G9-U7 Section B 2b
Should I Be Allowed to Make My Own Decisions?
Many teenagers have hobbies. But sometimes these can get in the way of their schoolwork, and parents might worry about their success at school. Teenagers often think they should be allowed to practice their hobbies as much as they want. Do you agree?
Liu Yu, a fifteen-year-old boy from Shandong, is a running star. He is on his school team and has always wanted to be a professional runner when he grows up. However, his parents won’t allow him to train so much. “Of course we want to see him achieve his dreams,” says Mr. Liu. “And we know how much he loves running.” “My wife and I have supported every one of his races.” “We have nothing against running!” “But we think our son needs to think about other possible jobs.” “He’s getting older now, so he needs to think about what will happen if he doesn’t end up as a professional runner.”
Liu Yu doesn’t really agree. “Well, I think I should be allowed to decide for myself,” he says. “My parents have always taught me how important it is to work hard at school and enter university.” “I understand this, but I’m serious about running.” “It’s the only thing I’ve ever wanted to do.”
His parents believe that Liu Yu should study hard in the evenings so they don’t allow him to practice running at night. “Maybe he thinks it’s too strict or unfair,” says Mrs. Liu. “But we think we’re doing the right thing.” “He needs to spend more time on his homework because it is difficult to become a professional sports star.”
But Liu Yu still disagrees. “I know my parents care about me.” “They always talk about what will happen if I don’t succeed.” “But I will!” “I’m a quick runner!” “I think I should be allowed to make this choice myself.” “Only then will I have a chance to achieve my dream.“
参考译文
我应该被允许做自己的决定吗？
很多青少年都有爱好。但有时候这些爱好会妨碍他们的学业，父母可能会担心他们在学校的成绩。青少年们常常认为，应该允许他们随心所欲地培养自己的爱好。你同意这种说法吗？
刘宇，一个来自山东的 15 岁男孩，是个跑步明星。他是校队成员，一直想长大后成为一名职业跑步运动员。然而，他的父母不允许他花这么多时间训练。“我们当然想看到他实现自己的梦想，” 刘先生说。“而且我们知道他有多热爱跑步。” “我和我妻子支持他参加的每一场比赛。” “我们一点也不反对跑步！” “但我们觉得儿子需要考虑一下其他可能的工作。” “他现在渐渐长大了，所以得想想，如果最终没能成为职业跑步运动员，会发生什么。”
刘宇并不太认同这种说法。“嗯，我觉得应该允许我自己做决定，” 他说。“父母一直教导我，在学校努力学习、考上大学是多么重要。”“我明白这一点，但我对跑步是认真的。”“这是我唯一想做的事。”
他的父母认为，刘宇晚上应该努力学习，所以不允许他在晚上练习跑步。“也许他觉得这太严格、不公平，” 刘太太说。“但我们认为自己做的是对的。” “他需要花更多时间在作业上，因为要成为职业体育明星太难了。”
但刘宇仍然不同意。“我知道父母关心我。”“他们总是说，如果我没成功会怎么样。”“但我会成功的！”“我跑得很快！”“我觉得应该允许我自己做这个选择。”“只有这样，我才有机会实现我的梦想。”