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早教玩具能让孩子上哈佛吗(上)
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玩具过剩揭示了人们对于玩耍与童年有何作用的一种特定的想象。
双语精读
The week my eldest son finished nursery, I decided to clear out the playroom where he had spent much of his young life forming bonds with inanimate objects.
大儿子从幼儿园毕业的那个星期，我决定清理一下游戏房，他生活中大部分时间都待在那个房间里和无生命物体建立情感联系。
Toys had kept him company whenever other duties or distractions had occupied his mother and me, and over the years we had amassed a truly crass number of them. As I sifted through pile after pile, I felt as though I was in the pit of an immense archaeological dig.
每当我和他妈妈在工作或忙其他事情的时候，玩具就会陪伴他，于是这些年来我们积累了一大堆玩具。当我仔细检查一堆堆玩具时，我觉得自己仿佛身处一个巨大的考古挖掘坑中。
I had not considered us to be particularly pushy or indulgent parents; mostly, I wanted my children to grow up to be financially independent and live lives of nothing worse than common unhappiness.
我认为我们不是特别强势或纵容的父母，一般来说，我希望我的孩子长大后经济独立，过得比普通不快乐的生活好一点就够了。
But the artefacts in our playroom midden told another tale. Here is a partial inventory of what I found: 13 floor puzzles, including several meant to teach the alphabet. Two sets of magnetic tiles, along with dozens of figurines and matchbox cars, for constructive and imaginary play.
但游戏房里堆放的玩具则讲述了另一个故事。以下是我发现的部分玩具清单: 13个地板拼图，包括几个教字母表的拼图。两套磁力贴，以及几十个小雕像和小玩具车，用来玩建房子和假扮游戏。
Xylophones and tambourines to foster musical ability, and a smattering of finger paints to inspire artistic creativity. Four logic games and a set of dice for practising maths. A speaker box that could play Mozart or children's versions of the Iliad and Odyssey. Endless Duplo.
培养音乐能力的木琴和铃鼓，少量几张用于激发艺术创造力的手指画，练习数学用的四个逻辑游戏和一套骰子，一个可以播放莫扎特或儿童版《伊利亚特》和《奥德赛》的音箱，还有数不清的乐高积木。
And, to teach our kids how to unwind after the vigorously pedagogical afternoon those other things were meant to facilitate, the Fisher-Price Meditation Mouse, an electronic plush toy offering guided stretching and relaxation exercises (advertising copy: "help your little one learn how to nama-stay relaxed").
另外，在经历了一下午精力充沛的教学活动之后（其他玩具是用于辅助这些活动的），为了教会孩子如何放松，玩具里还有费雪牌的冥想小老鼠，这是一个提供拉伸和放松练习指导的电子毛绒玩具(广告文案: "帮助你的小不点学会如何放松身心")。
Our heap of playthings may have been extreme, but it was by no means atypical. American families spend, on average, around 600 dollars per year on toys; a typical 10-year-old child in the UK may have possessed 238 toys in her short life, totalling about 6,500 pounds.
我家堆积如山的玩具可能算极端情况，但绝不算反常。美国家庭平均每年在玩具上的花费约为600美元，一个10岁的英国普通小孩在其短短的人生中可能就已经拥有了238个玩具，总价值约为6500英镑。
That abundance bespeaks an entire world--of a postwar boom in plastics, babies and disposable income, of humans in Chinese factories and Madison Avenue marketing agencies, of the not always benign neglect of parents with relentless careers or hangovers or an aversion to spending time with other emotionally volatile beings.
这种丰富性反映了世界万象----战后塑料制品、婴儿数量、可支配收入猛增；中国的工厂和麦迪逊大道的营销机构蒸蒸日上；因为忙不完的工作，或宿醉，或不愿与情绪反复无常的孩子相处，父母并不总是出于善意地忽视孩子。
Above all, perhaps, the glut of toys reveals a particular vision of what play and childhood are for.
而最重要的也许是，玩具过剩揭示了人们对于玩耍与童年有何作用的一种特定的想象。
词汇预习
particularly [高考]
美[pərˈtɪkjələrli] | 英[pəˈtɪkjələli]
adv. 特别；尤其；详细地
artistic [高考]
美[ɑːrˈtɪstɪk] | 英[ɑːˈtɪstɪk]
adj. 艺术的
magnetic [高考]
美[mæɡˈnetɪk] | 英[mæɡˈnetɪk]
adj. 有磁性的；有吸引力的；催眠术的 n. 磁体，磁性物质
relaxation [高考]
美[ˌriːlækˈseɪʃn] | 英[ˌriːlækˈseɪʃn]
n. 消遣；松弛；放松
vision [高考]
美[ˈvɪʒn] | 英[ˈvɪʒn]
n. 视力；视觉；幻觉；眼光；洞察力；想象力 v. 幻想；设想
neglect [高考]
美[nɪˈɡlekt] | 英[nɪˈɡlekt]
vt. 忽略；忽视；疏忽 n. 疏忽；忽视
abundance [高考]
美[əˈbʌndəns] | 英[əˈbʌndəns]
n. 丰富；充裕
pit [高考]
美[pɪt] | 英[pɪt]
n.矿井；深洞；深坑；麻子 vt.使有麻子; 使有凹陷 vi.凹陷; 起凹点
logic [高考]
美[ˈlɑːdʒɪk] | 英[ˈlɒdʒɪk]
n. 逻辑；逻辑学；条理性；推理
emotionally [高考]
美[ɪˈmoʃənlɪ] | 英[ɪ'məʊʃənəlɪ]
adv. 感情上地；冲动地
constructive [高考]
美[kənˈstrʌktɪv] | 英[kənˈstrʌktɪv]
adj. 建设性的；构造上的；作图的
imaginary [高考]
美[ɪˈmædʒɪneri] | 英[ɪˈmædʒɪnəri]
adj. 想象的；虚构的
inspire [高考]
美[ɪnˈspaɪər] | 英[ɪnˈspaɪə(r)]
vt. 鼓舞；激发；产生；赋予...灵感 vi. 吸入
per [高考]
美[pər] | 英[pə(r)]
prep. 每；每一；经过；按照
entire [高考]
美[ɪnˈtaɪər] | 英[ɪnˈtaɪə(r)]
adj. 全部的；整个的；完全的 n. 全部；整体；〈英〉一种黑啤酒；种马
pile [高考]
美[paɪl] | 英[paɪl]
n. 桩；堆；摞；桩柱 v. 堆放；摞起；叠放；放置
extreme [高考]
美[ɪkˈstriːm] | 英[ɪkˈstriːm]
adj. 极度的；极端的 n. 极端；极限
boom [高考]
美[buːm] | 英[buːm]
n. 繁荣；兴旺；激增；低沉声 n. 帆杠；吊杆；支臂；尾桁；水栅 vi. 急速增长；发出低沉声 vt. 使兴旺；促进
foster [高考]
美[ˈfɑːstər] | 英[ˈfɒstə(r)]
vt. 领养；培养；促进；鼓励；抱有（希望等） adj. 收养的
nursery [高考]
美[ˈnɜːrsəri] | 英[ˈnɜːsəri]
n. 托儿所；保育室；苗圃
alphabet [高考]
美[ˈælfəbet] | 英[ˈælfəbet]
n. 字母表；基本原理(元素)；符号系统
as though [高考]
美[æz ðoʊ] | 英[æz ðəʊ]
conj. 仿佛；好像
by no means [高考]
美[baɪ noʊ miːnz] | 英[baɪ nəʊ miːnz]
决不； 并没有
means [高考]
美[miːnz] | 英[miːnz]
n. 方法；手段；收入；财产 v. 意思是，意味（动词mean的第三人称单数）
facilitate [高考]
美[fəˈsɪlɪteɪt] | 英[fəˈsɪlɪteɪt]
vt. 促进；帮助；使 ... 容易
immense [高考]
美[ɪˈmens] | 英[ɪˈmens]
adj. 巨大的；广大的；[口]非常好的
partial [高考]
美[ˈpɑːrʃl] | 英[ˈpɑːʃl]
adj. 不完全的；部分的；偏袒的；偏爱的
where [高考]
美[wer] | 英[weə(r)]
adv. 在哪里；在那个地方 conj. 在 ... 地方
heap [高考]
美[hiːp] | 英[hiːp]
n. 堆；许多；[口]破车 vt. 使成堆；装满；大量给予
financially [四级]
美[faɪˈnænʃəlɪ] | 英[fə'nænʃəlɪ]
adv. 财政上(金融上)
vigorously [四级]
美[ˈvɪɡərəslɪ] | 英['vɪɡərəslɪ]
adv. 有力地；健壮地；精力旺盛地
eldest [四级]
美[ˈɛldɪst] | 英[ˈeldɪst]
adj. 最年长的；最老的
up to [四级]
美[ʌp tu] | 英[ʌp tu]
胜任；直到；多达；该由 ... 决定
along with [四级]
美[əˈlɔːŋ wɪð] | 英[əˈlɒŋ wɪð]
与...在一起；在...以外；沿着；随着；（除…之外）又…，加之
neglect of [四级]
美[nɪˈɡlɛkt ʌv] | 英[niˈɡlekt ɔv]
疏忽
marketing [四级]
美[ˈmɑːrkɪtɪŋ] | 英[ˈmɑːkɪtɪŋ]
n. 市场营销；行销
advertising [四级]
美[ˈædvərtaɪzɪŋ] | 英[ˈædvətaɪzɪŋ]
n. 广告；广告业
offering [四级]
美[ˈɔːfərɪŋ] | 英[ˈɒfərɪŋ]
n. 供品；作品；出售物
unhappiness [六级]
美[ʌnˈhæpɪnɪs] | 英[ʌn'hæpɪnəs]
n. 忧愁；苦恼
benign [六级]
美[bɪˈnaɪn] | 英[bɪˈnaɪn]
adj. 仁慈的；温和的；良性的
disposable [六级]
美[dɪˈspoʊzəbl] | 英[dɪˈspəʊzəbl]
adj. 可任意处理的；一次性的 n. 用完即可丢弃的东西
relentless [六级]
美[rɪˈlentləs] | 英[rɪˈlentləs]
adj. 冷酷无情的；不间断的
decided [专四]
美[dɪˈsaɪdɪd] | 英[dɪˈsaɪdɪd]
adj. 确定的；坚决的
indulgent [专四]
美[ɪnˈdʌldʒənt] | 英[ɪnˈdʌldʒənt]
adj. 纵容的；任性的；宽容的；溺爱的
inventory [专四]
美[ˈɪnvəntɔːri] | 英[ˈɪnvəntri]
n. 详细目录；存货(清单) vt. 编制(详细目录)
felt [专八]
美[fɛlt] | 英[felt]
n. 毛毡；毡制品 vt. 制毡；使粘结 vi. 毡合
aversion [专八]
美[əˈvɜːrʒn] | 英[əˈvɜːʃn]
n. 嫌恶；憎恨
plush [专八]
美[plʌʃ] | 英[plʌʃ]
adj. 豪华的；优裕的；长毛绒的 n. 长毛绒
pedagogical [专八]
美[ˌpɛdəˈgɑdʒɪkəl] | 英[ˌpɛdəˈgɒdʒɪkəl]
adj. 教学(法)的
volatile [专八]
美[ˈvɑːlətl] | 英[ˈvɒlətaɪl]
adj. 不稳定的；反复无常的；易挥发的 n. 挥发物
unwind [专八]
美[ˌʌnˈwaɪnd] | 英[ˌʌnˈwaɪnd]
v. 解开；松开；放松
inanimate [专八]
美[ɪnˈænəmɪt] | 英[ɪnˈænɪmət]
adj. 无生命的
postwar [考研]
美[ˈpostˈwɔr] | 英['pəʊst'wɔ:]
adj. 战后的
archaeological [考研]
美[ˌɑrkiəˈlɑdʒɪkəl] | 英[ˌɑːkɪəˈlɒdʒɪkəl]
adj. 考古学的；考古学上的
重点讲解
The week my eldest son finished nursery, I decided to clear out the playroom where he had spent much of his young life forming bonds with inanimate objects.
大儿子从幼儿园毕业的那个星期，我决定清理一下游戏房，他生活中大部分时间都待在那个房间里和无生命物体建立情感联系。
bond n. & v.
1. 作名词：纽带；联系；关系
【例】forge a bond of friendship/strengthen the bond 建立友谊纽带/加强联系
2. 作动词：建立（与某人的）信任关系；使牢固结合
【例】Mothers who are depressed sometimes fail to bond with their children.
长期抑郁的母亲有时无法和孩子建立亲子关系。
This glue can be used to bond wood to metal.
这种胶水可以把木头粘在金属上。
inanimate adj.
1. 无生命的；死了似的
【例】A man was lying inanimate on the floor.
一个男子躺在地板上，看样子像是死了。
2. 单调的；沉闷的
【例】an inanimate conversation/expression 沉闷的谈话/死气沉沉的表情
【反义词】animate adj./v. 有生命的；有活力的/使生气勃勃
【拓展】animation n. 生气；活力；动画片 anime n. 日本动漫
Toys had kept him company whenever other duties or distractions had occupied his mother and me, and over the years we had amassed a truly crass number of them. As I sifted through pile after pile, I felt as though I was in the pit of an immense archaeological dig.
每当我和他妈妈在工作或忙其他事情的时候，玩具就会陪伴他，于是这些年来我们积累了一大堆玩具。当我仔细检查一堆堆玩具时，我觉得自己仿佛身处一个巨大的考古挖掘坑中。
keep sb company 陪伴某人
【例】I'll keep you company while you're waiting.
你等待时我会陪着你的。
【拓展】accompany v. 陪伴；伴随
【例】His wife accompanied him on the trip.
那次旅行他由妻子陪同。
amass v. 大量积累；积聚
【例】amass a vast fortune 积累大量财富
【近义词】accumulate v. 积累
I had not considered us to be particularly pushy or indulgent parents; mostly, I wanted my children to grow up to be financially independent and live lives of nothing worse than common unhappiness.
我认为我们不是特别强势或纵容的父母，一般来说，我希望我的孩子长大后经济独立，过得比普通不快乐的生活好一点就够了。
indulgent adj. 放纵的；溺爱的
【例】she was perhaps a bit too indulgent with her children.
她可能有点太纵容她的孩子们了。
【拓展】indulge v. 纵容；迁就；满足
【例】She indulges her son in whatever he wishes to eat.
她惯着儿子, 他要吃什么就给他吃什么。
The inheritance enabled him to indulge his passion for art.
这笔遗产使他能够满足他对艺术的热爱。
But the artefacts in our playroom midden told another tale. Here is a partial inventory of what I found: 13 floor puzzles, including several meant to teach the alphabet. Two sets of magnetic tiles, along with dozens of figurines and matchbox cars, for constructive and imaginary play.
但游戏房里堆放的玩具则讲述了另一个故事。以下是我发现的部分玩具清单: 13个地板拼图，包括几个教字母表的拼图。两套磁力贴，以及几十个小雕像和小玩具车，用来玩建房子和假扮游戏。
be meant to do/for sth 有……目的
【例】The chair was clearly meant for a child.
这椅子显然是专为儿童设计的。
Xylophones and tambourines to foster musical ability, and a smattering of finger paints to inspire artistic creativity. Four logic games and a set of dice for practising maths. A speaker box that could play Mozart or children's versions of the Iliad and Odyssey. Endless Duplo.
培养音乐能力的木琴和铃鼓，少量几张用于激发艺术创造力的手指画，练习数学用的四个逻辑游戏和一套骰子，一个可以播放莫扎特或儿童版《伊利亚特》和《奥德赛》的音箱，还有数不清的乐高积木。
foster v. 促进；助长；培养
【例】foster a spirit of cooperation/an interest in literature 培养合作精神/对文学的兴趣
【近义词】cultivate v. 培养；加强；鼓励发展
And, to teach our kids how to unwind after the vigorously pedagogical afternoon those other things were meant to facilitate, the Fisher-Price Meditation Mouse, an electronic plush toy offering guided stretching and relaxation exercises (advertising copy: "help your little one learn how to nama-stay relaxed").
另外，在经历了一下午精力充沛的教学活动之后（其他玩具是用于辅助这些活动的），为了教会孩子如何放松，玩具里还有费雪牌的冥想小老鼠，这是一个提供拉伸和放松练习指导的电子毛绒玩具(广告文案: "帮助你的小不点学会如何放松身心")。
unwind v.
1. 解开，松开（卷绕之物）
【例】He unwound his scarf from his neck.
他从脖子上解下围巾。
2. 放松；使松弛
【例】Music helps me unwind after a busy day.
音乐使我在忙碌一天后得以放松。
【拓展】wind v. 缠绕；上发条；蜿蜒
facilitate v. 使变得更容易；促进；使便利
【例】The new trade agreement should facilitate more rapid economic growth.
新贸易协定应当会促进经济发展。
Our heap of playthings may have been extreme, but it was by no means atypical. American families spend, on average, around 600 dollars per year on toys; a typical 10-year-old child in the UK may have possessed 238 toys in her short life, totalling about 6,500 pounds.
我家堆积如山的玩具可能算极端情况，但绝不算反常。美国家庭平均每年在玩具上的花费约为600美元，一个10岁的英国普通小孩在其短短的人生中可能就已经拥有了238个玩具，总价值约为6500英镑。
by no means 绝不；一点也不
【例】She is by no means an inexperienced teacher.
她绝不是个毫无经验的教师。
【拓展】
1. by all means 当然可以
【例】“May I sit?” “Yes, by all means.”
“我能坐下吗？”“当然可以。”
2. by means of 借助……手段；依靠……方法
【例】He succeeded by means of perseverance.
他靠坚韧不拔的毅力获得成功。
atypical adj. 非典型的；反常的
【例】atypical weather for this area 对这个地区而言很反常的天气
【拓展】atheism n. 无神论
That abundance bespeaks an entire world--of a postwar boom in plastics, babies and disposable income, of humans in Chinese factories and Madison Avenue marketing agencies, of the not always benign neglect of parents with relentless careers or hangovers or an aversion to spending time with other emotionally volatile beings.
这种丰富性反映了世界万象----战后塑料制品、婴儿数量、可支配收入猛增；中国的工厂和麦迪逊大道的营销机构蒸蒸日上；因为忙不完的工作，或宿醉，或不愿与情绪反复无常的孩子相处，父母并不总是出于善意地忽视孩子。
bespeak v. 显示；表明
【例】His style of dressing bespoke great self-confidence.
他的穿衣风格表明他十分自信。
【辨析】bespoke adj. 订制的
【例】a bespoke suit 订制的套装
benign adj. 善良的；良性的
【例】a benign teacher/tumor 和蔼的老师；良性肿瘤
【反义词】malign adj. 有害的 malignant adj. 恶性的
【拓展】benign neglect （避免局势恶化的）善意忽视；冷处理
Above all, perhaps, the glut of toys reveals a particular vision of what play and childhood are for.
而最重要的也许是，玩具过剩揭示了人们对于玩耍与童年有何作用的一种特定的想象。
bespeak v. 显示；表明
【例】His style of dressing bespoke great self-confidence.
他的穿衣风格表明他十分自信。
【辨析】bespoke adj. 订制的
【例】a bespoke suit 订制的套装
benign adj. 善良的；良性的
【例】a benign teacher/tumor 和蔼的老师；良性肿瘤
【反义词】malign adj. 有害的 malignant adj. 恶性的
【拓展】benign neglect （避免局势恶化的）善意忽视；冷处理
课后练习
Which of the following is true about the author’s son?
A. He didn’t have the habit of keeping things in order.
B. He was introverted and enjoyed playing toys alone.
C. He amused himself with toys when his parents were busy.
D. He was rewarded with toys for behaving well in nursery.
The inventory of the toys showed that ____.
A. the author spoiled his son by giving him too many toys
B. the author wanted his son to be happy at all costs
C. toys played an important role in a child’s early life
D. most of the toys served an educational purpose
The data about American and British families suggest that ____.
A. children’s toys are becoming unaffordable
B. the consumption of toys is considerable
C. forms of preschool education are diverse
D. the cost of raising a child is increasing
According to the text, the contributing factors of the abundance of toys include ____.
A. economic boom and globalization
B. the rise of famous toy brands
C. the lack of care of children
D. the change of parenting modes