To Americans, industriousness, thrift and ambition are possitive values. We encourage our children to be competitive, to get ahead, to make money, to acquire possession. In games and in business alike, the aim is to win the game, the trophy, the contract. We go in for laboursaving devices, gadgets, speed and shortcuts. We think every young couple should set up a home of their own. And we pity the couple who must share their home with their parent, let alone with other relatives. Actually, of course, not all Americans hold all these values. And those who do may hold other, and at times controdictary values that affect their ways of behaving. In the main, however,the collective expectation of our society is that these are desirable goals, and the individual, whatever his personal inclination, is under considerable pressure to conform.
对于我们美国人，勤劳、节俭和志气都是积极的价值观。我们鼓励孩子们进取、成功、赚钱、富有。在竞赛和商业活动中也是一样，我们追求的是赢取比赛、获得奖杯、拿到合同。我们致力于节省劳力的工具、速度和捷径。我们提倡所有的小两口都能靠自己的双手构建家园。我们为那些必须依靠父母或亲戚生活的夫妇感到遗憾！其实，并不是所有的美国人都拥有这样的价值观，甚至有些人或许会拥有相反的价值观，这样的价值观会影响他们的行为。不过，我们的社会的主流意识/期望还是这种积极的目标，不论个人的倾好如何，他的行为也是被规范在一定的范围之内的。