Quarter-life crisis

Quarter-life crisis¹（危机）
Callum: Hello and welcome to 6 Minute English, I'm Callum Robertson and with me
today is Kate. Hello Kate.
Kate: Hello Callum.
Callum: Now today a subject which I am far too old to know anything about and that's a
quarter-life crisis. Are you familiar with this term Kate?
Kate: Yes, I think I have heard it. Though there is a much more common expression
'a mid-life crisis'
Callum: Yes, I'm more familiar with that expression too! But quarter-life crises² was a
new one for me, I only heard it for the first time this weekend just gone. Today
we'll be learning a bit more about this expression. But first, as always, a
question. There was a recent survey which asked people in Britain when they
thought middle-age began. What did the survey say? Does middle-age begin
at …
a: 35 years old?
b: 40 years old?
c: 45 years old ?
Kate?
Kate: Well I think people tend to think they're staying younger much longer these
days. So I'm going to go for c: 45 years old.
Callum: We'll find out if you're right later on.
What is a quarter-life crisis? Well this phrase comes from a more established
phrase, which we were talking about before, a mid-life crisis. So first, let's look
at that phrase. Kate, what can you tell us about the meaning of that phrase – a
mid-life crisis?
Kate: Well, a mid-life crisis describes the emotions（情感,情绪） of someone who is in their 40s or
50s and who realises that they are more than half way through their life. In
other words they are beginning to realise that they are getting old and are closer
to death than to birth. For some this causes them to become depressed³ or to
look for ways to recapture(夺回,拿回) their youth, to be young again. So you might see a
middle-aged⁴ man buying a leather jacket and a motorbike, or leaving his wife
for a much younger woman. These are some examples of what people have
described as symptoms of a mid-life crisis. But essentially⁵ is a worry and fear
of getting old.
Callum: From your examples there it seems that it's only something that affects men. Is
that right?
Kate: No, I think women are affected⁶ by it too. I think everyone worries about getting
old and becoming middle-aged and never going to be young again.
Callum: So if that's a mid-life crisis, what's a quarter-life crisis? Damian Barr has
written a book about the subject and in an interview with the BBC he explains
what it is.
Damian Barr
It's that kind of, you know, people asking who they are, where they're going that are doing it
in their twenties rather than their forties. A lot of people being really depressed, very anxious
and very kind of status conscious in a way that their parents certainly were not.
Callum: Kate, what was he saying there?
Kate: He was saying that it was something that happened in people's 20s rather than
40s. Young people being worried about who they are and what they were doing.
Callum: He also mentioned(提到) that people were 'status conscious in a way that there
parents weren't'. What does he mean by that, being 'status conscious'?
Kate: I think he was saying that young people feel a pressure that their parents didn't
- a pressure to have the latest gadgets⁷ or most fashionable clothes, for example.
These things seem to be more important now than in the past. Young people
are more 'status conscious'. These material things are seen to give status.
Callum: Let's listen again
Damian Barr
It's that kind of, people asking who they are, where they're going that are doing it in their
twenties rather than their forties. A lot of people being really depressed, very anxious and
very kind of status conscious in a way that their parents certainly were not.
Callum: Apart from material pressures, what are other reasons for a quarter-life crisis?
Here's Damian Barr again. How many different things does he mention?
Damian Barr
I think it's kind of caused by student debt, unaffordable property and a really competitive⁸ jobs
market in the recession⁹.
Callum: A few reasons there, could you run over them again for us?
Kate: Oh dear! Yes, he mentioned three things: the first was student debt – the
money that young people owe from the loans they took out to pay for their
university education. The second thing was unaffordable property – so it's very
difficult for young people to afford to buy a house or flat. The third thing was a
very competitive job market in the recession. So lots of qualified¹⁰ people are all
looking for jobs and there just aren't that many jobs around.
Callum: Let's listen again.
Damian Barr
I think it's kind of caused by student debt, unaffordable property and a really competitive jobs
market in the recession.
Callum: Oh dear, it all sounds so depressing!
Kate: Yes, doesn't it?
Callum: But is this something new? Is this different from a mid-life crisis or is it just the
same thing but 20 years earlier?
Kate: Well no, I actually think they're very different things. I think begin in your 20s
is a very stressful time. I mean I remember being very worried about the job
market and finding a place to live. And I think a lot of my friends at the time
felt the same. And I think actually it's getting worse for the young people now.
Callum: Oh dear, how things have changed. I mean, there was always pressures but I
don't think when I was in my 20s I had the same kind of pressure that I think
young people feel themselves under these days.
Just time now for the answer to today's question. According to a recent survey
in Britain, when does middle age begin? Is it …
a: at 35?
b: at 40?
c: at 45?
Kate, you said?
Kate: Well no one likes to think of themselves as middle-aged really, so I went for
the oldest option – c: 45 years old.
Callum: Well, in fact the answer, according to this survey was a: 35 years old.
Kate: Really? Gosh that seems very young to be middle-aged.
Callum: I know, I don't feel middle-aged now myself and I'm, what, nearly 100.
That's all we have time for today, but do join us again next time for another 6
Minute English. Good bye.
Kate: Goodbye.(本文由在线英语听力室整理编辑)
 

1 crisis   

n.危机，危急关头，决定性时刻，关键阶段

参考例句：

• He had proved that he could be relied on in a crisis.他已表明，在紧要关头他是可以信赖的。
• The topic today centers about the crisis in the Middle East.今天课题的中心是中东危机。

2 crises   

n. 危机；危险期

参考例句：

• Economic crises recur periodically. 经济危机周期性地发生。
• Great crises often call forth gifted leaders. 危急存亡之际常能产生天才的领袖。

3 depressed   

adj.沮丧的，抑郁的，不景气的，萧条的

参考例句：

• When he was depressed,he felt utterly divorced from reality.他心情沮丧时就感到完全脱离了现实。
• His mother was depressed by the sad news.这个坏消息使他的母亲意志消沉。

4 middle-aged   

adj.中年的

参考例句：

• I noticed two middle-aged passengers.我注意到两个中年乘客。
• The new skin balm was welcome by middle-aged women.这种新护肤香膏受到了中年妇女的欢迎。

5 essentially   

adv.本质上，实质上，基本上

参考例句：

• Really great men are essentially modest.真正的伟人大都很谦虚。
• She is an essentially selfish person.她本质上是个自私自利的人。

6 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

7 gadgets   

n.小机械，小器具（ gadget的名词复数 ）

参考例句：

• Certainly. The idea is not to have a house full of gadgets. 当然。设想是房屋不再充满小配件。 来自超越目标英语 第4册
• This meant more gadgets and more experiments. 这意味着要设计出更多的装置，做更多的实验。 来自英汉非文学 - 科学史

8 competitive   

adj.竞争的，比赛的，好竞争的，有竞争力的

参考例句：

• Some kinds of business are competitive.有些商业是要竞争的。
• These businessmen are both competitive and honourable.这些商人既有竞争性又很诚实。

9 recession   

n.（工商业的）衷退（期），萧条（期）

参考例句：

• Manufacturing fell sharply under the impact of the recession.受到经济萧条的影响，制造业急剧衰退。
• A rise in interest rates plunged Britain deeper into recession.利率的提高导致英国经济更加萧条。

10 qualified   

adj.合格的，有资格的，胜任的，有限制的

参考例句：

• He is qualified as a complete man of letters.他有资格当真正的文学家。
• We must note that we still lack qualified specialists.我们必须看到我们还缺乏有资质的专家。