外國人最想和你聊的文化話題：獨生子女

     In the early sixties, the vast majority of all children had at least one sibling (if not more) and lived with both parents, one of whom was typically a stay-at-home mom.
     上世紀(jì)60年代初期，絕大多數(shù)孩子都有至少一個兄弟姐妹（或者更多），與父母一起生活，其中一方通常都是全職媽媽。
     We now live in a world where only children with single parents are both common and accepted.
     在我們現(xiàn)在所處的世界，單親家庭的獨生子女早已是司空見慣的事，也為人們普遍接受。
     Deciding whether to have "one and be done" or to have multiple children is a tough decision for many families.
     決定"只生一個好"還是多生幾個孩子總是艱難的抉擇。
     The country's family planning policy of the late 1970s restricted urban families from having more than one child to control population growth.
     上世紀(jì)70年代末，為了控制人口增長，我國開始在城鎮(zhèn)地區(qū)實行"一對夫婦只生一個孩子"的計劃生育政策。
     However, a new survey by the Beijing Administrative Institute shows 52 percent of those now-grown-up single children, who are allowed two offspring; do not want a second child.
     然而，北京行政學(xué)院開展的一項最新調(diào)查顯示，有52%的獨生子女表示，即使政策允許，他們也不想生第二胎。
     Many cited economic pressures as a factor.
     很多人稱經(jīng)濟(jì)壓力是一個主要因素。
     Beijing has roughly 2 million only-child adults.
     目前，北京市的成年獨生子女?dāng)?shù)量約為200萬。
     Beijing has maintained a super low birth rate-less than 1.3 children in a family in average-for nearly 20 years, posing increasing pressure on the country's aging population.
     北京的超低生育率已持續(xù)近20年，每戶平均生育子女?dāng)?shù)不到1.3個，這使我國的人口老齡化壓力日趨增大。
     The top four factors that determined people's intentions to have children are "income, child care, housing and policy conditions".
     影響人們生育意愿的四大主要因素為"收入、孩子照料、住房及政策"。
     For the only child of post-1980s, the practical problem of "two supporting four" (a couple from a one-child families supporting four parents) is arising for the young.
     對于中國的80后來說，他們面臨"兩個人扶持四個人"的現(xiàn)實問題，即夫妻倆都是獨生子女，他們需要贍養(yǎng)四位老人。
     Beijing already allows couples to have more than one child if both of them are only children. One proposal is to widen that to allow two children if just one of the parents is an only child.
     中國政府允許夫妻雙方均為獨生子女的家庭生二胎。一個提議是，將二胎政策擴(kuò)大到夫妻雙方只有一方為獨生子女的家庭。
     If you are an only child, it is likely that you will have the advantage of getting more attention from your parents than you would otherwise do.
     如果你是個獨生子，你從父母那兒得到的關(guān)注就會比不是獨生子的孩子多。
     On the other hand, when you are older, particularly when you a teenager, you may find that having all your parents' attention concentrated on you is a distinct disadvantage.
     從另一方面來說，當(dāng)你長大后，尤其是青少年的時候，你會覺得有太多的父母關(guān)注對你來說弊大于利。
     On advantage of being an only child is that you are likely to have a more affluent upbringing than you would if you had brothers and sisters.
     獨生子女的一個好處就是你會有個相對富足的成長環(huán)境。
     One of the major disadvantages of being an only child is that you can be a bit lonely.
     而一個不利之處就是會有一點孤獨。
     Most children of the "China one" generation lack independence as they have become so reliant on their families for support. Some parents even hired a maid for their children when they go to college.
     大多數(shù)獨生子女的自理能力都很差，他們太過依賴家人，甚至上大學(xué)以后還有父母為他們雇保姆。
     Other unfavorable characteristics include: bad communication skills, rudeness, ungratefulness and self-centeredness.
     其他不太讓人喜歡的特點還有：溝通能力差、不懂禮貌和感恩、以自我為中心等。
     The term "China one" refers to the child who was born after the 1980s, when China launched the one-child policy.
     China one指的是20世紀(jì)80年代中國實行計劃生育政策以后出生的獨生子女。
     Not only are they the family's only child, but they are also the family's center of attention.
     他們是家中唯一的孩子，也是家庭的中心。
     Their parents and grandparents would spare no efforts in taking care of them, and would give them anything and everything, as if they were the "emperor" of the family.
     他們的父母和祖父母都會不遺余力地照顧他們，滿足他們的一切需要，就好像他們是家里的"皇帝"一樣。
     In 1980, China feared an explosion of people it could not feed, so it took drastic steps to limit births with its controversial "one child" policy.
     1980年，中國擔(dān)心人口出現(xiàn)超出其負(fù)擔(dān)能力的爆炸性增長，因而實施了富有爭議性的獨生子女政策，通過這一頗為強(qiáng)硬的手段限制生育。
     Whether because of the one child policy, or in spite of it, China's birth rate has fallen sharply, and increasing numbers of families say they do not want more than one child.
     不管是不是因為獨生子女政策，事實是，中國的生育率已大幅下降，而且越來越多的家庭表示不想生第二個孩子。