（外研版新教材）选择性必修二全册课文及翻译 1 Unit 1 Growing up Understanding ideas The Age of Majority 成年 In most countries, turning 18 marks the start of adulthood. But what does reaching this milestone, the age of majority, really mean? Will you be completely in charge of your own life and be able to express yourself in new and exciting ways? What new responsibilities will this freedom bring? Here, young people tell us what turning 18 means，or meant, to them. 在大多数国家，进入18 岁便意味着成年。但是到达成年这一里程碑到底意味着什么呢?你将完全主宰自己的生活吗?你能够用新奇的、激动人心的方式来表达自己吗?获得这种自由又会带来什么新的责任呢?接下来，有三位年轻人会为我们讲述年满 18 岁对他们意味着什么，或是曾经意味了什么。 Bethany 16, Victoria, Australia 贝萨妮 16 岁，澳大利亚 维多利亚州 I can’t wait to be 18. For instance, I’ve been working ever since leaving school, and yet I won’t be voting in the next election. Why? Because I still won’t be old enough. Surely, if you’re old enough to earn a wage and pay taxes, you should be allowed to have a say on how the government spends them! I’ve also been taking driving lessons, and in fact I will be taking my driving test on the very day I turn 18. My mum worries about me being behind the wheel. As an ambulance driver, she ‘s seen a lot of car accidents involving teenagers and thinks the legal age for getting a driving licence should be 21. Bur I think I’m already mature enough to understand that driving a car also means taking responsibility for my life and the lives of other people. 我简直等不及想要到18 岁了。其中一个原因是虽然我一毕业就工作了，但是我依然不能在下一届大选中投票。为什么?因为我依然不满 18 岁。但是我认为如果一个人已经工作并且交税了，那他应该对政府在支配税收方面有一定的话...
