Parents are often upset when their children praise the Homes
of their friends and regard it as a slur on their own cooking,
or cleaning, or furniture, and often are foolish enough to let
the adolescents see that they are annoyed. They may even
accuse them of disloyalty, or make some spiteful remark about the friends' parents. Such a loss of
dignity and descent into childish behaviour on the part of the adults deeply shocks the adolescents,
and makes them resolve that in future they will not talk to their parents about the places or people
they visit. Before very long the parents will be complaining that the child is so secretive and never
tells them anything, but they seldom realize that they have brought this on themselves.
Disillusionment with the parents, however good and adequate they may be both as parents and as
individuals, is to some degree inevitable. Most children have such a high ideal of their parents,
unless the parents themselves have been unsatisfactory, that it ca hardly hope to stand up to a
realistic evaluation. Parents would be greatly surprised and deeply touched if they realize how much
belief their children usually have in their character and infallibility, and how much this faith means
to a child. If parents were prepared for this adolescent reaction, and realized that it was a sign that
the child was growing up and developing valuable powers of observation and independent
judgement, they would not be so hurt, and therefore would not drive the child into opposition by
resenting and resisting it.
The adolescent, with his passion for sincerity,always respects a parent whoadmits that he is wrong,
or ignorant, or even that he has been unfair or unjust.What the child cannot forgive is the parents'
refusal to admit these charges if thechild knows them to be true.
Victorian parents believed that they kept their dignity by retreating behind an unreasoning
authoritarian attitude; in fact hey did nothing of the kind, but children were then too cowed to let
them know how they really felt. Today we tend to go to the other extreme, but on the whole this is a
healthier attitude both for the child and the parent. It is always wiser and safer to face up to reality,
however painful it may be at the moment.

New words and expressions 生词短语
Slurn.
Spiteful
Resolve
Stand up to
Resent
诋毁Annoyvt.使生气
恶意的，怀恨的 Dignityn.尊严
vt.决心Disillusionmentn.幻灭感
经得起Infallibilityn.一贯正确
vt.怨恨Sincerityn.诚挚

Charge
Unreasoning
Cow
slur put /cast a slur on sb. 给
slander 诽谤（新概念英语Lesson31）
Smear 涂污，诽谤
Defame 诽谤
n.指责
a.不凭理智的
vt.吓唬
Retreat
Authoritarian
vi.后退
a. 专制的
….以诋毁
backbite He backbites me.
Fame 名声
Defamation 诽谤
Annoy 程度 not so strong
按程度分 irritate(烦了) angerfury（大发雷霆）
程度 annoy=bother=displease=disturb
男女朋友吵架,令人心烦用 that really annoys me. 如用 that really angers me. 就分手了
annoying adj. You’re reading a book, a mosquito hovers. You can say “it’s annoying’
Vicious 恶毒的
Ill-natured 心眼怀的
Bitchy 恶毒的
Venom 毒液 Venomous 邪恶的
Indignity 侮辱Keep dignity 守住面子Lose dignity 丢面子
To lie is to lose one’s dignity.Illusion 幻想幻觉（没有实际的幻想）
I’m under illusion that I will be a billionaire.
Fantasy 幻想Fancy 幻想 Mirage 幻想海市蜃楼幻景
Massage 按摩Message 信息
Stand up to (severe test /严峻考验 rumor/流言 charge/指责 criticism/批评 )
It’s raining hot（heavily）, I brave to school . 不顾风雨冒着雨
Fallible 有问题的
Flaw 瑕疵 flawless 无暇的Fault 错误 faultless 无误的
Impeccable 完美无缺的 Every man is fallible. = No one is infallible. 人无完人
Resent
grudge
按程度分 dislike resent hate loathe（very strong）
因妒嫉而恨 ~ one’s success
blame 指责（neglect of duty ）
Condemn denounce 谴责
criticize 批评 (find faults with sb.)
I’m to blame (for ……) 是我的责任
Retreat
I retreat to an armchair. 我一屁股坐到椅子上
I ~ to bed early. 我早早睡觉A summer retreat 避暑胜地
Unreasoning 不靠理智推理
Unreasonable 不合逻辑的
Dictator 专制Dictatorial 专制的
Tyrannical 残暴的，专横的

Domineering 霸道的厉害的
Authoritative 权威的
Scare 惊吓Scare to death
My boss always browbeats me.
Coward 胆小鬼 Cower 颤抖
Bully 欺凌弱小者 Browbeat 恫吓
Upset 使心烦（unhappy） Slip into 溜进去
Ungrateful child 不孝子孙 People/parents are often upset …
Dine with sb. 和 … 吃饭 Furniture 家具 (un.)
A piece /article /set of furniture Adolescent (13~16)
Spoil himself 放肆撒野Accuse 指责 accuse sb. of sth.
Loyal 忠诚的忠心的 ~ to sth.Disloyalty 不忠
Make remark = sayOn the part of =on their part 就他们而言
Before very long 很快马上Long before 很久以前
Notes on the text 课文注释
Before very long the parents will be complaining that the child is …
将来进行时表示预见性极强
tight lipped 沉默的
they have brought this on themselves = as you sow = ffry oneself in one’s own juice
自找麻烦
however good and adequate they may be both= they may be both good and adequate
however 用倒装
adequate 称职的=qualified
Most children have such a high ideal of their parents, unless the ……. , that it(ideal) can hardly
hope to stand up to a ……
Developing 养成
Power =ability 能力
Opposition 对立面
Resisting 拒绝
Tend to 不由自主的
表态度 loose lax extreme lenient