（雅思课外精读）为什么越来越多的女性选择不生孩子

留学，语言成绩是必要材料之一，并且在申请院校的进程中，语言成绩的高低直接影响着你最终能申请什么到水平的院校，下面外语频道小编为大家具体分享下“【雅思课外精读】为什么越来越多的女性选择不生孩子？”内容。

Why I dont have a child

我没什么没要孩子

1. I was 31 the last time I got pregnant. And after a lifetime of certainty that I did not want to be a mother, I felt an unexpected thing, cutting through the panic and the nausea: happiness.

我上次怀孕的时候31岁。在我确定自己一辈子不想做母亲之后，我感到幸福，这是我意料之外的，而这种幸福穿透了之前的种种恐慌和不安。

2. Every morning since an intuitive nudge sent me to fetch a pregnancy test from the drugstore, my breasts oddly sore and my stomach in a low-level but constant state ofturbulence, I would wake up with the thought: I can do this. I want to do this.

自从我去药店买验孕棒以来，每天早上，我的胸部都会有一种奇怪的疼痛，而我的胃则一直处于地点但是却持续颠簸，我醒来时会想：我可以做一个母亲，我想做一个母亲。

3. By the time I fell asleep at night, I was sure there was no possible way I could do this, this being raising a child on my own.

而晚上入睡的时候，我却很确信，我不能，我没办法独自抚养一个孩子。

4. And it would have to be on my own. The man involved, despite saying he was excited and down for this, he was also hiding a romantic partner behind his back. When youre free spirited and wealthy enough to have multiple homes, it turns out you can hide a wife in one of them or move her around like some gaslighting shell game and your other girlfriendsmultiplewill be none the wiser. So he wasnt going to be much help.

但我必须一个人抚养孩子。那个男人，尽管他说他很兴奋，也很愿意和我一起有一个孩子，但是他背地里却有一个情人。当一个人放荡不羁且富有的时候，他可以把妻子藏在其中的 一个房子里，或者是像搬煤气灯一样把她搬来搬去，而她的女朋友们对这些却一无所知。所以，他帮不上我什么忙。

5. I was, and remain to this day, in a state of emotional and physical estrangement from my family, because of dynamics too complicated to share here. And as I had recently gotten rid of all of my belongings to move to another continent, my social circle was mostly acquaintances. There was no guarantee I would even be allowed to stay where I had moved. I had not yet secured my long-term visa, and immigration departments are often suspicious, if not downright hostile to pregnant women, even if there is no birthright citizenship policy in place.

我和家人一直都很疏远，原因太复杂了，无法在这里说明白。由于我最近把自己的所有东西都处理了，搬到了另一个大陆，所以我的社交圈都是一些熟人。我甚至不能抱枕我能在这里住很久。我还没有拿到长期签证，还没有拿到我的长期签证，即使没有出生公民权政策，移民部门也经常对孕妇抱有怀疑态度，有时候他们甚至抱有彻头彻尾的敌意。

6. It was just going to be me and this boy. I was sure he was a boy: he had been appearing in my dreams. He had extraordinarily long legs, like a hare. He had my blue eyes. There was something romantic about the situation, just me and this kid against the world and against all of the odds. I had to travel a lot for work, but I thought I could just strap him onto my body and take him with me. I started fantasizing about our life together. It would be unpredictable, sure, but exciting. I couldnt provide him the idyllic white picket fence, but I could show him the world.

我此刻与肚子里的那个男孩相依为命。我确信他是个男孩，他一直出现在我的梦中。他的腿长得出奇，像只野兔。他有着我的蓝眼睛。当时的情况很有浪漫色彩，只有我和这个孩子一起对抗整个世界，对抗所有的逆境。我经常出差，但我想我可以把它绑在我身上，带它和我一起。我开始幻想我们在一起的生活。这是不可预测的，但是很让人兴奋。我不能给他田园般的白色尖桩篱笆，但我可以带他看世界。

7. But then I stopped thinking about what this life would be like for me and started to think about what this life would be like for him. I read about attachment theory and how having only one sometimes emotionally erratic caretaker in early life could lead to issues later on. I read about the importance of stability in early childhood. I remembered that while I didnt mind going hungry every once in a while when there are gaps between payments for my freelance work, it would be unacceptable for a child to lack food. I considered my inability to find stable work.

但后来，我不再想像之后的生活对我，对他会是怎样。我读过依恋理论，以及幼年时候仅有一个有时候情绪会不太稳定的监护人会导致什么样的问题。我记得，虽然我并不介意由于我的自由职业性质我偶尔会挨饿，但是，对于一个孩子来说，挨饿是不可接受的。我认为我找不到稳定的工作。

8. Then there was my anxiety disorder and my bouts of suicidal ideation. If I had been able to be a pillar of strength in a swirl of chaos for the sake of my son, maybe I could have pulled it off. But as I assessed my sons future, there was more deprivation than abundance.

后来，我得了焦虑症，我有时候甚至想自杀。如果，在这样的混乱中我能成为我儿子的支柱，那么我或许能够自己抚养孩子。但是，当我评估我儿子的未来时，我所看到的更多是坏处而不是好处。

9. I decided to terminate. It was the child, my child, I was trying to protect by ushering it out of this world. His was likely to be a life of hardship, and that was even in a best case scenarioif there had been complications during the pregnancy or birth, if my economic situation worsened, if there was an accident or illness, if, if, ifI cared too much about this child to bring him into a situation where not just only flourishing was unlikely, but the odds of survival were a bit off.

我决定终止妊娠。那个孩子，我的孩子，我决定用带他离开世界的方式来保护他。他的生活可能会很艰难，即使是在最好的情况下要是在妊娠或者分娩期间有并发症，要是我的经济情况恶化，要是有一个事故或者疾病，要是我太爱这个孩子了，我不想带他到一个或许会很好或许会很坏的世界。

10. As I shared my story with friends, they came back with stories of their own. A friend with two sons had found herself pregnant almost immediately after she stopped breastfeeding her second child. Her husband had recently returned to school to finish a degree, and money wasscarce. They lived in a city with a catastrophic schooling system, so they had decided to home school. Another child would bind them to the home for a longer time.

当我和朋友们分享我的故事的时候，他们也讲述了自己的故事。一个朋友在停止第二个孩子的母乳喂养之后发现自己又怀孕了。她丈夫刚刚决定回学校完成学位，家里并不是很宽裕。他们住在一个教育很差的城市，因此他们决定在家教孩子。而生第三胎则会把他们绑在家里更久。

11. She needed to explain why she could not mother another child. I understood she wasnt trying to fend off my judgment of them. She was dealing with the judgment she was dumping on herself. The same judgment I heaped on my own self for being unable to continue my pregnancy: Im a failure for not making more money. Im a whiny complainer for being unable to not have depression and anxiety. Im a terror, Im worthless, I cant even do this one thing that I am biologically programmedand seemingly eager, as I got pregnant while on the pillto do.

她需要说出自己为什么不再生一个孩子。我明白她并不是试图干预我的她的判断。她正在思考该如何看待自己。我因为中止妊娠而做出同样的判断：我是一个糟糕的人，我无法挣更多的钱。我是个爱抱怨的人，因为我总是感到抑郁和焦虑。我是个灾难，我一无是处，我甚至不能做一件我生来就该做的事，而且这件事还是我一直渴望做到的，我在服用避孕药的时候怀孕了。

12. There has been a lot of hand-wringing about declining birth rates, the lowest in more than 30 years, across all race and class divides. Were told millennial women choosing not to have children will be bad for the economy, it will be bad for the aging baby boomer population, it will be bad for the real estate market. According to Forbes, its bad for older women desperate for grandchildren. But are people actually deciding to delay families, or are they finding themselves in unstable situations where the addition of a child seems unworkable? The reasons given whenop-ed writers bother to ask millennialstoo much debt, not enough financial security, a romantic market that is as rocky as the job marketpoint more to the latter.

所有种族和阶层的出生率都在下降，这是30多年来的最低水平。别人告诉我们，千禧一代的女性选择不生孩子对经济不利，对婴儿潮一代的老龄化不利，对房地产市场不利。据福布斯报道，对于渴望孙辈的高龄女性来说，不生孩子是不好的。但是，人们是否决定推迟生育？他们是不是发现自己处于不稳定状态，这时候生一个孩子并不可行？当专栏作家不费事地询问千禧一代时，他们给出的理由太多的债务、没有足够的经济保障、浪漫市场和就业市场一样不稳定，他们更多是以为呢欸经济不稳定而选择不生孩子。

精读解析

篇章结构

P1：决定终止妊娠之后，我感到幸福。

P2P9：我决定终止妊娠之前的种种矛盾纠结：我怀孕了，孩子的父亲并不是个负责人的男人；我自己本身精神和经济都处于不稳定状态，没办法给孩子更好的生活，因此选择终止妊娠。

P10P11：和我一样决定终止妊娠的母亲面临的种种困境。

P12：人们更多是因为经济压力大的原因选择不生孩子。

重点单词

unexpected/ʌnɪkspektɪd/ adj. 没有料想到的, 意外的, 突如其来的

【短语】

unexpected news 意外的消息；出乎意料的新闻

unexpected accident 不能预料的事故

【例句】

His unexpected death is unexpected news.

他的猝死是一个意外的消息。

cut through抄近路走过；刺穿

【例句】

The boat cut effortlessly through the water.

船轻快地破水前行。

nausea/nɔːsɪə/ n. 作呕;恶心;反胃

【例句】

The patient complained of inappetence and nausea.

病人诉说他食欲不振和呕吐。

intuitive/ɪntjuːɪtɪv/ adj. 有直觉力的;凭直觉获知的

【例句】

We have no intuitive grasp of the immensity of time.

我们对时间的无限没有什么直观的认识。

turbulence /tɜːbjʊl(ə)ns/ n. 气体或水的涡流；动乱,骚乱；波动；(海洋、天气等的)狂暴

【例句】

The turbulence caused the plane to turn over.

空气的激流导致飞机翻转。

wake up v. 醒来,叫醒

【短语】

wake up call 叫醒电话；提醒信号，警告

wake up to 认识到，意识到

【例句】

On holidays the little town wakes up.

每逢假日, 这个小城镇就活跃起来了。

gaslighting通过心理手段操纵某人；心理控制；煤气灯

【例句】

Gaslighting is a tactic in which a person or entity, in order to gain more power, makes a victim question their reality.(35KB)

心理控制是一个人为了获得权力，而使得受害者怀疑自身的一种手段，它比大家想象的要更可怕。

estrangement /ɪsˈtreɪnd ʒmənt/ n. 疏远;失和,不和

【同根】

estranged adj. 分居的；疏远的，不和的；（与某事物）脱离的，决裂的;

estrange from v. 使疏远；离间；使离开

【例句】

The quarrel led to a complete estrangement between her and her family.

这一争吵使她同家人完全疏远了。

acquaintance/əkweɪnt(ə)ns/ n. 相识的人, 熟人；对有了解, 熟知, 认识

【短语】

acquaintance with 相识

acquaintance with someone 对某人的相识，熟

nodding acquaintance 相识不深的人；不完整或肤浅的知识

make the acquaintance of vt. 和相识，结识

【例句】

I have no acquaintance with this book.

我不熟悉这本书。

suspicious/səspɪʃəs/ adj. 猜疑的, 疑心的；可疑的；表示怀疑的

【短语】

suspicious of 对起疑

【例句】

These words showed that Amelia was suspicious.

从这些话可看出阿米莉亚起了疑心。

The dog sniffed suspiciously at the stranger.

狗疑惑地嗅着那个陌生人。

strap /strp/ vt. 用带捆绑；用皮条抽打；约束n. 皮带；带；磨刀皮带；鞭打

【例句】

The straps hold the baby in securely.

带子把婴儿安全地系在里面。

fantasize/fntəsaɪz/ vt.vi. 想像;幻想;做白日梦

【例句】

One might fantasize the death of someone seen as a threat.

人可能会幻想对自己有威胁的人死去。

unpredictable/ʌnprɪdɪktəb(ə)l/ adj. 无法预言的, 不可预测的；捉摸不透的, 不稳定的, 反复无常的

【例句】

His actions since that morning have been eccentric and unpredictable.

自从那天早晨,他的行动一直是反常而不可捉摸。

idyllic /ɪdɪlɪk/ adj. 牧歌的，田园诗的

【例句】

Dont you think that sounds idyllic?

你不觉得那听起来很富有诗情画意吗？

erratic/ɪrtɪk/ adj. 不稳定的；古怪的n. 漂泊无定的人；古怪的人

【例句】

He is a very erratic football player.

他是个技术非常不稳定的足球队员。

unacceptable/ʌnəkseptəb(ə)l/ adj. 不能接受的;不受欢迎的；不合意的;不令人满意的

【例句】

But some bitter substances in it such as elaterin are unacceptable.

由于苦瓜含有苦瓜素等物质,苦味较重,令一些消费者难以接受。

inability/ɪnəbɪlɪtɪ/ n. 无能,无力

【短语】

inability to 没有...的能力

【例句】

Her despondency arises from her inability to find employment.

她之所以意志消沉是因为她无法找到工作。

anxiety disorder焦虑症；焦虑性障碍；焦虑症候群

bout/baʊt/ n. 较量；发作；回合；一阵

【例句】

She is disposed to sudden bouts of depression.

她动不动就会突然抑郁症发作。

ideation/ˌaɪdɪeɪʃ(ə)n/ n. 构思能力，思维能力；构思过程

【短语】

suicide ideation 自杀意念

suicidal ideation 自杀观念

【例句】

There was a significant difference in paranoic ideation between the age group of 40-49 years and the normal group.

偏执因子在40-49岁组与正常对照有非常显著的差异。

deprivation/deprɪveɪʃ(ə)n/ n. 剥夺;被夺去,丧失；缺乏,损失

【例句】

Sleep deprivation can cause stress,loss of appetite and lethargy.

睡眠不足会导致紧张、没有胃口和懒散。

abundance /əbʌnd(ə)ns/ n. 大量, 充足

【短语】

in abundance 大量的；丰富的；充足的

an abundance of adj. 大量的

relative abundance 相对多度；元素丰度

species abundance 物种丰度

【例句】

The tree yields an abundance of fruit.

这树结果甚多。

There was an abundance of corn last year.

去年玉米丰收。

terminate/tɜːmɪneɪt/ vt.vi. 结束; 使终结

【例句】

She chose to have an early termination.

她选择了早期终止妊娠。

Janes unhappy married life terminated in divorce.

珍妮的不幸婚姻以离婚而告终。

usher/ʌʃə/ n. 引座员, 招待员, 迎宾员；门房, 传达员；助理教员, 助教vt. 引, 领, 陪同

【短语】

usher in 领进，引进

ushering in 领进; 传报;

usher into 领进

【例句】

He ushered me into the drawing room.

他把我引进客厅。

scenario/sɪnɑːrɪəʊ/ n. 情节；剧本；方案

【例句】

This is an adaptation of a novel for the scenario.

这是由小说改编的电影剧本。

complication/kɒmplɪkeɪʃ(ə)n/ n. (新出现的)困难, 难题；并发症

【同根】

complication n. 并发症；复杂；复杂化；混乱

obstetric complication 产科并发症

pregnancy complication 妊娠并发症

complier n. 依从者

comply with 照做，遵守

complying presentation 相符交单

non complying 不服从

【例句】

She remained innocent of the complications she had caused.

她对由她所引起的纠纷毫不知晓

scarce /skeəs/ adj. 缺乏的, 罕见的

【例句】

Eggs are scarce and expensive this month.

这个月鸡蛋又少又贵。

catastrophic/ˌktəˈstrɔfɪk/ adj. 灾难性的；惨重的;悲惨的

【例句】

It has been predicted that the Earth will tilt on its axis,causing catastrophic famine and disease.

有人曾预言地球会导致大荒灾和疾病。

fend off v. 避开；挡开

【例句】

He neatly fended off a jab at his chest.

他利落地挡开了当胸的一击。

heap on把...放在堆上

【例句】

Unsurprisingly, given the opprobrium often heaped on the profession, ambitious graduates tend to steer clear.

鉴于这份职业背负着许多骂名，充满抱负的大学生对它敬而远之的态度也是不足为奇的。

whiny/hwaɪnɪ/ adj. 烦躁的；爱抱怨的；常发牢骚的

【例句】

People get rude and whiny when they are exhausted.

人们在精疲力竭的时候会变得粗野, 爱发牢骚。

hand-wringing/hnd,rɪŋɪŋ/ n. 绝望,歇斯底里状态adj. 绝望的

【例句】

But to judge by their hand-wringing, when the justices issue their verdict in June it will not be a surprise if they reject the case on these grounds.

但是庭审把重点放在程序问题上，他们一定大失所望。但法官审判的时候摩拳擦掌，束手无策，当六月份发出判决时，如果他们因为这些理由而拒绝审判该案也不奇怪。

real estate n. 不动产，房地产

【例句】

Tom is a real estate developer.

汤姆是位房地产开发商。

desperate/desp(ə)rət/ adj. 不顾一切的, 拼命的；铤而走险的, 孤注一掷的；极想望的, 极需要的；危急的, 极严重的

【同根】

desperately adv. 拼命地；绝望地；极度地

desperation n. 绝望的境地；不顾一切拼命

desperateness n. 拼命；奋不顾身

【例句】

In desperation, I decided to try acupuncture.

我别无出路，就决定试试针刺疗法。

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