Last night, I was coming home from dinner with friends, and I got into a heated discussion with the taxi driver. We weren't arguing, there was a lot of laughter and in fact, some agreement on issues from both sides.
Our topic was the perennial（常年的） - the differences between my culture and his culture and our focus was relationships, as it often is once it has been established that I am 33, unmarried and with no boyfriend, no child and no great feeling of loss in my life for not having any of the above.
The taxi driver was arguing the point that to his mind, it's impossible to not get married and have a child. I was arguing that it's not necessary to do that if that is not what you want to do or also, if you can't find anyone to do it with. To give as examples, I had a whole bunch of people I had met in China who were divorced or unhappy in their marriages but couldn't get divorced, or who felt that they were under a lot of pressure from their parents to get married even when they hadn't found someone, or who felt under pressure to have a child and so on.
In fact, I could name a good number of women, at least, in other countries who despite being more or less happily married complain
In the end, the taxi driver and I had to end our conversation, mainly because I had arrived at my destination and we were blocking traffic by stopping at the kerb（街头的边石）, but also because we agreed to differ on the subject.
However, my train of thought didn't end there, and I got to thinking
Actually, I have been thinking
However, although most of them are not so interested in marriage, they do harbour a niggling（琐碎的） fear at the back of their minds that they are going to be lonely in their old age. In fact, one of my friends' mothers uses this as a way of trying to get her daughter to get married as soon as possible. She does have a point. As we get older and many friends do get caught up in their own family lives, relationships and the depth of relationships do change.
Yet, it's possible to think of alternatives. There is no reason why in a society that has changed so much since our parents' generation we need to follow that traditional path. It's possible that we could form a Mosu-like alternative household with, for example, single female friends sharing a house and men only being transient. Children could be brought up in a warm environment with other children to play with. Even if we didn't want to live together, living close by would also be a possibility. As we got older, we would have each other's company, so loneliness would not be a problem.
Sadly, I didn't have the time or the fluency to explain all this to my taxi driver friend, and I am not sure he would have been convinced anyway, but for me at least, the Mosu have got the right idea.
相关单词：perennial
perennial解释：adj.终年的；长久的
perennial例句：
I wonder at her perennial youthfulness.我对她青春常驻感到惊讶。
There's a perennial shortage of teachers with science qualifications.有理科教学资格的老师一直都很短缺。
相关单词：ethnic
ethnic解释：adj.人种的，种族的，异教徒的
ethnic例句：
This music would sound more ethnic if you played it in steel drums.如果你用钢鼓演奏，这首乐曲将更具民族特色。
The plan is likely only to aggravate ethnic frictions.这一方案很有可能只会加剧种族冲突。
相关单词：knight
knight解释：n.骑士，武士；爵士
knight例句：
He was made an honourary knight.他被授予荣誉爵士称号。
A knight rode on his richly caparisoned steed.一个骑士骑在装饰华丽的马上。
相关单词：armour
armour解释：（=armor）n.盔甲；装甲部队
armour例句：
His body was encased in shining armour.他全身披着明晃晃的甲胄。
Bulletproof cars sheathed in armour.防弹车护有装甲。
相关单词：transient
transient解释：adj.短暂的，转瞬即逝的，临时的，暂住的
transient例句：
Her feeling of depression was transient.她的压抑心情一会儿就过去了。
In most cases,pain is transient.大多数情况下，疼痛是短暂的。
相关单词：fluency
fluency解释：n.流畅，雄辩，善辩
fluency例句：
More practice will make you speak with greater fluency.多练习就可以使你的口语更流利。
Some young children achieve great fluency in their reading.一些孩子小小年纪阅读已经非常流畅。
