Children and their parents

How many American children have cut contact with their parents?

有多少美国的孩子和父母切断了联系?


The first nationwide survey, recently conducted by Cornell University, found that 27% of adult Americans are estranged from a close family member. The relationship most commonly severed is that between parent and adult child, and in most cases it is the child who wields the knife***.

最近由康奈尔大学在全美范围开展的首个调查显示,27% 的美国成年人和自己的某一位直系亲属关系疏远。其中,父母和成年子女的关系最常破裂,而且大部分情况下,孩子是那个挥刀斩断关系的人。

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A rise in individualism is the biggest factor. People are increasingly likely to reject relatives who obstruct feelings of well-being in some way, by holding clashing beliefs or failing to embrace those of others.***

个人主义的盛行是最重要的因素。人们现在越来越倾向于冷落在某些方面影响自己幸福感的亲戚。这些亲戚有些和自己持有截然不同的想法,还有一些无法接受他人的观点。

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More individualistic than most rich countries, America also has a higher divorce rate.*** This suggests adult-child separation is more common in America. Geography also plays a part. America remains one of the most geographically mobile countries in the world. The vast distances often involved allow people who want to leave their families behind to do so.

在美国,个人主义风潮比大多数富裕国家都更为盛行,所以该国的离婚率也更高。这意味着父母和子女分居的情况在美国也更加普遍。地理因素也起到了一定的作用。美国如今依然是世界上人口流动性最大的国家之一。这意味着亲属之间经常相隔甚远,从而让那些想要脱离家庭的人得以这么做。

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Those who decide to break off contact with their parents find support in a growing body of books, as well as online. Threads on internet forums for people who want to break ties with their parents reveal strangers labelling people they have never met as narcissistic or toxic. This may make it easier to shelve feelings of guilt.

那些决定和父母断绝关系的人可以从越来越多的书籍和互联网中得到支持。在这些人聚集的网络论坛里,帖子中会有陌生人给一些他们素未谋面的人扣上“自恋”和“有毒”的帽子。这可能让子女们更容易把负罪感搁置一旁。

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Parent-child estrangement has negative effects beyond the heartbreak it causes. Research suggests that the habit of cutting off relatives is likely to spread in families. But most immediately, it is likely to exacerbate loneliness in old age.

亲子关系的疏远所造成的负面影响不局限于它给人们带来的悲痛。研究显示,和亲属断绝关系的“习惯”可能会在家族内部传播。但它最直接的后果在于,这种做法可能会加重人们晚年的孤独感。

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主编:夏天

品控:Pita

审核:大仔

重点词汇

conduct

/kənˈdʌkt/

v. 实施,执行

近义词组:carry out

搭配短语:to conduct a campaign

estranged

/ɪˈstreɪndʒd/

adj. 疏远的

相关词汇:estrange(v. 疏远)

相关词汇:strange(adj. 陌生的)

英文释义:to treat sb. as a stranger

例句:He was estranged from his father after the argument.

sever

/ˈsev.ɚ/

v. 与…断绝(关系);切断,割断

搭配短语:to sever a rope

搭配短语:to sever a relationship or connection

wield

/wiːld/

v. 挥舞,使用;施加(影响)

搭配短语:a warrior wielding a knife(挥舞,使用)

搭配短语:to wield power or influence(施加(影响))

reject

/rɪˈdʒekt/

v. 冷落,嫌弃;拒绝

英文释义:to refuse to give sb. any love or attention

obstruct

/əbˈstrʌkt/

v. 阻挠,妨碍(进展或进程)

近义词:block(v. 阻碍,妨碍)

搭配短语:to obstruct a road

搭配短语:to obstruct an investigation

well-being

/ˌwelˈbiː.ɪŋ/

n. 舒适;健康;幸福

英文释义:a feeling of being comfortable, healthy, and happy

例句:A good meal promotes a feeling of well-being.

clash

/klæʃ/

v. 冲突

词性拓展:clash(n. 冲突;金属碰撞声)

搭配短语:clash of clans(游戏《部落冲突》)

例句:The two troops clashed.

embrace

/ɪmˈbreɪs/

v. 欣然接受;拥抱

词性拓展:embrace(n. 拥抱)

近义词:hug(n. 拥抱)

词义辨析:embrace, hug

hug 更强调“抱”的动作,所以它不仅可以指恋人之间的亲密拥抱(a tender hug),还可以指摔跤运动员缠斗在一起时的扭抱(a hug in wrestling),而 embrace 则更强调“拥抱”所传递的情感、态度,所以它除了指“抱”的这个动作,还引申出了“欣然接受……”的含义(to accept sth. enthusiastically),比如拥抱一项新科技是 to embrace a new technology。

mobile

/ˈmoʊ.bəl/

adj. 流动性强的;便携的

搭配短语:mobile phone(手机)

leave sb. behind

永久地抛弃某人

英文释义:to go away permanently from sb.

break off contact with (sb.)

和某人断绝关系

相关词汇:break off(让……断裂); sever(v. 让……断裂)

词义辨析:break off, sever

sever 通常是指用刀子等工具来割断,而 break off 则通常是直接通过暴力来折断。

(a) body of (sth.)

大量……,大批……

搭配短语:a rich body of knowledge(海量的知识)

thread

/θred/

n.(网上同一个主题下的)一系列帖子;线

break ties with (sb.)

与某人断绝关系

同义词组:break off contact with (sb.)

label

/ˈleɪ.bəl/

v. 打标签,扣帽子

相关词汇:label(n. 标签)

搭配短语:label sb as…(给某某扣上……的帽子)

narcissistic

/ˌnɑːr.səˈsɪs.tɪk/

adj. 自恋的

词源补充:希腊神话里,传说一位美少年迷恋上了自己在水里的倒影,之后为了与心中所爱相会,竟投水而亡,最终化为了一朵水仙花,所以后来,英语里“自恋”这个词就取自这个少年的名字 Narcissus。

toxic

/ˈtɑːk.sɪk/

adj. 不利于身心健康的;(物质)有毒的

近义词:poisonous(adj.(物质)有毒的)

shelve

/ʃelv/

v. 将(计划、意见等)搁置;将……放在架子上

英文释义:to put sth. on a shelf

exacerbate

/ɪɡˈzæs.ɚ.beɪt/

v. 使恶化,加重

英文释义:to make a bad situation worse

例句:If you're in trouble, complaining about it will only exacerbate the problem.

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