【雅思培训-口语】口语黄金素材：老年人

　　☆ 老人在中国和西方的生活：

　　It a common tradition in China that children live together with their parents until they are married, and often children still live with the parents after they are married.

　　在中国，孩子们结婚前一直与父母生活在一起是很普遍的，许多人婚后仍和父母共同生活。

　　In China the grandparents stay on with the family and look after the grandchildren while the parents are at work.

　　中国的祖父母一直和全家人住在一起，儿女们一起去上班时的时侯，他们照看孙子孙女们。

　　In North America, old people usually live alone. If they are too old to take care of themselves, or if they’re really old, day over 75, then they usually live in old-folk’s homes, nursing homes, or special apartment complexes designed for senior people.

　　在北美，老人们一般是单独生活。如果他们年纪太大生活不能自理，或者已逾古稀之年，比如说过了75岁了，他们便住进老人院、疗养院或专为老年人设计建造的有综合设施的公寓。

　　I do think that living together with the parents when we marry would be nice for the child’s stability and would also let the parents feel like an important part of the family.

　　我的确认为何老人们共同生活可以使孩子有稳定感，同时也让老人们觉得自己仍是家庭的重要成员。

　　It looks like it depends on how rich a family is weather to live with the parent when we marry or not.

　　婚后是否与父母一起生活似乎要看一个家庭的富有程度。

　　That’s the trouble in some cases. Living with people of different generations isn’t always easy. It requires some sacrifices and tolerance of other’s behavior.

　　在有些情况下，那也很麻烦。几代人一起生活并不总是很容易相处的，这需要做出几点牺牲，并能宽容别人的行为。

　　In China it’s often the mother-in-law and the daughter-in-law who don’t get on well enough, until both sides agree to live apart. And it’s socially acceptable if the younger couple help the old couple in ways that are necessary. Well, for example, when the parents are strong enough to live on their own the children are expected to help when needed. When the parents are too old to take care of themselves, they should be moved back to the children’s home where they are properly fed, clothed and sheltered.

　　在中国经常是婆媳关系不好，只要双方同意分家。社会也能接受这种做法，只要小夫妻能以必要的方式帮助两位老人。嗯，比如说，父母体力尚好能独立生活的时候，儿女们只在需要的时候帮忙。父母年事已高不能自理时，让他们搬回儿女家，衣、食、住都能得到周到的照顾。

　　A common stereotype of older Americans is that they are usually "put away" in nursing homes and forgotten about. Actually, only about 5 percent live in some type of institution. More than half of those 65 or older live with or near at least one of their children. The vast majority of the elderly live alone and take care of themselves. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 75 percent own their own homes. Over a million senior adults live in retirement communities. These provide residents with meals, recreation, companionship, medical care and a safe environment.

　　一般人对美国老人家的刻板印象是被「遣送到」养护院去，然后被人遗忘。然而事实上，只有百分之五的人住在此类机构中，超过半数的六十五或六十五岁以上老人，是与孩子同住或住在其中一个孩子的附近。绝大部份的老年人是自己住并自己照顾自己的，根据美国户口调查局的统计，他们百分之七十五拥有自己的房子，超过一百万名老年人住在退休者的社区中，这些社区为其居民提供饮食、娱乐、友谊、医疗照顾、以及安全的环境。