1. 课文一：背离传统需要极大勇气
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It takes an enormous amount of courage to make a departure from the tradition.
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2. 课文二：汤姆过去很腼腆，但这次却非常勇敢能在大庭广众面前上台表演了
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Tom used to be very shy, but this time he was bold enough to perform on stage in front of a large audience.
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3. 课文三：他玩得开心，而且在探索，这两点才是我们真正看重的。但关键在于，在这个过程中，我们试图让本杰明懂得，一个人是能够很好地自行解决问题的。这种自力更生精神是美国中产阶级最重要的一条育儿观。如果我们向孩子演示该如何做某件事——把钥匙塞进钥匙的槽口也好，画只鸡或是弥补某种错误行为也罢——那他就不太可能自行想方设法去完成这件事。
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He had a good time and was exploring, and those are the two things we truly value. But the key point is that in this process, we try to make Benjamin understand that a person is capable of solving problems on their own. This spirit of self-reliance is one of the most important parenting concepts for the American middle class. If we show our children how to do something—whether it's putting a key into a key slot, drawing a chicken, or correcting a mistake—then they are unlikely to figure out how to do it on their own.
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4. 课文四：美国人的时间观念
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Americans believe that no one can stand still. If you don't strive for progress, you will fall behind. This attitude has created a nation that is dedicated to research, experimentation, and exploration. Time is one of the two elements that Americans pay close attention to in saving； the other is labor. People often say, "only time can command us."
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请注意，以上翻译仅供参考，实际翻译可能因教材版本和翻译者的不同而有所差异。