數字中的中國社會現實與婚姻趨勢
China has marriage on its mind — but perhaps not commitment.
中國人心裏想着婚姻，但承諾就不一定了。
New figures show that the number of marriages in China has fallen for two straight years, while divorces have continued to climb. The trends — which have their roots in China’s one-child policy, its stunning economic rise and the changing role of women at work and at home — have led a new generation to question the traditional role of marriage in Chinese society.
新公佈的數據顯示，中國登記結婚的人數連續兩年下降，而離婚人數則繼續攀升。這兩種趨勢的根源在於中國的計劃生育政策、令人震驚的經濟崛起和女性不斷變化的職場和家庭角色。它們導致新一代質疑婚姻在中國社會中的傳統角色。
A discussion of matrimony and women’s roles has risen on the internet in China in recent weeks after publication this month of a New York Times article about the decline of marriage in China. In comments on Weibo, a social-media network, many Chinese discussed their lack of marriage plans — and the reasons behind that.
《紐約時報》本月刊登了一篇文章，介紹中國結婚人數減少的現象。隨後的這幾周，中國的互聯網上興起了對婚姻和女性角色的討論。在社交媒體網絡新浪微博上，很多中國人談到自己沒有結婚的打算，以及這背後的原因。
Of course, many of their comments will sound familiar to people in other countries — perhaps especially to those who are married. But China is in the midst of its own profound social and economic changes, upending traditional notions of love and family.
當然，對其他國家的人，大概尤其是對那些已婚人士來說，他們的很多言論聽上去很耳熟。但中國正在經歷一系列深刻的社會和經濟變革，傳統的愛情和家庭觀念被顛覆。
Chinese data — from the data provider CEIC Data and China’s National Bureau of Statistics — back up some of the trends with hard figures.
從數據供應商CEIC Data到中國國家統計局提供的有關中國的數據，用確鑿的數字支持了部分趨勢的真實性。
Living Alone: Average Household Size Is Down
獨居：平均家庭規模減小
3.1 people in 2015
2015年3.1人
4.43 people in 1982
1982年4.43人
The average number of people in Chinese homes is shrinking for a variety of reasons: fewer children, more seniors living alone and other factors. But some responding to the article cite another reason: the joy of living alone.
中國家庭平均人數減少有多種原因：孩子數量減少、獨居老人增多及其他因素。但針對時報的那篇文章，一些人提到了另一個原因：獨居的快樂。
From Weibo:
微博評論：
別介懿：After marriage, your life has all kinds of unhappiness. Who doesn’t want to pursue a high quality of life?
別介懿：婚後生活各種不爽。誰不想追求優質的生活。
守護_牛奶瓶：I think that if you’re going to get married, you need to find someone whom you get along with. Otherwise, two people who spend all their days together as if they are in a war, or if one of them is good at cold violence [emotional cruelty], or the other person is very hypocritical and doesn’t give the other person any face, then there is no need to be together.
守護_牛奶瓶：我覺得 如果結婚的話那要找個契合的 不然兩個人在一起天天跟戰場或者有一方很擅長冷暴力 或者另一方很矯情 又不給對方面子的話 真沒必要在一起。會很累 而且雙方婚後不幸福的機率還是蠻大的。
You’ll get very tired, and the probability of both sides’ being unhappy is very large. Dating for two, three, seven, eight, 10 years is all normal. People getting divorced after decades of going through the ins and outs of daily life is already very common.
談戀愛的時候忍個兩三年 七八年 十年都正常 婚後柴米油鹽幾十年 過不下去離婚的也已經很正常了。
hongxingstar：I’ve fought with my parents from childhood until now about this. I too think it is more free being just one person. I don’t think I could take it if we talked about romance or marriage!
hongxingstar：從小到大父母一直吵架，我自己也覺得一個人自由，如果談戀愛或結婚我肯定會受不了！
圍觀也是個體力活：Loyalty in marriages is ever diminishing, and one can be very happy alone. Why seeking out a burden?
圍觀也是個體力活：婚姻的忠誠度越來越低，自己能過得很好，幹嘛找個累贅？
Hitting the Books: More Master’s Students Are Women
用功學習：碩士研究生中女性增加
44.2 percent in 2004
2004年44.2%
51.7 percent in 2014
2014年51.7%
Many women in China once saw marriage as the primary route to economic security. Now Chinese women are increasingly educated and increasingly part of the work force.
曾經，很多中國女性認爲婚姻是通向經濟保障的主要途徑。現在，中國女性的受教育程度越來越高，日漸成爲勞動力的一部分。
From Weibo:
微博評論：
心比扎軟ii: I think that if in every aspect you are independent, then you will come to find that what will put you most at ease is the money you have in your hand and not the money you depend on someone else for. Marriage is also very troublesome and inconvenient.
心比扎軟ii：我覺得只要自己各方面都獨立 就會發現能給自己帶來踏實的感覺的是手裏的錢 而在也不是別人的依靠了 結婚真的也是很麻煩。
morningLAq：Some men’s sense of patriarchal is just too much. They think working outside the home all day is very tough, and when they come back they want to lie down as if they’re the master. If they have to help out at all, they feel as if they’ve been asked for the whole world!
morningLAq：有的男的大男子主義太厲害了，認爲他們自己在外面工作一天挺辛苦的，回來就像大爺一樣躺着，幫一下都感覺自己救了整個世界！
And their wife has also worked all day, but when she comes back she’s like a free housemaid! If you don’t clean the house well, then he’ll criticize you. You’ll have to worry about your husband’s having an affair and blaming yourself afterward.
然而妻子也是在外面工作一天回來還得像個免費保姆一樣！萬一收拾不好家裏就得bb了，收拾不好自己還得擔心老公出軌之後錯在自己。
原來你是我最想留住的圉運：A woman’s value should not be reflected through marriage. It’s not as if one cannot support oneself. It’s not that I don’t want to get married, it’s just that society’s guarantees for women are too few and there are too few good men.
原來你是我最想留住的圉運：女人的價值不應該體現在婚姻上，自己又不是養活不了自己。不是不想結，是這個社會對女人的保障太少，好男人太少。
Men, your male elders, close friends: They all think that women should get married, have children and care for the family. Wake up, everyone. Times have changed. Why don’t you look at yourself first and what your own sons are like!
男人，父輩，及身邊親人，都認爲女人就得結婚，生孩子，照顧家庭，都醒醒吧，時代變了，先看看自己、自己的兒子什麼樣子吧！
Senioritis: China’s Population Is Getting Older
老齡化：中國人口走向老齡化
1:12.5 in 1982
1982年爲1:12.5
1:7.3 in 2014
2014年爲1:7.3
The ratio of the elderly to 15-to-64-year-olds is getting narrower. That puts pressure on younger Chinese people in a culture where children traditionally care for their elders.
老年人與15到64歲之間的人口的比例增加。在孩子傳統上要贍養長輩的中國文化中，這給年輕一代造成了壓力。
From Weibo:
微博評論：
killersara2：In marriage, either there are psychological needs or the elders try to coerce you.
killersara2：結婚要麼生理需求，要麼長輩逼迫。
寂寞是藍棒棒的：If it weren’t for my parents, I wouldn’t get married.
寂寞是藍棒棒的：如果不是爲了父母，我就不會結婚。
Libra_Cy：Actually, it’s not that we don’t want to get married, it’s that we don’t want to settle for good enough, but our parents think that we ought to settle.
Libra_Cy：其實不是不願結婚了，只是不願意湊合，可是父母都覺得應該湊合着過，
Even the people my age who are already married will always say, “Your expectations are too high, just settle, blah blah blah.” it’s as if in not marrying, we become criminals. I really have no words. But I don’t want to settle either.
甚至包括那些已經結婚了的同齡人，總會說你眼光太高啊，湊合湊合得了啊，巴拉巴拉一堆，好像不結婚就成罪人了一般，實在無語，但我還是不願湊合。
很想很想你DYING：This is China. If your parents haven’t coerced you into marrying, then it’s the gossip that surrounds you that will.
很想很想你DYING：對啊，這是中國，就算是父母都不在沒有人逼你結婚，也會有閒言碎語包圍着。
Labor Pains: China’s Birthrate Is Falling
勞動力之痛：中國出生率下降
22.28 per 1,000 people in 1982
1982年每1000人22.28
12.37 per 1,000 people in 2014
2014年每1000人12.37
Birthrates are declining in China despite the end of the one-child policy, as more people choose to delay reproduction or forgo it altogether.
在中國，儘管一孩政策取消，但出生率仍在下降，因爲更多的人選擇推遲，或者完全放棄生孩子。
From Weibo:
微博評論：
琵琶娘子: I don’t want to get married. Life is endless. Why would you want a family?
琵琶娘子：我也不想結婚，人生漫長，爲何一定要有家庭。
楓林寒情: Women can earn their own salary and can have children on their own. Why do we need men?
楓林寒情：女人自己能賺錢，也能生孩子 要男人何用？
