Joy of going solo

When you visit a restaurant, you may see some people eating on their own. In the past, these people may have felt embarrassed about eating alone, because this might have suggested that they had no friends or disliked socializing with others. However, that’s changing.
你在餐厅里或许会看到一些人独自吃饭。在过去，这些人可能会对“一人食”这件事感到尴尬，因为这或许意味着他们没有朋友，不爱社交。但如今，情况正发生着变化。

According to a new survey conducted by US-based research company OnePoll, the average adult eats six meals alone each week and 387 meals each year. That means eating alone is a new trend.
美国调研公司OnePoll的一项新调查显示，成年人平均每周独自吃饭6次，全年可达387次。这意味着“一人食”成了一种新趋势。

In China, eating alone is also growing in popularity. “Eating alone can allow people to enjoy dinner in a private space freely,” China Daily noted.
“一人食”在中国也日益流行起来。“独自吃饭能让人们在私人空间中自由地享用晚餐，”《中国日报》这样评论。

It is true that when people choose to eat with other people, they must be affected by the diners who accompany them. If the diners share similar habits, they are lucky and can enjoy a satisfying meal. If not, they must deal with the awkward experience of bad table manners, lousy food and upsetting conversation. So eating alone can help people get away from bad dinner dates, awkward groups and boring conversations.
的确，当人们选择与他人共同进餐时，会无可避免受到同桌人的影响。如果一起就餐的人们习惯相似，他们便能幸运地享用一顿令人满意的菜肴。不然的话，大家就得面对一些令人尴尬的情况：不良的餐桌礼仪、不爱吃的菜以及让人心烦的对话。因此，“一人食”能够帮助大家避免糟糕的晚饭饭局、尴尬的人群以及无聊的对话。

Wang Kerui, a freshman from Beijing Normal University, is a good example. She often eats alone in the canteen and enjoys the exclusive experience.
北京师范大学新生王科睿（音译）便是个好例子。她常常独自在食堂吃饭，享受一个人的时光。

“Eating alone doesn’t mean I’m lonely. Instead, it can help me enjoy ‘me time’ and think about the challenges I have met in my studies,” she told TEENS.
“独自吃饭并不意味着我很孤独。恰恰相反，这能让我享受‘独处时光’，并且思考在学习过程中遇到的挑战，”她在接受本报采访时如此表示。

Eating alone also shows that young people “attach more importance to realizing their dreams and seeking a higher quality of life”, Yang Xiong, a researcher from Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences, told China Youth Daily.
此外，“一人食”也体现了年轻人“更注重追寻个人梦想，也更注重追求更高的生活品质”，上海社会科学院研究员杨雄在接受《中国青年报》采访时如此表示。

Now, many young people with stable incomes are beginning to re-examine their roles in society, according to a report from Boston Consulting Group.
波士顿咨询公司的一份报告显示，如今许多收入稳定的年轻人都开始重新审视自己的社会角色。

Zhao Lianxue, 28, a media worker in Beijing, said she enjoys her life alone.
28岁的赵莲雪（音译）是北京的一名媒体工作者，她表示，自己很享受独居生活。

Without the task of cooking for a family, Zhao often eats alone in restaurants or convenience stores. In her spare time, she can read her favorite books, climb mountains, go sightseeing or shop.
由于不用给家人做饭，赵莲雪经常一个人在餐厅或者便利店吃饭。闲暇之余，她能读自己喜欢的书籍、爬山、去观光或者购物。

When she eats at the Haidilao hotpot restaurant on her own, waiters always kindly put a big stuffed doll in the opposite seat.
当她一个人在“海底捞”餐厅吃火锅时，服务员们总是很体贴地在她对面座位上放上一个巨大的毛绒公仔。

“It’s sweet … but I really don’t think it is necessary. I’m happy to eat by myself,” said Zhao.
“这很贴心……但我真觉得这样没必要。我很享受‘一人食’，”赵莲雪说道。

It’s not hard to see that eating alone for many young people is not the same as eating lonely. It is more about freedom and independence.
不难看出，对于许多年轻人而言，独自吃饭并非孤独，更多的是自由和独立。

以上文章内容选自《21世纪学生英文报高中版》，详情请见《21世纪学生英文报高中版》高一774期