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The NEET Generation 尼特族：拒绝长大的一代

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In an Internet café in Tokyo, Hiro yawns as he battles monsters in his favorite online game. Meanwhile, in her parents’ house in Taichung, Mei-ling is indifferently googling celebrities. And in London, Ken lies in bed, lazily flicking through the TV channels. For most of us, a whole day spent lounging around is a ___1___ luxury. But Hiro, Mei-ling, and Ken do this every day. They are part of a growing number of NEETs – a UK acronym ___2___ youngsters who are “Not in Employment, Education or Training.” And, critically, they are not necessarily looking to be.

在东京的某间网咖，浩（Hiro）边打呵欠边在他最喜欢的在线游戏打怪兽。而在此同时，美玲在台中的父母家心不在焉地上网搜寻名人八卦。而在伦敦，肯恩则慵懒地躺在床上，漫不经心地不停转换电视频道。对于我们大多数的人来说，一整天无所事事是项罕有的奢侈享受。但浩、美玲与肯恩天天如此。他们都属于数量持续增长的尼特族（NEET）一员──NEET是源自英国的缩写字，指的是「不就业、不升学、不进修」的年轻族群。重要的是，他们不见得想要有所改变。

There are an estimated 400,000 NEET youths in Taiwan, ___3___ are living with, and off, their parents. Many are educated but refuse to accept jobs they view as ___4___ them, and some are so disillusioned that they are rejecting growing up altogether. They show no willingness to work and, with the assistance of well-off, indulgent, and ___5___ parents, there’s no real urgency for them to get their act together, either. But serious problems are coming to light. Young people drifting along ___6___ often lose confidence and motivation, become disengaged, and even withdraw from society. Money from their parents may not last forever, and doing nothing for too long does not attract employers in the future.

据估计，台湾约有40万名尼特族，大部分都与父母同住，并依赖他们过活。许多人虽受过良好教育，却拒绝接受他们认为有失身分的工作，有些人更是对前途不抱任何希望，全然拒绝长大。他们从未表现出工作的意愿，由于有富裕、溺爱且过度保护的父母协助，他们也没有真正必须努力上进的紧迫性。但严重的问题逐渐浮现。有着得过且过心态的年轻人常会失去信心与动力、跟社会脱节，甚至从社会中退缩。父母提供的金钱不会取之不竭，而当太久的无业游民也无法吸引未来的雇主。

Hiro, Mei-ling, and Ken may wish they’d sought their goals sooner when they eventually try to get back to the real world. Once they’re there, though, they won’t ___7___ it. As a German proverb says, “He who wants to warm himself in old age must build a fireplace in his youth.”

当浩、美玲跟肯恩终于想要努力回到真实世界时，或许他们会希望当初能早一点开始找寻自己的目标。一旦他们回到真实世界，他们便不会后悔。诚如德国谚语所言：「想在年老时取暖的人必须在年轻时建造壁炉。」

−by Alice Davis

Vocabulary

单词发音

generation [͵dʒɛnəˋreʃən] n. 世代

meanwhile [ˋmin͵hwaɪl] adv. 在此期间

indifferently [ɪnˋdɪfərəntlɪ] adv. 漠不关心地；冷淡地

flick through 快速翻阅(书等); 浏览

luxury [ˋlʌkʃərɪ] n. 奢侈，奢华

critically [ˋkrɪtɪklɪ] adv. 极重要地; 关键地

not necessarily 未必，不一定

altogether [͵ɔltəˋgɛðɚ] adv. 完全，全然

assistance [əˋsɪstəns] n. 援助，帮助

well-off [ˈwɛlˈɔf] adj. 富裕的

indulgent [ɪnˋdʌldʒənt] adj. 纵容的；放纵的；溺爱的

urgency [ˋɝdʒənsɪ] n. 紧急；迫切

confidence [ˋkɑnfədəns] n. 信心

withdraw [wɪðˋdrɔ] v. 撤退，撤离

More Information

单词发音

yawn [jɔn] v. 打呵欠

lounge [laʊndʒ] around 闲逛; 闲荡 be lazy or idle

acronym [ˋækrənɪm] n. 首字母缩略字

live off (someone) 靠…为生 to obtain one's living or means of survival from someone

disillusioned [͵dɪsɪˋluʒənd] adj. 幻想破灭的

come to light 暴露, 真相大白 be revealed or disclosed

drift along 随波逐流, 混日子 to float along; to be carried along on no particular course

motivation [͵motəˋveʃən] n. 动机; 原因

disengaged [͵dɪsɪnˋgedʒd] v. 脱离的

proverb [ˋprɑvɝb] n. 谚语，俗语

refer to 意指

96日本 尼特族

Answer