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大世界与小家庭	Dà shìjiè yǔ xiǎo jiātíng	大世界  dà shìjiè: big world 小家庭  xiǎo jiātíng: small family	Big World and Small Families
中国人看到的世界越来越大，中国人的家庭却越变越小。	zhōngguó rén kàn dào de shìjiè yuè lái yuè dà, zhōngguó rén de jiātíng què yuè biàn yuè xiǎo.	中国人  zhōngguó rén: Chinese people 看到  kàndào: see 世界  shìjiè: world 家庭  jiātíng: family 变  biàn: change	While the Chinese see a bigger and bigger world, the Chinese family is becoming smaller and smaller.
中国传统家庭一般至少包括父母和子女两代人，并且普遍存在三世甚至四世同堂的现象。	Zhōngguó chuántǒng jiātíng yībān zhìshǎo bāokuò fùmǔ hé zǐnǚ liǎng dài rén, bìngqiě pǔbiàn cúnzài sānshì shènzhì sì shì tóng táng de xiànxiàng.	传统  chuántǒng: traditional 至少  zhìshǎo: at least 包括  bāokuò: include 父母  fùmǔ: parents 子女  zǐnǚ: children 两代人  liǎng dàirén: two generations 普遍存在  pǔbiàn cúnzài: commonly exist 三世  sān shì: three generations 四世  sì shì: four generations 同堂  tóngtáng: live together	Traditional Chinese families generally consist of at least two generations of parents and children, and it is common to have three or even four generations in the same household.
然而，自上世纪七八十年代起，随着经济与社会的发展，传统的结构复杂的大家庭渐渐被结构简单的小家庭所取代。	Rán’ér, zì shàng shìjì qībāshí niándài qǐ, suízhe jīngjì yǔ shèhuì de fǎ zhǎn, chuántǒng de jiégòu fùzá de dà jiātíng jiànjiàn bèi jiégòu jiǎndān de xiǎo jiātíng suǒ qǔdài.	然而  rán’ér: however 上世纪  shàng shìjì: last century 七八十年代  qī bā shí niándài: seventies and eighties 经济  jīngjì: economy 社会  shèhuì: society 发展  fāzhǎn: development 结构  jiégòu: structure 复杂  fùzá: complex 大家庭  dà jiātíng: big family 渐渐  jiànjiàn: gradually 简单  jiǎndān: simple	However, since the 1970s and 1980s, with economic and social development, the traditional large families with complex structures have been gradually replaced by small families with simple structures.
北京东城区居民孙先生说：“我父母都出生在大家庭里，各有四个兄弟姐妹。	Běijīng dōng chéngqū jūmín sūn xiānshēng shuō:“Wǒ fùmǔ dōu chūshēng zài dà jiātíng lǐ, gè yǒu sì gè xiōngdì jiěmèi.	北京  běijīng: Beijing 东城区  dōngchéng qū: Dongcheng District 居民  jūmín: resident 孙先生  sūn xiānshēng: Mr. Sun 父母  fùmǔ: parents 出生  chūshēng: born 兄弟姐妹  xiōngdì jiěmèi: siblings	My parents were both born into large families with four siblings each,” said Mr. Sun, a resident of Beijing’s Dongcheng District.
我小时候，家里有三个孩子，还有父母和爷爷奶奶，全家七口人。	Wǒ xiǎoshíhòu, jiā li yǒusān gè háizi, hái yǒu fùmǔ hé yéyé nǎinai, quánjiā qī kǒu rén.	小时候  xiǎoshíhou: childhood 三个孩子  sān gè háizi: three children 爷爷奶奶  yéyé nǎinai: grandparents 全家  quánjiā: whole family 七口人  qī kǒu rén: seven people	When I was a child, there were three children in the family, along with my parents and grandparents, a family of seven.
我现在就一个孩子，是三口之家。	Wǒ xiànzài jiù yīgè háizi, shì sānkǒu zhī jiā.	现在  xiànzài: now 一个孩子  yī gè háizi: one child 三口之家  sān kǒu zhī jiā: three-person family	Now I have just one child, a family of three.
专家们认为，使中国家庭结构发生变化的原因主要有两个：一是社会流动人口的增加，二是家庭观念的改变。	Zhuānjiāmen rènwéi, shǐ zhōngguó jiātíng jiégòu fāshēng biànhuà de yuányīn zhǔyào yǒu liǎng gè: Yī shì shèhuì liúdòng rénkǒu de zēngjiā, èr shì jiātíng guānniàn de gǎibiàn.	专家们  zhuānjiā men: experts 认为  rènwéi: believe 使  shǐ: make 结构  jiégòu: structure 发生变化  fāshēng biànhuà: change 原因  yuányīn: reason 主要  zhǔyào: mainly 社会流动人口  shèhuì liúdòng rénkǒu: socially mobile population 增加  zēngjiā: increase 家庭观念  jiātíng guānniàn: family concept	Experts believe that there are two main reasons for the change in the structure of Chinese families: the increase in social mobility and the change in the concept of family.
首先，在市场经济条件下，中国的人口从农村向城市流动，去海外的人也不少，结构简单的小家庭更适合这种流动。	Shǒuxiān, zài shìchǎng jīngjì tiáojiàn xià, zhōngguó de rénkǒu cóng nóngcūn xiàng chéngshì liúdòng, qù hǎiwài de rén yě bù shǎo, jiégòu jiǎndān de xiǎo jiātíng gèng shìhé zhè zhǒng liúdòng.	首先  shǒuxiān: firstly 市场经济条件  shìchǎng jīngjì tiáojiàn: market economy conditions 人口  rénkǒu: population 农村  nóngcūn: rural area 城市  chéngshì: city 流动  liúdòng: move 海外  hǎiwài: overseas 简单  jiǎndān: simple 适合  shìhé: suit	First, under the market economy, China’s population is moving from the countryside to the cities, and many people are going overseas, and small families with simple structures are more suitable for this kind of movement.
人口的流动也带来了新的群体：“漂一代” —住在外地并且没有稳定生活的人，“留守儿童”  – 被外出打工的父母留在家乡的孩子，“空巢老人”  – 子女不在身边的老人，“海归”  – 留学后回国的人等等。	Rénkǒu de liúdòng yě dài láile xīn de qúntǐ:“Piào yīdài” —zhù zài wàidì bìngqiě méiyǒu wěndìng shēnghuó de rén,“liúshǒu értóng”  – bèi wàichū dǎgōng de fùmǔ liú zài jiāxiāng de háizi,“kōng cháo lǎorén”  – zǐnǚ bùzài shēnbiān de lǎorén,“hǎiguī”  – liúxué hòu huíguó de rén děng děng.	群体  qúntǐ: group 漂一代  piāo yīdài: drifting generation 住在  zhù zài: live in 外地  wàidì: other places 没有  méiyǒu: have not 稳定生活  wěndìng shēnghuó: stable life 留守儿童  liúshǒu értóng: left-behind children 被  bèi: be 打工  dǎgōng: work 留在  liú zài: leave 家乡  jiāxiāng: hometown 空巢老人  kōngcháo lǎorén: empty nest elderly 子女  zǐnǚ: children 海归  hǎiguī: returnees	The movement of the population also brings new groups: the “floating generation” – people who live abroad and have no stable life, “left-behind children” – children who are left behind by their working parents, and “empty nesters” – children whose children are left behind in their hometowns. The “empty nest elderly” – those whose children are not with them, the “returnees” – those who have returned home after studying abroad, etc.
其次，随着社会的发展，选择不婚，晚婚或者未婚生子的人数增多。	Qícì, suízhe shèhuì de fǎ zhǎn, xuǎn zhái bu hūn, wǎnhūn huòzhě wèihūn shēngzǐ de rénshù zēngduō.	其次  qícì: secondly 选择  xiǎnzé: choose 不婚  bù hūn: unmarried 晚婚  wǎnhūn: late marriage 未婚生子  wèihūn shēngzǐ: having children out of wedlock 增多  zēngduō: increase	Secondly, with the development of society, the number of people who choose not to marry, marry late or have children before marriage has increased.
虽然单亲家庭跟传统的家庭观念不符，但也渐渐被社会所接受。	Suīrán dān qìng jiātíng gēn chuántǒng de jiātíng guānniàn bùfú, dàn yě jiànjiàn bèi shèhuì suǒ jiēshòu.	单亲家庭  dānqīn jiātíng: single-parent family 跟  gēn: with 观念  guānniàn: concept 不符  bùfú: disagree 渐渐  jiànjiàn: gradually 社会  shèhuì: society 接受  jiēshòu: accept	Although single-parent families are not in line with the traditional concept of family, they are gradually accepted by society.
在大城市，原来是“只能生一个”，现在不少人“只想生一个”，甚至有人“一个都不要”。	Zài dà chéngshì, yuánlái shì “zhǐ néngshēng yīgè”, xiànzài bù shǎo rén “zhǐ xiǎng shēng yīgè”, shènzhì yǒurén “yīgè dōu bùyào”.	大城市  dà chéngshì: big city 原来  yuánlái: originally 只能  zhǐ néng: only can 一个  yī gè: one 现在  xiànzài: now 不少人  bù shǎo rén: many people 只想  zhǐ xiǎng: only want 甚至  shènzhì: even 不要  bùyào: don’t want	In big cities, the original is “only one”, now many people “only want to have one”, and even some people “do not want one”.
当然，现在生第二个孩子的情况也很常见。	Dāngrán, xiànzài shēng dì èr gè háizi de qíngkuàng yě hěn chángjiàn.	当然  dāngrán: of course 第二个  dì èr gè: second 孩子  háizi: child 情况  qíngkuàng: situation 常见  chángjiàn: common	Of course, it is now common to have a second child.
中国家庭的结构发生了变化，这也带来了一些新的社会问题。	Zhōngguó jiātíng de jiégòu fāshēngle biànhuà, zhè yě dài láile yīxiē xīn de shèhuì wèntí.	结构  jiégòu: structure 发生  fāshēng: occur 变化  biànhuà: change 带来  dài lái: bring 新的  xīn de: new 社会问题  shèhuì wèntí: social problem	The structure of Chinese families has changed, and this has brought about some new social problems.
“老龄化”就是其中一个。	“Lǎolíng huà” jiùshì qízhōng yīgè.	老龄化  lǎolíng huà: aging 其中  qízhōng: among	One of them is “aging”.
今天，“养老”不仅是每个家庭要面对的问题，而且是整个社会都要面对的问题。 _____________	Jīntiān,“yǎnglǎo” bùjǐn shì měi gè jiātíng yào miàn duì de wèntí, érqiě shì zhěnggè shèhuì dōu yào miàn duì de wèntí.	今天  jīntiān: today 养老  yǎnglǎo: elderly care 不仅  bùjǐn: not only 每个  měi gè: every 家庭  jiātíng: family 要面对的问题  yào miàn duì de wèntí: issues to face 整个  zhěng gè: whole 社会  shèhuì: society	Today, “aging” is not only a problem for every family, but also a problem for the whole society.

 

 

Vocabulary

大世界 dà shìjiè: big world
小家庭 xiǎo jiātíng: small family
中国人 zhōngguó rén: Chinese people
看到 kàndào: see
世界 shìjiè: world
家庭 jiātíng: family
变 biàn: change
传统 chuántǒng: traditional
至少 zhìshǎo: at least
包括 bāokuò: include
父母 fùmǔ: parents
子女 zǐnǚ: children
两代人 liǎng dàirén: two generations
普遍存在 pǔbiàn cúnzài: commonly exist
三世 sān shì: three generations
四世 sì shì: four generations
同堂 tóngtáng: live together
然而 rán’ér: however
上世纪 shàng shìjì: last century
七八十年代 qī bā shí niándài: seventies and eighties
经济 jīngjì: economy
社会 shèhuì: society
发展 fāzhǎn: development
结构 jiégòu: structure
复杂 fùzá: complex
大家庭 dà jiātíng: big family
渐渐 jiànjiàn: gradually
简单 jiǎndān: simple
北京 běijīng: Beijing
东城区 dōngchéng qū: Dongcheng District
居民 jūmín: resident
孙先生 sūn xiānshēng: Mr. Sun
父母 fùmǔ: parents
出生 chūshēng: born
兄弟姐妹 xiōngdì jiěmèi: siblings
小时候 xiǎoshíhou: childhood
三个孩子 sān gè háizi: three children
爷爷奶奶 yéyé nǎinai: grandparents
全家 quánjiā: whole family
七口人 qī kǒu rén: seven people
现在 xiànzài: now
一个孩子 yī gè háizi: one child
三口之家 sān kǒu zhī jiā: three-person family
专家们 zhuānjiā men: experts
认为 rènwéi: believe
使 shǐ: make
结构 jiégòu: structure
发生变化 fāshēng biànhuà: change
原因 yuányīn: reason
主要 zhǔyào: mainly
社会流动人口 shèhuì liúdòng rénkǒu: socially mobile population
增加 zēngjiā: increase
家庭观念 jiātíng guānniàn: family concept
首先 shǒuxiān: firstly
市场经济条件 shìchǎng jīngjì tiáojiàn: market economy conditions
人口 rénkǒu: population
农村 nóngcūn: rural area
城市 chéngshì: city
流动 liúdòng: move
海外 hǎiwài: overseas
简单 jiǎndān: simple
适合 shìhé: suit
群体 qúntǐ: group
漂一代 piāo yīdài: drifting generation
住在 zhù zài: live in
外地 wàidì: other places
没有 méiyǒu: have not
稳定生活 wěndìng shēnghuó: stable life
留守儿童 liúshǒu értóng: left-behind children
被 bèi: be
打工 dǎgōng: work
留在 liú zài: leave
家乡 jiāxiāng: hometown
空巢老人 kōngcháo lǎorén: empty nest elderly
子女 zǐnǚ: children
海归 hǎiguī: returnees
其次 qícì: secondly
选择 xiǎnzé: choose
不婚 bù hūn: unmarried
晚婚 wǎnhūn: late marriage
未婚生子 wèihūn shēngzǐ: having children out of wedlock
增多 zēngduō: increase
单亲家庭 dānqīn jiātíng: single-parent family
跟 gēn: with
观念 guānniàn: concept
不符 bùfú: disagree
渐渐 jiànjiàn: gradually
社会 shèhuì: society
接受 jiēshòu: accept
大城市 dà chéngshì: big city
原来 yuánlái: originally
只能 zhǐ néng: only can
一个 yī gè: one
现在 xiànzài: now
不少人 bù shǎo rén: many people
只想 zhǐ xiǎng: only want
甚至 shènzhì: even
不要 bùyào: don’t want
当然 dāngrán: of course
第二个 dì èr gè: second
孩子 háizi: child
情况 qíngkuàng: situation
常见 chángjiàn: common
结构 jiégòu: structure
发生 fāshēng: occur
变化 biànhuà: change
带来 dài lái: bring
新的 xīn de: new
社会问题 shèhuì wèntí: social problem
老龄化 lǎolíng huà: aging
其中 qízhōng: among
今天 jīntiān: today
养老 yǎnglǎo: elderly care
不仅 bùjǐn: not only
每个 měi gè: every
家庭 jiātíng: family
要面对的问题 yào miàn duì de wèntí: issues to face
整个 zhěng gè: whole
社会 shèhuì: society

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