Journey through Adolescence

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 judgment, 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 who admits 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 the child 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

Slurn. 诋毁

Annoy vt.使生气

Spiteful 恶意的，怀恨的 Dignity n.尊严

Resolve vt.决心

Disillusionment n.幻灭感

Stand up to 经得起

Infallibility n.一贯正确

Resent vt.怨恨

Sincerity n.诚挚

Charge n.指责

Retreat vi.后退

Unreasoning a.不凭理智的

Authoritarian a.专制的

Cow vt.吓唬

slur put /cast a slur on sb. 给 ….以诋毁

slander 诽谤 （lesson31） backbite He backbites me.Smear 涂污，诽谤Fame 名声Defame 诽谤Defamation 诽谤 put/cast a slur on…给…以诋毁

Annoy 程度not so strong

按程度分 irritate(烦了) anger fury（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 hard（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 按程度分 dislike<resent<hate<loathe（very strong）

grudge 因妒嫉而恨 ~ one's success

scold<criticize 批评 (find faults with sb.) blame 指责（neglect of duty ）I'm to blame (for ……) 是我的责任<Condemn denounce 谴责

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

Coward 胆小鬼 Cower 颤抖Scare 惊吓Scare to death

Bully 欺凌弱小者 Browbeat 恫吓My boss always browbeats me.

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 = say

On the part of =on their part 就他们而言

Before very long 很快 马上Long before 很久以前

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,so will you raise. = fry 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 resenting 怨恨，敌视

keep their dignity 保全面子

Tend to 不由自主的

表态度 loose lax extreme lenient