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美国是个移民国家，来自五湖四海的民族共同组成了美利坚民族，这个种族大熔炉里各个族裔固守着自己的文化和宗教传统。许多华人在生活习惯、思维方式等方面与白种美国人仍差异巨大。多年来，他们在美境遇如何呢？
Chinese Americans make up a tiny fraction [1] of US population, and their numerous contributions to their adopted land are much appreciated. However,it was once common in America to associate Chinese Americans with restaurants and laundries.People did not realize that the Chinese had been driven into these occupations by the prejudice and discrimination.
美籍华人只占全美人口极小的一部分，他们对自己选择的这片热土作出了很多贡献，也得到了认可与欣赏。然而在美国，美籍华人曾经常与饭馆和洗衣店联系在一起。人们没有意识到，这些华人是在偏见与歧视的驱使下从事这些行业的。
The first Chinese to reach the USA came during the California Gold Rush of 1849. In that largely unoccupied land, the men staked a claim for themselves by placing markers in the ground.Either because the Chinese were so different from the others in speech and appearance, including a long “pigtail” at the back of their otherwise shaved heads, or because they worked so patiently that they succeeded in turning a seemingly worthless mining claim into a profitable one, they became the scapegoats [2] of their enviouscompetitors. They were harassed [3] in many ways,and therefore started to seek out other ways ofearning a living. Some began to do the laundry forthe white miners; others set up small restaurants.There being almost no women in California inthose days, the Chinese filled a real need by doingthis “woman’s work.”
1849年加利福尼亚淘金热期间，第一批华人到达美国。在那片广袤无垠、无人占据的土地上，人们通过在地上做一些标记来声明自己对土地的所有权。要么因为中国人在言谈与外表上与其他人太不一样，包括在他们剃光了前半部的脑袋后面留一根长长的辫子，要么因为他们工作勤勉，使看似毫无价值的开采地扭亏为盈，他们成了心怀妒忌的竞争者的替罪羊，总之华人受到多方面侵扰，故而被迫开始寻找其他谋生途径。有的为开矿的白人洗衣服，有的开设小饭馆。西部开拓初期加利福尼亚几乎没有妇女，中国人所从事的这些“女人的工作”，确实满足了当时的实际需要。
In the early 1860s more Chinese wereimported as work crews to construct the firsttranscontinental railroad. They were neededbecause the work was so backbreaking [4] anddangerous, and was carried out in such a remotepart of the country that the railroad companycouldn’t find other laborers for the job. As inthe case of their predecessors, these Chinesewere almost all males and encountered a greatdeal of prejudice and hostility. When times werehard, they were blamed for working for lowerwages and taking jobs away from white men.Anti-Chinese riots broke out, and Chinese werebarred from using the courts and from becoming American citizens. Many Chinese returned to theirhomeland, and their numbers declined sharply inthe early 20th century. However, during WW Ⅱ,when China was an ally of the US, the Chinese Exclusion Act , passed in 1882, was ended. In1965, in a general revision of US immigrationlaws, many more Chinese were permitted to settle.
19世纪60年代早期，大批华人作为劳工输入美国，修建第一条横贯大陆的铁路。之所以对华人劳工需求很大，是因为铁路建设工作艰辛繁重、充满危险，施工地点如此偏远以至于铁路公司无法找到其他劳工。如同前辈们一样，这批中国劳工几乎都是男性，遭遇许多偏见与敌视。时事艰难之际，他们还备受责难，怪他们肯为低薪干活，从白人手里抢走了工作。反华骚乱时有爆发，华人则被禁止求助于法律，也不得成为美国公民。许多华人回归故土，20世纪早期在美华人数量急剧下降。然而，第二次世界大战期间，中国成为美国的盟国，1882年通过的《排华法案》被取缔。1965年，随着美国移民法的全面修订，更多的华人获准居留美国。
From the start, Chinese had lived apart in“Chinatowns,” where the residents organizedunofficial governments to make community rules and to settle disputes. Unable to find jobs on the outside, many went into business for themselves—primarily to serve their own neighborhood. To this day, certain Chinatowns, especially those of San Francisco and New York, are busy, thriving communities, which have become great attractions for tourists and those enjoying Chinese food.Chinese Americans retain many aspects of their ancient cultures. Children are imbued with the old values and attitudes, including respect for their elders and a feeling of responsibility to the family.This helps to explain why there is so little juvenile delinquency [5] among them. The high regard for education, and the willingness to work hard for advancement are other noteworthy characteristics,which explains why so many descendants of uneducated laborers have succeeded in becoming doctors, lawyers and other professionals.
从一开始，华人就聚居于“中国城”，与白种美国人分而治之。在中国城，居民们组建民间政府以制定社区法规、处理纷争。由于无法在华人圈外找到工作，许多华人自行创业，主要为自己社区提供服务。在今天，某些中国城，尤其是旧金山与纽约地区的华人社区，热闹繁华、生意兴隆，吸引了很多游客及喜爱中国美食的人们。美籍华人保留了许多中国古代文化的要素，给孩子们灌输传统价值观与生活态度，包括尊老与爱家。这说明了为什么华人中间少年犯罪率很低。高度重视教育、乐意为前程努力工作也是引人注意的华人品格，由此许多没有文化的华人后代事业有成，成为医生、律师及其他专业人才。
ally declined prejudice permitted however for from in out from
As 1 the case of their predecessors, these Chinese were almost all males and encountered a great deal of 2 and hostility. When times were hard, they were blamed 3 working for lower wages and taking jobs away 4 white men.Anti-Chinese riots broke 5 , and Chinese were barred 6 using the courts and from becoming American citizens. Many Chinese returned to their homeland, and their numbers 7 . 8 an 9 of the US, the Chinese Exclusion Act ,passed in 1882, was ended. In 1965, in a general revision of US immigration laws,many more Chinese were 10 to settle.
1. in 2. prejudice 3. for 4. from 5. out 6. from 7. declined
8. However 9. ally 10. permitted
To this day, certain Chinatowns, especially those of San Francisco and New York,are busy, thriving communities, which have become great attractions for tourists and those enjoying Chinese food. Chinese Americans retain many aspects of their ancient cultures. Children are imbued with the old values and attitudes, including respect for their elders and a feeling of responsibility to the family. This helps to explain why there is so little juvenile delinquency among them.
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在今天，某些中国城，尤其是旧金山与纽约地区的华人社区，热闹繁华、生意兴隆，吸引了很多游客及喜爱中国美食的人们。美籍华人保留了许多中国古代文化的要素，给孩子们灌输传统价值观与生活态度，包括尊老与爱家。这说明了为什么华人中间少年犯罪率很低。
[1] fraction: a component of a mixture that has been separated by a fractional process 分数；部分
[2] scapegoat: someone punished for the errors of others 替罪羊，替人顶罪者；替身
[3] harass: annoy continually or chronically 使困扰；使烦恼
[4] backbreaking: characterized by toilsome effort to the point of exhaustion, especially physical effort 非常辛劳的；费力的
[5] juvenile delinquency: 少年犯罪