走遍全世界14:“被忽视的”老年教育

摘要：老年人是社会的弱势群体。他们曾为国家的发展进步奉献了一生。但是许多老年人，在退休之后，并不甘心就这样退出社会舞台，他们想要继续发挥余热。社会也应该给老年人创造更多学习和接受教育的机会。

英语听力原文：

Older people must be given more chances to learn if they are to contribute to society rather than be a financial burden, according to a new study on population published recently.
根据最近发表的一项新的人口研究报告显示：老年人要想不成为社会的负担，想继续发挥余热，就必须给他们更多学习机会。

The current approach which focuses on younger people and on kills for employment is not adequate to meet the challenges of demographic change, it says. Only 1% of the education budget is currently spent on the oldest third of the population.
该报告声称：现在的教育方法倾向于年轻人和职业技能，难以应付人口结构变化的挑战。占人口总数三分之一的老年人只占有百分之一的教育预算。

The challenges include the fact that most people can expect to spend a third of their lives in retirement¹, that there are now more people over 59 than under 16 and that 11.3 million people are over state pension age.
这些挑战包括：多数人三分之一的生命将在退休后度过；五十九岁以上人数高于十六岁以下人数；一千一百三十万人达到了国家法定领取退休金年龄。

"Learning needs to continue throughout life. Our historic concentration of policy attention and resources on young people cannot meet the new needs," says the report's author, Professor Stephen Mcnair.
报告的作者史蒂芬·麦克威尔教授说：“学习应该贯穿人生的整个过程，我们壹仟的政策重心和资源配置更多偏重于年轻人，难以适应新的需求。”

The major portion of our education budget is spent on people below the age of 25. When people are changing their jobs, homes, partners and lifestyles more than ever, they nees opportunities to learn at every age. For example, some people are starting new careers in their 50s and later.
教育预算的大部分花费在二十五岁以下的人身上。当人们比以前更频繁地更换工作、居住地、生活伴侣和生活方式的时候，处在各种年龄段的人们都需要学习的机会。”例如，有些人到了五十多岁或更迟又重新开始创业。

People need opportunities to make a "midlife review" to adjust to the later stages of employed life, and to plan for transition to retirement, which may now happen unpredictably at any point from 50 to over 90, says McNair.
人们需要一个“中年回首”的机会来适应以后的工作生涯，规划退休后的角色转化。这种转化现在可以发生在五十岁到九十多岁的漫长时间内。

And there should be more money available to support people in establishing a sense of identity and finding constructive² roles for the "third age", the 20 or more years they will spend in healthy retired³ life.
应该有更多的资金来保证人们建立身份认知和在“第三年龄段”——也就是退休后二十或更多年的健康生活中——找到建设性角色。

英语词汇整理：

1. contribute v. 捐助，贡献

eg: It was generous of her to contribute such a large sum.
她很大方，捐助了这么大笔钱。

短语：
contribute for 为……捐助
contribute to/towards (把……)捐给……，投(稿)给……

2. financial adj. 财政的，金融的

eg: The company was in deep financial difficulties.   
该公司陷入了严重的财政困难。

短语：
financial affairs 财务
financial allocation 财政拨款
financial center 金融中心
financial responsibility 经济责任

3. burden n. 重担

eg: His poor family is becoming a burden.   
他贫困的家庭渐渐成了累赘。

短语：
a burden on 对……是个负担
burden with 加负担于……
burden to  ……的负担

谚语：
A burden of one's choice is not felt. 爱担的担子不嫌重。

4. approach n. 方式

eg: I'd advise taking a different approach.   
我建议采取不同方法。

短语：
difficult of approach (指人)难于接近的；(指地方)难到达的
easy of approach (指人)容易接近的；(指地方)容易到达的，交通方便的
make an approach to 对……进行探讨
make approaches to someone 想法接近(或认识)某人

5. demographic adj. 人口统计学的

eg: Demographic change is another reason why the workforce⁴ is greying.
人口变化是劳动力老龄化的又一原因。

短语：
demographic analysis人口分析
demographic composition人口组成

6. budget n. 预算

eg：She will design a fantastic new kitchen for you - and all within your budget.
她将为你设计一个崭新的漂亮厨房–所有的花费都将在你的预算之内。

短语：
on a budget 避免不必要的开支，节省费用
budget one's time 安排自己的时间
budget for 为……作预算

7. retirement n. 退休

eg: He was given a gold watch on his retirement.
他退休时得到了一块金表。

短语：
go into retirement 退职；退休
live in retirement 过退休生活；过隐居生活
bond retirement 债券清偿

8. pension n. 退休金，津贴

eg: The country provided a pension to the old person.   
国家给老人们提供养老金。

短语：
draw one's pension 领养老金
live an pension 在公寓膳宿
pension sth. off 不再使用……

9. concentration n. 专注，集中

eg: The tennis players need total concentration during play.   
网球运动员在比赛中需要全神贯注。

短语：
concentration of sth.  集中；聚集
concentration on 注意力集中于……
in/with concentration 专心地
lose one's concentration 分散注意力

10. portion n. 部分

eg: I read a portion of the manuscript.
我读了原稿的一部分。

短语：
portion sth. out 把某物分成若干份；按比例分配
break sth. into portions 把某物分成几部分

11. review n. 回顾，回忆

eg: Lying in the bed, he reviewed the day's happenings.
他躺在床上，回顾了这一天所发生的事。

短语：
be under review 在审查中；在检查中
come under review 开始被考虑；开始受审查
come up for review 交付审核
pass in review【军事】(列队前进)接受检阅；回顾
in review 在检查中

12. adjust v. 调整

eg: Could you teach me how to adjust the iris⁵ of the camera?
你能教我怎么调照相机的光圈吗？

短语：
adjust oneself 调整；调节
adjust...to (使)适应于……

13. transition n. 转变，过渡

eg: We hope there will be a peaceful transition to the new system.
我们希望能够和平过渡到新的制度。

短语：
transition point 转变点；转换点
transition period 过渡期

14. unpredictably adv. 不可预知地

eg: Economies are behaving unpredictably and will continue to do so.
各经济体的表现难以预料，这种情况将持续下去。

短语：
to appear and disappear unpredictably 出没无常
unpredictably difficult in operation 很可能有麻烦

佳句采摘：
Learning needs to continue throughout life. Our historic concentration of policy attention and resources on young people cannot meet the new needs
学习应该贯穿人生的整个过程，我们壹仟的政策重心和资源配置更多偏重于年轻人，难以适应新的需求。

1 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。

2 constructive   

adj.建设的，建设性的

参考例句：

• We welcome constructive criticism.我们乐意接受有建设性的批评。
• He is beginning to deal with his anger in a constructive way.他开始用建设性的方法处理自己的怒气。

3 retired   

adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的

参考例句：

• The old man retired to the country for rest.这位老人下乡休息去了。
• Many retired people take up gardening as a hobby.许多退休的人都以从事园艺为嗜好。

4 workforce   

n.劳动大军，劳动力

参考例句：

• A large part of the workforce is employed in agriculture.劳动人口中一大部分受雇于农业。
• A quarter of the local workforce is unemployed.本地劳动力中有四分之一失业。

5 iris   

n.虹膜，彩虹

参考例句：

• The opening of the iris is called the pupil.虹膜的开口处叫做瞳孔。
• This incredible human eye,complete with retina and iris,can be found in the Maldives.又是在马尔代夫，有这样一只难以置信的眼睛，连视网膜和虹膜都刻画齐全了。