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Journey through the odyssey years 奥德赛岁月之旅 1 Most of us know about the phases of life which we label to parallel different age groups and life stages: childhood, adolescence, adulthood, and old age. We think of infancy before childhood and middle age before old age, with each unique phase bringing its own peculiar set of challenges. These challenges can be overcome by acquainting ourselves with them, such as the child's need to learn, the adult's need to find the right career and build a family, and the senior's need for support and good health care. 我们大多数人都知道，根据不同的年龄和生活阶段，人生可与此平行划分为童年、青春期、成年和老年这四个阶段。我们把这些阶段想象为婴儿在童年之前，中年在老年之前，每个阶段都会面临一系列特有的挑战，如孩子对学习的需要，成人对找到合适的职业生涯和建立一个家庭的需要，以及年长者对得到帮助和良好医疗保健的需要。通过对它们的充分了解，我们就可以战胜这些挑战。 2 Interestingly, ideas about the stages of life are changing. 有趣的是，关于人生阶段的观念正在发生变化。 3 In previous times, people didn't have a solid idea of childhood as being separate from adulthood. A hundred years ago, no one thought of adolescence. Until recently it was understood as a norm that their induction to adulthood was completed as soon as they graduated from college. They would now find a sensible job which would lead to a career. Then during this career they would start a family, ideally before they turned 30. 在先前的年代，人们并没有一种固有的把童年和成年分开的想法。一百年前，谁也没有想到过青春期。直到最近，人们还很自然地认为：只要他们一从大学毕业，他们的成人入门阶段就结束了。他们就会找到一份把他们引入职业生涯的合适的工作。然后在此职业生涯期间，他们会成家，三十岁之前成家更为理想。 4 Today we have an equivalent need to recognize a new phase of life that comes after high school graduation, continues through college, and then leads to starting a family and having a career, the so-called odyssey years. Recent trends show radical changes as young people are following a different agenda. They take breaks from school, live with friends and often return to living with their parents. Similarly, they fall in and out of love, quit one job and try another or even shift to a new career. So, we need to recognize this new stage, the odyssey years, which many now consider to be an unavoidable stage in reaching adulthood. 今天，我们同样需要认识一个新的人生阶段：从高中毕业到上大学，然后到成家立业，即所谓的奥德赛岁月。由于年轻人正按照一种不同的模式生活，最近的趋势出现了根本性的变化。他们从学校休学，与朋友同住，也常回去与父母同住。同样，他们恋爱又失恋，辞掉一份工作又去寻找新的，甚至改行。因此，我们需要认识这个新阶段——奥德赛岁月。现在许多人认为这是步入成年之前的一个难以回避的阶段。 5 People who were born prior to the 60s or 70s in the last century tended to frame their concept of adulthood based upon achieving certain accomplishments: moving away from home, becoming financially independent, finding the right spouse and starting a family. But that emphasis on stability did not remain static. Today, young people are unlikely to do the same. During the odyssey years, a high proportion of young people are delaying marriage, child bearing, and even employment. 出生于上个世纪60年代或70年代之前的人们往往会将成年的概念基于是否取得了某些成就：从父母家搬走，经济上独立，找到合适的配偶并组织家庭。但是，对稳定的强调并没能保持不变。今天，年轻人不太可能仿效他们的父母。在奥德赛岁月中，相当比例的年轻人都推迟结婚、生子，甚至推迟就业。 6 The odyssey years can saddle young people with enormous pressure to move forward quickly. As the sole heir and focus of their parents' expectations, hopes and dreams, some react with rebellious and prideful attitudes and behavior toward their parents. They often resent the pressure they're feeling and keep a distance from their parents or even run away from home. Their confusion comes from the difficulties to make parents understand them and the fluid journey of discovery they need in this phase of their lives. To get away from this confusion and upset, many young people resort to computer games, iPod, iPhone, or iPad to help distract them from their pain and stress. 奥德赛岁月使年轻人承受了巨大的压力，迫使他们快速往前冲。作为他们父母唯一的继承人和所有期望、希望和梦想的聚焦，有些年轻人以叛逆和桀骜不驯的行为和态度对待父母。他们往往憎恨他们所感到的压力，并同他们的父母保持距离，甚至离家出走。他们的困惑源于很难让家长了解他们，也源于这段需要进行自我探索的、不确定的人生之旅。为了逃避困惑和不安，许多年轻人诉诸电脑游戏，iPod，iPhone 或iPad，以帮助分散他们的痛苦和压力。 7 Likewise, their parents are feeling more anxious. They may make allowances for a transition phase from student life to adult life, but they get upset when they see the transition of their grown children's lives moving away from their expectations and stretching five years to seven years, and beyond. The parents don't even detect a clear sense of direction in their children's lives. They look at them and see the things that are being delayed. 同样，他们的父母更是着急。虽然他们理解从学生到成年需要一个过渡阶段，但看到他们已成年子女的过渡阶段的生活与他们的期望渐行渐远，过渡阶段延至五年，七年，甚至更长时，他们感到生气。父母甚至不能清楚地觉察到他们孩子未来生活的方向，只能看着他们，看着要做的事被拖延着。 8 It's hard to predict what's next. New guidelines haven't been established yet, and everything seems to give way to a less permanent version of itself. There's been a shift in the status and balance of power between the genders, too. More women are getting degrees than men. Male wages have remained stable over the past decades, while female wages have boomed. 接下来会如何发展很难预测。新的准则还没有建立，一切似乎都被一个不确定的版本所取代。两性之间地位和权力的平衡也有了转变。取得学位的女性比男性更多。男性的工资在过去的几十年里一直停滞不前，而女性的工资却出现激增。 9 Apart from anything else, this has had an implicit effect on courtship. Educated women can get many of the things they want, such as security, accomplishment, and identity without marriage. However, both genders are having a harder time finding suitable mates to build their lives with. Considering all of this, it's beneficial to know that even though graduates are delaying many things after college, surveys show they still hold highly traditional aspirations. For example, this contemporary generation rates parenthood even more highly than previous generations did! 别的不说，这对择偶产生了不言而喻的影响。即使未婚，受过教育的妇女仍可以得到很多她们想要的东西，如安全感，成就感，和认同感。不过，不论男女都更难找到合适的伴侣来一同建立他们的生活。在讨论这一切时，有助于让大家知道，即使毕业生离开大学后推迟了做很多事，调查结果显示，他们仍持有很传统的愿望。例如，当今的一代比以前的几代对如何扮演好父母的角色有着更高的要求。 10 This new phase will likely grow more pronounced in the coming years. Nations around the world have witnessed similar trends toward delaying marriage and spending more years than ever shifting between higher education and settling down with a career and family. 这一新阶段在未来几年可能更明显。世界各国都目睹了相似的趋势，人们推迟结婚，花更多年的时间徘徊在接受高等教育和建立职业生涯及家庭之间。 11 Nevertheless, graduates shouldn't be deceived into thinking they can back off simply because things have become more difficult. A large number of people chasing relatively fewer opportunities can create strong competitive pressure. So, from the outset, keep your résumé professional and up-to-date. 然而，毕业生不应误认为因情况已变得更困难，他们就可以放弃。大批的人努力角逐相对较少的机会，这会导致强大的竞争压力。所以，从一开始你就要将个人简历写得很专业，并做到随时更新。 12 To reinforce this essential message, success moving through the odyssey years will come to those who don't expect to achieve their goals right away but know that they must have the strength, capacity and confidence to endure over the long term. If you're a little late with your goals, don't feel like a failure! Stay strong, be positive, and keep focused! Someday you will look back and wonder at the vast changes as you passed through the odyssey years. 要强化这一重要信息：顺利度过奥德赛岁月的将是那些不急于即刻实现目标的人——但这些人知道他们必须保持实力、能力、信心去度过这段较长的岁月。如果你的目标起步稍晚了点，不要认为自己是个失败者！意志坚定，态度积极，并集中精力！有一天，你会回头审视，并对奥德赛岁月给你带来的巨大改变感到惊叹。 |
