X世代和婴儿潮世代老人的独居问题(上)

美国独居老人的数量比以往任何时候都多。这种转变带来了住房、医疗保健和个人财务方面的问题。

双语精读

As Generation X and Boomers Age, They Confront Living Alone

随着X世代和婴儿潮一代年龄增长，他们面临着独居问题

More older Americans are living by themselves than ever before. That shift presents issues on housing, health care and personal finance.

美国独居老人的数量比以往任何时候都多。这种转变带来了住房、医疗保健和个人财务方面的问题。

Jay Miles has lived his 52 years without marriage or children, which has suited his creative ambitions as a videographer in Connecticut and, he said, his mix of "independence and stubbornness." But he worries about who will take care of him as he gets older.

杰伊·迈尔斯52年来一直没有结婚生子，这便于他作为康涅狄格州的一名录像片制作人去实现自己的创作抱负，他说，这也与他"既独立又固执"的个性相称。但他开始担心，随着年龄增长，谁来照顾他。

Donna Selman, a 55-year-old college professor in Illinois, is mostly grateful to be single, she said, because her mother and aunts never had the financial and emotional autonomy that she enjoys.

55岁的唐娜·塞尔曼是伊利诺伊州的一名大学教授，她说她很庆幸自己是单身，因为她的母亲和阿姨们从未像她那样拥有经济和情感上的自主权。

Mary Felder, 65, raised her children, now grown, in her rowhouse in Philadelphia. Her home has plenty of space for one person, but upkeep is expensive on the century-old house.

65岁的玛丽·费尔德在费城的联排别墅里抚养她的子女，现在他们已经长大成人了。她的房子一人居住绰绰有余，但要维护这座百年老宅费用不低。

Ms. Felder, Mr. Miles and Ms. Selman are members of one of the country's fastest-growing demographic groups: people 50 and older who live alone.

费尔德、迈尔斯和塞尔曼是美国增长最快的人口群体之一：50岁及以上的独居者。

In 1960, just 13 percent of American households had a single occupant. But that figure has risen steadily, and today it is approaching 30 percent.

1960年，一人独居的美国家庭只占13%。但这一数字一直在稳步上升，如今已接近30%。

For households headed by someone 50 or older, that figure is 36 percent. Nearly 26 million Americans 50 or older now live alone, up from 15 million in 2000.

对于户主为50岁或以上的家庭，这一数字为36%。50岁或以上的独居老人数量现在接近2600万，而在2000年，这一数字为1500万。

Older people have always been more likely than others to live by themselves, and now that age group -- baby boomers and Gen Xers -- makes up a bigger share of the population than at any time in the nation's history.

老年人一直比其他人更有可能独自生活，现今这个年龄段的人----婴儿潮一代和X世代----在人口中所占比例超过美国以往任何时期。

The trend has also been driven by deep changes in attitudes surrounding gender and marriage. People 50-plus today are more likely than earlier generations to be divorced, separated or never married.

对于性别和婚姻的深刻态度转变也推动了这一趋势。现在，50岁以上的人比前几代人更有可能经历离婚、分居或从未结婚。

Women in this category have had opportunities for professional advancement, home-ownership and financial independence that were all but out of reach for previous generations of older women.

这类女性享有的职业晋升、拥有住房和经济独立的机会，对于前几代老年女性而言是几乎无法企及的。

More than 60 percent of older adults living by themselves are female. "There is this huge, kind of explosive social and demographic change happening," said Markus Schafer, a sociologist at Baylor University who studies older populations.

独居的老年人中，超过60%是女性。贝勒大学研究老年人口的社会学家马库斯·谢弗说："一种巨大的、几乎是爆炸性的社会和人口结构变化正在发生。"

In interviews, many older adults said they feel positively about their lives.

在采访中，许多老年人表示，他们对自己的生活感到积极乐观。

But while many people in their 50s and 60s thrive living solo, research is unequivocal that people aging alone experience worse physical and mental health outcomes and shorter life spans.

尽管许多50多岁和60多岁的人独自生活得很好，但研究明确表明，独自面对衰老的人身心健康状况更糟糕，寿命也更短。

And even with an active social and family life, people in this group are generally more lonely than those who live with others, according to Dr. Schafer's research.

根据谢弗的研究，即使有活跃的社交和家庭生活，这一群体中的人通常也比那些与他人生活在一起的人更加孤独。

词汇预习

• financial [高考]

  美[faɪˈnænʃl] | 英[faɪˈnænʃl]

  adj. 金融的；财政的；[非正式]有钱的

• emotional [高考]

  美[ɪˈmoʊʃənl] | 英[ɪˈməʊʃənl]

  adj. 感情的；情绪的

• surrounding [高考]

  美[səˈraʊndɪŋ] | 英[səˈraʊndɪŋ]

  adj. 周围的 n. 环境；周围的事物

• shift [高考]

  美[ʃɪft] | 英[ʃɪft]

  v. 移动；改变；换挡；字型转换 n. 轮班；变化；移动；计谋；轮班职工

• advancement [高考]

  美[ədˈvænsmənt] | 英[ədˈvɑːnsmənt]

  n. 前进；进步；晋升

• sociologist [高考]

  美[ ˌsoʊsiˈɑːlədʒɪst] | 英[ ˌsəʊsiˈɒlədʒɪst]

  n. 社会学家

• steadily [高考]

  美[ˈstɛdəlɪ] | 英['stedɪlɪ]

  adv. 稳定地；稳固地；逐步地

• autonomy [高考]

  美[ɔːˈtɑːnəmi] | 英[ɔːˈtɒnəmi]

  n. 自治；自治权；自主

• positively [高考]

  美[ˈpɑzətɪvli] | 英[ˈpɒzətɪvli]

  adv. 极其；绝对地；十分肯定的；坚定的

• explosive [高考]

  美[ɪkˈsploʊsɪv] | 英[ɪkˈspləʊsɪv]

  adj. 爆炸(性)的；引发争论的；大声的 n. 炸药

• thrive [高考]

  美[θraɪv] | 英[θraɪv]

  vi. 兴旺；繁荣；茁壮成长

• figure [高考]

  美[ˈfɪɡjər] | 英[ˈfɪɡə(r)]

  n. 图形；人物；身材；体形 v. 认为；是重要部分；是…的部分；计算（数量或成本）

• trend [高考]

  美[trend] | 英[trend]

  n. 趋势；倾向；方位 vi. 倾向；转向

• mental [高考]

  美[ˈmentl] | 英[ˈmentl]

  adj. 思想的；心理的；精神的；脑力的 n. 精神病患者

• previous [高考]

  美[ˈpriːviəs] | 英[ˈpriːviəs]

  adj. 以前的；先于；在 ... 之前

• grateful [高考]

  美[ˈɡreɪtfl] | 英[ˈɡreɪtfl]

  adj. 感激的；令人愉快的

• Ms. [高考]

  美[mɪz] | 英[mɪz]

  n. 女士，小姐

• plus [高考]

  美[plʌs] | 英[plʌs]

  prep. 加；加上 adj. 正的；超过的 n. 正数；加号；优势 conj. 并且

• finance [高考]

  美[ˈfaɪnæns] | 英[ˈfaɪnæns]

  n. 金融；财政；资金 vt. 给 ... 提供资金；负担经费

• ownership [高考]

  美[ˈoʊnərʃɪp] | 英[ˈəʊnəʃɪp]

  n. 所有权

• living [高考]

  美[ˈlɪvɪŋ] | 英[ˈlɪvɪŋ]

  adj. 活着的；生动的 n. 生活；生计

• housing [高考]

  美[ˈhaʊzɪŋ] | 英[ˈhaʊzɪŋ]

  n. 房屋；外壳；外套；外罩；住宅；卡箍；遮盖物；(芯片的)封装

• gender [高考]

  美[ˈdʒendər] | 英[ˈdʒendə(r)]

  n. 性别；性（阳性、阴性和中性）

• solo [高考]

  美[ˈsoʊloʊ] | 英[ˈsəʊləʊ]

  n. 独奏；独唱 adj. 单独的 adv. 单独地 v. 单独表演；[空]放单飞(飞行员一个人开飞机,无教练陪同)

• demographic [四级]

  美[ˌdeməˈɡræfɪk] | 英[ˌdeməˈɡræfɪk]

  adj. 人口统计学的，人口的 n. 具有统计学特征的人群（一般指根据年龄、性别等进行统计的人群）

• care of [四级]

  美[kɛr ʌv] | 英[kɛə ɔv]

  转交； 照管

• live by [四级]

  美[liv baɪ] | 英[liv bai]

  v. 靠 ... 为生； 住在 ... 附近

• out of [六级]

  美[aʊt ʌv] | 英[aut ɔv]

  prep. 离…一段距离；从…里；离开 ...；出于

• kind of [六级]

  美[kaɪnd ʌv] | 英[kaind ɔv]

  adv. 有点儿

• out of reach [六级]

  美[aʊt ʌv ritʃ] | 英[aut ɔv ri:tʃ]

  够不着； 达不到

• all but [六级]

  美[ɔl bʌt] | 英[ɔ:l bʌt]

  几乎； 差一点

• married [专四]

  美[ˈmærid] | 英[ˈmærid]

  adj. 已婚的；婚姻的；密切结合的 n. 已婚者

• according [专四]

  美[ə'kɔrdɪŋ] | 英[ə'kɔːdɪŋ]

  adj. 相符的；相应的；一致的 v. 给予；符合，一致；正式协议（accord的现在分词）

• upkeep [专八]

  美[ˈʌpˌkip] | 英[ˈʌpki:p]

  n. 维持；维持费；保养费；生活费

• grown [专八]

  美[groʊn] | 英[grəʊn]

  adj. 长大的；成年的；长满某物的

重点讲解

As**** Generation**** X and Boomers Age,**** They**** Confront**** Living**** Alone

随着X世代和婴儿潮一代年龄增长，他们面临着独居问题

More**** older Americans are living**** by**** themselves**** than**** ever**** before****.**** That**** shift presents**** issues**** on**** housing,**** health**** care**** and personal**** finance.****

美国独居老人的数量比以往任何时候都多。这种转变带来了住房、医疗保健和个人财务方面的问题。

Jay Miles has lived his 52 years without marriage or children, which has suited his creative ambitions as a videographer in Connecticut and, he said, his mix of "independence and stubbornness." But he worries about who will take care of him as he gets older.

杰伊·迈尔斯52年来一直没有结婚生子，这便于他作为康涅狄格州的一名录像片制作人去实现自己的创作抱负，他说，这也与他"既独立又固执"的个性相称。但他开始担心，随着年龄增长，谁来照顾他。

suit   v.

1. 对（某人）方便；合（某人的）心意

【例】If we met at 2, would that suit you? 

我们两点钟见面，你方便吗？

【搭配】suit sb fine/ill  对某人而言很合适/不合适

【拓展】suit yourself  随你的便

2. （服装、颜色等）相配，合适

【例】Blue suits you. You should wear it more often. 

你适合穿蓝色，你该多穿蓝色衣服。

autonomy   n. 

1. 自治；自治权

【例】a campaign in Wales for greater autonomy 威尔士争取更大自治权的运动

2. 自主权

【例】have autonomy in decision-making 有做决定的自主权

【拓展】autonomous   adj. 自治的；自主的

【辨析】automatic  adj. （机器）自动的；不经思索的

Donna Selman, a 55-year-old college professor in Illinois, is mostly grateful to be single, she said, because her mother and aunts never had the financial and emotional autonomy that she enjoys.

55岁的唐娜·塞尔曼是伊利诺伊州的一名大学教授，她说她很庆幸自己是单身，因为她的母亲和阿姨们从未像她那样拥有经济和情感上的自主权。

suit   v.

1. 对（某人）方便；合（某人的）心意

【例】If we met at 2, would that suit you? 

我们两点钟见面，你方便吗？

【搭配】suit sb fine/ill  对某人而言很合适/不合适

【拓展】suit yourself  随你的便

2. （服装、颜色等）相配，合适

【例】Blue suits you. You should wear it more often. 

你适合穿蓝色，你该多穿蓝色衣服。

autonomy   n. 

1. 自治；自治权

【例】a campaign in Wales for greater autonomy 威尔士争取更大自治权的运动

2. 自主权

【例】have autonomy in decision-making 有做决定的自主权

【拓展】autonomous   adj. 自治的；自主的

【辨析】automatic  adj. （机器）自动的；不经思索的

Mary Felder, 65, raised her children, now grown, in her rowhouse in Philadelphia. Her home has plenty of space for one person, but upkeep is expensive on the century-old house.

65岁的玛丽·费尔德在费城的联排别墅里抚养她的子女，现在他们已经长大成人了。她的房子一人居住绰绰有余，但要维护这座百年老宅费用不低。

upkeep   n. 维护；维修；保养费；维修费

【例】The building needed upkeep. 

这房子需要维修。

【拓展】keep up  保养；使保持良好状态

【例】The mansion was too expensive to keep up. 

要保养这幢大厦所需费用太大了。

【近义词】maintenance  n. 维护；保养

demographic   adj. & n.

1. 作形容词：人口的；人口学的

【例】demographic trends/factors  人口发展趋势/人口统计要素

【拓展】demography  n. 人口统计；人口统计学

2. 作名词：

（1）人口统计数据；某群体统计数据

【例】the demographics of radio listeners 电台听众统计数据

【拓展】census   n. 人口普查；人口调查

（2）同类客户群体

【例】The products are designed to appeal to a young demographic.

这些产品是为吸引年轻一代客户而设计的。

Ms. Felder, Mr. Miles and Ms. Selman are members of one of the country's fastest-growing demographic groups: people 50 and older who live alone.

费尔德、迈尔斯和塞尔曼是美国增长最快的人口群体之一：50岁及以上的独居者。

upkeep   n. 维护；维修；保养费；维修费

【例】The building needed upkeep. 

这房子需要维修。

【拓展】keep up  保养；使保持良好状态

【例】The mansion was too expensive to keep up. 

要保养这幢大厦所需费用太大了。

【近义词】maintenance  n. 维护；保养

demographic   adj. & n.

1. 作形容词：人口的；人口学的

【例】demographic trends/factors  人口发展趋势/人口统计要素

【拓展】demography  n. 人口统计；人口统计学

2. 作名词：

（1）人口统计数据；某群体统计数据

【例】the demographics of radio listeners 电台听众统计数据

【拓展】census   n. 人口普查；人口调查

（2）同类客户群体

【例】The products are designed to appeal to a young demographic.

这些产品是为吸引年轻一代客户而设计的。

In 1960, just 13 percent of American households had a single occupant. But that figure has risen steadily, and today it is approaching 30 percent.

1960年，一人独居的美国家庭只占13%。但这一数字一直在稳步上升，如今已接近30%。

occupant  n. （房屋、建筑等的）使用者，居住者

【例】All outstanding bills will be paid by the previous occupants. 

一切未支付的账单将由前住户偿付。

【拓展】occupy  v. 使用；占用；占领

【辨析】owner  n. 业主  tenant  n. 租客   inhabitant  n. 某地的居民

head   v.

1. 朝（某方向）前进

【例】She headed for the door. 

她朝着门走去。

2. 牵头；领导

【例】She has been appointed to head the research team. 

她受命领导研究小组。

3. 位于排行之首

【例】Italy heads the table after two games. 

两场比赛之后意大利队排名榜首。

For households headed by someone 50 or older, that figure is 36 percent. Nearly 26 million Americans 50 or older now live alone, up from 15 million in 2000.

对于户主为50岁或以上的家庭，这一数字为36%。50岁或以上的独居老人数量现在接近2600万，而在2000年，这一数字为1500万。

occupant  n. （房屋、建筑等的）使用者，居住者

【例】All outstanding bills will be paid by the previous occupants. 

一切未支付的账单将由前住户偿付。

【拓展】occupy  v. 使用；占用；占领

【辨析】owner  n. 业主  tenant  n. 租客   inhabitant  n. 某地的居民

head   v.

1. 朝（某方向）前进

【例】She headed for the door. 

她朝着门走去。

2. 牵头；领导

【例】She has been appointed to head the research team. 

她受命领导研究小组。

3. 位于排行之首

【例】Italy heads the table after two games. 

两场比赛之后意大利队排名榜首。

Older people have always been more likely than others to live by themselves, and now that age group -- baby boomers and Gen Xers -- makes up a bigger share of the population than at any time in the nation's history.

老年人一直比其他人更有可能独自生活，现今这个年龄段的人----婴儿潮一代和X世代----在人口中所占比例超过美国以往任何时期。

make up

1. 形成；构成

【例】Women make up 56% of the student numbers. 

女生占学生人数的 56%。

【拓展】account for/comprise  构成；（比例上）占

【例】The Japanese market accounts for/comprises 35% of the company's revenue. 

日本市场占该公司收入的 35%。

2. 编造（故事、谎言等）

【例】He made up some excuse about his daughter being sick. 

他编造了一些托辞，说他的女儿病倒了。

3. 补上（失去的东西）

【例】Can I leave early this afternoon and make up the time tomorrow? 

我今天下午早点儿走，明天补上这段时间，可以吗？

The trend has also been driven by deep changes in attitudes surrounding gender and marriage. People 50-plus today are more likely than earlier generations to be divorced, separated or never married.

对于性别和婚姻的深刻态度转变也推动了这一趋势。现在，50岁以上的人比前几代人更有可能经历离婚、分居或从未结婚。

make up

1. 形成；构成

【例】Women make up 56% of the student numbers. 

女生占学生人数的 56%。

【拓展】account for/comprise  构成；（比例上）占

【例】The Japanese market accounts for/comprises 35% of the company's revenue. 

日本市场占该公司收入的 35%。

2. 编造（故事、谎言等）

【例】He made up some excuse about his daughter being sick. 

他编造了一些托辞，说他的女儿病倒了。

3. 补上（失去的东西）

【例】Can I leave early this afternoon and make up the time tomorrow? 

我今天下午早点儿走，明天补上这段时间，可以吗？

Women in this category have had opportunities for professional advancement, home-ownership and financial independence that were all but out of reach for previous generations of older women.

这类女性享有的职业晋升、拥有住房和经济独立的机会，对于前几代老年女性而言是几乎无法企及的。

all but 

1. 几乎；差不多

【例】The party was all but over when we arrived. 

我们到的时候，聚会都快要结束了。

2. 除……外全部

【例】All but one of the plates were damaged. 

除去一只，盘子全打碎了。

out of reach

1. 超出手臂可以够到的范围

【例】Cleaning fluids should be kept out of the reach of children. 

洗涤剂应该放在儿童够不到的地方。

2. 在波及/影响/能力范围之外

【例】Victory is now out of her reach.

胜利现在对于她来说遥不可及。

【拓展】within the reach  在伸手可以够着的范围；在能力范围之内

【例】The basic model is priced well within the reach of most people.

基本款式的定价大多数人都完全负担得起。

explosive   adj.

1. 易爆炸的

【例】an explosive device 爆炸装置

2. 爆炸性的；有争议的；猛增的；暴躁的

【例】an explosive topic/growth/temper  有争议的话题/爆炸性增长/火爆脾气

More than 60 percent of older adults living by themselves are female. "There is this huge, kind of explosive social and demographic change happening," said Markus Schafer, a sociologist at Baylor University who studies older populations.

独居的老年人中，超过60%是女性。贝勒大学研究老年人口的社会学家马库斯·谢弗说："一种巨大的、几乎是爆炸性的社会和人口结构变化正在发生。"

all but 

1. 几乎；差不多

【例】The party was all but over when we arrived. 

我们到的时候，聚会都快要结束了。

2. 除……外全部

【例】All but one of the plates were damaged. 

除去一只，盘子全打碎了。

out of reach

1. 超出手臂可以够到的范围

【例】Cleaning fluids should be kept out of the reach of children. 

洗涤剂应该放在儿童够不到的地方。

2. 在波及/影响/能力范围之外

【例】Victory is now out of her reach.

胜利现在对于她来说遥不可及。

【拓展】within the reach  在伸手可以够着的范围；在能力范围之内

【例】The basic model is priced well within the reach of most people.

基本款式的定价大多数人都完全负担得起。

explosive   adj.

1. 易爆炸的

【例】an explosive device 爆炸装置

2. 爆炸性的；有争议的；猛增的；暴躁的

【例】an explosive topic/growth/temper  有争议的话题/爆炸性增长/火爆脾气

In interviews, many older adults said they feel positively about their lives.

在采访中，许多老年人表示，他们对自己的生活感到积极乐观。

unequivocal   adj. 表达明确的；毫不含糊的

【例】an unequivocal rejection  明确的拒绝

【拓展】equivocal/ambiguous  adj. 模棱两可的；不确定的

【例】She gave an equivocal answer, typical of a politician.

她的回答模棱两可，是典型的政客口吻。

But while many people in their 50s and 60s thrive living solo, research is unequivocal that people aging alone experience worse physical and mental health outcomes and shorter life spans.

尽管许多50多岁和60多岁的人独自生活得很好，但研究明确表明，独自面对衰老的人身心健康状况更糟糕，寿命也更短。

unequivocal   adj. 表达明确的；毫不含糊的

【例】an unequivocal rejection  明确的拒绝

【拓展】equivocal/ambiguous  adj. 模棱两可的；不确定的

【例】She gave an equivocal answer, typical of a politician.

她的回答模棱两可，是典型的政客口吻。

And even with an active social and family life, people in this group are generally more lonely than those who live with others, according to Dr. Schafer's research.

根据谢弗的研究，即使有活跃的社交和家庭生活，这一群体中的人通常也比那些与他人生活在一起的人更加孤独。

unequivocal   adj. 表达明确的；毫不含糊的

【例】an unequivocal rejection  明确的拒绝

【拓展】equivocal/ambiguous  adj. 模棱两可的；不确定的

【例】She gave an equivocal answer, typical of a politician.

她的回答模棱两可，是典型的政客口吻。

课后练习

• It can be learned from the first four paragraphs that ____.

  A. Jay Miles is too busy with work to establish a family

  B. Donna Selman feels a sense of control of her life

  C. Mary Felder has trouble paying the expensive rent

  D. most of the elders in America don’t have a stable job

• Which of the following is true about America’s population?

  A. The size of American households is gradually increasing.

  B. People 50 and older comprise the majority of the population.

  C. An increasing number of older people live by themselves.

  D. The number of baby boomers exceeds that of other countries.

• Compared with the earlier generations, people 50-plus ____.

  A. have a more conservative attitude towards marriage

  B. enjoy greater opportunities for self-development

  C. face a wider gap between the male and the female

  D. confront a fiercer competition with their peers

• Research shows that the older people living alone ____.

  A. hold a pessimistic view of life

  B. have more energy for social life

  C. experience isolation and poor health

  D. are more likely to thrive in their later years