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The Rise of the One-child Generation 独生子女世代来临？！

课文朗读

课文讲解

繁體中文譯本

In 1981, China implemented its “one-child” policy, giving rise to an unprecedented generation of single children. Across the strait in Taiwan, there is no one-child policy, but a modern trend towards single-child families has appeared. Young couples are marrying later, having children later, and having fewer children in total.

中国大陆1981年开始实施一胎化政策，造成了前所未有的独生子女世代。海峡对岸的台湾虽未实施一胎化政策，但现代家庭也多半只生一胎。年轻夫妇较晚结婚，生育年龄延后，而子女人数也降低。

In the past, Chinese and Taiwanese families with many children benefited from having many hands to work the farm. However, industrialization changed the situation. Today, couples are discouraged from having children by the unwelcome costs of raising a child.

在从前的中国大陆及台湾，子女众多的家庭能享有许多人手帮忙农务的好处，但工业化改变一切。现今，养小孩的费用过高，使夫妇望之却步。

With fewer children being born, parent-child relations are changing. Experts have found that parents may take excessive care of their only child. They feel a lot of anxiety about their child’s health, fearing even the most common childhood diseases. They are also overly concerned about their child’s behavior, but at the same time are more prone to give way to the child’s desires. Although all the resources at the parents’ disposal can be focused on the child’s success, parents tend to sacrifice their own happiness to afford further advantages for their child.

孩子生得少，亲子关系也随之改变。专家发现父母对子女可能会过度呵护，为他们的身体感到焦虑，即使是最普通的小儿疾病也会令他们担心不已。他们对子女的行为也会过度关切，容易迁就子女的要求。虽然父母所有资源都能集中在孩子身上，但父母仍常牺牲自己，以让孩子获得更多优势。

Vocabulary

单词发音

implement [ˋɪmpləmənt] v. 实施；执行

discourage [dɪsˋkɝɪdʒ] v. 劝阻；打消[（+from）]; 打消…的念头

excessive [ɪkˋsɛsɪv] adj. 过度的；过分的

concerned [kənˋsɝnd] adj. 挂虑的，担心的，不安的[（+about/for/over）]

prone [pron] adj. 有……倾向的，易于……的[F][（+to）][+to-v]

resource [rɪˋsors] n. 资源

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单词发音

give rise to 引起, 引发, 导致… to cause something to exist

unprecedented [ʌnˋprɛsə͵dɛntɪd] adj. 无先例的，空前的

unwelcome [ʌnˋwɛlkəm] adj. 不想要的; 不受欢迎的; 讨厌的

overly [ˋovɚlɪ] adv. 过度地; 太; 非常; 极为

give way to 屈服 end resistance, as under pressure or force

at one’s disposal 供任意使用，可自行支配 is available to help one

课文朗读

课文讲解

Having just one child may also affect that child’s development. In China, for instance, with its one-child policy, there is concern about the potential “little emperor” problem. Single children have two parents and four grandparents doting on them. They are like the rulers of the household. When they eventually need to get along with others in society, they may have difficulty negotiating and compromising with others. In addition, they feel increased pressure to fulfill their parents’ high expectations.

只生一个孩子也可能影响孩子的发展。譬如，大陆方面便担心一胎化政策可能衍生出「小皇帝」问题。独生子女集双亲及四位祖父母的宠爱于一身，就像是家中的霸王。当他们最终得出社会与人相处时，便可能难以与人交涉、妥协。此外，独生子女也面临很大的压力，觉得自己必须达成父母高度的期望。

The trend towards fewer children could have far-reaching effects on society as well. Some experts predict that there will be serious economic problems in the future. In Taiwan, there will only be 1.15 workers supporting each elderly person by 2050. Since 1995, the Taiwanese government has been implementing campaigns to increase the birthrate.

少子化的趋势对社会也可能造成深远的影响。专家预测，未来将有严重的经济问题。台湾到公元2050年时，平均每位老人只能靠1.15位就业者供养。台湾政府自1995年起，便不断推出各方案来提高出生率。

Another issue is that as people age and lose the ability to have children, they might experience regret at missing the opportunity to raise more than one child. There is no way to know what exactly the future holds. As birthrates shrink, Chinese and Taiwanese societies will face challenges in adapting to the new situation.

另一项问题则是当人们老化而无法生儿育女时，可能会懊悔错失生育更多子女的机会。谁也无法预料未来会如何发展。随着出生率的降低，中国大陆与台湾在适应新情况时将面临挑战。

−Adapted by Alan Campana

Vocabulary

单词发音

dote [dot] on (someone) 溺爱  to love someone a lot, sometimes foolishly or too much

negotiate [nɪˋgoʃɪ͵et] v. 协商

compromise [ˋkɑmprə͵maɪz] v. 妥协，让步

predict [prɪˋdɪkt] v. 预测

adapt [əˋdæpt] to 适应于

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单词发音

get along 和睦相处 to be friendly or compatible

far-reaching [ˋfɑrˋritʃɪŋ] adj. 深远的；广泛的

age [edʒ] v. 变老

what the future holds  将来会是怎样

shrink [ʃrɪŋk] v. 变小，变少

Reading Questions

1. Which of the following has been a cause of the low birthrate in Taiwan?

A. The difficulty of life in the countryside.

B. The effects of Taiwan’s own one-child policy.

C. Changes in children’s behavior and desires.

D. The money required to raise children.

2. What is NOT something parents are now doing in single-child families?

A. Worrying a lot when the child becomes ill.

B. Sacrificing the child’s happiness and future.

C. Letting the child have whatever he or she wants.

D. Giving up their own dreams for the child.

3. Which category does this article fit under?

A. Society.

B. Psychology.

C. Politics.

D. Fiction.

4. Which of the following statements can be inferred from this article?

A. Taiwan will never have the “little emperor” phenomenon.

B. Single children are the worst thing that has ever happened to Taiwan.

C. In the future, Taiwan will definitely fare better than China.

D. Lower birthrates could cause a number of different difficulties.

Answer