随身英语 The hotel of mum and dad 回家住 “爸妈旅馆”

陈小将

许多英国年轻人选择 “回巢”，与父母同住。回到家中，他们享受着家庭的舒适生活——做好的饭菜，满满当当的冰箱，干净整洁的房间，甚至日用水电杂费账单也由父母买单。但正如本期 “随身英语” 中介绍的，回家住 “爸妈旅馆” 是有代价的。
Vocabulary: home 词汇：家
‘There’s no place like home’ This English saying has much truth in it: the best place to be is surrounded by our treasured possessions and our loved ones and with a roof over our head. And for many young adults, it’s the only affordable place to stay; somewhere where they can receive first-class service from mum and dad. But this comes at a price!
In some countries, it’s quite traditional for people in their late teens and early 20s to live at home with their parents, but in other places, flying the nest to start their own independent life is very desirable. There is no nagging, and you can come and go as you wish. But there’s been a growing trend, in the UK at least, for young people to return home to live - or not to leave home at all. According to the UK’s Office for National Statistics, about a quarter of young adults aged 20-34 live at home, and that figure has been growing.
A survey by a price comparison website found that 18% of adult children in the UK said they were moving back home because of debt, compared with 8% last year. More young people had lost their jobs, and others couldn’t afford their rent compared with the previous year. So, it’s easy to see why they’re increasingly becoming home birds.
The BBC’s Lucy Hooker explains that many returning adult children enjoy home comforts. These include cooked meals, a full fridge and cleaning, as well as their bills being covered by what is commonly called ‘the hotel of mum and dad’. But for the ‘hoteliers’, that’s mum and dad, the survey found the average cost to them has gone up sharply, and that they are sacrificing luxuries and holidays to look after their ‘big kids’. Emma Craig from Moneysupermarket says “they're trying to look after their children more. If your child comes home and you see them struggling financially, you feel more awkward asking them for rent or to contribute. It tugs on your heartstrings more.”
With parents splashing out around £1,886 on takeaway food, buying new furniture and upgrading their Wi-Fi for the benefit of their offspring, it’s easy for the returning children to put their feet up and make themselves at home. That’s before they learn a home truth – that one day it might be their own kids who’ll be checking into the hotel of mum and dad!

陈小将