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美国国家公共电台 NPR--This Thanksgiving, NPR listeners reflect on the meaning of family

时间:2023-09-26 01:13:56

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(单词翻译)

This Thanksgiving, NPR listeners reflect on the meaning of family

Transcript1

Who gives you strength? Who makes you feel that you belong? NPR's Rachel Martin asked listeners to reflect on family.

RACHEL MARTIN, HOST:

My siblings2 and their kids are all coming to my house for the holiday. And this is a big deal - not just because I have never in all my adult life cooked Thanksgiving for my whole family, but there is a new emotional weight to all of it. There's a big emptiness. This time a year ago, I was in a hospital watching my dad deteriorate3 after a sudden problem with his heart. He died a couple of weeks later. My mom's been gone for a long time; she died of cancer 13 years ago and never got a chance to meet my husband or my kids. When you lose your parents, the constellation4 of your family shifts.

(SOUNDBITE OF BLUE DOT SESSIONS' "SPINNING METER")

MARTIN: For me, it's like the stars at the center, the ones that guide you, aren't there anymore. So you have to shift your view, look for light in other places. It's the same thing when family relationships break. You find love and acceptance from other people - friends, even strangers - which is, to me, what Thanksgiving is about - being grateful for the light wherever you find it, appreciating the family you have and the family you choose. We asked our listeners to share some reflections on how you think about family. Has that definition changed? Who brings you light? This is some of what you shared.

(SOUNDBITE OF BLUE DOT SESSIONS' "SPINNING METER")

MICAH CALDWELL: Hi, this is Micah Caldwell in Chicago, Ill. Over the past couple of years, my idea of family has changed quite a bit. When the pandemic hit, we decided5 to move back to the Midwest in order to be closer to our families. And with that transition came a lot of other life developments. We were able to buy our first house, which has allowed us to create something of a family with our neighbors and our community. And it also allowed us to have our first child, which has really brought our families - our extended families - closer to us. And so it's felt like something of a reunion to be back in this place and to have this new little person in our lives. And I can't wait to experience all of these holidays and new experiences through her eyes.

ARITRA: Hi. My name is Aritra. I live in Minneapolis, Minn. It does get tough during the holiday season. Even though I don't celebrate Thanksgiving - I didn't grow up with it - I would see people with their families on social media or they would travel. But the fact of the matter is that my parents can't travel now because of COVID and Visa restrictions6 and whatnot. So that particular time gets tough. I miss my family. I miss India. I miss the smell. I miss the sound. I miss the food. I miss the language. But my idea of family has not changed. I think it's still the people you call up when you're in trouble.

When I had just moved to Minneapolis, I'd gotten a new bike. And it was cold one night, I was riding it and I parked it somewhere and got stolen. And I was - I started crying. I was alone. And I called up a friend, and he showed up in 15 minutes and he drove me home and he consoled me. And I think that's what family is all about.

WILLIAM: My name's William. I currently live in San Francisco. I always felt like my family was my biological family. I think lately this concept has been changing or I've been challenging it. You know, I've traveled a lot. I've moved around a lot. I - also, my brother, he's a substance abuser, and that has really had a very difficult impact on our family dynamic. You know, a lot of things end up being about him. And, yeah, I went through a very difficult period of my life four years ago where I went through a divorce. I was married, and I felt like I had a family. Yeah, I felt very loved. And after that, my world, after - when I had divorced, my world turned upside down. And I felt very lost. And sometimes I do still feel very lost.

(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)

MATTHEW DIAMOND: My name is Matthew Diamond. I currently live in Philadelphia, and I am a proud Uyghur American. I was adopted at the age of 13 by my American parents and family. Now I'm - at the age of 26, my wonderful parents, you know, have shown me so much love and really taught me and showed me what unconditional7 love was. When I was in the orphanage8, the teachers and the workers there had asked me, did I want to be adopted? So in a sense, I did choose to be adopted, and I chose my family. And my family, of course, chose me first.

We don't have a lot of Uyghurs populations around the world where - even in the states. My birth parents, whenever I thought about them, kind of caused me, you know, pain and confusion. I do think about this. You know, what happened to my parents? Where my birth parents are, are they OK in this world? Are they still alive? You know, that part of family, for me, is something I most likely would never know. And it's just something you have to be OK with. And it's - you know, I'm not OK with it, but it's kind of like that saying, you know, it's OK to not be OK. You just kind of have to settle with that. And I wish one day I will be able to see them and be reunited with them.

ROWAN MORGAN: Hello. My name is Rowan Morgan. This year and from here on out, going forward, I will not be in attendance to any of the family gatherings9 that will be happening. I am no longer a part of that, and that's a decision that I've made for myself that has led me to become more mentally and emotionally well than I have ever been in my entire life. And the family that I have cultivated for myself in the place that I reside now is more supportive and loving and fulfilling than I have ever before experienced.

My little piece of advice is that you don't have to do anything or interact with anybody who makes you feel smaller than who you are. And it doesn't have to be an ugly separation. It can just be something that you say for yourself, and you don't owe justification10 to anybody else. And the family that you do deserve will come to you. I have experienced it firsthand.

(SOUNDBITE OF BLUE DOT SESSIONS' "LANDON DEPOT")

MARTIN: Reflections from some of our listeners about family on this Thanksgiving holiday - the ones we're born into and the ones we choose.

(SOUNDBITE OF BLUE DOT SESSIONS' "LANDON DEPOT")


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点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 transcript JgpzUp     
n.抄本,誊本,副本,肄业证书
参考例句:
  • A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
  • They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。
2 siblings 709961e45d6808c7c9131573b3a8874b     
n.兄弟,姐妹( sibling的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • A triplet sleeps amongst its two siblings. 一个三胞胎睡在其两个同胞之间。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • She has no way of tracking the donor or her half-siblings down. 她没办法找到那个捐精者或她的兄弟姐妹。 来自时文部分
3 deteriorate Zm8zW     
v.变坏;恶化;退化
参考例句:
  • Do you think relations between China and Japan will continue to deteriorate?你认为中日关系会继续恶化吗?
  • He held that this would only cause the situation to deteriorate further.他认为,这只会使局势更加恶化。
4 constellation CptzI     
n.星座n.灿烂的一群
参考例句:
  • A constellation is a pattern of stars as seen from the earth. 一个星座只是从地球上看到的某些恒星的一种样子。
  • The Big Dipper is not by itself a constellation. 北斗七星本身不是一个星座。
5 decided lvqzZd     
adj.决定了的,坚决的;明显的,明确的
参考例句:
  • This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
  • There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。
6 restrictions 81e12dac658cfd4c590486dd6f7523cf     
约束( restriction的名词复数 ); 管制; 制约因素; 带限制性的条件(或规则)
参考例句:
  • I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
  • a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制
7 unconditional plcwS     
adj.无条件的,无限制的,绝对的
参考例句:
  • The victorious army demanded unconditional surrender.胜方要求敌人无条件投降。
  • My love for all my children is unconditional.我对自己所有孩子的爱都是无条件的。
8 orphanage jJwxf     
n.孤儿院
参考例句:
  • They dispensed new clothes to the children in the orphanage.他们把新衣服发给孤儿院的小孩们。
  • They gave the proceeds of the sale to the orphanage.他们把销售的收入给了这家孤儿院。
9 gatherings 400b026348cc2270e0046708acff2352     
聚集( gathering的名词复数 ); 收集; 采集; 搜集
参考例句:
  • His conduct at social gatherings created a lot of comment. 他在社交聚会上的表现引起许多闲话。
  • During one of these gatherings a pupil caught stealing. 有一次,其中一名弟子偷窃被抓住。
10 justification x32xQ     
n.正当的理由;辩解的理由
参考例句:
  • There's no justification for dividing the company into smaller units. 没有理由把公司划分成小单位。
  • In the young there is a justification for this feeling. 在年轻人中有这种感觉是有理由的。

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