写在前面

Hi，我是新海，一个正在备战的考研人。
最近需要进行大量的考研专项阅读，于是萌生了一个翻译计划，准备翻译1986——2018年所有阅读，通过大量的阅读训练来熟悉考研单词，短语以及语法，更深刻理解考研阅读。

下面是我的第20篇，所有中文释义，均是由本人整理翻译，当然也有不够完善的地方，欢迎大家评论补充。

The period of adolescence, the period between childhood and adulthood, may be long or short, depending on social expectations and on society’s definition as to what constitutes maturity and adulthood.
青春期，从儿童期到成年期，可能长或短，这取决于社会期望和社会对成熟和成年期的定义。
In primitive societies adolescence is frequently a relatively short period of time, while in industrial societies with patterns of prolonged education coupled with laws against child labor, the period of adolescence is much longer and may include most of the second decade of one’s life.
在原始社会中，青春期通常是相对短的一段时间，而在具有长期教育模式和禁止童工法律的工业社会中，青春期要长得多，并且可能包括人生第二个十年的大部分。
Furthermore, the length of the adolescent period and the definition of adulthood status may change in a given society as social and economic conditions change.
此外，随着社会和经济条件的变化，在给定社会中，青春期的长度和成年状态的定义可能会改变。
Examples of this type of change are the disappearance of the frontier in the latter part of the nineteenth century in the United States, and more universally, the industrialization of an agricultural society.
这种变化的例子是19世纪后期美国边界的消失，更普遍的是农业社会的工业化。

重点词汇

• as to 至于
• period of adolescence青春期
• may be也许，可能
• depending on依据，根据
• short period短期
• coupled with加上，外加
• child labor童工
• most of大多数
• conditions change条件变化
• part of部分
• United States美国; 合众国
  n modern society, ceremonies for adolescence have lost their formal recognition and symbolic significance and there no longer is agreement as to what constitutes initiation ceremonies.
  在现代社会中，青少年的仪式已经失去了其正式的认可和象征意义，对于什么构成了启蒙仪式，人们不再达成一致。
  Social ones have been replaced by a sequence of steps that lead to increased recognition and social status.
  社会性的已经由一系列步骤所代替，而这些步骤将导致更多的认可和社会地位。
  For example, grade school graduation, high school graduation and college graduation constitute such a sequence, and while each step implies certain behavioral changes and social recognition, the significance of each depends on the socio-economic status and the educational ambition of the individual.
  例如，小学毕业、高中毕业和大学毕业构成了这样一个序列，虽然每个步骤都暗示着一定的行为变化和社会认可，但是每个步骤的意义取决于个人的社会经济地位和教育抱负。
  Ceremonies for adolescence have also been replaced by legal definitions of status roles, right, privileges and responsibilities. It is during the nine years from the twelfth birthday to the twenty-first that the protective and restrictive aspects of childhood and minor status are removed and adult privileges and responsibilities are granted.
  对于青少年的仪式也已经由对身份角色、权利、特权和责任的法律定义所取代。在从十二岁生日到二十一岁的九年中，儿童和未成年人地位的保护和限制性方面被取消，成年人的特权和责任被授予。
  The twelve-year-old is no longer considered a child and has to pay full fare for train, airplane, theater and movie tickets.
  这名12岁的儿童不再被视为儿童，必须支付火车、飞机、剧院和电影票的全部费用。
  Basically, the individual at this age loses childhood privileges without gaining significant adult rights.
  基本上，这个年龄段的人失去了童年的特权，却没有获得明显的成人权利。
  At the age of sixteen the adolescent is granted certain adult rights which increases his social status by providing him with more freedom and choices.
  16岁时，青少年被授予某些成人权利，这通过为他提供更多的自由和选择来提高他的社会地位。
  He now can obtain a driver’s license; he can leave public schools; and he can work without the restrictions of child labor laws.
  他现在可以获得驾驶执照，可以离开公立学校，可以不受童工法的限制工作。
  At the age of eighteen the law provides adult responsibilities as well as rights; the young man can now be a soldier, but he also can marry without parental permission.
  18岁时，法律规定了成年人的责任和权利；年轻人现在可以当兵，但是也可以不经父母许可结婚。
  At the age of twenty-one the individual obtains his full legal rights as an adult. He now can vote, he can buy liquor, he can enter into financial contracts, and he is entitled to run for public office.
  在二十一岁的时候，个人获得成年人的法定权利。他现在可以投票，可以买酒，可以签订金融合同，他有权竞选公职。
  No additional basic rights are acquired as a function of age after majority status has been attained.
  在获得多数地位后，没有获得任何额外的基本权利作为年龄的函数。
  None of these legal provisions determine at what point adulthood has been reached but they do point to the prolonged period of adolescence.
  这些法律规定都不能确定成年达到什么程度，但它们确实指出了青春期的延长。
• modern society现代社会
• formal recognition形式识别
• no longer不再，已不
• as to至于; 关于; 按着; 根据
• have been已经
• lead to导致; 把…带到; 领到; 通向
• social status社会地位; 身价
• For example例如， 譬如; 拿 … 来说
• grade school<美>小学，初等学校
• high school<美>中学; <英>大学预科

写在最后

如果大家觉得对你有些帮助，欢迎给与打赏或点赞关注，以及订阅我的每日阅读 专栏，后面我将持续阅读，持续输出。

作者：新海
12月6日晚