近几年的大学毕业生就业率似乎都不是太高。走出校门又没工作的年轻人，经济不独立，想要立业或者成家自然也就缺少底气和实力。因此，虽然年纪不算小，但这群人似乎还没有成年。

Waithood (a portmanteau of "wait" and "adulthood") refers to the period of stagnation in the lives of young unemployed college graduates, described as "a kind of prolonged adolescence". It is a phase in which the difficulties youth face in each of these interrelated spheres of life result in a debilitating state of helplessness and dependency. Waithood can be best understood by examining outcomes and linkages across five different sectors: education, employment, housing, credit, and marriage.

Waithood（这个词是wait和adulthood两个词的合成形式，译为“等待成年期”）指大学毕业、工作又没着落的年轻人经历的一个生活停滞期，通常被称为“青春期后延”。在这个阶段，年轻人在各方面面临的困难直接导致其处于一种无助和依赖的状态。通过观察教育、就业、住房、贷款以及婚姻这五个方面的进展和相互关联，我们就能了解一个年轻人的“等待成年期”是什么样的。

Waithood is considered to be a difficult and unpleasant period in life; without work, young people are unable to progress in other areas of their development, such as purchasing a home and getting married.

这是人生当中困难且不如意的一个阶段。没有工作，年轻人就不能在买房及结婚等其他方面寻求发展。

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（中国日报网英语点津 Helen 编辑）

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