Lecture 2 社会歧视
Word Tips
prosandcons 正反两面 discrimination n.歧视；区别
restrain v.抑制；约束 minorities pl.少数民族
extreme adj.极端的；偏激的 proponent n.支持者；建议者
manual adj.手工的；体力的 theDepartmentofJustice 司法部
abolish v.废除；取消 equality n.平等
Listen to the following recording and answer questions 1-4.
1）A.the pros and cons of discrimination in the USA
B.the disadvantages of anti-discrimination laws
C.the advantages of anti-discrimination laws
D.the development of women’s right to equality
2）A.The American government has put some rules in place to protect some groups.
B.Individualism had been lost with these new laws.
C.These new rules have resulted in numerous regulations and new bodies of law.
D.In some cases individual freedom to choose or discriminate who will work for you can be a bad thing.
3）A.to fire the employees based on the employers’ own wishes
B.to make some new laws to protect the environment
C.to recruit women and train them together with men
D.to hire the same percentage of black and white workers in business
4）A.Because most occupations were now open to women and none were closed to people of color.
B.Because women were recruited into all branches of the army services even those directly involved in combat.
C.Because employers can choose or discriminate who will work for them.
D.Because only men can get jobs such as skilled manual and mechanical work on construction sites.
听力原文
Let’s talk about the pros and cons of discrimination in the USA.I’m sure you are thinking to yourself why I have included pros and cons in my opening statement.
Aren’t there only bad things that result in discrimination？ Well，the answer in most cases is yes.When we discriminate，a negative outcome usually results.However，let’s say you are an employer of a business and the government has told you that you must hire a certain number of women or a certain percentage of black and white people.This would restrain you from hiring，promoting and firing your employees.
Okay，let’s take a step back and discuss why in some cases individual freedom to choose or discriminate who will work for you can be a good thing.During the past 40 years，the American government has put rules in place to increase the protection of the environment and groups such minorities，women，workers and consumers.These new rules have resulted in numerous regulations and new bodies of law，which in some cases have resulted in extreme policies like the one I described before about an employer not being able to select an employee of his or her choice based on sex or color.As a result，opponents argue that individualism had been lost with these new laws.
On the other side of the coin，some anti-discrimination proponents argued against the traditional division of occupational roles between men and women.These arguments led to major legal cases，which in turn led to strong requirements to recruit women for jobs usually held by men such as skilled manual and mechanical work on construction sites.The U.S.Congress also allowed the entry of women into the military academies.In fact，a strong effort was made，particularly during the late 1970s to not only recruit women into all branches of the army services other than those directly involved in combat，but also to train women together with men.Another anti-discriminatory example involves the Department of Justice，which began to change the traditional names of specific jobs from firemen and policemen to firefighters and police officers and required local police and fire forces to hire women police officers and fire fighters.Discriminatory examinations and tests，in both the public and private sectors，were soon abolished and soon every business was told to avoid favoring one sex over another for specific jobs.These new laws resulted in the progress of equality，because most occupations were now open to women and none were closed to people of color.
Questions：
1.What is the lecture mainly about？
2.What did the opponents of the new laws argue？
3.What effort was made by the US army during late 1970s？
4.Why does the speaker say that the new laws resulted in the progress of equality？
参考译文
让我们来谈谈在美国歧视的利弊。我敢肯定，你一定在想为什么我会在开始的部分同时提到这个话题的利和弊。难道不是只有坏的因素才会造成歧视么？在大多数情况下答案是这样的。当我们抱有歧视态度时，往往会带来负面结果。但是，假如你是个企业的老板。政府要求你必须雇佣一定数量的女员工或是一定比例的黑人和白人。这会影响你对员工的雇佣、提拔和解雇。
好，现在我们倒回来讨论为什么在有一些情况下个人自由选择谁为自己工作会是一件好事。在过去的40年中，美国政府实施了一些规定来保护环境和一些团体，比如少数民族、妇女、工人和消费者。这些新的要求又带来了许多新的规定和法律条款。在一些情况下也会带来极端的政策。比如我之前提到的那个老板，不能按照他对性别或肤色的意愿来选择雇员。因此，反对者认为个人主义在这些新法律面前已经没有意义了。
另一方面，一些反歧视的支持者反对男性和女性职业角色的传统区分。这些言论引发了一些重大司法案例，同时也相应地引起了一些强烈的呼声，要求雇佣女性去做一些通常由男性从事的工作，比如一些手工工作或是建筑工地上的机械工作。美国国会也允许军校招收女学员。实际上，尤其是在70年代末，国家做了很大的努力。不仅雇佣女性在军队所有的领域工作（除了会直接涉及战役），而且让女性和男人一起接受培训。另外一个反对歧视的例子是司法部。司法部开始改变一些特定工作的传统名字，比如把firemen、policemen改为firefighters、policeofficers，并要求当地警察和消防部队招收女警和女消防员。在公共部门和私营部门，歧视性的检验和测试很快就被废除了。并且很快所有企业被要求避免一些特定工作的性别歧视。这些新的法律带来了平等，因为大多数的职业都对女性敞开了大门，而所有的工作都不再有对肤色的歧视。
参考答案
1.A 2.B 3.C 4.A