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原文版

FLORENCE, Italy—Svetlana Cojochru feels hurt. The Moldovan has lived here seven years as a caregiver to Italian kids and the elderly, but in order to stay she’s had to prove her language skills by taking a test which requires her to write a postcard to an imaginary friend and answer a fictional job ad.

Italy is the latest Western European country trying to control a growing immigrant population by demanding language skills in exchange for work permits, or in some cases, citizenship.

Some immigrant advocates worry that as hard financial times make it more difficult for natives to keep jobs, such measures will become more a vehicle for intolerance than integration. Others say it’s only natural that newcomers learn the language of their host nation, seeing it as a condition to ensure they can contribute to society.

Other European countries laid down a similar requirement for immigrants, and some terms are even tougher. The governments argue that this will help foreigners better join the society and promote understanding across cultures.

Italy, which has a much weaker tradition of immigration, has witnessed a sharp increase in immigration in recent years. In 1990, immigrants numbered some 1.14 million out of Italy’s then 56.7 million people, or about 2 percent. At the start of this year, foreigners living in Italy amounted to 4.56 million of a total population of 60.6 million, or 7.5 percent, with immigrants’ children accounting for an even larger percentage of births in Italy.

Cojochru, the Moldovan caregiver, hoped obtaining permanent residence would help her bring her two children to Italy; they live with her sister in Moldova, where salaries are among the lowest in Europe. She was skeptical that the language requirement would encourage integration.

Italians always “see me as a foreigner,” an outsider, even though she’s stayed in the country for years and can speak the local language fluently, she said.

分析版

FLORENCE, Italy—Svetlana Cojochru feels hurt（这句话为全文定了调子，这位SC大姐在意大利感觉很不爽，后文要是有不认识的地方，猜就往这个方向猜）. The Moldovan has lived here seven years（大姐不是才来哦） as a caregiver（这个词不认识吧？仔细看看，就发现，这个词是由两个比较简单的部分组成的：care和giver，也就是“给予关怀的人”。那具体是什么意思呢？看看后面的to kids，就知道，这个词的意思是“保育员”） to Italian kids and the elderly, but in order to stay she’s had to prove her language skills by taking a test（in order to的意思是“为了”，所以大姐的目的是留在意大利，而为了这样，大姐需要通过语言测试。考试狗们跟大姐握握手） which requires her to write a postcard to an imaginary friend and answer a fictional job ad（考试考什么呢？注意，是两项，分别在and的前面和后面。另外，ad.就是“广告”advertisement的缩写）.

Italy is the latest Western European country（意思是意大利是西欧各国中最后一个这么做的，当然，就文章的表述而言，范围就限定于西欧） trying to control a growing immigrant population by demanding language skills（to do这个不定式结构可以表目的，所以这些西欧国家这样做的目的是控制移民人口。语言水平不够，就是不让你来，就是不让~） in exchange for work permits, or in some cases, citizenship.

Some immigrant advocates（advocate的意思是“支持者”，所以这帮人的立场是不太赞同搞这么个语言考试的） worry that as hard financial times make it more difficult for natives to keep jobs（现在意大利处于什么状况？hard financial times，“经济情况不咋地”。意大利本国人怎么样？make it more difficult for natives to keep jobs，“饭碗不好端啊”）, such measures will become more a vehicle for intolerance than integration（such measures指的显然是前面说的那个语言考试咯，这个考试会怎么样呢？become more a vehicle for intolerance than integration，会搞得intolerance多于integration，那么这两个词分别是什么意思呢？想想看前面说了，这帮人是不支持这种考试的，所以一定是坏处多于好处咯，OK，如果在考场上，这样的理解已经足够了。不过，这两个词好歹认识一个吧？intolerance是“难以容忍”，integration是“融洽”）. Others（既然是“另一些人”，那么观点一定是和上面那帮人相反咯，所以他们就是支持这种语言考试的咯）say it’s only natural that newcomers learn the language of their host nation, seeing it as a condition to ensure they can contribute to society（他们认为只有learn the language of their host nation，“掌握了所在过的语言”，这些移民才能contribute to society，“为社会做出贡献”）.

Other European countries laid down（laid down的本意是“铺设”，比如铺设铁路，而这里的意思结合一下后面的requirement，就是“设定”、“设置”咯） a similar requirement for immigrants, and some terms are even tougher（其他欧洲国家对于移民的要求even tougher，看来意大利那边已经挺松的了）. The governments argue that this will help foreigners better join the society and promote understanding across cultures（他们不是认为掌握语言可以为社会做贡献了，而是觉得这样的话可以使得移民能够更好地融入社会、理解所在国的文化）.

Italy, which has a much weaker tradition（看来意大利以前没有多少移民） of immigration, has witnessed a sharp increase in immigration（估计意大利人现在是蒙圈了）in recent years. In 1990, immigrants numbered some 1.14 million out of Italy’s then 56.7 million people, or about 2 percent. At the start of this year, foreigners living in Italy amounted to 4.56 million of a total population of 60.6 million, or 7.5 percent, with immigrants’ children accounting for an even larger percentage of births in Italy（对于阅读理解而言，这里一定要搞清楚的，就是这些数字分别对应的是什么）.

Cojochru（还记得吗？这是开头那个大姐）, the Moldovan caregiver, hoped obtaining permanent residence（permanent的意思是“永久的”，所以 permanent residence就是“永久居住权”，看来大姐是希望在意大利扎下根来了） would help her bring her two children to Italy（这说明大姐的两个丫头现在不在意大利）; they live with her sister in Moldova, where salaries are among the lowest in Europe（大姐老家挣钱不多啊）. She was skeptical（skeptical的意思是“怀疑”，看来大姐是不支持这个语言考试的，再想想看开头的那句话，难怪大姐会feel hurt。我要是大姐，估计我也不爽。大姐不远万里来到意大利，给意大利人民带孩子，这是一种什么精神？这是一种老家工作不好找的精神） that the language requirement would encourage integration.

Italians always“see me as a foreigner,” an outsider（意大利人民不拿大姐当自己人啊）, even though she’s stayed in the country for years and can speak the local language fluently（看来大姐的意大利语完全没有问题）, she said.