2018考研英语双语阅读：玩具不再专属儿童

　　2018考研复习进行时，考研英语阅读真题中的文章，多摘自英美主流外刊，有时候你认识所有单词、搞清全部语法还不够，还需要了解英美文化，掌握他们的表达方式，这就是阅读的潜台词。

　　玩具不再专属儿童 “童心未泯的一代”崛起

　　Rise of the 'kidults': why toys are no longer just for children

　　你以为买玩具都是买给小孩?不然。现在很多成人都是给自己买玩具，他们被称为kidult(童心未泯的成人)。为什么现在的成年人对儿童玩具这么感兴趣呢?一起来看看。

　　For Rob Willner, when work finishes, playtime begins. He likes nothing more when he gets home of an evening, than to kick off his shoes and upturn a crate of sleek Scandinavian Lego.

　　对于罗布•维尔纳来说，工作结束以后，游戏时间就开始了。傍晚下班回到家，踢掉鞋子，搬出酷炫的丹麦乐高积木箱，这就是他最幸福的时刻。

　　“It’s not like I’m obsessed with it, but there’s a simplicity to Lego models that’s quite nice – to clear your mind and help it focus a bit,” he says, only a touch sheepishly.

　　“我并没有沉迷于此，不过，乐高玩具的确有一种简单质朴的美好，它可以让我保持头脑清醒，帮我集中注意力，”他有点害羞地说。

　　Willner is 25 years old, and combines studying for a PhD in anthropology and religion at the University of Kent with youth work in north London, where he lives with his wife, Adele, a teacher. And he is not alone in his childish after-work habits.

　　维尔纳今年25岁，他在肯特大学攻读人类学与宗教的博士学位，同时还在北伦敦从事青少年工作，他的妻子阿黛尔是一名老师，两人一起住在北伦敦。说到他下班后孩子气的兴趣爱好，其实很多人都和他一样。

　　According to new research conducted by NPD Group, a retail analyst, sales of toys to adults have increased by almost two thirds over the past five years, and by more than 20 percent in just the last year. As a result, the ‘toys for adults’ market (which, by the way, is a careful Google search, best done at home) is now worth £300m – and said to be growing three times faster than the children’s toy market itself.

　　市场调研机构NPD的一项新研究表明，过去五年中，卖给成人的玩具数量几乎增长了三分之二，光是去年就超过20%。所以“成人玩具”的市场(顺便说一句，如果你要用谷歌搜索这个关键词，一定要小心，最好在家搜索)如今已价值3亿英镑(26亿元人民币)，并且据说比儿童玩具市场的增长还快三倍。

　　As with most things, millennials are largely to blame. More than half of the ‘kidult’ spend comes from 18 to 34-year-olds, snapping up everything from £500 Scalextric sets to drones, Nerf guns and £2,00 Star Wars Lego models.

　　与很多其他事情一样，千禧一代是主要的责任人。超过半数的“购买儿童玩具的成年人”年龄在18到34岁之间，从500英镑的Scalextric赛车系列到无人机，从Nerf手枪到200英镑的星球大战乐高模型，无一不是他们抢购的对象。

　　For some it’s a chance to recapture the careless raptures of childhood, while for others it’s a chance to escape the hassle and hardships of adult life – akin to other ‘mindfulness aids’ like adult colouring books and dot-to-dot. For Willner, it’s both.

　　对一些人来说，这些玩具可以重温童年时代无忧无虑的幸福，而对于另一些人来说，它们可以使人逃离成人世界的困扰和艰辛——就像其他帮助“正念”的成人填色本和点对点智力游戏一样。对于维尔纳来说，这两种原因都有。

　　“It reminds me of the playful side of life, but also helps me to keep perspective. Lego isn’t transcendent, but it’s fun, and gives you a chance to think about what’s really important.”

　　“它总能让我想到生活有意思的一面，但同时也引导我客观地看世界。乐高并不是什么超然的东西，但是它十分有趣，它可以让你思考什么是真正重要的事物。”

　　At home in Enfield, he has two technicolour crates of loose childhood Lego tucked away under a bed, but also various large “sentimental” models ornamenting the house. For instance, there’s a Lego VW campervan (worth £85) he and Adele received as a wedding present last summer, reminding them of the full-size version they drove across New Zealand. Or the Star Wars’ ‘X-Wing Fighter’ his youth group recently clubbed together to get him as a thank-you present. Privately, he adds to his collection with a new model every two months or so, normally from the infrastructure-for-fun Lego City range – which isn’t as babyish as some.