼费用等。⑥句用erika doring的例子来例证④⑤句：父母为无罪辩护花费高额律师费，注：erika doring，一位美国妈妈，因忘记拿女儿的外套就将三岁女儿独自留在车上去取外套，虽然女儿独处的时间很短而且车上开着空调，这位母亲却因“忽视孩子”的行为被街坊举报而受到指控。⑦⑧句先让步认可cps调查的意义，进而转折指出父母们的反对态度：⑦“of course....but...”让步转折结构将两句衔接起来， no one 强调多数人认可cps的做法，legitimate这里指“法定的”（allowed and acceptable according to law）, 强调被法律认定的真正的虐待或忽视儿童的行为，与上文erika doring的育儿行为被判无罪的例子相呼应，形成对比；⑧句中these folks在文中指父母，that’s not these folks说明父母们与上句提到的大多数人态度相反。

iv ①“parents feel like they don’t have the option of leaving their ten-year-old home to dash out to the store, because somebody could call the cops and start some legal nightmare,” says david pimentel, an expert on how the legal system addresses child neglect. ②“they can’t let their kid walk home from school, because what would the neighbors think?”

翻译：“父母们感觉他们不能把十岁孩子留在家里自己冲去商店购物，因为有人可能会报警让他们陷入法律诉讼的噩梦，”专门研究法律系统如何解决儿童忽视问题的专家david pimentel说。“他们不能让孩子独自放学回家，因为邻居们会如何想呢？”

点评：段 iv 借法律专家所举两种情形来说明父母们的艰难处境。①②句的直接引用部分用两个因果关系结构（don’t have the option of/can’t...., because）指出两种情形：一是父母们（parents）不能把孩子独自留在家里自己去购物，二是父母们（they）不能让孩子独自放学回家，原因都是这两种行为都会被人（someone, neighbors）举报。

v ①in 2008, the bureau of justice statistics’ national crime victimization survey estimated that the rate of violent crime was 19.3 per 1,000 people over age 12—less than half the rate from 1973. ②kids under 12 are much safer: their assault rate is about one seventh; their robbery rate, about one twelfth; and their forcible sex rate, about half. ③stranger kidnappings—the threat parents fear most—are much rarer than people think.

翻译：据司法统计局的全国犯罪受害者调查估计，2008年12岁以上的暴力犯罪（受害）率为每千人19.3人--自1973年以来降低了一半以上。12岁以下的孩子更加安全：他们的袭击受害率约为七分之一; 他们的抢劫受害率约为十二分之一; 他们的性侵受害率约为二分之一。陌生人绑架案件--父母们最担心的危险--比人们想象的要少得多。

点评：段 v 从犯罪受害率角度指出孩子所受的安全威胁没有想象得那么多。①②③句分别指出12岁以上（①）和12岁以下（②③）人群的犯罪受害率，②③句详细列举12岁以下孩子在各种犯罪形式中受害比例，冒号之前为结论，冒号后详细列出各种侵犯儿童的犯罪形式的比例。③句单独列出父母们最担心的一种犯罪形式：陌生人绑架案件。上述比率分析总结出的结论：儿童所受到的危险没有想象那么严重。

vi ①you might be wondering: could crime rates be down because of stricter, more supervised parenting? ②experts who’ve extensively crunched these numbers say no. ③they attribute the decline in crime rates to more policing, aggressive prosecution of wrongdoers, the prevalence of cell phones, and greater use of psychiatric meds.

翻译：你可能想知道：（侵害儿童）犯罪率的下降是因为父母更严厉的监管和教养吗？处理这些统计数据的专家给出的答案是，不是。他们把犯罪受害率的下降归因于治安监管的增强、对不法者更积极的指控、手机的普及、以及精神类药品使用量的增加。

点评：段 vi 援引专家观点指出，侵害儿童类的犯罪率下降并不是因为父母对孩子严格看管，而是其他多种因素综合作用的结果。①②句通过一问一答的设问指出侵害儿童类的犯罪率下降并不是因为父母对子女严格看管，②句末尾的no否定的是①句中的because of，犯罪率下降是个不可否定的事实，但是下降原因并不是父母的严格教养，crunch 熟词僻意，此处指处理大量数据（to deal with large amounts of data very quickly）。③句具体介绍专家对侵害儿童类犯罪率下降的原因分析，decline呼应①句中的down。

vii ①so objective

ly, childhood has never been safer. ②but media reports that misrepresent risks about kidnappings and other dangers get burned into parents’ minds—and those of community members who might call the police when they see kids alone or even those of jury members who have to decide whether a parent behaved negligently.

翻译：所以客观地说，童年是最安全的年龄段了。但媒体有关绑架及其他危险的失实报道却深深印在了父母们的头脑中--也在那些看到无人陪同的孩子可能会报警的社区成员的头脑中，或者甚至在那些裁决父母是否存在忽视行为的陪审团成员的头脑中留下深深的烙印。

点评：段 vii 由上两段论述“儿童面临的危险没有想象得多”进而开始分析“公众普遍认为儿童面临很多安全威胁”的原因。 ①句承接上两段，总结上两段信息得出结论：童年是最安全的年龄段。“否定词+比较级”的结构表示最高级的含义。 ②句转折（but）指出，媒体对儿童绑架等相关危险的歪曲报道误导了父母、社区人员和陪审团人员对儿童安全问题的推测。those 回指破折号之前的minds，破折号之后引出受媒体误导的两类人—社区人员和陪审团人员，进一步侧面说明了以往常见的育儿行为遭受不合理指控的原因：受到媒体误导的社区人员会向法律部门举报父母的行为，受到媒体误导的陪审团可能会给无辜的父母定罪。

viii ①“if the public is misinformed about the risks children face in the world and driven by irrational fears inflamed by sensationalistic media reports, the jury may be in a poor position to judge the actions of a parent,” pimentel has argued. ②“because jurors can quickly and easily recall examples of child abductions, they will assume that such events are common and will be quick to condemn parenting choices that fail to guard against such ‘common’ and well-known risks.”

翻译：“如果耸人听闻的媒体报道误导了公众对世界范围内儿童受虐风险的估测并因此激起他们无端的恐惧，陪审团在裁决父母的行为时可能会处于劣势地位，”pimentel辩称。“因为陪审员会快速轻松地回想起那些儿童拐骗事件，他们会认为这些事件很常见，然后很快谴责父母由于疏忽对这些“常见的”公认风险防范不力。

点评：段viii 援引pimentel的观点指出歪曲的媒体报道会对陪审团的裁决造成负面影响。 ①句概括指出歪曲的媒体报道对公众的误导会使陪审团处于劣势地位。②句以因果标志词because引出对陪审团处于劣势地位的原因分析：陪审员会很容易想到媒体报道的很多儿童拐骗事件，并轻率地谴责父母的失责。

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