美国爱尔兰移民的酗酒习惯及其引起的文化冲突

Irish Immigrants' Drinking Habit and Cause of Cultural Conflict

19世纪初至60年代,美国出现了一股前所未有的爱尔兰移民浪潮。同先前的欧洲移民相比,爱尔兰移民具有鲜明的文化特点,其中一个特点便是酗酒。爱尔兰人的酗酒习惯由来已久,美国城市陌生的环境又加深了他们对酒的依赖程度。爱尔兰移民酗酒之风同美国当时所倡导的禁酒潮流相违背,为新教徒主导的主流文化群体所不齿,引发了主流社会对其的道德谴责与文化排斥。酗酒成为导致他们与美国社会冲突的重要原因。

From the early nineteenth century to 1860s,there was an unprecedented wave of Irish immigrants to the United States.Compared with the previous European immigrants,Irish immigrants had distinctive cultural characteristics.One of them is alcoholism.Their habit of excessive drinking has been a long-standing problem and the strange environments of U.S.cities deepen their dependence on wine.The style is contrary to the temperance movement advocated by USA and is beneath contempt by Protestant-dominated mainstream cultural groups.It triggers moral condemnation and cultural exclusion from the mainstream society.Alcoholism becomes an important factor which causes them to conflict with American society.