在歐美國家,大部分的年輕人都會在滿18歲搬出家裡,就算他們沒有想要搬出去,他們的父母也會“希望” 他們能夠搬出去。一方面是希望自己的孩子能夠學習長大,自己負擔所有的責任,另一方面,也希望孩子可以自己出去闖闖,看看外面的世界,沒有後顧之憂得去做自己想做的事情。這跟東方社會非常得不一樣。比如像在台灣,家庭的傳統觀念就覺得,就算你結了婚,你還是要住在家裡,一方面父母放心不下孩子,另一方面,希望孩子能夠在身邊幫忙家裡的事情。總理來說,就是放不下。因此而造成了許多小孩漸漸失去對自己負責、失去逐夢的動力、失去自我判斷的能力、失去思考的能力。小孩一切遵照父母的意思生活,父母無怨無悔的付出,到頭來在這樣溫室的環境下成長,小孩沒有了創新、沒有了夢想、沒有了野心、沒有了社交能力,也不知道自己要甚麼。到了職場上,也無法盡情的發揮。因此,我覺得,東方的父母們請務必適時得放手讓孩子去闖一闖,不要牽絆住他們,他們會有自己的人生,你們也可以讓自己有機會再次重拾自己的人生。


Read and listen to the story online:  Grown up and living at home

 

 

 

Rob: Today we’re talking about a subject that many of us have experienced – it's living at home, particularly when we'regrown up and in our twenties. Finn, what age were you when you left home?

 

Have experienced 曾經經歷過

Particularly 尤其是; 當你在講一件比較特定的事情時,就可以用這個單字。比如說,那三個女生當中,我對Susan特別感興趣 (Among the three girls, I am particularly interested in Susan) 在這邊 in our twenties的意思是,當我們都二十幾歲的時候。

 

 

Rob: Well, I left home at the age of 18 too, to go to university, and I never looked back!

 

Rob和Finn都在18歲的時候搬出家裡,很多外國人會搬出家裡的原因也是因為申請到的大學很多時候都會在外地。 Rob說他never looked back,意思是,他搬出家裡之後,因為太習慣自己住,所以現在要他搬回家是不可能的事情,也就是說 “他回不去了”。

 

Look back通常是 “懷念” 放不下的意思,所以會回頭看看。

 

 

 

 

Finn: Of course, not everyone leaves home when they're that young and we'll be discussing the reasons why – and discovering why more young people in the UK are staying at the 'hotel of mum and dad'.

 

Hotel of mum and dad是有點影射,當你住在家裡,房子是父母的,而父母會幫你打理好所有的事情,有點類似住在飯店一樣,有人照料你的生活起居。

 

 

Rob: I'll tell you the answer later. Backto our discussion about living at home. Residing with – or living with – your parents is not that unusual in some countries. Economic conditions, culture, or family tradition means that some young people stay at home until they get hitched – or get married.

 

Residing with 是和…同居在一起。

Get hitched   hitch是 “被勾住” 的意思。在這裡是指緣分到了,被婚姻勾住因此而定下來。

 

 

Finn: Even then, it may be too expensive to rent or buy a house and the married couple continue to live at one of their parents' homes. But living conditions can be a bit cramped.

 

cramped 是擁擠的意思。Cramp當作名詞用的話,則是抽筋的意思,或是肚子絞痛的感覺。

 

 

Finn: Many people may have to move to another city to take up a job – to get a job – or they may be going to university. But all this comes at a price – there are bills to pay, there's food to buy, plus the cost of accommodation.

 

要搬離家裡這件事情 comes at a price,就是說,這一切是必須 “付出代價” 的。比如說,要付帳單、要自己買食物、還要負擔住宿費 (accommodation)

 

 

 

 

Rob: That's why there has been an increase in young people living with their parents for longer. The recent economic downturn is the biggest factor. It's harder for them to get on the propertyladder – to buy a house. But what's it like to be 27 and still living under the same roof as mum?

 

Economic downturn 是指經濟下滑、經濟不景氣

get on the property ladder 是指年輕人越來越難 “爬上屋主的這個梯子”,也就是說,擁有一棟房子這件事情很難。

Under the same roof 就是同住一個屋簷下

 

 

Luke Sibson:

I had set plans to own a house, and a car and have a family by the time I'm 30. I'm now 27 and I'm not any closer to achieving that. There's something very difficult about being a 27-year-old man living at home with your mum. There's something very difficult about being an adult living in an environment where you're still a child. It limits me socially; sometimes I feel it limits me professionally.

 

by the time I am 當我…的時候,比如說,當我30歲的時候我會跟我女朋友結婚(By the time I am 30, I will marry my girlfriend)

當你27還住在家裡的時候,這樣的environment 會讓你無法長大,因為父母永遠都認為你是個孩子。這會讓你交朋友的機會變少,甚至會侷限你的事業發展。

 

  

Alberto Baragan:

Basically I don't have to wash my clothes,I don't have to make my bed, I don't have to buy anything for me, 'cos my mum does all these things for me. You don't have to worry about paying taxes, or paying electricity, any bills; you are living basically for free.

 

Make my bed 的意思是,整理自己的床,包含睡醒之後,棉被折好,床單整理好,枕頭放好等等。

Living for free 在家裡父母會幫你照料好所有事情,也不需要負擔房租,電費,所以就是 “住免錢的”

 

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