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.
你在餐廳里或許會看到一些人獨自吃飯。在過去，這些人可能會對“一人食”這件事感到尷尬，因為這或許意味著他們沒有朋友，不愛社交。但如今，情況正發(fā)生著變化。

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.
美國調研公司OnePoll的一項新調查顯示，成年人平均每周獨自吃飯6次，全年可達387次。這意味著“一人食”成了一種新趨勢。

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”在中國也日益流行起來?！蔼氉猿燥埬茏屓藗冊谒饺丝臻g中自由地享用晚餐，”《中國日報》這樣評論。

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.
的確，當人們選擇與他人共同進餐時，會無可避免受到同桌人的影響。如果一起就餐的人們習慣相似，他們便能幸運地享用一頓令人滿意的菜肴。不然的話，大家就得面對一些令人尷尬的情況：不良的餐桌禮儀、不愛吃的菜以及讓人心煩的對話。因此，“一人食”能夠幫助大家避免糟糕的晚飯飯局、尷尬的人群以及無聊的對話。

Wang Kerui, a freshman from Beijing Normal University, is a good example. She often eats alone in the canteen and enjoys the exclusive experience.
北京師范大學新生王科睿（音譯）便是個好例子。她常常獨自在食堂吃飯，享受一個人的時光。

“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.
“獨自吃飯并不意味著我很孤獨。恰恰相反，這能讓我享受‘獨處時光’，并且思考在學習過程中遇到的挑戰(zhàn)，”她在接受本報采訪時如此表示。

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”也體現了年輕人“更注重追尋個人夢想，也更注重追求更高的生活品質”，上海社會科學院研究員楊雄在接受《中國青年報》采訪時如此表示。

Now, many young people with stable incomes are beginning to re-examine their roles in society, according to a report from Boston Consulting Group.
波士頓咨詢公司的一份報告顯示，如今許多收入穩(wěn)定的年輕人都開始重新審視自己的社會角色。

Zhao Lianxue, 28, a media worker in Beijing, said she enjoys her life alone.
28歲的趙蓮雪（音譯）是北京的一名媒體工作者，她表示，自己很享受獨居生活。

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.
由于不用給家人做飯，趙蓮雪經常一個人在餐廳或者便利店吃飯。閑暇之余，她能讀自己喜歡的書籍、爬山、去觀光或者購物。

When she eats at the Haidilao hotpot restaurant on her own, waiters always kindly put a big stuffed doll in the opposite seat.
當她一個人在“海底撈”餐廳吃火鍋時，服務員們總是很體貼地在她對面座位上放上一個巨大的毛絨公仔。

“It’s sweet … but I really don’t think it is necessary. I’m happy to eat by myself,” said Zhao.
“這很貼心……但我真覺得這樣沒必要。我很享受‘一人食’，”趙蓮雪說道。

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.
不難看出，對于許多年輕人而言，獨自吃飯并非孤獨，更多的是自由和獨立。

以上文章內容選自《21世紀學生英文報高中版》，詳情請見《21世紀學生英文報高中版》高一774期