晨读英语美文 Comments on the American Dream

Comments on the American Dream

[00:07.07]The phrase "American dream" generally refers to the hopes 

[00:10.56]one has for his own well-being in America. 

[00:13.52]It is not necessarily a selfish notion, 

[00:16.36]because achieving the dream is assumed to make America strong.

[00:20.30]Because the dream is held by individuals, 

[00:22.59]there can be as many different dreams 

[00:25.26]as there are people to have them.

[00:26.75]A new immigrant may dream of mastering the language, 

[00:29.71]holding a steady job, and having his own apartment. 

[00:32.88]A successful industrialist may dream of acquiring more companies.

[00:37.14]In the past, the most typical components of the American dream 

[00:41.41]for ordinary people are as follows. 

[00:43.81]The first component is a piece of land 

[00:46.55]where one can sustain himself and raise a family. 

[00:48.62]Having the land has to go beyond mere subsistence. 

[00:52.67]It must also provide for a profit and expansion. 

[00:56.50]Most importantly, it must help to give your children 

[01:00.85]better opportunities than you had. 

[01:02.85]A final component is freedom of movement

[01:06.15] within your geographic area. 

[01:07.44]In our agricultural age, 

[01:10.60]freedom of movement came with horse and wagon.

[01:12.80]We remain emotionally tied to our agricultural past. 

[01:17.39]We replace the working farm of the American dream 

[01:21.27]with a suburban house and an urban job. 

[01:23.41]The horse that took our ancestors to town

[01:26.96] once a month for supplies 

[01:28.00]is replaced by a couple of cars 

[01:30.21]that take us several places everyday.

[01:31.94]The essence of the American dream seems to me

[01:35.96] to be geographic space and physical freedom. 

[01:38.29]One's efforts allow one to succeed independently

[01:42.79] while providing an improved future for one's children 

[01:45.17]and making a contribution to the world 

[01:47.97]that one can be proud of.

[01:49.11] The dream has its constants, 

[01:52.16]but is ever-changing with the people and with the times. 

[01:55.13]For young students today, 

[01:57.59]the dream might include a very high-paying technology job 

[02:00.38]from which one could retire at an early age 

[02:04.09]and devote oneself to helping others. 

[02:05.51]For middle-aged people today, 

[02:07.92]the dream may include voluntary simplicity—

[02:11.29]a planned reduction in consumption 

[02:12.73]with a potentially more satisfying lifestyle.