Should We Care About Daycare? 该送孩子去托儿中心吗？
Allow strangers to help raise our children? Is that really a good idea?
让陌生人照顾我们的儿女？这麽做真的妥当吗？
July 18
PRO
Filling a need
Over the last century, global economic and social structures have changed dramatically. Now, whether by necessity to make ends meet or by a choice fueled by ambition, many mothers have entered or re-entered the work force. Of course, this trend creates big problems for families and employers. Who will help rear the children while Mom is working? Daycare centers and services like them help provide an answer.
It's good for kids
Daycare centers are not dark, cold cellars where children are abandoned to abusive staff for ten hours a day. On the contrary, daycares can complement good parenting and enhance children's physical, social and mental development. Studies show that children enrolled in high-quality daycares have a developmental advantage over children who are exclusively cared for by their mothers.
Do it right
For the best daycare experience, it's essential that parents and employers do their homework. Seek out centers that offer competent supervision, attention to health and safety, and exposure to plenty of educational opportunities. It is true that childcare is not cheap, but costs can often be defrayed through government and employer reimbursement plans.
赞成
满足需要
上个世纪，全球经济和社会结构历经了重大变革。目前，无论是因为需要贴补家用，或因胸怀大志而做出选择，许多母亲已加入或重新投入职场。当然，这股潮流为家庭和雇主制造了重大难题。谁可以在妈妈上班时帮忙抚养子女？托儿中心和类似的服务提供了问题解答。
对孩子有益
托儿中心并非什麽阴暗冰冷的地窖，父母把孩子丢给那里凶恶的员工一天照顾十小时。相反地，托育中心能补强良好的亲职养育，并增进孩子的体能、社交和心理发展。研究显示那些上优质托儿中心的孩子比由母亲专责照顾的儿童多了发育的优势。
正确做法
为达到最好的托儿效果，父母和雇主一定要做功课。要寻找提供称职照护、注意健康和安全并能接触很多的教育机会的托儿中心。送孩子上托儿中心确实不便宜，但是政府和雇主补偿方案通常可能会支付这些开销。
Word Bank
rear (v)抚养
Since her parents were rarely home, Pamela's older sister practically reared her.
abusive (adj)（利用肢体或语言）虐待或恶待的
After Frank missed getting a bonus, his language became very abusive when he talked about his boss.
exclusively (adv)专门地
The special low price was offered exclusively to members of the club.
competent (adj)充分的；能干的
Martha is a very competent young woman. I fully trust her to watch the children for the day.
More Information
defray (v)支付（开销）
Chat Room
make ends meet：维持家计
to live from hand to mouth：只能够糊口，勉强维持生活
born with a silver spoon in one's mouth：生在一个很富有的家庭
put your money where your mouth is：说出来的话，就要做得到
---Hi, friends, and welcome to the Chat Room. I'm Beth.
---And I'm Ken. Today we're discussing the pros and cons of daycare. We just learned that more and more mothers have to enter the work force to make ends meet.Let's talk about this idiom: make ends meet.
---To make ends meet means to just have enough money to pay for your basic expenses. If you're trying to make ends meet, then you're living from hand to mouth.
---From hand to mouth?
---Yes, to live from hand to mouth means to just have enough money to live on with nothing extra.
---OK. Got it. make ends meet意思就是维持家计，因为make ends meet 字面上是“让两端相碰触”，两端就是收入和支出， 而这里的meet其实就是指让它们平衡。To live from hand to mouth字面上是“手上一有食物就立刻吃进嘴里”，意思就是只能够糊口，勉强维持生活，如果说一个人的生活是live from hand to mouth，就是说他的钱只够吃饭，没什么多余的。Now I've heard another idiom about money that uses the word mouth. What is it now?
---Um... Born with a silver spoon in your mouth?
---Yeah, that's it. Uh, let me guess. That means the opposite of living from hand to mouth.
---You've got it. If you're living from hand to mouth, then you probably were not born with a silver spoon in your mouth. Born with a silver spoon in one's mouth means to be born into a wealthy family. If you're born with a silver spoon, you probably have everything you need because your family is rich.
---Born with a silver spoon in one’s mouth 含着银汤匙出生，意思就是生在一个很富有的家庭。注意喔！是silver spoon银汤匙，不是金汤匙。There's one more idiom I've heard that I have a question about: put your money where your mouth is.
---Ah, that's a good one. But it has a little bit of a different meaning than the idioms we've just discussed. To put your money where your mouth is means to support something you believe in, especially by giving money to that cause. For example, we might say: Greg put his money where his mouth is when he donated one month's salary to the city's homeless.
---另一个跟mouth相关的片语是put your money where your mouth is 把钱放在你的嘴巴上，意思就是说出来的话，就要做得到。OK, It’s time to take a break , Studio Classroom will be back after this . Stay with us.
rear (v)抚养
饲养，照料动物；(n)后面，后方
1 It's a challenging task for single parents to rear their children alone.
单亲父母自己抚养子女是一个很具挑战性的任务。
2 Uncle Dave used to rear sheep on his farm.
Dave叔叔以前在他的农场上有养羊。
3 The emergency exit is at the rear of the building.
紧急出口在这栋建筑物的后方。
defray (v)支付（开销）
1 Tom's rent was defrayed by his company.
Tom房子的租金是由公司支付的。
2 Sam offered to defray the cost of part of his nephew's college tuition.
Sam愿意支付他的侄儿上大学的部分学费。
3 The client agreed to defray half of the shipping cost of the merchandize.
客户同意支付货品一半的运费。
reimbursement
偿还，赔偿，补偿
1 The airline lost my luggage last month, but I haven't received a reimbursement yet.
航空公司上个月把我的行李搞丢了，但我到现在还没有受到补偿金。
2 Larry received a reimbursement for his travel expenses from the company.
Larry收到了公司还给他的之前代垫的旅费。
July 19
CON
A price to pay
It's sobering to think that children might spend more time each day with strangers at daycare than they would with their own parents. And this during their most formative years! Some people point out that long hours in daycare may mean weaker emotional bonds with mothers. Others argue that socially, children who attend daycare tend to be more aggressive, disobedient and argumentative. And it makes sense that physically, children in daycare centers would be exposed to more infections and respiratory illnesses than they would at home.
If you want something done right, do it yourself
This old adage rings true for rearing children as well. It's hard to find a person who will teach and care for your child exactly the way you'd like it done. For parents, finding suitable childcare can be difficult and frustrating. It's no wonder ─ the rise in demand for daycare means there will be more unqualified caregivers waiting to offer their services. This, of course, is in exchange for a chunk of your income.
Is the money worth it?
If you are married, ask yourself how much income you'll gain from a second job, minus the cost of childcare. After all, if you don't absolutely need to send your child to daycare, why would you?
Now, what's your viewpoint?
代价重大
想想看，孩子每天跟陌生人相处的时间可能比跟双亲在一起的时间还久，不禁让人严肃以对，而且是在他们最重要的成长岁月呢！有些人士指出孩童长时间待在托育中心可能意谓跟母亲的情感较为薄弱。有人则指称从社会化角度来看，上托儿中心的孩子倾向较具攻击性、不听话和爱争辩。此外，就身体健康而言，去托儿中心的孩子当然会比待在家里接触到更多传染病和呼吸道病症。
若想带好小孩，不如亲力亲为
这个古谚对养儿育女来说也不无道理。你很难找到一个教养儿女做法跟你期待相符的人。对家长来说，要找到合适的托儿中心可能困难重重又令人泄气，难怪家长的托儿需求日增意谓将有愈来愈多的不合格保母等着做生意，他们的服务当然会花掉你一大部分收入。
花这笔钱值得吗？
要是你已婚，不妨自问你再兼一份差的收入会有多少，再扣掉托儿的开销。到头来，若把孩子送到托儿中心不是非常必要，何必这麽做呢？
那你的看法为何？
Word Bank
sobering (pp)令人严肃以对的
Losing the championship game really had a sobering effect on the basketball team.
formative (adj)形成的
Nancy's formative years were spent on a farm taking care of animals.
adage (n)谚语；格言
Stop and smell the roses is my dad's favorite adage.
chunk (n)一大部分
At work, I feel like a big chunk of my time is used to fix other people's problems!
Teaching Topic: Asian Grandparents vs. American Grandparents
在美国很少看到祖父母帮忙照顾幼儿，其实很大的一个原因是距离的问题，在美国不像在亚洲，祖父母也许就住在附近或者跟儿女住在一起，美国人很少会跟父母亲住在一起，而且通常都住的很远，因此没有办法就近照顾幼儿。
另外一个很大的原因是freedom。在西方，一般的人都认为银发族是应该享受应得的自由，当你成为祖父或祖母以后，你就解脱了，你可以去打小白球、环游世界，享受无忧无虑的退休生活，而不是去帮儿女带孩子，但是不论是东方或西方，祖父母都是一样的爱自己的孙子、孙女
---Hello, and welcome to the Chat Room.
---My name is Ken. And my name is Beth. Hi, friends. So, what should we chat about today, Ken?
---Well, with all this talk about the pros and cons of daycare, I'm left feeling a little confused. Why is there such a swift rise in demand for childcare especially in the U.S.? Can family members like grandparents help take care of the kids while the parents are at work?
---Well, this is a very interesting issue, isn't it? Since moving to Asia, I have often asked the same question. It seems that many aging grandparents are more than willing to care for their grandchildren while Mom and Dad are away at work.
---So in the U.S., it's a lot less common for grandparents to provide childcare for their grandchildren?
---Yes, I would say it's less common, but it still exists. My parents have often helped out with my nieces' and nephews' care, but not on a daily basis. And some grandparents simply don't live close enough to their children and grandchildren to help out in this way. I think that's one of the major differences: physical distance.
---这两天我们看到对于托儿中心的一些探讨，也许你会问，在美国为什么很少看到祖父母帮忙照顾幼儿，其实很大的一个原因是距离的问题，在美国不像在亚洲，祖父母也许就住在附近或者跟儿女住在一起，美国人很少会跟父母亲住在一起，而且通常都住的很远，因此没有办法就近照顾幼儿。
---I think, in general in the U.S., that Moms and Dads don't want to ask their parents to take care of the grandchildren, because there's an understood feeling of freedom for grandparents. They've fulfilled their roles as parents already, so being a grandparent is a special treat and comes with the freedom of less responsibility as a full-time caregiver.
---The reverse is the case in Asia, I think. People in Asia are more protective of their children. And it's hard for people to let go even after they become grandparents. So they feel compelled to help their children take care of their babies. And they just don't enjoy as much freedom as their American counterparts.
---You know, I think grandparents, no matter what nationality, deeply love their grandchildren. They just have different ways of showing it. Asian grandparents help their children take care of the baby while American grandparents want the child to have his or her own home at the end of the day.
Well said. 另外一个很大的原因是freedom。在西方，一般的人都认为银发族是应该享受应得的自由，当你成为祖父或祖母以后，你就解脱了，你可以去打小白球、环游世界，享受无忧无虑的退休生活，而不是去帮儿女带孩子，但是不论是东方或西方，祖父母都是一样的爱自己的孙子、孙女。
---Now it's time to visit Michelle for today's Language Tips.
sobering (pp)令人严肃以对的
使人清醒过来的，发人深省的
1 The report about global warming had a sobering effect on many people.
这份有关温室效应的报告对许多人造成令人深省的影响。
2 The visit to the orphanage was a sobering lesson for the students.
去孤儿院的探访对学生们来说是发人深省的一堂课。
formative (adj)形成的
构成的，成长中的；formative years：成长阶段
1 Teachers have a formative influence on their students.
老师们对于学生们的成长具有强大的影响力。
2 This girl is in her formative years. She needs friends with good values.
这个女孩正在成长阶段，她需要找更具价值观的朋友。
adage (n)谚语；格言
同saying/proverb/motto意思相近
1 An old adage says : "There's no smoke without fire."
古老的谚语说“无风不起浪”。
2 Before he quit his job, he remembered the old adage says: Look before you leap.
他要离职之前，想起一句古老的谚语说“三思后行”。
