零距离美语会话[住房]Lesson 2:My mom likes to live alone

Two    My mom likes to live alone.
我妈妈喜欢一个人住。

1   Introduction
For several reasons, many retired 1 Americans choose not to live with their grown children. Even elderly widows 2 and widowers 3 choose to live on their own. This might seem strange to elderly Chinese, but older Americans have become accustomed to having their own cars, homes, and activities.
    基于好几个原因，许多退休的美国人选择不和他们的成年孩子住在一起。连年迈的寡妇和鳏夫都选择独自生活。这对于年老的中国人来说可能是不可思议，但是年迈的美国人已经对拥有自己的车子、房子和自己的活动习以为常了。

2  Sample Sentences
1.  Many older people live on their own. 
    许多老年人独立生活。
2.  Some have always lived alone while others have outlived their partner or other relatives.  
    一些人一直都是一个人住，另一些人却是因为他们比他们的伙伴或者亲戚长寿。
3.  Most people are happy living by themselves, but some feel vulnerable 4 and isolated 5.
    大多数人都很高兴一个人住，但也有些人却感觉脆弱、孤立无援。
4.  Most people live on their own in safety without ever having a serious accident.
    多数人一个人住很安全，从来都没有发生过很严重的事故。
5.  If you don’t go out much or don’t see your family and friends as often as you would like, it’s easy to become lonely and isolated.
    如果你很少出门或者没有经常见到你的亲人、朋友，这样就很容易感到寂寞、孤立。
6.  Pets can be valuable companions for those living alone.
宠物对于那些独自生活的人来说，可以是很好的伙伴。
7.  Looking after yourself and your home can mean a lot of hard work when you live on   your own.
当你一个人生活时，照看自己和你的家可能意味着会要干很多活。
8.  For people living alone, being able to get out and about to do shopping, go to social clubs, and visit friends and relatives is essential.
对于那些独自生活的人来说，可以出门逛逛街、能参加社交俱乐部，会会朋友和亲戚是很重要的。
9.   My mom is 70 years old, and she wants to trade in her old car for a new one.
     我妈妈七十岁了，她想把她的车以旧换新。
10.  If you are adjusting to life on a single income or finding 6 that your pension 7 does not stretch as far as you would like, you may want to check that you are receiving all the benefits you are entitled 8 to.
     如果你正在适应靠自己的薪水养活自己，或者发现你的退休金不够使你过上你想要的生活，那么你可能就想核实一下你有没有收取到你应得的好处。

2 Conversations  
1.  Too busy to feel lonely!
A:  Mom, you know that Andrea and I sometimes worry about you.
B:  Really? Why would you worry about me? I’m just fine.
A:  You’re almost 70 years old, Mom! Don’t you think it would be better for you if you moved in with us?
B:  No way! I like my apartment, and I like to be independent1.
A:  Do you ever get lonely living alone?
B:  Not at all. I see you and your family twice a week, and I enjoy seeing my own friends. I’m too busy to feel lonely!
【译文】
——妈妈，你知道吗，安德里亚和我有时很担心你。
——真的吗？你们为什么会担心我？我都很好。
——妈妈，你都快70岁了！你难道不觉得你搬过来和我们一起住更好吗？
——绝对不行! 我喜欢我的公寓，而且我也喜欢自立。
——一个人住，你不觉得孤独吗？
——才不会呢。我看见你和你的家人一周都有两次，而且我喜欢看见我自己的朋友。我忙得都没时间觉得孤独！

2.  Independence.
A:  Alice, your father is amazing. He’s 90 years old and he lives alone in that big house.
B: I know. He doesn’t like to ask anyone for help. My dad insists on paying his own bills and taking care of himself!
A:  That sounds like my Grandmother. She was always stubbornly2 independent.
B:  It seems that folks3 like my father and your grandmother are determined 10 to4 be on their own5.
A:  They see their independence as a kind of character strength.
B:  Sometimes they are too independent.
【译文】
——艾丽斯，你的爸爸可真行! 他九十岁了，还一个人住那么大的房子。
——我知道，他不喜欢求助任何人。我爸爸坚持自己支付帐单，自己照顾自己！
——那听起来倒像我奶奶。她总是极其自立。
——好像像我爸爸和你奶奶那样的人注定是要自力更生的。
——他们把他们的独立性看作是一种性格坚强。
——有时候他们也太独立了。

3.  Talking about a TV program.
A:   I saw an interesting program on TV last night. It was about elderly people.
B: And what did the program say?
A:  It said that people with a positive6 attitude7 tend to live longer and happier.
B: I think that many physicians8 now agree with that idea.
A:  And the TV program also said that physical exercise9 helps people deal with stress10.
B:  And the most active older people seem to enjoy some kind of physical exercise. My father is over 60 years old, and he lifts weights every day.
【译文】
——昨晚我在电视上看了一个很有趣的节目。是关于老年人。
——那么节目上都说了些什么？
——节目上说，一个态度积极的人似乎可以活得长久一些，快乐一些。
——我觉得现在很多医师都同意这种观点。
——而且电视节目上还说锻炼身体可以帮助人们减缓压力。
——而且，最活跃的老年人似乎都喜欢某一种类型的运动。我爸爸六十多岁了，他每天都练习举重。

4.  A place to live after graduation.
Valerie:  So, Fred, what are your plans for after graduation?
Fred:  Well, I've already got a job waiting for me back in my hometown.
Valerie:  That's cool.  Have you already found an apartment to live in?
Fred:  I’m planning on living with my parents. Won't you?
Valerie:  I couldn't even if I wanted to.  My parents told me that if I went home, then I'd have to find my own place. 
Fred:  You mean they're kicking you out? 
Valerie:  Not really, they just don't want me living at home.  My older sister did that, and she lived at home for seven years.  Once she started living at home, it got harder and harder for her to move out.
Fred:  Well, it's not like my parents want me to live at home the rest of my life.  They said that it's ok if I move back home to begin with, but they want me to find a place of my own after a year or so.
Valerie:  My parents just didn't handle my older sister very well, and because of that, they want me to be more independent.  They think that it's important that I should learn how to live on my own.
Fred:  I know I need to learn that myself, but I just don't have the money for it at the moment.  Living at home allows me to save up some money before I started finding a place.
Helpful Information：
Americans value independence, even when they’re getting older.  They learn that from an early age.  After the age of eighteen, most want to have their own homes, demonstrating 11 their independence.  And one way of showing that is living separately from their parents or their adult children.
美国人很看重自立，甚至当他们年迈已老也一样。这一点他们从小就学会了。十八岁以后，多数人想要有他们自己的家，以示他们的独立性。而显示这一点的一种方式就是，和他们的父母亲或者他们的成年孩子分开住。
【译文】
——那么，弗莱德，毕业后你有什么打算？
——嗯，我家乡已经有份工作正等着我回去做。
——那太好了。你已经找到住房了吗？
——我正打算跟我父母住在一起。难道你不会吗？
——即使我想也不行啊。我父母亲告诉我如果我回家，那我必须自己找个地方住。
——你是说他们会把你踢出去？
——不完全是。他们只是不想我住在家里。以前我姐姐住在家里，她就在家住了7年。一旦她在家里住下来，对她来说，搬出去就越来越难。
——嗯，不是我父母亲想要我以后都住在家里。他们说如果我搬回家开始生活，那很好，但他们想要我大约一年后自己去找地方住。
——我父母只是没把我姐姐的事处理好，也正因为那样，他们想让我更独立。他们认为让我学会如何独立生活是很重要的。
——我知道我自己需要学会独立生活，但现在我只是没钱那样做。在我开始找个地方住之前，住在家里可以让我节约一些钱。

4   Words and Expressions
1. independent  自立的,独立的
2. stubbornly 9 ] 倔强地; 顽固地
3. folk (某一民族或社会阶层中的) 广大成员
4. determined to  有做...的决心
5. on one's own  独立无助地
6. positive  正面的，积极的
7. attitude  态度, 意见, 看法
8. physician 医师
9. physical exercise   锻炼身体
10. stress 压力; 紧张; 压迫