独生子女的一代 · The Only-Child Generation
Dúshēng Zǐnǚ de Yí Dài — What outsiders got wrong about a generation raised without brothers or sisters.
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Every word shows its pinyin above the characters. The English translation follows each line.
从上世纪八十年代开始,中国实行了三十多年的独生子女政策。
From the 1980s onward, China carried out the one-child policy for more than thirty years.
因此出现了世界上规模最大的一代独生子女。
As a result there appeared the largest generation of only children in the world.
我就是其中之一,家里只有我一个孩子。
I am one of them; there was only me at home.
小时候,我几乎得到了父母全部的关注和资源。
As a child I received almost all of my parents' attention and resources.
我有自己的房间,自己的书桌,不用跟任何人分。
I had my own room and my own desk, and shared them with nobody.
外人常说,独生子女被宠坏了,自私又任性。
Outsiders often said only children were spoiled, selfish and willful.
可是他们很少看到硬币的另一面。
But they rarely saw the other side of the coin.
没有兄弟姐妹,意味着所有的期望都压在一个人身上。
Having no siblings meant every expectation pressed down on one person.
考试考砸了,没有人可以分担父母的失望。
If you failed an exam, there was nobody to share your parents' disappointment.
长大以后,压力变得更加具体。
Once we grew up, the pressure became more concrete.
一对夫妻,可能要照顾四位老人,还要养自己的孩子。
One couple may have to care for four elderly parents and raise their own child.
这被称为"四二一"结构,像一座倒过来的金字塔。
This is called the "four-two-one" structure, like an upside-down pyramid.
父母生病的时候,你才真正明白独生的意思。
Only when your parents fall ill do you truly understand what being an only child means.
病房外面的走廊上,只有你一个人在打电话。
In the corridor outside the ward, you are the only one making phone calls.
现在政策已经放开了,可以生两个甚至三个孩子。
The policy has now been relaxed, and people may have two or even three children.
但对我们这一代来说,有些东西已经无法重来。
But for our generation, some things can never be lived over again.
Vocabulary in this story (120 words)
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 从 | cóng | from |
| 上世纪 | shàng shìjì | the last century's |
| 八十年代 | bāshí niándài | 1980s |
| 开始 | kāishǐ | onward |
| 中国 | Zhōngguó | China |
| 实行 | shíxíng | carried out |
| 了 | le | (past) |
| 三十多年 | sānshí duō nián | more than thirty years |
| 的 | de | (of) |
| 独生子女 | dúshēng zǐnǚ | one-child |
| 政策 | zhèngcè | policy |
| 因此 | yīncǐ | as a result |
| 出现 | chūxiàn | there appeared |
| 世界上 | shìjiè shàng | in the world |
| 规模 | guīmó | in scale |
| 最大 | zuì dà | the largest |
| 一代 | yí dài | generation |
| 我 | wǒ | I |
| 就是 | jiùshì | am |
| 其中之一 | qízhōng zhī yī | one of them |
| 家里 | jiā lǐ | at home |
| 只有 | zhǐ yǒu | there was only |
| 一个 | yí ge | one |
| 孩子 | háizi | child |
| 小时候 | xiǎo shíhou | as a child |
| 几乎 | jīhū | almost |
| 得到 | dédào | received |
| 父母 | fùmǔ | my parents' |
| 全部 | quánbù | entire |
| 关注 | guānzhù | attention |
| 和 | hé | and |
| 资源 | zīyuán | resources |
| 有 | yǒu | had |
| 自己的 | zìjǐ de | my own |
| 房间 | fángjiān | room |
| 书桌 | shūzhuō | desk |
| 不用 | búyòng | and did not have to |
| 跟 | gēn | with |
| 任何人 | rènhé rén | anyone |
| 分 | fēn | share |
| 外人 | wàirén | outsiders |
| 常说 | cháng shuō | often said |
| 被 | bèi | were |
| 宠坏了 | chǒng huài le | spoiled |
| 自私 | zìsī | selfish |
| 又 | yòu | and |
| 任性 | rènxìng | willful |
| 可是 | kěshì | but |
| 他们 | tāmen | they |
| 很少 | hěn shǎo | rarely |
| 看到 | kàndào | saw |
| 硬币 | yìngbì | the coin's |
| 另一面 | lìng yí miàn | other side |
| 没有 | méiyǒu | having no |
| 兄弟姐妹 | xiōngdì jiěmèi | siblings |
| 意味着 | yìwèi zhe | meant |
| 所有 | suǒyǒu | all |
| 期望 | qīwàng | expectations |
| 都 | dōu | all |
| 压 | yā | pressed |
| 在 | zài | on |
| 一个人 | yí ge rén | one person |
| 身上 | shēn shàng | (upon) |
| 考试 | kǎoshì | an exam |
| 考砸了 | kǎo zá le | if you failed |
| 没有人 | méiyǒu rén | there was nobody |
| 可以 | kěyǐ | who could |
| 分担 | fēndān | share |
| 失望 | shīwàng | disappointment |
| 长大 | zhǎng dà | growing up |
| 以后 | yǐhòu | after |
| 压力 | yālì | the pressure |
| 变得 | biàn de | became |
| 更加 | gèngjiā | even more |
| 具体 | jùtǐ | concrete |
| 一对 | yí duì | one |
| 夫妻 | fūqī | couple |
| 可能 | kěnéng | may |
| 要 | yào | have to |
| 照顾 | zhàogù | care for |
| 四位 | sì wèi | four |
| 老人 | lǎorén | elderly parents |
| 还要 | hái yào | and also |
| 养 | yǎng | raise |
| 这 | zhè | this |
| 称为 | chēngwéi | called |
| 四二一 | sì èr yī | four-two-one |
| 结构 | jiégòu | structure |
| 像 | xiàng | like |
| 一座 | yí zuò | an |
| 倒过来 | dào guòlái | upside-down |
| 金字塔 | jīnzìtǎ | pyramid |
| 生病 | shēngbìng | fall ill |
| 的时候 | de shíhou | when |
| 你 | nǐ | you |
| 才 | cái | only then |
| 真正 | zhēnzhèng | truly |
| 明白 | míngbai | understand |
| 独生 | dúshēng | being an only child |
| 意思 | yìsi | the meaning |
| 病房 | bìngfáng | the ward |
| 外面 | wàimiàn | outside |
| 走廊上 | zǒuláng shàng | in the corridor |
| 打电话 | dǎ diànhuà | making phone calls |
| 现在 | xiànzài | now |
| 已经 | yǐjīng | has already |
| 放开了 | fàng kāi le | been relaxed |
| 生 | shēng | have |
| 两个 | liǎng ge | two |
| 甚至 | shènzhì | or even |
| 三个 | sān ge | three |
| 但 | dàn | but |
| 对 | duì | for |
| 我们 | wǒmen | our |
| 这一代 | zhè yí dài | generation |
| 来说 | lái shuō | speaking |
| 有些 | yǒu xiē | some |
| 东西 | dōngxi | things |
| 无法 | wúfǎ | cannot |
| 重来 | chóng lái | be done over |