生小孩年紀太大了嗎？⏲️ 6分鐘英語：英語精讀講義

Six Minute English from bbclearningenglish.com.

來自 bbclearningenglish.com 的六分鐘英語。

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

大家好，這裡是 BBC 英語教學的六分鐘英語。

I'm Neil.

我是尼爾。

And I'm Beth.

我是貝絲。

Women today are having fewer babies. 片語搭配

現今女性生育的孩子越來越少了。

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

越來越多的女性推遲到 40 多歲才生育，

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

也就是 40 到 49 歲這十年的生命階段。

And some women are giving birth in their 50s,

還有一些女性在 50 多歲、

their 60s, even their 70s.

60 多歲甚至 70 多歲生孩子。

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

高齡產婦這一趨勢背後有諸多原因，

including better access to education and careers,

包括享有更好的教育和職業機會，

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

但在人生較晚階段生育也存在健康風險。

So in this program,

所以在本期節目中，

we'll be asking,

我們將探討，

when are you too old to have a baby? 文法

究竟多大年紀生孩子才算太老？

And as usual,

像往常一樣，

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

我們也會學習一些有用的新詞彙。

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

但首先，我有一個問題要問你，尼爾。

In 2019,

在 2019 年，

Mangayamma Yaramati gave birth to twins 片語搭配

Mangayamma Yaramati 生下了一對雙胞胎，

in the state of Andhra Pradesh,

在這個位於印度南部

South India.

的安得拉邦裡。

But these were no ordinary twins, 片語搭配

但這可不是普通的雙胞胎，

because Mangayamma was the oldest recorded woman 文法

因為 Mangayamma 是有記錄以來

ever to give birth.

年齡最大的產婦。

So,

那麼，

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

這位史上最年長的母親生孩子時是多大年紀？

Was she A,

她是 A，

53 years old?

53 歲嗎？

B,

B，

63 years old?

63 歲嗎？

Or C,

還是 C，

73 years old?

73 歲？

Mm.

嗯。

Uh, I'm going to guess 63.

呃，我猜是 63 歲。

Okay, Neil.

好的，尼爾。

We'll find out the correct answer 片語動詞

我們將會在

at the end of the program.

節目最後揭曉正確答案。

Professor of reproductive science at University College London,

倫敦大學學院生殖科學教授

Joyce Harper,

Joyce Harper，

has been studying the trend of women 文法

一直在研究女性

choosing to have babies later in life. 文法

選擇晚育的這一趨勢。

Here,

在這裡，

she shares her discoveries 片語搭配

她分享了她的發現

with BBC World Service program Global Story.

在 BBC 世界頻道節目《Global Story》中。

10, 20, 30 years ago,

10 年、20 年、30 年前，

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

女性生孩子的年齡要小得多。

Now,

現在，

it's become quite normal for women 文法

這已經變得相當普遍，對於女性

in their 30s.

在 30 多歲時生育。

As we see with the world data, 表達脈絡

正如我們從世界數據中看到的那樣，

there's many countries where women

有許多國家的女性

have their first birth

在 30 歲以上

over the age of 30. 用詞

生下她們的第一胎。

But this is quite a new phenomena.

但這可以說是一個相當新的現象 (phenomena)。

That's why this term geriatric mother, 講解

這就是為什麼 geriatric mother（高齡產婦）這個詞，

unfortunately, still lingers. 用詞

遺憾的是，至今仍在使用。

Professor Harper uses the word phenomena

Harper 教授使用了 phenomena 這個詞

to describe the trend for older mothers.

來描述高齡母親這一趨勢。

Phenomena are unusual or significant facts and events 用詞

Phenomena 是指不尋常或重要的事實和事件，

that exist and are talked about.

客觀存在並且被人們討論。

People often get this wrong,

人們經常弄錯這個詞，

but the plural form is phenomena 用詞

它的複數形式是 phenomena，

and the singular is phenomenon.

而單數形式是 phenomenon。

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

高齡母親的概念仍然是一個相當新的現象，

and attitudes towards them are changing. 片語搭配

人們對她們的態度也正在發生轉變。

Mothers over the age of 35

35 歲以上的母親

used to be called geriatric, 文法

過去被稱為 geriatric（高齡的），

a word many found offensive.

許多人覺得這個詞帶有冒犯意味。

Fortunately,

幸運的是，

this term is no longer used, 片語搭配

這個詞現在不再使用了，

but social disapproval of older mothers still lingers. 用詞

但社會對高齡母親的不滿情緒依然 lingering（存在）。

If something lingers,

如果某事物 lingers，

it continues to exist

它就是指它繼續存在

longer than usual or expected.

且持續時間比平時或預期的要長。

Yes,

是的，

in some cultures older mothers

在一些文化中，高齡母親

are still disapproved of. 片語動詞

仍然是不被認可的。

But Wait a minute, Neil. 語氣意圖

但是等一下，尼爾。

It takes two to make a baby. 慣用語

生孩子是兩個人的事。

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

在這個過程中男性的角色是什麼？

Well, unlike women,

嗯，與女性不同，

whose ability to naturally get pregnant 片語搭配

女性自然受孕的能力

declines sharply in their 40s, 片語搭配

在 40 多歲時急劇下降，

men's fertility lasts longer. 用詞

男性的生育能力則能維持更久。

Rolling Stones singer Mick Jagger

滾石樂隊主唱 Mick Jagger

famously had his eighth child

眾所周知迎來了他的第八個孩子，

with his 29-year-old partner

和他 29 歲的伴侶

at the age of 73.

在他 73 歲那年。

So,

所以，

are older fathers more socially acceptable 用詞

高齡父親比高齡母親

than older mothers?

在社會上更容易被接受嗎？

Yes,

是的，

thinks Professor Harper,

Harper 教授是這麼認為的，

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

正如她在 BBC 世界頻道《Global Story》中所解釋的那樣。

We do have a bit of a gender problem here 講解

我們在性別觀念上確實存在一些問題，

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

因為如果這是一個 60 多歲、

70s, and even 80s,

70 多歲甚至 80 多歲的男人，

and he's fathered a child,

並且他當上了父親，

most people would pat him on the back. 慣用語

大多數人會對他表示讚揚 (pat him on the back)。

But they'd probably pat him on the back

但他們多半是因為

because he's absolutely got a much younger partner.

他絕對是找了個年輕得多的伴侶才去讚賞他。

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

但如果我們看到一個 60 多歲、

70s, or God forbid 80s 慣用語

70 多歲，或者老天保佑千萬別是 80 多歲

having a child,

的女性生孩子，

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

那麼確實會引起某種震驚的反應

and makes people feel uncomfortable.

並讓人們感到不舒服。

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

Harper 教授認為社會對高齡父親的包容度

than older mothers.

高於高齡母親。

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

一個 70 歲的男人仍然可以成為父親。

He can make a woman pregnant

他可以讓一個女人懷孕

who then gives birth,

然後生下孩子，

and most people would pat him on the back,

大多數人會 pat him on the back，

an idiom meaning give someone praise or congratulations.

這是一個習語，意思是給予某人讚美或祝賀。

On the other hand, 表達脈絡

另一方面，

says Professor Harper,

Harper 教授說，

God forbid a woman having a baby

God forbid（老天保佑千萬別）一個女人在

in her 80s.

她 80 多歲時生孩子。

Here,

在這裡，

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

短語 God forbid 被用來表達你希望某事

will not happen.

不要發生。

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

然而，這個故事還有另一面。

In the West, 文化背景

在西方，

young women from Gen Z, 文化背景

Z 世代的年輕女性，

the generation born since the year 2000,

也就是 2000 年以後出生的這一代人，

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

表示她們根本不想生孩子。

In more traditional countries, 表達脈絡

在較傳統的國家中，

meanwhile,

同時，

a woman's role is as a mother, 文化背景

女性的角色就是成為母親，

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

許多人祈求上帝賜予她們一個孩子。

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

這正是 Mangayamma Yaramati 身上發生的事，

the South Indian woman

就是那個南印度的女人

I asked you about in my question,

我在問題中問過你的那位，

Neil.

尼爾。

In 2019,

在 2019 年，

she became the oldest recorded woman

她成了有記錄以來

ever to give birth.

最年長的產婦。

Right,

對，

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

我剛才猜她當時是 63 歲。

Which was the wrong answer,

恐怕

I'm afraid. 語氣意圖

那是個錯誤的答案。

In fact, 表達脈絡

事實上，

she was even older,

她年紀更大，

73.

73 歲。

Okay,

好的，

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

讓我們來回顧一下在這次節目中學到的詞彙，

starting with the phrase

從短語

in your 40s,

in your 40s（40 多歲）開始，

which describes the period of 10 years

它描述了 10 年的一段時間

in someone's life

在人的一生中

when they're aged between 40 and 49.

當他們年齡在 40 到 49 歲之間的時候。

Phenomena describes any significant facts or events

Phenomena（現象）用來描述任何重要的事實或事件

that we know exist

我們知道它們存在

and can be observed and discussed.

並且可以被觀察和討論。

If something lingers,

如果某事 lingers（逗留/揮之不去），

it continues to exist

它就意味著它繼續存在

longer than usual or expected.

且持續時間比平時或預期的長。

The verb to father

動詞 to father（成為父親）

means to make a woman pregnant

意思是指讓女性懷孕

who then gives birth to a child.

隨後生下一個孩子。

The idiom pat someone on the back

習語 pat someone on the back（輕拍某人的背）

is used to describe giving someone praise,

用於描述給予某人讚美、

congratulations,

祝賀、

or encouragement.

或鼓勵。

And finally,

最後，

the expression God forbid

表達 God forbid（老天保佑千萬別）

is a way of saying that you hope something

是一種用來表達你希望某事

will not happen.

不會發生的方式。

Once again,

再次提醒，

our six minutes are up, 慣用語

我們的六分鐘時間到了，

but don't forget to join us again soon

但不要忘記不久後再次加入我們，

for more trending topics

了解更多熱門話題

and useful vocabulary

和實用的詞彙，

here at Six Minute English.

就在這裡的六分鐘英語。

Goodbye for now.

暫且說到這裡。

Bye.

再見。

Six Minute English

六分鐘英語

from bbclearningenglish.com.

來自 bbclearningenglish.com。