独生子女一代 The Only-Child Generation

从cóng上个shàng ge世纪shìjì八十bāshí年代niándài开始kāishǐ，中国Zhōngguó实行shíxíng了le独生子女dúshēng zǐnǚ政策zhèngcè。

Starting in the 1980s, China implemented the one-child policy.

因此yīncǐ，整整zhěngzhěng一代yí dài人rén都dōu是shì在zài没有méiyǒu兄弟xiōngdì姐妹jiěmèi的de环境huánjìng中zhōng长大zhǎngdà的de。

As a result, an entire generation grew up without any brothers or sisters.

很多hěn duō人rén以为yǐwéi，独生子女dúshēng zǐnǚ从小cóngxiǎo被bèi父母fùmǔ宠爱chǒng'ài，性格xìnggé一定yídìng很hěn自私zìsī。

Many people assume that only children, doted on by their parents from an early age, must be selfish.

其实qíshí，这种zhè zhǒng观念guānniàn并bìng不bù公平gōngpíng。

In fact, this notion is not fair at all.

我wǒ认识rènshi的de许多xǔduō独生子女dúshēng zǐnǚ，反而fǎn'ér特别tèbié独立dúlì，也yě很hěn懂得dǒngde照顾zhàogù别人biéren。

Many of the only children I know are, on the contrary, remarkably independent and very good at looking after others.

不过búguò，他们tāmen确实quèshí面对miànduì着zhe巨大jùdà的de压力yālì：一对yí duì夫妻fūqī往往wǎngwǎng要yào照顾zhàogù四sì位wèi老人lǎorén。

However, they do face enormous pressure: one couple often has to look after four elderly parents.

再zài能干nénggàn的de人rén，也yě很hěn难nán同时tóngshí照顾zhàogù好hǎo老人lǎorén和hé孩子háizi，还hái要yào做zuò好hǎo自己zìjǐ的de工作gōngzuò。

No matter how capable you are, it is hard to care for the elderly and the children at the same time while still doing your own job well.

随着suízhe社会shèhuì老龄化lǎolínghuà越来越yuèláiyuè严重yánzhòng，这个zhège问题wèntí变得biàn de更加gèngjiā突出tūchū。

As the aging of society grows more serious, this problem is becoming even more pronounced.

如今rújīn政策zhèngcè已经yǐjīng改变gǎibiàn了le，但是dànshì独生子女dúshēng zǐnǚ一代yí dài的de经历jīnglì，仍然réngrán深深shēnshēn地de影响yǐngxiǎng着zhe中国Zhōngguó的de家庭jiātíng观念guānniàn。

The policy has since changed, but the experience of the only-child generation still deeply shapes Chinese ideas about family.

🔊 Audio uses your device's Chinese voice for now — teacher recordings are coming. Tap any word to see its meaning.

Key words 生词

独生子女dúshēng zǐnǚonly child

政策zhèngcèpolicy

宠爱chǒng'àito dote on, to spoil with love

观念guānniànnotion, mindset

独立dúlìindependent

老龄化lǎolínghuà(population) aging

Grammar note 语法点

反而

Introduces a result that is the opposite of what one would expect: 'on the contrary, instead', e.g. 吃了药，病反而更重了.

我认识的许多独生子女，反而特别独立。 — Many of the only children I know are, on the contrary, remarkably independent.

再…也…

Means 'no matter how (adjective), still...' — even the highest degree of something does not change the outcome, e.g. 再贵我也要买.

再能干的人，也很难同时照顾好老人和孩子。 — No matter how capable a person is, it is still hard to look after the elderly and the children at the same time.

随着

Means 'along with, as' — one change happens in step with another change, usually at the start of the sentence, e.g. 随着经济的发展，生活水平提高了.

随着社会老龄化越来越严重，这个问题变得更加突出。 — As the aging of society grows more serious, this problem is becoming even more pronounced.

Check yourself 小测验

1. What stereotype about only children does the text mention?

2. What pressure does an only-child couple often face?

3. What does the author say about the one-child policy today?

独生子女一代Dúshēng zǐnǚ yí dàiThe Only-Child Generation

Key words 生词

Grammar note 语法点

Check yourself 小测验

More HSK 5 reading practice