Unit 3 section A Journey through the odyssey years

奥德赛岁月之旅

1 Most of us know about the phases of life which we label to parallel different age groups and life stages: childhood, adolescence, adulthood, and old age. We think of infancy before childhood and middle age before old age, with each unique phase bringing its own peculiar set of challenges. These challenges can be overcome by acquainting ourselves with them, such as the child's need

1 Most of us know about the phases of life which we label to parallel different age groups and life stages: childhood, adolescence, adulthood, and old age. (Para. 1) Meaning: Most of us know about the different life stages that we describe according to different age groups: childhood, adolescence, adulthood, and old age.

2 We think of infancy before childhood and middle age before old age, with each unique phase bringing its own peculiar set of challenges. (Para. 1)

Meaning: We sequence the life stages of infancy, childhood, middle age and old age according to their natural order, with each particular life stage facing its own featured challenges.

Sentence structure note:

“with＋名词/代词＋现在分词”作独立主格结构

“with＋名词/代词＋现在分词”构成独立主格结构，主要用作状语，可以表示伴随、方式、原因、时间等。

with 之后的名词和其后的现在分词构成主谓关系，其中现在分词表示主动或正在进行的动作。例如：

She sat down at the table, with each dish emitting a delicious smell. 她在餐桌旁坐了下来， 每道菜都散发出扑鼻的香味。（状语表示伴随）

The girl sat there quite silent with her eyes fixing on the wall. 女孩坐在那里一言不发，目不转睛地盯着墙壁。（状语表示方式）

With our food running out, we had to walk to a village for help. 由于我们的食物即将吃完，

我们不得不步行到一个村子寻求帮助。（状语表示原因）

With summer coming, it is becoming hotter and hotter. 随着夏季来临，天气变得越来越热。

（状语表示时间）

Usage note: peculiar, characteristic, unusual

peculiar, characteristic 和 unusual 都可用作形容词，都含有表示“有特点的；有特色的”等意思，但有细微差别。

1 从词义上说，peculiar 着重“独特性”，强调“与众不同的”特征；characteristic 常强调所指性质的典型性,也可以表示这些性质使某一事物区别于其他的事物；unusual 强调“少见的”， 与通常的情况“截然不同的”或“未曾预料的”特征。例如：

The wine has a peculiar taste. 这种酒有种独特的味道。

It’s characteristic of her that she never complained. 从来不发牢骚是她的个性。

It was not unusual for me to come home at two or three in the morning. 凌晨两三点回家对我来说是很平常的事。

2 从用法上说，peculiar 通常和介词 to 搭配，表示“为某人或某物所特有”；characteristic 通常和介词 of 搭配，表示“某物或某人有…特性、特征、特色”；unusual 通常和介词 for 搭配，表示“对…不同寻常”。例如：

Great minds in general look at life in a way peculiar to themselves. 一般来说，伟大的思想家都以自己独特的眼光来看待生活。

With the friendly and generous care so characteristic of these people, they opened their house to over 50 guests. 这些人以特有的友好和慷慨关爱，在家接待了 50 多位客人。It’s not unusual for teenagers to go through a phase when they feel ashamed of their parents, afraid that they might not live up to their friends’ standards. 青少年经历为自己的父母感到羞愧的阶段是很平常的，他们生怕自己的父母达不到他们朋友所设的标准。

He asked me if there was anything unusual about the man who had robbed me, but I couldn't accurately describe the man. 他问我那个抢劫了我的男人是否有什么不寻常之处， 但我不能准确地描述那个男子。

3 These challenges can be overcome by acquainting ourselves with them, such as the child’s need to learn, the adult’s need to find the right career and build a family, and the senior’s need for support and good health care. (Para. 1)

Meaning: By familiarizing ourselves with the particular challenges such as the needs for different age groups: child, adult, and senior, we can surely overcome all these challenges. Meaning beyond words: If we stay positive and optimistic, we’ll successfully handle the challenges at different life stages.

2 Interestingly, ideas about the stages of life are changing.

2 有趣的是，关于人生阶段的观念正在发生变化。

4 Interestingly, ideas about the stages of life are changing. (Para. 2)

Meaning beyond words: Since the sentence states that the ideas about life stages are changing, it’s predictable that the following text will focus on this topic.

3 In previous times, people didn't have a solid idea of childhood as being separate from adulthood. A hundred years ago, no one thought of adolescence. Until recently it was understood as a norm that their induction to adulthood was completed as soon as they graduated from college. They would now find a

5 In previous times, people didn’t have a solid idea of childhood as being separate from adulthood. A hundred years ago, no one thought of adolescence. (Para. 3) Meaning: In the past, people didn’t have a clear concept about separating childhood from adulthood. Children were simply seen as youngsters. Likewise, people didn’t think about the life stage of adolescence a hundred years ago.

6 Until recently it was understood as a norm that their induction to adulthood was completed as soon as they graduated from college. They would now find a sensible job which would lead to a career. (Para. 3)

Meaning: People used to consider it normal: As soon as students graduated from college, they would become part of the adult community and find a practical and reliable job toward a career.

Meaning beyond words: Things are no longer the same as they were in the past. College graduates won’t find an ideal job right after they graduate from school. It’ll take longer time before they start with their career.

Usage note: sensible, sensitive

1 sensible 表示“明智的”，如：a sensible person（一个明智的人），a sensible plan（一个切合实际的计划）。

A sensible person makes good decisions and adjustments based on reason rather than

emotion. 一个明智的人会根据理智而不是情感来做出合理的决定和判断。

sensible 还可以表示“知道的；觉察的”，be sensible of … 表示“感知某事；察觉到某事”。例如：

I am sensible of the suffering you are undergoing. 我清楚你正在经历的痛苦。

2 sensitive 在词义上表示“敏感的；易受影响的”。例如：

A sensitive person is easily upset by other people’s remarks or behavior. 敏感的人很容易因他人的言论或行为而生气。

You shouldn’t be so sensitive about what people say. 你不应该对别人说什么如此敏感。

sensitive to 表示 “对…过敏的；对…理解的”。例如：

Unfortunately, she is sensitive to penicillin, and I doubt whether any other drug will help

her. 不幸的是，她对青霉素过敏，我不能确定是否有其他药物可以帮助她。

We’re trying to make people more sensitive to the difficulties faced by working mothers.

我们正在努力使人们更理解上班族妈妈所面临的困难。

7 Then during this career they would start a family, ideally before they turned 30. (Para. 3)

Meaning: While working on their career, they would get married to start their own family, preferably by age 30.

8 Today we have an equivalent need to recognize a new phase of life that comes after high school graduation, continues through college, and then leads to starting a family and having a career, the so-called odyssey years. (Para. 4)

Meaning: Today we are also required to recognize a new life stage which starts from high school graduation through college till they settle down with a family and a career. This new phase might be called the odyssey years, the years of self-discovery.

9 Recent trends show radical changes as young people are following a different agenda. (Para. 4)

Meaning: As young people are living a different lifestyle, the society has gone through tremendous changes.

Meaning beyond words: Young people tend to behave rebelliously, which is contrary to the traditional way and beyond the expectations of their parents.

10 They take breaks from school, live with friends and often return to living with their parents.(Para. 4)

Meaning: They stop going to school for a while, live with friends and often even return to living with their parents.

Meaning beyond words: They obviously have more freedom than the older generation. take a break from: rest for a short period of time when you stop doing sth. 中断；暂停She took a break from her work to make herself some coffee and then resumed a few minutes later. 她暂停了一会儿工作，给自己泡了一点咖啡，然后几分钟后继续工作。

11 Similarly, they fall in and out of love, quit one job and try another or even shift to a new career.(Para. 4)

Meaning: Likewise, they fall in and out of love, give up one job and try another, or change to a completely different profession.

Meaning beyond words: Before they finally settle down, college graduates need to accumulate life experiences – to discover themselves during their odyssey years.

12 So, we need to recognize this new stage, the odyssey years, which many now consider to be an unavoidable stage in reaching adulthood. (Para. 4)

Meaning: Therefore, it is necessary to recognize this unavoidable new stage, where young people explore life in order to reach adulthood.

轻人都推迟结婚、生子，甚至推迟就业。

13 People who were born prior to the 60s or 70s in the last century tended to frame their concept of adulthood based upon achieving certain accomplishments: moving away from home, becoming financially independent, finding the right spouse and starting a family. (Para. 5)

Meaning: People born before the 1960s or 1970s were likely to define the term adulthood according to certain accomplishments, such as moving away from home, having financial

independence, and starting a family with a good husband or wife.

tend to do sth.: usu. do a particular thing 倾向于；往往会；易于做某事

People tend to need less sleep as they get older. 随着年纪的增长，人们需要的睡眠会变少。

Because my car tends to overheat in the summer, I frequently have to turn on the A/C to help the engine cool down. 因为我的车往往在夏天会过热，所以我得常将空调打开，以帮助引擎冷却。

14 But that emphasis on stability did not remain static. Today, young people are unlikely to do the same. (Para. 5)

Meaning: However, stability didn’t stay the same forever since young people today are doing things differently from their parents.

Meaning beyond words: Young people today are unlikely to behave the same way as was at one time considered as the norm: moving away from home, becoming financially independent, finding the right spouse and starting a family right away after they graduate from college.

15 During the odyssey years, a high proportion of young people are delaying marriage, childbearing, and even employment. (Para. 5)

Meaning: Many young people postpone getting married, having children and taking a job during their odyssey years.

16 The odyssey years can saddle young people with enormous pressure to move forward quickly. (Para. 6)

新视野大学英语第三版读写教程第二册unit3A教案