佚名/Anonymous
Why do we, as teenagers, feel so compelled to give in to what others believe or do? The answer is simple—peer pressure—but the solution isn't quite as easy. Everyone knows what peer pressure is by now and that morally we shouldn't give in to it. Yet, there are still kids getting drunk and doing drugs, merely because they want to fit in. Fit in with the "popular" people, who don't know when to quit. More often than not, they are the ones who end up in drug and alcohol rehabilitation centers. Is this what is considered popular now? I hope with all my heart that these aren't the standards we use today.
Sure, in the past few years, a high percentage of teens have smartened up and gotten their lives on the right track before it was too late. But I also hear friends talk about "getting trashed" and I feel pity for them because they don't notice how much of their life they're wasting. These activities are said to be a part of growing up, but I want to be sure I get a chance to grow up.
It has to be by far the most uncomfortable situation when we're asked to choose between what's "right" and what's "in". No one wants to make the decision, but the easier of the two is to give in to peer pressure and be like everyone else. Adults say we're educated about this, but, unfortunately, knowing the facts isn't enough. The whole problem is a lack of self-assurance. We need to have the feeling that the only person we have to please is ourselves. It takes someone with an incredible amount of courage and self-confidence to defy the accepted answer. Once we have trust and faith in ourselves, overcoming peer pressure will come naturally.
This new outlook won't be easy to achieve, or easy for others to deal with, but in order to beat the odds and avoid becoming just another statistic, it must be accomplished. Our actions should reflect our moral values if we want to fulfill our expectations and dreams. I hope that with time everyone will be able to say they live according entirely to what they believe. Not many people can truthfully say they do.
作为青少年，我们为什么会感到被别人逼迫，非要依照别人的想法或做法？回答很简单——同龄人的压力——但是解决办法却不容易。现在，每个人都知道同龄人的压力，从道德上讲，我们不该对它让步。然而，仍然有许多孩子酗酒、吸毒，仅仅是因为他们想要适应，适应“流行”的人，不知道何时该放弃的人。通常，他们最终会被送到戒毒和酒精康复中心。这就是大家所尊崇的流行吗？我真心希望这不是我们今天所使用的生活标准。
当然，在过去的几年中，大部分年轻人都非常潇洒，要及时把他们拉回正轨。但是我也听朋友们讨论过“变成废物的人”，我为他们感到很惋惜，因为他们没有注意到他们是怎样浪费生命的。这些行为都被称为是成长的一部分，但是我想确定我有一个成长的机会。
到目前为止，当我们被问及在“正确”与“时髦”间做选择时，是最不安的情况了。没有人想要做出选择，但是比较容易的是我对同龄人的压力的屈从，就像其他人一样。成年人说，我们在这方面受过教育。但是，不幸的是，知道事实还远远不够。全部的问题在于自信心的缺乏。我们需要有一种我们仅仅需要自己高兴的感觉，一些人带着难以置信的勇气和信心来反抗已被接受的答案。一旦我们相信自己，就会很自然地战胜同龄人的压力了。
这种新观点并不容易实现，或是对于他人不容易处理，但是为了战胜困难，避免成为另一个例子，就一定要成功。如果我们想要实现期望和梦想，我们的行为就应该反映我们的道德观。我希望，随着时间的流逝，每个人都能说他们完全在按照自己的想法生活。很少有人能真诚地说自己做到了。
If winter comes, can spring be far behind?
—Shelley
冬天来了，春天还会远吗？
——雪莱
morally[?m?r?li]adv.道德上；德性上；有道德地
The club feels that it has done nothing morally wrong.
俱乐部认为自己没做任何不道德的事情。
rehabilitation[?ri:??bili?tei??n]n.复原平反；再教育
After a month in rehabilitation, Bob the tortoise is home again.
一个月的修养之后，海龟鲍勃又回到了家中。
incredible[in?kred?bl]adj.难以置信的
I think it's incredible.
我认为这是难以置信的。
statistic[st??tistik]n.统计数值
The statistics were given in parenthesis.
统计数字在括号里。
现在，每个人都知道同龄人的压力，从道德上讲，我们不该对它让步。
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我们需要有一种我们仅仅需要自己高兴的感觉，一些人带着难以置信的勇气和信心来反抗已被接受的答案。
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如果我们想要实现期望和梦想，我们的行为就应该反映我们的道德观。
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Sure, in the past few years, a high percentage of teens have smartened up and gotten their lives on the right track before it was too late.
smarten up：（使）变得漂亮（或整洁、时髦等）
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I hope that with time everyone will be able to say they live according entirely to what they believe.
according to：按照；根据
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