王强口语 第二册 Read Text 001

　　口语部分
文化篇
Read the text carefully and be prepared to answer the question:
American Values
Americans sometimes fall into the trap of thinking that American values are universal ones. We can't always see that our values are actually typical American values.  Instead, we assume the things Americans value are obviously what everyone should believe in.
But we should remember the saying: when you "assume," you make an "ass¹" out of "u" and "me." We only need to look at what happens when Americans go as advisors² to developing countries to see how wrong our assumptions can be. Some Americans go thinking they're sharing pearls of wisdom with the backward natives about how to get things done right. They assume that stimulating³ competition and giving financial incentives⁴ for individual achievement will naturally change people's behavior and lead to success. When their projects barely get off the ground, they can't understand what went wrong. They mistakenly think that people must just be lazy or that they don't really want a higher standard of living. So the advisors wind up getting discouraged and going home, grateful to be surrounded by hardworking Americans again.
In these situations, we should realize that American values may come from America's unique position as the land of opportunity.  We are brought up with the American dream that everyone can work hard and get ahead.  But we should realize that in countries with a different history and different opportunities, other values might be more important, like avoiding conflict or saving face.

1 ass   

n.驴；傻瓜，蠢笨的人

参考例句：

• He is not an ass as they make him.他不象大家猜想的那样笨。
• An ass endures his burden but not more than his burden.驴能负重但不能超过它能力所负担的。

2 advisors   

n.顾问，劝告者( advisor的名词复数 )；（指导大学新生学科问题等的）指导教授

参考例句：

• The governors felt that they were being strung along by their advisors. 地方长官感到他们一直在受顾问们的愚弄。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• We will consult together with advisors about her education. 我们将一起和专家商议她的教育事宜。 来自互联网

3 stimulating   

adj.有启发性的，能激发人思考的

参考例句：

• shower gel containing plant extracts that have a stimulating effect on the skin 含有对皮肤有益的植物精华的沐浴凝胶
• This is a drug for stimulating nerves. 这是一种兴奋剂。

4 incentives   

激励某人做某事的事物( incentive的名词复数 )； 刺激； 诱因； 动机

参考例句：

• tax incentives to encourage savings 鼓励储蓄的税收措施
• Furthermore, subsidies provide incentives only for investments in equipment. 更有甚者，提供津贴仅是为鼓励增添设备的投资。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法