English 中文网 漫画网 爱新闻iNews 翻译论坛
中国网站品牌栏目(频道)
当前位置: Language Tips> 译通四海> Columnist 专栏作家> Liu Shinan

Young people deserve more understanding

[ 2010-01-06 11:17]     字号 [] [] []  
免费订阅30天China Daily双语新闻手机报:移动用户编辑短信CD至106580009009

Day before yesterday, I watched a Beijing TV program and was moved by what a young woman said about commuters' reflection on the traffic conditions during the city's heaviest snowfall in 59 years. She said: "In this weather, we young people should show more concern for senior citizens. For instance, we should refrain from pushing our way into a bus and wait for older people to get in unhurriedly."

As a man in his sixties, I was touched by her words. But some other thoughts, too, came to my mind. Why do old people choose to take public vehicles during rush hours? Since most of them are retired, they have plenty of time to travel during other times and thus help ease the traffic congestion.

People of older generations often complain about the selfishness and lack of respect they find among the younger generations. It is undeniable that some young people do need to be educated on mutual respect and concern for other, especially senior, members of society. But we older people should have some understanding about the young, too.

Today's society is rather different from what it was when we were young. The social, financial and psychological pressure today's young people have to face is much higher than what we did back in the 1950s through the 1980s.

They are in the early stage of their career. They have to find proper jobs to support themselves and work diligently to rise. They have to live in smaller houses, because they are unable to afford the soaring housing prices. Or, they have to labor hard - maybe for 20 or 30 years - to earn enough to pay for their mortgaged apartment. And they often suffer from uncertainties in employment, love and marriage. Considering these facts, we may find it understandable why young people sometimes appear aloof and disrespectful.

I don't mean that we should put up with it without reminding them of the need to mend their ways. What I mean is that we should be more patient, understanding and tolerant toward them.

For instance, when we get up on a bus or a subway train, we should not complain about not being offered a seat. A young person does not offer a senior citizen his/her seat probably because he/she has to travel a long way to work or because the carriage is too crowded for one to move at all.

In fact, young people do offer their seats to the seniors. I seldom take a bus or a subway train, but more than a quarter of the times that I have done so, I was offered a seat. That is fair enough, given that I do not look so senile.

Every time a young man or woman has offered me his/her seat, I have felt more than grateful. I feel gratified to see part of the younger generation is maintaining the good tradition of respecting senior citizens. So I thank them every time they offer me a seat, not only as an expression of gratitude but also to encourage them.

But on occasions, I have seen old people not showing any sign of gratitude when offered a seat.

China has become an aging society since the end of the last century. According to a 2006 survey, people older than 60 accounted for 11.4 percent of the nation's population. And the percentage is expected to rise, given the one-child family planning policy our country has practiced for more than three decades.

In other words, the younger generations will have to shoulder a heavier burden in looking after the parents and grandparents. Theoretically, there will come a day when one couple may have to support four parents and eight grandparents. What a burden it would be!

All this demands that we show more concern and understanding to our younger generations.

E-mail: liushinan@chinadaily.com.cn

About the author:

刘式南 高级编辑。1968年毕业于武汉华中师范学院(现华中师范大学)英文系。1982年毕业于北京体育学院(现北京体育大学)研究生院体育情报专业。1982年进入中国日报社,先后担任体育记者、时政记者、国际新闻编辑、要闻版责任编辑、发稿部主任、《上海英文星报》总编辑、《中国商业周刊》总编辑等职。现任《中国日报》总编辑助理及专栏作家。1997年获国务院“特殊贡献专家政府津贴”。2000年被中华全国新闻工作者协会授予“全国百佳新闻工作者”称号。2006年获中国新闻奖二等奖(编辑)。

相关阅读:

Workers must be paid more than lip service

Tilt the profit balance in farmers' favor

Commentators, please pardon the universities

Looking for heritage in the ordinary

(作者刘式南 中国日报网英语点津 编辑陈丹妮)

 

 
中国日报网英语点津版权说明:凡注明来源为“中国日报网英语点津:XXX(署名)”的原创作品,除与中国日报网签署英语点津内容授权协议的网站外,其他任何网站或单位未经允许不得非法盗链、转载和使用,违者必究。如需使用,请与010-84883631联系;凡本网注明“来源:XXX(非英语点津)”的作品,均转载自其它媒体,目的在于传播更多信息,其他媒体如需转载,请与稿件来源方联系,如产生任何问题与本网无关;本网所发布的歌曲、电影片段,版权归原作者所有,仅供学习与研究,如果侵权,请提供版权证明,以便尽快删除。
 

关注和订阅

人气排行

翻译服务

中国日报网翻译工作室

我们提供:媒体、文化、财经法律等专业领域的中英互译服务
电话:010-84883468
邮件:translate@chinadaily.com.cn