生孩子年纪太大了吗？⏲️ 6分钟英语：英语精读讲义

Six Minute English from bbclearningenglish.com.

来自 bbclearningenglish.com 的六分钟英语。

Hello, this is Six Minute English from BBC Learning English.

大家好，这里是 BBC 英语教学的六分钟英语。

I'm Neil.

我是尼尔。

And I'm Beth.

我是贝丝。

Women today are having fewer babies. 短語搭配

现今女性生育的孩子越来越少了。

More women are delaying having children until their 40s, 講解

越来越多的女性推迟到 40 多岁才生育，

the period of 10 years in life between 40 and 49.

也就是 40 到 49 岁这十年的生命阶段。

And some women are giving birth in their 50s,

还有一些女性在 50 多岁、

their 60s, even their 70s.

60 多岁甚至 70 多岁生孩子。

There are many reasons behind the trend for older mums, 短語搭配

高龄产妇这一趋势背后有诸多原因，

including better access to education and careers,

包括享有更好的教育和职业机会，

but there are also health risks to having children later in life. 短語搭配

但在人生较晚阶段生育也存在健康风险。

So in this program,

所以在本期节目中，

we'll be asking,

我们将探讨，

when are you too old to have a baby? 語法

究竟多大年纪生孩子才算太老？

And as usual,

像往常一样，

we'll be learning some useful new vocabulary as well.

我们也会学习一些有用的新词汇。

But first, I have a question for you, Neil. 表達脈絡

但首先，我有一个问题要问你，尼尔。

In 2019,

在 2019 年，

Mangayamma Yaramati gave birth to twins 短語搭配

Mangayamma Yaramati 生下了一对双胞胎，

in the state of Andhra Pradesh,

在这个位于印度南部

South India.

的安得拉邦里。

But these were no ordinary twins, 短語搭配

但这可不是普通的双胞胎，

because Mangayamma was the oldest recorded woman 語法

因为 Mangayamma 是有记录以来

ever to give birth.

年龄最大的产妇。

So,

那么，

how old was the oldest ever mum when she gave birth?

这位史上最年长的母亲生孩子时是多大年纪？

Was she A,

她是 A，

53 years old?

53 岁吗？

B,

B，

63 years old?

63 岁吗？

Or C,

还是 C，

73 years old?

73 岁？

Mm.

嗯。

Uh, I'm going to guess 63.

呃，我猜是 63 岁。

Okay, Neil.

好的，尼尔。

We'll find out the correct answer 短語動詞

我们将会在

at the end of the program.

节目最后揭晓正确答案。

Professor of reproductive science at University College London,

伦敦大学学院生殖科学教授

Joyce Harper,

Joyce Harper，

has been studying the trend of women 語法

一直在研究女性

choosing to have babies later in life. 語法

选择晚育的这一趋势。

Here,

在这里，

she shares her discoveries 短語搭配

她分享了她的发现

with BBC World Service program Global Story.

在 BBC 世界频道节目《Global Story》中。

10, 20, 30 years ago,

10 年、20 年、30 年前，

women were having children at a much younger age. 短語搭配

女性生孩子的年龄要小得多。

Now,

现在，

it's become quite normal for women 語法

这已经变得相当普遍，对于女性

in their 30s.

在 30 多岁时生育。

As we see with the world data, 表達脈絡

正如我们从世界数据中看到的那样，

there's many countries where women

有许多国家的女性

have their first birth

在 30 岁以上

over the age of 30. 用詞

生下她们的第一胎。

But this is quite a new phenomena.

但这可以说是一个相当新的现象 (phenomena)。

That's why this term geriatric mother, 講解

这就是为什么 geriatric mother（高龄产妇）这个词，

unfortunately, still lingers. 用詞

遗憾的是，至今仍在使用。

Professor Harper uses the word phenomena

Harper 教授使用了 phenomena 这个词

to describe the trend for older mothers.

来描述高龄母亲这一趋势。

Phenomena are unusual or significant facts and events 用詞

Phenomena 是指不寻常或重要的事实和事件，

that exist and are talked about.

客观存在并且被人们讨论。

People often get this wrong,

人们经常弄错这个词，

but the plural form is phenomena 用詞

它的复数形式是 phenomena，

and the singular is phenomenon.

而单数形式是 phenomenon。

The concept of older mothers is still quite a new phenomenon,

高龄母亲的概念仍然是一个相当新的现象，

and attitudes towards them are changing. 短語搭配

人们对她们的态度也正在发生转变。

Mothers over the age of 35

35 岁以上的母亲

used to be called geriatric, 語法

过去被称为 geriatric（高龄的），

a word many found offensive.

许多人觉得这个词带有冒犯意味。

Fortunately,

幸运的是，

this term is no longer used, 短語搭配

这个词现在不再使用了，

but social disapproval of older mothers still lingers. 用詞

但社会对高龄母亲的不满情绪依然 lingering（存在）。

If something lingers,

如果某事物 lingers，

it continues to exist

它就是指它继续存在

longer than usual or expected.

且持续时间比平时或预期的要长。

Yes,

是的，

in some cultures older mothers

在一些文化中，高龄母亲

are still disapproved of. 短語動詞

仍然是不被认可的。

But Wait a minute, Neil. 語氣意圖

但是等一下，尼尔。

It takes two to make a baby. 習語

生孩子是两个人的事。

What's the man's role in all of this? 表達脈絡

在这个过程中男性的角色是什么？

Well, unlike women,

嗯，与女性不同，

whose ability to naturally get pregnant 短語搭配

女性自然受孕的能力

declines sharply in their 40s, 短語搭配

在 40 多岁时急剧下降，

men's fertility lasts longer. 用詞

男性的生育能力则能维持更久。

Rolling Stones singer Mick Jagger

滚石乐队主唱 Mick Jagger

famously had his eighth child

众所周知迎来了他的第八个孩子，

with his 29-year-old partner

和他 29 岁的伴侣

at the age of 73.

在他 73 岁那年。

So,

所以，

are older fathers more socially acceptable 用詞

高龄父亲比高龄母亲

than older mothers?

在社会上更容易被接受吗？

Yes,

是的，

thinks Professor Harper,

Harper 教授是这么认为的，

as she explained to BBC World Service's Global Story.

正如她在 BBC 世界频道《Global Story》中所解释的那样。

We do have a bit of a gender problem here 講解

我们在性别观念上确实存在一些问题，

because if this was a man in his 60s, 語法

因为如果这是一个 60 多岁、

70s, and even 80s,

70 多岁甚至 80 多岁的男人，

and he's fathered a child,

并且他当上了父亲，

most people would pat him on the back. 習語

大多数人会对他表示赞扬 (pat him on the back)。

But they'd probably pat him on the back

但他们多半是因为

because he's absolutely got a much younger partner.

他绝对是找了个年轻得多的伴侣才去赞赏他。

But if we've got a woman in her 60s,

但如果我们看到一个 60 多岁、

70s, or God forbid 80s 習語

70 多岁，或者老天保佑千万别是 80 多岁

having a child,

的女性生孩子，

then it does have a sort of shock reaction 語氣意圖

那么确实会引起某种震惊的反应

and makes people feel uncomfortable.

并让人们感到不舒服。

Professor Harper thinks that society is more accepting of older fathers 語法

Harper 教授认为社会对高龄父亲的包容度

than older mothers.

高于高龄母亲。

A 70-year-old man can still father a child. 用詞

一个 70 岁的男人仍然可以成为父亲。

He can make a woman pregnant

他可以让一个女人怀孕

who then gives birth,

然后生下孩子，

and most people would pat him on the back,

大多数人会 pat him on the back，

an idiom meaning give someone praise or congratulations.

这是一个习语，意思是给予某人赞美或祝贺。

On the other hand, 表達脈絡

另一方面，

says Professor Harper,

Harper 教授说，

God forbid a woman having a baby

God forbid（老天保佑千万别）一个女人在

in her 80s.

她 80 多岁时生孩子。

Here,

在这里，

the phrase God forbid is used as a way of saying you hope something 短語搭配

短语 God forbid 被用来表达你希望某事

will not happen.

不要发生。

There's another side to this story, though. 表達脈絡

然而，这个故事还有另一面。

In the West, 文化背景

在西方，

young women from Gen Z, 文化背景

Z 世代的年轻女性，

the generation born since the year 2000,

也就是 2000 年以后出生的这一代人，

are saying they won't have children at all. 語法

表示她们根本不想生孩子。

In more traditional countries, 表達脈絡

在较传统的国家中，

meanwhile,

与此同时，

a woman's role is as a mother, 文化背景

女性的角色就是成为母亲，

and many pray to God to be blessed with a child. 文化背景

许多人祈求上帝赐予她们一个孩子。

Which is exactly what happened to Mangayamma Yaramati, 表達脈絡

这正是 Mangayamma Yaramati 身上发生的事，

the South Indian woman

就是那个南印度的女人

I asked you about in my question,

我在问题中问过你的那位，

Neil.

尼尔。

In 2019,

在 2019 年，

she became the oldest recorded woman

她成了有记录以来

ever to give birth.

最年长的产妇。

Right,

对，

and I guessed she was 63 years old at the time.

我刚才猜她当时是 63 岁。

Which was the wrong answer,

恐怕

I'm afraid. 語氣意圖

那是个错误的答案。

In fact, 表達脈絡

事实上，

she was even older,

她年纪更大，

73.

73 岁。

Okay,

好的，

let's recap the vocabulary we've learned in this program, 表達脈絡

让我们来回顾一下在这次节目中学到的词汇，

starting with the phrase

从短语

in your 40s,

in your 40s（40 多岁）开始，

which describes the period of 10 years

它描述了 10 年的一段时间

in someone's life

在人的一生中

when they're aged between 40 and 49.

当他们年龄在 40 到 49 岁之间的时候。

Phenomena describes any significant facts or events

Phenomena（现象）用来描述任何重要的事实或事件

that we know exist

我们知道它们存在

and can be observed and discussed.

并且可以被观察和讨论。

If something lingers,

如果某事 lingers（逗留/挥之不去），

it continues to exist

它就意味着它继续存在

longer than usual or expected.

且持续时间比平时或预期的长。

The verb to father

动词 to father（成为父亲）

means to make a woman pregnant

意思是指让女性怀孕

who then gives birth to a child.

随后生下一个孩子。

The idiom pat someone on the back

习语 pat someone on the back（轻拍某人的背）

is used to describe giving someone praise,

用于描述给予某人赞美、

congratulations,

祝贺、

or encouragement.

或鼓励。

And finally,

最后，

the expression God forbid

表达 God forbid（老天保佑千万别）

is a way of saying that you hope something

是一种用来表达你希望某事

will not happen.

不会发生的方式。

Once again,

再次提醒，

our six minutes are up, 習語

我们的六分钟时间到了，

but don't forget to join us again soon

但不要忘记不久后再次加入我们，

for more trending topics

了解更多热门话题

and useful vocabulary

和实用的词汇，

here at Six Minute English.

就在这里的六分钟英语。

Goodbye for now.

暂且说到这里。

Bye.

再见。

Six Minute English

六分钟英语

from bbclearningenglish.com.

来自 bbclearningenglish.com。