China is quickly becoming a country of singles, with its unmarried population reaching 200 million in 2015.
中国正在快速成为一个单身国家,在2015年,中国未婚人口达到了2个亿。
Though media outlets and government bodies are worried about the consequences caused by the so-called wave of singledom, demographers and uncoupled Chinese citizens believe the trend will only grow in the future.
尽管各路媒体和政府机构都在担心所谓的单身潮造成的后果,但是人口统计学家和未婚中国公民认为,这一趋势在未来只会愈演愈烈。
Among the 200 million unmarried men and women in China, over 58 million are living on their own.
在中国的2亿未婚男女当中,超过5800万人过着独居生活。
The unmarried population in China accounted for 14.6 percent of the country's population in 2013 - a percentage that has skyrocketed from 6 percent in 1990.
2013年,中国的未婚人口占总人口的比例从1990年的6%激增至14.6%。
Demographers believe that the independence of modern Chinese women is one of the main causes of the growing unmarried population.
人口学家们认为,现代中国女性的独立是未婚人口不断增长的主要原因。
According to research conducted by Tencent in 2016, 36.8 percent of single Chinese women believe marriage is not necessary to live happy lives.
根据腾讯2016年展开的调查显示,31.8%的中国女性认为婚姻并不是幸福生活的必需品。
"Traditionally, a woman is expected to stay at home, taking care of her husband and children. Without income, women were tied to their marriages and husbands. In modern times, women can also have an income, which allows them to choose to be single," Li Yinhe, a leading Chinese sexologist, told Reference News.
中国著名性学家李银河在接受《参考消息》采访时表示:"中国传统观念认为,女人应在家相夫教子。没收入的女性受到婚姻和丈夫的约束。现代女性有了经济来源,这让她们可以选择单身生活。"
Su Cen, an expert in gender studies, said Chinese women nowadays prioritize emotional connection over material wealth. Most women would not force themselves to accept a marriage devoid of affection.
性别研究专家苏岑表示,现在的中国女性相比物质财富,更加注重情感联系。大多数女性不会接受缺少感情的婚姻。
Though demographers believe that the single boom will become even more pronounced in the future, the concept of marriage is still highly valued in Chinese society.
尽管专家认为单身潮在未来将越发明显,但婚姻这一概念仍受到中国社会的高度重视。
"For thousands of years, Chinese people have attached great importance to reproduction, believing that this is the best way to become 'immortal.' Such traditions have strongly affected the Chinese view of marriage; even many gay men marry women just to have a child," Li added.
李银河补充道:"几千年来,中国人高度重视传宗接代,认为这是'延续香火'最好的方式。这种传统对中国人的婚姻观影响巨大,就连很多男同性恋为了有个孩子也会和女性结婚。"