英語聽力小短文走遍全世界:“被忽視的”老年教育

英語聽力原文：

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.

根據(jù)最近發(fā)表的一項新的人口研究報告顯示：老年人要想不成為社會的負擔，想繼續(xù)發(fā)揮余熱，就必須給他們更多學習機會。

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.

該報告聲稱：現(xiàn)在的教育方法傾向于年輕人和職業(yè)技能，難以應付人口結構變化的挑戰(zhàn)。占人口總數(shù)三分之一的老年人只占有百分之一的教育預算。

The challenges include the fact that most people can expect to spend a third of their lives in retirement, that there are now more people over 59 than under 16 and that 11.3 million people are over state pension age.

這些挑戰(zhàn)包括：多數(shù)人三分之一的生命將在退休后度過;五十九歲以上人數(shù)高于十六歲以下人數(shù);一千一百三十萬人達到了國家法定領取退休金年齡。

"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.

報告的作者史蒂芬·麥克威爾教授說：“學習應該貫穿人生的整個過程，我們壹仟的政策重心和資源配置更多偏重于年輕人，難以適應新的需求。”

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.

教育預算的大部分花費在二十五歲以下的人身上。當人們比以前更頻繁地更換工作、居住地、生活伴侶和生活方式的時候，處在各種年齡段的人們都需要學習的機會。”例如，有些人到了五十多歲或更遲又重新開始創(chuàng)業(yè)。

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.

人們需要一個“中年回首”的機會來適應以后的工作生涯，規(guī)劃退休后的角色轉化。這種轉化現(xiàn)在可以發(fā)生在五十歲到九十多歲的漫長時間內(nèi)。

And there should be more money available to support people in establishing a sense of identity and finding constructive roles for the "third age", the 20 or more years they will spend in healthy retired life.

應該有更多的資金來保證人們建立身份認知和在“第三年齡段”——也就是退休后二十或更多年的健康生活中——找到建設性角色。

英語詞匯整理：

1. contribute v. 捐助，貢獻

eg: It was generous of her to contribute such a large sum.

她很大方，捐助了這么大筆錢。

短語：

contribute for 為……捐助

contribute to/towards (把……)捐給……，投(稿)給……

2. financial adj. 財政的，金融的

eg: The company was in deep financial difficulties.

該公司陷入了嚴重的財政困難。

短語：

financial affairs 財務

financial allocation 財政撥款

financial center 金融中心

financial responsibility 經(jīng)濟責任

3. burden n. 重擔

eg: His poor family is becoming a burden.

他貧困的家庭漸漸成了累贅。

短語：

a burden on 對……是個負擔

burden with 加負擔于……

burden to ……的負擔

諺語：

A burden of one's choice is not felt. 愛擔的擔子不嫌重。

4. approach n. 方式

eg: I'd advise taking a different approach.

我建議采取不同方法。

短語：

difficult of approach (指人)難于接近的;(指地方)難到達的

easy of approach (指人)容易接近的;(指地方)容易到達的，交通方便的

make an approach to 對……進行探討

make approaches to someone 想法接近(或認識)某人

5. demographic adj. 人口統(tǒng)計學的

eg: Demographic change is another reason why the workforce is greying.

人口變化是勞動力老齡化的又一原因。

短語：

demographic analysis人口分析

demographic composition人口組成

6. budget n. 預算

eg：She will design a fantastic new kitchen for you - and all within your budget.

她將為你設計一個嶄新的漂亮廚房–所有的花費都將在你的預算之內(nèi)。

短語：

on a budget 避免不必要的開支，節(jié)省費用

budget one's time 安排自己的時間

budget for 為……作預算

7. retirement n. 退休

eg: He was given a gold watch on his retirement.

他退休時得到了一塊金表。

短語：

go into retirement 退職;退休

live in retirement 過退休生活;過隱居生活

bond retirement 債券清償

8. pension n. 退休金，津貼

eg: The country provided a pension to the old person.

國家給老人們提供養(yǎng)老金。

短語：

draw one's pension 領養(yǎng)老金

live an pension 在公寓膳宿

pension sth. off 不再使用……

9. concentration n. 專注，集中

eg: The tennis players need total concentration during play.

網(wǎng)球運動員在比賽中需要全神貫注。

短語：

concentration of sth. 集中;聚集

concentration on 注意力集中于……

in/with concentration 專心地

lose one's concentration 分散注意力

10. portion n. 部分

eg: I read a portion of the manuscript.

我讀了原稿的一部分。

短語：

portion sth. out 把某物分成若干份;按比例分配

break sth. into portions 把某物分成幾部分

11. review n. 回顧，回憶

eg: Lying in the bed, he reviewed the day's happenings.

他躺在床上，回顧了這一天所發(fā)生的事。

短語：

be under review 在審查中;在檢查中

come under review 開始被考慮;開始受審查

come up for review 交付審核

pass in review【軍事】(列隊前進)接受檢閱;回顧

in review 在檢查中

12. adjust v. 調(diào)整

eg: Could you teach me how to adjust the iris of the camera?

你能教我怎么調(diào)照相機的光圈嗎?

短語：

adjust oneself 調(diào)整;調(diào)節(jié)

adjust...to (使)適應于……

13. transition n. 轉變，過渡

eg: We hope there will be a peaceful transition to the new system.

我們希望能夠和平過渡到新的制度。

短語：

transition point 轉變點;轉換點

transition period 過渡期

14. unpredictably adv. 不可預知地

eg: Economies are behaving unpredictably and will continue to do so.

各經(jīng)濟體的表現(xiàn)難以預料，這種情況將持續(xù)下去。

短語：

to appear and disappear unpredictably 出沒無常

unpredictably difficult in operation 很可能有麻煩

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

學習應該貫穿人生的整個過程，我們壹仟的政策重心和資源配置更多偏重于年輕人，難以適應新的需求。