Topic: It is generally acknowledged that families are now not as close as they used to be. Give possible reasons and your recommendations.

中文译文:

现在夫妻吵架的现象比过去多了,兄弟姐妹之间相互交流得少了,彼此关心得也少了.同过去相比,孩子们向父母索取建议的情况也少了.这些变化只是现代家庭关系疏远的部分情况.

家庭关系疏远的第一个原因是工作压力的加大.现代经济耗费了人们不少精力.工薪阶层常常超负荷工作,有时工作至深夜,有时他们在周末加班.而过去周末或晚上的时间恰是家庭成员一起做饭,看电视或者出去旅行的时候.而现在,这种彼此相伴的时光成了全体家庭成员的一种奢侈享受.日积月累,家庭成员之间的相互沟通逐渐减少,彼此间出现了争执和隔阂.

媒体使得家庭成员之间的主动联系减少,并且产生巨大的精神隔阂.由于许多家庭有不止一台电视,人们常常泡在自己的房间里看肥皂剧,而过去他们如果有时间的话则可能会坐在一起谈论生活的点点滴滴.因特网是另外一种强大的力量,使得这一切变得更糟.因为因特网是无孔不入的,因此人们几乎可以在任何时候同本地和远处的朋友在网上聊天,交友.人们不用再和家人共同讨论一些事情,他们可以上网聊天.他们不用象以前那样呆在家里,他们可以结交”网友”.

各种各样的高质量的服务的普及是造成家庭关系疏远的最难以让人控制的原因.过去,合家一起做饭,烤面包,洗衣服和缝纫是一些常见的场景,而这些活动能够促进家庭成员之间的亲密关系.而现在一切都不同了,这些工作都可以被外界的服务所取代.我们人类喜欢更加便捷的生活,可是付出的代价就是家庭关系的疏远,并且会丧失大家一起工作的乐趣.

英文:

Nowadays, couples quarrel more often than they used to do. Brothers and sisters talk less and take less care of each other. Children turn less to their parents for advice. These scenes are just part of the whole picture of today’s family alienation.

First of all, increasing work pressure is responsible for distant family relationships. As today’s economy is more demanding, wage-earners often have to work overtime into the night or during weekends when, traditionally, family members used to cook together, watch a movie or even go on trips. Consequently, the time for enjoying each other’s company has become something of a luxury hard to afford for all family members. Day after day, lack of communication creeps into homes, and then disputes appear and an icy gulf grows between them.

The media have discouraged spontaneous communication within families and led to greater emotional distance. With most families owning more than one TV set, people now spend a lot of time watching soap operas in their own separate room, whereas in the past, they may have sat and talked to each other about everything from life to work when they were free. The Internet a new powerful force, has made matters worse. As it is so widespread, it has become possible for people to chat and make friends with others far away at almost any time and at low cost. Instead of expressing their opinions to family members on any issues, people do this online. Instead of staying at home as they did before, they go out to meet “net-friends”.

The availability of a greater variety of higher quality services may be the most elusive reason for family alienation. In the past, scenes were common of families staying at home together, and cooking meals, baking bread, washing and tailoring clothes for themselves. All these activities increased family intimacy. However, things have changed nowadays when all these services can be bought outside home. We humans enjoy more convenient lives, but at the expense of the intimacy and pleasure of doing things together.