breadwinner 是面包赢家？你肯定能猜到真正的意思

这两天公司来了位新合伙人，是个外表干练的精致女人，一聊天才知道她们家一直是她在外打拼，而她老公则一直在家带孩子操持家务。平时还真没怎么注意，这下倒是让我发现了，原来身边像她家这样的情况还真不少呢。

得嘞，那今天就跟大家来聊个词儿--breadwinner，字面上看就是赢得面包的人，引申意思就是养家糊口的人，因为在西方家庭中，面包才是他们的主食，谁能挣来面包，当然谁就是家里的顶梁柱啦！

breadwinner ['bred.wɪnər]

【En】The member of a family who earns the money that the family needs. 赚钱养家的家庭成员。The breadwinner in a family is the person in it who earns the money that the family needs for essential things. 养家糊口的人是指那些挣钱养家糊口的人。

n. 挣钱养家的人; 养家糊口的人；挣钱养家者

【例】I'm the sole breadwinner.

我是家里唯一的经济支柱。

【例】Who is the breadwinner in your family?

你们家是靠谁的收入过活的？

【例】He knows and accepts the fact that his wife may be the breadwinner.

他明白，他妻子所挣的钱可能是家庭收入的主要来源，他接受这一事实。

【例】Men are often expected to be the breadwinner in a family.

人们常常寄希望于男人养家糊口。

【例】Love can't pay the rent. He's the breadwinner of the house.

爱情不能当饭吃。他是家里的顶梁柱。

【例】I've always paid the bills and been the breadwinner.

一直由我支付账单，维持家庭生计。

好了，下面再来听一段儿对话，练练听力吧。

househusband 家庭煮夫

Gladys: Hi, Dan. I'm surprised to see you here at the supermarket in the middle of the day.

格拉迪斯: 嗨,丹。大白天的能在超市里撞见你真让我吃惊！

Dan: Why?

丹: 此话怎讲?

Gladys: I thought you'd be working.

格拉迪斯: 我觉得你这会儿应该在忙工作才对。

Dan: I am working. I'm a stay-at-home dad and I take care of the kids while my wife goes to work.

丹: 我就是正在工作当中啊。我是个全职爸爸，我妻子去上班，而我则负责照顾孩子。

Gladys: Oh, did you get laid off from your job?

格拉迪斯: 噢,那你是被老板炒鱿鱼了?

Dan: No, my wife works full-time out of the house and I work full-time at home.

丹: 不是哟，我老婆有份全职工作在外面打拼, 而我则全职在家负责后勤。

Gladys: You mean that your wife is the breadwinner and you're a househusband?

格拉迪斯: 你的意思是,你老婆养家糊口而你成了操持家务的‘家庭煮夫’?

Dan: If you want to put it that way, yes. I'm the caretaker for the kids during the day and I do the household chores.

丹: 如果你想这么说的话,没错。我白天照顾孩子，做家务。

Gladys: Oh, your wife must be a feminist.

格拉迪斯: 哦,你老婆肯定是位女权主义者。

Dan: No, my wife is just a modern woman with modern sensibilities.

丹: 不, 我老婆只是一位有现代意识的现代女性。

Gladys: Well, I know that some families like to live radical lifestyles these days, changing up gender roles.

格拉迪斯: 嗯，我知道现在有些家庭喜欢过激进的生活方式，改变性别角色。

Dan: We don't think of it as radical. In fact, it's quite common nowadays.

丹:我们不认为这很激进。事实上, 现在这很常见普遍。

Gladys: if you say so. Tell your wife I'd be happy to share my recipes with her when you go back to work and she's a housewife again.

格拉迪斯: 如果你这么说的话，告诉你的妻子，当你再次出去工作，她再次成为家庭主妇时，我很乐意和她分享我的食谱。

Dan: sigh~

丹: 唉~