【英譯漢】

　　But Americans are a restless people who are always ready to move. So, although they enjoy the life in the suburbs, they will by no means end their pursuit there. When his income rises as his career makes progress, he soon looks for a better house, in a better district, with more land, a better view, a bigger and finer swimming pool. He may be attached to the house which is home for the time being but this does not mean that he will put his roots there. Today’s job, today’s income, today’s friends and neighborhood: all these are part of an American’s (and his family’s) identity. Instant coffee, instant friends—but nothing is seen as permanent; an American hopes and expects to exchange them all for something better; and he finds no difficulty in identifying himself with the new.

　　【參考譯文】

　　然而，美國(guó)是一個(gè)靜不下來(lái)的民族，他們時(shí)刻準(zhǔn)備搬家。因此就算他們?cè)诮紖^(qū)享受生活，他們也絕不會(huì)停止他們的追求。只要事業(yè)有進(jìn)步，收入有所提高時(shí)，他就會(huì)很快尋找在更高的街區(qū)，更寬敞的有著更好的視野的，有更大更高的游泳池的，更棒的住所，可能在暫時(shí)在那里落腳定居一段時(shí)間，但這并不意味著他就一直會(huì)在那里扎根。今天的工作，今天的收入，今天的朋友，今天的鄰居，所有的一切都是一個(gè)美國(guó)人和他的家庭的身份象征。速溶咖啡，瞬間的朋友——好似沒有什么被看成是永恒的;美國(guó)人總是希望，期盼著該改變現(xiàn)狀。以求更好。并且，美國(guó)人發(fā)現(xiàn)先于新事物打交道并不困難。