More Japanese couples are choosing to live apart but stay married.
越來越多的日本夫妻選擇分居但保持婚姻關係。
（右鍵可另存）
Something is happening in Japan. An aging▼ husband may want to return to his family's traditional home to start farming. _(1)_ It's not divorce, however. This is sotsukon, or "graduation from marriage."
Sotsukon comes from the blending▼ of two Japanese words: sotsugyō, meaning graduation, and kekkon, meaning marriage. It describes a new practice of aging couples that pursue their individual interests alone. It is like a graduation in that it is the next level of a married couple's relationship. _(2)_ The majority of these "graduates" remain in constant contact and visit each other frequently, even though they are living apart.
_(3)_ This means that the man brings home the bacon, and the woman stays home to care for the children. Therefore, it should be no surprise that Japanese women, who often live well into their 80s, want to go out and pursue their own dreams after their children have grown up and moved out. _(4)_
Husbands are getting into the idea, too. One such husband, Yoshihide Ito, said, "I think men who deny their wife sotsukon have been living a self-centered▼ existence." _(5)_ Comedian Akira Shimizu has a graduated marriage with his wife, and they wrote a book on sotsukon. Despite increasing attention in the news, however, it is still not common for aging Japanese couples to graduate from marriage. As society changes, however, sotsukon seems to be a good option for elderly couples to have all the benefits of both marriage and single life.
(A) The divorce rate in Japan is growing, with one in three Japanese marriages ending in divorce.
(B) In Japan, many households still follow traditional gender roles.
(C) In a recent survey of 200 women aged between 30 and 65, more than 56% were interested in sotsukon.
(D) Or a wife may open her own business in a far-away city.
(E) Even celebrities are getting on board.
(F) In most cases, these couples are still very much in love and may even grow to appreciate each other more.
原來如此
- 第一題空格應選 (D)
理由:
a. 空格前一句提及 "An aging husband may want to return to his family's traditional home to start farming."（一個步入老年的丈夫可能會想要回到家族的傳統住宅開始耕作。），而 (D) 項句子提及 "Or a wife may open her own business in a far-away city."（或是妻子會想要在遠方的城市開創自己的事業。），前一句的 husband（丈夫）與 (D) 項句子的 wife（妻子）互相呼應，故形成關聯。
b. 根據上述，(D) 項應為正選。 - 第二題空格應選 (F)
理由:
a. 空格前一句提及 "It is like a graduation in that it is the next level of a married couple's relationship."（這就像是場畢業典禮，因為這是已婚夫妻關係的下一個階段。），而 (F) 項句子提及 "In most cases, these couples are still very much in love and may even grow to appreciate each other more."（大部份的情況下，這些夫妻還是非常相愛，而且甚至會漸漸更欣賞對方。），前後兩句皆提及 couple（夫妻）一字，故形成關聯。
b. 根據上述，(F) 項應為正選。
大補丸
a. be in love 相愛
衍: be in love with sb 與某人相愛
William is deeply in love with his friend's cousin, but his parents forbid them to get married.
威廉和他朋友的表妹深深相愛，但他的父母卻反對他們結婚。
＊forbid vt. 禁止（三態為：forbid, forbade, forbidden。）
b. appreciate vt. 感激；欣賞
John should appreciate the fact that his wife waits on him hand and foot.
約翰應該心存感激才對，因為他老婆把他侍候得無微不至。
＊wait on sb hand and foot 無微不至地侍候某人
Kevin's talents were not fully appreciated at the company.
凱文的才幹在公司未充份受到賞識。 - 第三題空格應選 (B)
理由:
a. 空格後一句提及 "This means that the man brings home the bacon, and the woman stays home to care for the children."（這意味了男性養家活口，而女性則待在家裡照顧孩子。），而 (B) 項句子提及 "In Japan, many households still follow traditional gender roles."（在日本，許多家庭仍然遵循傳統的性別分工角色。），後一句即是補充說明 (B) 項句子的 gender roles（性別分工角色），故形成關聯。
b. 根據上述，(B) 項應為正選。
大補丸
a. household n. 家庭 & a. 家用的
Most of the households in this area have a pool.
這個地區的多數人家都有游泳池。
TVs are a common household appliance.
電視機是一種常見的家電用品。
b. gender role 性別角色 - 第四題空格應選 (C)
理由:
a. 空格前一句提及 "Therefore, it should be no surprise that Japanese women, who often live well into their 80s, want to go out and pursue their own dreams after their children have grown up and moved out."（因此，那些往往會活到八十多歲的女性在她們的孩子長大搬出去後，想要走出去並追尋自己的夢想，也就不足為奇了。），而 (C) 項的句子提及 "In a recent survey of 200 women aged between 30 and 65, more than 56% were interested in sotsukon."（在最近一項針對兩百位年齡介在三十歲到六十五歲女性所做的調查中，超過 56% 的人對卒婚很感興趣。），前後兩句皆提及 women（女性）一字，故形成關聯。
b. 根據上述，(C) 項應為正選。
大補丸
survey n.（民意）調查
衍: conduct a survey 進行調查
The company conducted a market survey before launching its new product.
這家公司在推出新產品前，進行了一項市場調查。 - 第五題空格應選 (E)
理由:
a. 空格後一句提及 "Comedian Akira Shimizu has a graduated marriage with his wife, and they wrote a book on sotsukon."（喜劇演員清水晃與他的妻子共享一段『畢業的婚姻』，他們還撰寫了一本以卒婚為主題的書。），而 (E) 項的句子提及 "Even celebrities are getting on board."（甚至連名人也起而效法。），後一句的 Comedian（喜劇演員）與 (E) 項句子的 celebrities（名人）互相呼應，故形成關聯。
b. 根據上述，(E) 項應為正選。
大補丸
on board 加入，參與（由於 on board 亦可用來表示『在……（船、飛機等）上』，故踏上某條船即代表加入某團體或參與某事之意）
It would be great if Jane's on board because she's really good at marketing.
如果阿珍能加入我們就太棒了，因為她對於行銷很有一套。
The plane that Joe was supposed to take crashed and everyone on board was killed.
阿喬本來要搭的那班飛機失事墜毀，機上所有人全都罹難。
- marriage n. 婚姻；結婚
Doris and Joseph have had a long and happy marriage.
桃樂絲和喬瑟夫的婚姻長久又幸福。 - divorce n. 離婚 & vt. 和……離婚
衍: divorce sb 和某人離婚
The divorce alienated the children from their father.
離婚使孩子們疏遠了父親。
＊alienate vt. 使疏遠
Jacob ended up divorcing Ginny after 30 years of marriage.
雅各和金妮三十年的婚姻以離婚告終。 - practice n. 實踐，實施 & vt. 遵行；實行
衍: put... into practice 把……付諸實行
Dan is too lazy to put his plan into practice.
阿丹懶惰到沒有實踐他的計劃。
Practicing good dental hygiene is important.
遵行良好的口腔衛生習慣很重要。 - pursue vt. 追求
The musician spent all her life pursuing fame and fortune.
那位音樂家窮盡一生追求名聲和財富。 - majority n. 大多數
反: minority n. 少數
The majority of residents on the island can only speak their own dialect.
這島上大部份的居民只會說他們自己的方言。
＊dialect n. 方言
Only a minority of the voters approved of the tax increase.
只有少數選民贊同這次的加稅。 - constant a. 持續不斷的
We were worn out from the constant stream of customers that came in all day.
我們因為整天持續不斷的顧客人潮而累翻了。
＊be worn out 累壞了 - frequently adv. 經常地，再三地
Sharon goes to that coffee shop quite frequently.
雪倫經常光顧那間咖啡店。 - existence n. 存在
Professor Brown is skeptical of the existence of life on other planets.
布朗教授對其他星球是否有生物存在持懷疑態度。
＊skeptical a. 懷疑的 - option n. 選擇
衍: have no option but to V 不得不……
= have no choice but to V
Susan had no option but to quit her job in order to take care of her children.
蘇珊為了要照顧小孩不得不辭去工作。 - benefit n. 益處 & vi. 受益，獲益
衍: benefit from... 從……得到好處
Ultimately, the benefits of such a lifestyle are obvious.
最終，這種生活方式的益處顯而易見。
You'll certainly benefit from learning English.
你肯定會從學英文中受益。
從婚姻中畢業 ―― 追尋自己的人生並更愛對方
越來越多的日本夫妻選擇分居但保持婚姻關係。
有些事情正在日本發生。一個步入老年的丈夫可能會想要回到家族的傳統住宅開始耕作。或是妻子會想要在遠方的城市開創自己的事業。然而，這並非離婚。這是『卒婚』，或稱為『從婚姻中畢業』。
卒婚來自兩個日文單詞的組合：『卒業（sotsugyō）』代表畢業，而『結婚（kekkon）』表示婚姻。卒婚表述了熟齡夫妻獨自追尋他們個人興趣的一種嶄新實踐。這就像是場畢業典禮，因為這是已婚夫妻關係的下一個階段。大部份的情況下，這些夫妻還是非常相愛，而且甚至會漸漸更欣賞對方。即便分居了，大多數的這些『畢業生』還是維持頻繁的聯繫，並且經常探視對方。
在日本，許多家庭仍然遵循傳統的性別分工角色。這意味了男性養家活口，而女性則待在家裡照顧孩子。因此，那些往往會活到八十多歲的女性在她們的孩子長大搬出去後，想要走出去並追尋自己的夢想，也就不足為奇了。在最近一項針對兩百位年齡介在三十歲到六十五歲女性所做的調查中，超過 56% 的人對卒婚很感興趣。
而丈夫們也熱衷於這個想法。有一名這樣的丈夫伊藤嘉秀表示：『我認為那些拒絕與他們妻子卒婚的男性都一直生活在以自我為中心的世界裡。』甚至連名人也起而效法。喜劇演員清水晃與他的妻子共享一段『畢業的婚姻』，他們還撰寫了一本以卒婚為主題的書。然而，僅管卒婚在新聞報導的份量一直在增加，但對熟齡的日本夫妻來說，從婚姻中畢業還是非比尋常。不管怎麼樣，隨著社會變遷，卒婚對上了年紀的夫妻來說似乎是一個集婚姻與單身兩種生活所有益處的好選擇。
答案： 1. D 2. F 3. B 4. C 5. E
引用自常春藤網路書城https://www.ivy.com.tw/index.php
留言列表
食況報導 (4)