america is growing older. fifty years ago, only 4 out of every 100 people in the united states were 65 or older. today, 10 out of every ]00 americans are over 65. the aging of the population will affect american society in many ways - education, medicine, and business. the graying of america has made us a very different society ---one in which people have a quite different idea of what kind of behavior is suitable at various ages.
a person`s age no longer tells you anything about his or her social position, marriage or health. there`s no longer a particular year in which one goes to school or goes to work or gets married or starts a family. the social clock that kept us on time and told us when to go to school, get a job, or stop working isn`t as strong as it used to be. it doesn`t surprise us to hear of a 29-year-old university president or a 35-year- old grandmother,or a 70-year-old man who has become a father for the first time. public ideas are changing.
many people say,"l am much younger than my mother or my father was at my age." no one says anymore," act your age." we`ve stopped looking with surprise at older people who act in youthful ways.
美国人口老龄化
美国正在变老。5()年前，在美国每10()个人里面只有4个人在65岁或65岁以上。现在每100个美国人中有10个超过了65岁。人口老化将会在许多方面影响美国社会 —教育。医药和商业。 美国变老已经使我们成为一个极为不同的社会 这个社会中人们对在不同的年龄适合做什么事情的观点也大相径庭。
一个人的年龄不再能够告诉你他或她的社会地位、婚姻以及健康状况。人们上学，工作，结婚或者组建家庭也不再有确切的时间。使我们按部就班、告诉我们何时上学、工作或退休的社会时钟也不再像从前那样强大。我们听到29岁的大学校长，35岁的祖母或70岁才头次当上爸爸这样的消息时，也不会感到奇怪了。公众的观点正在发生变化。
很多人都说：“我比我父母在我这个年龄时年轻得多。”不会有人再说：“做与年纪相符的事情。”我们已经不再以惊讶的目光注视老年人以年轻人的方式行事。