零距離美語會話[住房]Lesson 2:My mom likes to live alone

Two My mom likes to live alone.
我媽媽喜歡一個人住。

1 Introduction
For several reasons, many retired Americans choose not to live with their grown children. Even elderly widows and widowers 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.
基於好幾個原因，許多退休的美國人選擇不和他們的成年孩子住在一起。連年邁的寡婦和鰥夫都選擇獨自生活。這對於年老的中國人來說可能是不可思議，但是年邁的美國人已經對擁有自己的車子、房子和自己的活動習以爲常了。

2 Sample Sentences
1. Many older people live on their own.
許多老年人獨立生活。
2. Some have always lived alone while others have outlived their partner or other relatives.
一些人一直都是一個人住，另一些人卻是因爲他們比他們的夥伴或者親戚長壽。
3. Most people are happy living by themselves, but some feel vulnerable and isolated.
大多數人都很高興一個人住，但也有些人卻感覺脆弱、孤立無援。
4. Most people live on their own in safety without ever having a serious accident.
多數人一個人住很安全，從來都沒有發生過很嚴重的事故。
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.
如果你很少出門或者沒有經常見到你的親人、朋友，這樣就很容易感到寂寞、孤立。
6. Pets can be valuable companions for those living alone.
寵物對於那些獨自生活的人來說，可以是很好的夥伴。
7. Looking after yourself and your home can mean a lot of hard work when you live on your own.
當你一個人生活時，照看自己和你的家可能意味着會要幹很多活。
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.
對於那些獨自生活的人來說，可以出門逛逛街、能參加社交俱樂部，會會朋友和親戚是很重要的。
9. My mom is 70 years old, and she wants to trade in her old car for a new one.
我媽媽七十歲了，她想把她的車以舊換新。
10. If you are adjusting to life on a single income or finding that your pension does not stretch as far as you would like, you may want to check that you are receiving all the benefits you are entitled to.
如果你正在適應靠自己的薪水養活自己，或者發現你的退休金不夠使你過上你想要的生活，那麼你可能就想覈實一下你有沒有收取到你應得的好處。

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!
【譯文】
——媽媽，你知道嗎，安德里亞和我有時很擔心你。
——真的嗎？你們爲什麼會擔心我？我都很好。
——媽媽，你都快70歲了！你難道不覺得你搬過來和我們一起住更好嗎？
——絕對不行! 我喜歡我的公寓，而且我也喜歡自立。
——一個人住，你不覺得孤獨嗎？
——纔不會呢。我看見你和你的家人一週都有兩次，而且我喜歡看見我自己的朋友。我忙得都沒時間覺得孤獨！

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 to4 be on their own5.
A: They see their independence as a kind of character strength.
B: Sometimes they are too independent.
【譯文】
——艾麗斯，你的爸爸可真行! 他九十歲了，還一個人住那麼大的房子。
——我知道，他不喜歡求助任何人。我爸爸堅持自己支付帳單，自己照顧自己！
——那聽起來倒像我奶奶。她總是極其自立。
——好像像我爸爸和你奶奶那樣的人註定是要自力更生的。
——他們把他們的獨立性看作是一種性格堅強。
——有時候他們也太獨立了。

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.
【譯文】
——昨晚我在電視上看了一個很有趣的節目。是關於老年人。
——那麼節目上都說了些什麼？
——節目上說，一個態度積極的人似乎可以活得長久一些，快樂一些。
——我覺得現在很多醫師都同意這種觀點。
——而且電視節目上還說鍛鍊身體可以幫助人們減緩壓力。
——而且，最活躍的老年人似乎都喜歡某一種類型的運動。我爸爸六十多歲了，他每天都練習舉重。

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 their independence. And one way of showing that is living separately from their parents or their adult children.
美國人很看重自立，甚至當他們年邁已老也一樣。這一點他們從小就學會了。十八歲以後，多數人想要有他們自己的家，以示他們的獨立性。而顯示這一點的一種方式就是，和他們的父母親或者他們的成年孩子分開住。
【譯文】
——那麼，弗萊德，畢業後你有什麼打算？
——嗯，我家鄉已經有份工作正等着我回去做。
——那太好了。你已經找到住房了嗎？
——我正打算跟我父母住在一起。難道你不會嗎？
——即使我想也不行啊。我父母親告訴我如果我回家，那我必須自己找個地方住。
——你是說他們會把你踢出去？
——不完全是。他們只是不想我住在家裏。以前我姐姐住在家裏，她就在家住了7年。一旦她在家裏住下來，對她來說，搬出去就越來越難。
——嗯，不是我父母親想要我以後都住在家裏。他們說如果我搬回家開始生活，那很好，但他們想要我大約一年後自己去找地方住。
——我父母只是沒把我姐姐的事處理好，也正因爲那樣，他們想讓我更獨立。他們認爲讓我學會如何獨立生活是很重要的。
——我知道我自己需要學會獨立生活，但現在我只是沒錢那樣做。在我開始找個地方住之前，住在家裏可以讓我節約一些錢。

4 Words and Expressions
1. independent 自立的,獨立的
2. stubbornly ] 倔強地; 頑固地
3. folk (某一民族或社會階層中的) 廣大成員
4. determined to 有做...的決心
5. on one's own 獨立無助地
6. positive 正面的，積極的
7. attitude 態度, 意見, 看法
8. physician 醫師
9. physical exercise 鍛鍊身體
10. stress 壓力; 緊張; 壓迫