(单词翻译:单击)
情景对话
John: So I was wondering about disciplining kids in public. You have kids, right?
约翰：我想知道在公共场所如何管教孩子。你有孩子，对吧？
Sarah: Yeah. I have two kids. I have a three-year old and a one-year old.
萨拉：对，我有两个孩子。一个三岁，另一个一岁。
John: Are they ever naughty when you're out in public?
约翰：你们在公共场所时，孩子们淘气吗？
Sarah: Yes. They are naughty out in public. And I think that you shouldn't discipline your children in front of other people. So if I'm out in public and my three-year old starts to be naughty and she's crying because she wants a toy from the store or something, I will pick her up and I take her somewhere quiet until she's calm. Like I might take her to the family bathroom or a quiet hallway, so she can stop crying and stop making noise.
萨拉：淘气。他们在公共场所非常淘气。我认为不应该当着其他人的面管教自己的孩子。所以，如果在公共场所，我三岁的孩子开始淘气，因为她想要从商店里买玩具而哭闹，那我会把她带到安静的地方，直到她冷静下来。我可能会把她带去家庭卫生间或是安静的大厅，直到她停止哭闹，不再制造噪音。
John: I see. So you wouldn't just give her the toy she wants.
约翰：我明白了。你不会给她买她想要的玩具。
Sarah: No. I don't think you should do that sort of thing to make your child be quiet, just give them something until they are quiet because then they'll be bad more in the future. If they know they can cry and scream, and mom and dad will give them what they want, they'll just be worse and worse.
萨拉：不会。我认为不应该用那种方法让孩子安静下来，不应该给他们一些东西让他们安静下来，因为这样的话，孩子以后会越来越难管。如果他们知道他们可以通过哭闹来让父母给他们想要的东西，他们会变本加厉。
John: Oh, I see. They'll learn that it's okay. They can get what they want by crying.
约翰：我明白了。他们会认为那样做没问题。他们可以通过哭闹来得到想要的东西。
Sarah: Yeah.
萨拉：对。
John: But don't you think you'll – won't you lose more time if you have to take your kids to some quiet place to calm down?
约翰：但是你不认为，如果你把孩子带去安静的地方，让他们冷静下来，这样会花费更多时间吗？
Sarah: Yeah. You lose time but I think it's worth it because I think of the future and the time I'll save by making sure that my child is better behaved in the future. And the other thing too is I'm always trying to think about other people. So I don't want other people to have to listen to my child scream and cry. And I also don't want them to see me talking sternly to her because they'll maybe be annoyed or feel uncomfortable. And maybe my child will scream more because she can feel that. So I try to go somewhere quiet.
萨拉：对。会花费时间，但是我认为那很值得，因为我认为那会节省我以后的时间，我要确保我的孩子以后举止更得当。而且我一直试图为他人考虑。我不希望其他人听到我孩子的哭闹声。别人可能会感到很烦和不舒服，我不希望他们因为这样就责骂我的孩子。因为孩子可以感觉到，她可能会哭闹得更大声。所以我要带她去安静的地方。
John: Oh, I see.
约翰：我知道了。
Sarah: Sometimes that's impossible though. Sometimes, if you're on the plane or on a train, you can't go anywhere or do anything. You have to stay in your seat.
萨拉：不过有的时候可能做不到。比如在飞机或火车上的时候，你不能带孩子去其他地方，不能做其他事。你只能待在位子上。
John: What if you're on an airplane, then do you give your child whatever they are crying for as soon as possible?
约翰：那如果你在飞机上的时候，你的孩子哭闹，那你会马上把他们想要的东西给他们吗？
Sarah: Yes, I do. I try to plan ahead and I think, okay, I need to have enough toys. I need to have lots of snacks, lots of fun things so that I prevent them from becoming naughty or crying or screaming. But sometimes, you can't help it. And if you're child or baby starts to be loud at that point, I will. I'll give them candy or food or toy, whatever they want.
萨拉：我会。我尽量提前做好计划，我要准备足够的玩具。还要准备大量零食和有趣的东西，这样就可以防止孩子不听话或是哭闹。不过有时真没有办法。如果孩子或是婴儿开始吵闹，我会把他们想要的东西给他们，无论那是糖果、食物还是玩具。
John: Oh, I get it. So I think you're saying, you think there might be a different reason why kids become naughty. Besides what they want...
约翰：哦，我知道了。我想你的意思是，孩子淘气有不同的原因。除了他们想要一些东西以外……
Sarah: Yeah.
萨拉：对。
John: For example, they're hungry or bored.
约翰：比如，他们可能饿了或是感到无聊。
Sarah: Yeah. I think a lot of the times, children are naughty because maybe they're tired or they're hungry, or they want to play and stretch their legs but they can't because they're on the plane or they're in a stroller at the shopping mall.
萨拉：对。我认为，很多时候孩子不听话是因为他们很累或是饿了，或者他们想玩一会儿，或是因为想动一动但是却不行，因为在飞机上，或者因为在购物中心时他们要坐在婴儿推车里。
John: So instead of waiting for bad behavior and then doing some discipline like yelling at your kids or grabbing their arms, maybe it's better to prevent bad behavior by making sure the kids sleep enough and don't get bored.
约翰：所以，相比在孩子做出不好的行为时，用冲他们大喊或是抓他们胳膊方式的管教他们，通过确保孩子睡眠充足、不会感到厌烦来防止不好行为的出现，可能是更好的方式。
Sarah: Yeah. That's what I'm saying. And, you know, my kids are young. Just three and one. So a one-year old can't really be naughty. They're just a baby. So if they need something, I give them food or what they need. But a three-year old, they can throw a tantrum. And so, they can be very naughty.
萨拉：对。我就是这个意思。你知道，孩子还小。只有三岁和一岁。一个一岁的孩子不会太淘气。他们还是婴儿。如果他们有需要，我会给他们食物或是他们想要的东西。但是三岁的孩子会发脾气，非常不听话。
John: A tantrum?
约翰：发脾气？
Sarah: Yeah. When they scream and maybe they fall down on the floor, and they kick their legs. Sometimes they try to hit you. It's really bad. But I think all two-and-three-year-old children sometimes they do them.
萨拉：对，他们会尖叫，跌坐在地板上踢腿。有时他们还会打你。这种行为非常糟糕。不过我认为所有两岁和三岁的孩子都会这样做。
John: Oh, I've heard of that. It's called the Terrible Two's.
约翰：对，我听说过。那被称为“可怕的两岁”。
Sarah: Yes. But it also lasts into three.
萨拉：对，而且这种情况会持续到三岁。
John: Well, it sounds like you're a good parent.
约翰：听起来你是名优秀的家长。
Sarah: Oh, I try.
萨拉：哦，我尽力。
译文属可可原创，仅供学习交流使用，未经许可请勿转载
重点讲解
重点讲解：
1. in front of 在…面前(做或说)；当着…的面；
例句：He has been brought up not to swear in front of women.
他从小就被教育不要在女性面前说脏话。
2. calm down (使)平静下来；(使)镇定下来；
例句：He just needs to calm down a wee bit.
他只是需要稍微冷静一下。
3. instead of 代替…；而不是…；
例句：Instead of moving at his usual stately pace, he was almost running.
他没像平时那样优雅庄重地走着，而是几乎跑了起来。
4. throw a tantrum 发脾气；耍性子；
例句：He immediately threw a tantrum, screaming and stomping up and down like a child.
他立即耍起性子来，像小孩似的跺着脚又叫又跳。
