Unit10SocialProblemsintheUnitedStates

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1、Social Problems in the United StatesI.RacialProblemsII.PovertyIII.DrugAbuseIV.CrimeV.TheAbuseofPowerbyGovernmentandCorporationI.RacialProblems-Americansareprimarilyanationofimmigrants-1.someasrefugeesfromreligiousandpoliticalpersecution(逃避宗教和政治迫害的难民)-2.someasadventurersfromtheOldWorldseekingabetterl

2、ife(从旧大陆来寻求好生活的冒险家)-3.someascaptivesbroughttoAmericanagainsttheirownwilltobesoldintoslavery（有一些则是被抓获后违背他们的意愿运到美国，被出卖为奴隶）ThoughpeopleallshareacommonAmericanculture,thenationcontainsmanyracialandethnicsubcultureswiththeirowndistinctivecharacteristics.(虽然人们有共同的美国文化，但美利坚民族包含了许多种族和少数民族的亚文化群)。Thesediffere

3、nceshavecontributedtoracialconflictsthathavebeenapersistentsocialproblemtoAmericansociety.（这些差异造成了在美国社会长期存在的种族冲突）discriminationagainstblacks:InAmericansociety,anygroupotherthanthedominantwhiteAnglo-SaxonProtestantmajorityisaminoritygroup.ThelargestoftheracialandethnicminoritiesintheU.S.istheblackswh

4、omakeupabout11.7%ofthepopulation.Themythoftheirracialinferioritywaspropagatedasajustificationfortheircontinuedsubjugation.(所谓黑人种族低劣的神话被广泛传播，并以此作为永远奴役黑人的借口)-theblack“underclass”(“最低层”黑人)-TheNorthernstateshadalloutlawed(废除)slaveryby1830,butintheSouthernstates,itwasendedbytheCivilWarLincolnsemancipatio

5、nofslavesin1863(1863年林肯颁布的解放黑奴宣言)andthe13thAmendmenttotheConstitutionin1865（1865年美国通过的第13条宪法修正案）2004年7月2日，一名无家可归的黑人躺在美国纽约的街头。-Butaftertheabolitionofslavery,manystatespassedsegregation(隔离)lawstokeeptheracesapartinschools,housing,restaurantsandpublicfacilities,andinstitutionalizeddiscriminationkeptbla

6、cksinthelowest-paidjobs.（制度化的种族歧视使黑人只能干一些收入最低的工作。）这是一名黑人妇女在华盛顿职业介绍会上收集工作介绍材料。这是2005年6月10日，一名无家可归的黑人男子在美国东南部的迈阿密南海滩钻进塑料袋里躲避飓风袭击。2005年，10月13日，美联社公布的图片显示，美国警察当街殴打黑人嫌犯这是2004年10月17日，一名黑人妇女手持印有马丁路德金头像的标语牌参加集会。当天，上千名美国工人在首都华盛顿的林肯纪念堂前举行集会，要求增加工人就业机会、提高医疗保健水平。这是2003年7月8日，在美国密西西比州东部城市默里迪恩市的洛克希德马丁公司飞机制造厂，一名枪击事

7、件受害者（右）被送到救护车上。当天上午，该工厂员工道格威廉斯携带武器进入工厂，打死5人、打伤8人后饮弹自尽。威廉斯是该厂有名的种族主义分子，一贯憎恨黑人，平时经常扬言要杀人。这是2005年10月8日，在美国路易斯安那州新奥尔良市波旁大街的一家酒吧外，几名白人警察正在殴打一名老年黑人男子。HopelessPeopleinSlumIIPovertyasasocialproblemTheU.Sisoneofthemostwealthycountriesintheworld.Yetover24millionpeopleorabout10%ofthepopulationarelivingatorbelo

8、wtheofficialpovertyline,onincomesthatthefederalgovernmentconsidersinsufficienttomeetbasicrequirementoffood,clothing,andshelter.Therearemillionsmore,livingslightlyabovethepovertyline,whoseplightisnotmuchbetter.Also,thesocialservicesintheU.Scompareunfavorablywiththoseinmostindustrializedsocieties.Furt

9、hermore,theaffluentmajorityseemsindifferenttotheproblemsofthepoor.Thisraisessomeseriousmoralproblemsandinevitablycreatesfierceconflictsofinterestandmanypoliticalcontroversies.Therefore,povertyintheU.Sbecomesasocialproblem.III.DrugAbuseDrugabuseintheU.S.hascometoberegardedasoneofthemostchallengingsoc

10、ialproblemsfacingthenation.ThedrugissuealwaysexcitesstrongemotionsofAmericansbecausedrugabuseisperceivedasamajorthreattoAmericansociety,particularlytoitsyoungermembers.IIIDrugAbuseDrugabuseisasocialproblembecauseithasawiderangeofsocialcosts.Forexample,drugiscloselyrelatedwithcrime,automobileaccident

11、s.Ithasseriouseffectsonindividualsphysicallyandmentally,andtheeconomiclossescausedbydrugabusearegreat.IV.Crime-Theprofileofatypicalcriminal(典型的罪犯形象)accordingtothereportsgivenbytheFBI,thosearrestedforcrimesaredisproportionately(不成比例的)likelytobemale,young,amemberofaracialminority,andacityresident.Fore

12、xample,moreblacksarearrestedforcrimethanwhitepeoplebecauseahigherproportionoftheblackpopulationispoororunemployedandtherearehighcorrelationsbetweenpovertyandthetypesofcrimeclassifiedbytheFBIasmostserious(联邦调查局划分的最严重的罪行).IV.CrimeAlso,racialdiscriminationintheenforcementoflaw（执法）causesmorearrestsofrac

13、ialminoritypeople.Butifthewhite-collarcrimesareincludedandiftheauthoritiesaremorevigorousintheirenforcement(如果权威机构执法力度更强),theprofileofatypicalcriminalwouldbeolder,wealthier,whiterandmoresuburbanthansuggestedbytheFBI.IV.Crimewhite-collarcrimes(白领阶层的犯罪)White-collarcrimesarethosecommittedbyhigherincome

14、groupssuchasthecrimesoffraud(欺诈),falseadvertising(做假广告),corporatepricefixing(共同限定/控制市场价格),bribery（行贿）,embezzlement（挪用公款）,industrialpollution,taxevasion（偷税漏税）IV.CrimeYetthestatisticsprovidedbytheFBItendtooverlookwhite-collarcrimes.Infact,white-collarcrimesareoftenignoredbylawenforcementagencies.Somes

15、ociologistsarguethatthehigherclassesmayactuallyhaveahigherrateofcrimethanthelowerclasses.FormerPresidentNixonsaidthatcrimeisAmericas“numberoneenemy”.In1970s,hewasinvolvedintheWatergatescandal,forwhichhewasforcedtoresignfromthepresidency.美国是枪支开放的典型，普通市民都可以买到枪支。图为一名美国女孩正在把玩她的新手枪。美国监狱人满为患。这是美国佛罗里达州萨姆特监

16、狱。VTheabuseofpowerPeoplebelievethatpublicorganizationsintheU.S.sometimesworkinconcert(共同)toadvancetheirowninterestsratherthanthoseofthepeople.TheabuseofpowerbygovernmentGovernmentinAmericaiswidelydistrustedforthelackofanswerability（负责任）.AmericanswereconvincedthattheJohnsonandNixonadministrationswere

17、deliberatelyandsystematicallylyingtothepeopleinthewaragainstVietnamandintheWatergatescandal.TheFBIandtheCIAareresponsibleforthousandsofillegalacts.Alltheseactsshowtheabuseofpowerbygovernment.e.g.TwooftheillegalactsbytheFBIare:manyburglariesofpresumedcriticsoftheadministrationandwidespreadillegalwire

18、tapping.。TheCIAinfiltratedthecivilrightsandantiwarmovementsandcompileddossiers【dosiei】onmanyAmericans.TheCIAhadtestedvarietyofdrugs,includingLSD,onmanypeoplewhowereunawarethattheywerebeingusedasguineapig,andhadcausedseveraldeathsintheprocess.-theabuseofpowerbycorporationsTheabuseofpowerbycorporation

19、sisshowninthefactthatthesecorporationsareconcernedwiththeirownprofitsthanwithsocialresponsibility,thequalityorpriceoftheirproducts,orthetruthoftheiradvertising.Theymaintain(供养)professionallobbyistsinWashingtontoinfluencepublicofficialsbehindthescenes.Theyargueforlegislationtoservetheirownends,influe

20、ncetheappointmentofofficials,blockreformstheyconsiderundesirable,andoftenseemtohavemoresayinthecouncilsofgovernmentthantheordinaryvoter.ManyAmericansbelievethat“bigbusiness”hastakenthereinsofgovernmentawayfromCongressandtheAdministration”,andthat“governmentisrunbyafewbiginterestgroupslookingafterthemselves.”结束结束