VOA常速英语2014--美国抚养孩子的成本继续上升（在线收听）

Cost to Raise a Child in US Continues to Rise 美国抚养孩子的成本继续上升

ALEXANDRIA, VIRGINIA—

The cost of raising a child in the United States continues to rise. In its latest annual report, the U.S. Department of Agriculture says middle income families with a child born in 2013 can expect to spend more than $240,000 before that child turns 18. And sending that child to college more than doubles that amount.

A visit with a couple with one child in Alexandria, Virginia, shed some light on whether or not the report reflects their lifestyle.

Eddie Byrd, and his wife Gabriela, who is from Peru, dote over their only child-five-year-old Brandy.

艾迪·伯德和他的秘鲁妻子加芙·加波利亚对他们5岁的孩子布兰迪宠爱有加。

Her father said they spend whatever they have to for her. “You look at it as an investment in another human being who you love very deeply.”

她的父亲表示为了只要是有的夫妻二人都给了这个女儿。“你就作为是对另一个深爱之人的投资。”

The expenses began adding up even before Brandy was born.

而开销花费在布兰迪出生之前就开始增加。

“You have to put together your nursery, you have to get a stroller, all of those things, and you've invested several thousand dollars.”

“你必须搞定托儿所的事情,你得弄辆婴儿车,所有这些东西,你已经花了几千美元。”

According to the Agriculture Department report, the biggest cost of raising a child is housing, followed by childcare, education and food. Other expenses include clothing, transportation, and activities for the child.

据美国农业部的报告显示,抚养孩子的最大成本首当其冲是住房问题、随后才是儿童保育、教育及食品。其他费用包括服装、交通及儿童的活动。

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It's all having an impact on this middle-class family in the pricey Washington, D.C., area.

而上面所提都对在物价昂贵的华盛顿特区过活的这个中产阶级家庭造成了影响。

“We're not doing well financially. It's a struggle from month to month.”

“我们在财务方面做得不是很好。所以每个月都是挣扎着过活。”

And while it's a struggle for many parents worldwide to raise children, some countries are making it easier by providing subsidized health and child care, such as Norway, Sweden, Finland and Australia.

虽然世界各地的为人父母们在抚养孩子上都面临困难,但像是挪威、瑞典、芬兰和澳大利亚等国家通过提供健康和儿童保健补贴缓和了家长们的压力。

The Byrds are saving on child care costs since Gabriela is a stay-at-home mom. But like many middle-class families, they are paying for additional activities for Brandy, such as ballet and swimming classes.

自从加芙在家中担任全职妈妈以来伯德一家一直为了儿童保育成本省吃俭用。但像许多中产阶级家庭一样,他们也负担布兰迪的芭蕾舞和游泳课等课余兴趣活动费用。

“It's not like when I was growing up, when I could hop on my bicycle at home and ride 5 miles into town and spend the day in town, come back in the afternoon. There are bad people out there these days.”

“这跟我以前不一样,我那时候在家跳上自行车,骑5英里进城,并且玩上一整天,然后下午回来。现在外面都是坏人。”

He said education is one of his biggest expenses, since they decided to send Brandy to a private Catholic school. He's concerned that, years from now, paying for Brandy's college education will be out of reach.

他表示自从决定将布兰迪送进私立天主教学校以来教育就成了最大开销之一。他担心从现在开始数年后布兰迪的大学费用会是个天价。

“She'll have to work herself to get through college, or hopefully, college won't even exist the way it does today, and there will be alternative means for her education.”

“她得自己工作上大学,或者希望那时候的大学不是现在这番光景,或许有替代教育的方式。”

As older parents, Byrd said, he and Gabriela's dream of an early retirement isn't going to happen.

身为年长的父母,伯德表示他和加芙提前退休的梦想已经破灭。

“We hoped to return to Peru in retirement and live there. The savings that we would have had are now going into our child and our family.”

“我们希望在退休后回到秘鲁颐养天年。但我们现在的储蓄全部用于孩子和我们这个家身上。”

But he noted it's well worth the investment.

但他表示这是非常值得的投资。