2015年托福阅读材料：人生时刻表

　　In case you feared you were lagging behind your peers, a new infographic reveals exactly when Brits achieve life's major goals from marriage to buying their first home.

　　如果你担心你的人生步伐落后于同伴，这里为你提供了一份英国人人生大事时刻表，它准确显示了英国人在什么年龄完成结婚、买第一套房等人生大事。

　　According to a poll of 2,000 people, the 25 milestones begin with a first kiss at the age of 15 and end with a relatively early retirement at 60.

　　一项2000人参与的调查报告列举了从15岁初吻到60岁享受较早的退休待遇等共25项人生大事。

　　But many cash-strapped thirtysomethings will be baffled by the finding that the majority of people in the UK buy their first property in their late 20s and are splashing out on two holidays a year by the age of 36.

　　许多因经济条件不好的三十多岁的人们会对这些调查结果感到困惑：大多数英国人在三十岁之前就买到了他们的第一套房产，在36岁时就能享受每年两次旅行。

　　The study commissioned by lending company, Amigo Loans, quizzed UK adults between the ages of 16 and 65.

　　这一研究由借贷公司Amigo Loans委托，调查对象是16岁到65岁之间的英国人。

　　The research found that the most awkward life milestone - the first kiss - is best ticked off at the tender age of 15.

　　研究发现，最尴尬的一件人生大事——初吻——最好发生在青涩的15岁。

　　The experiences of our early 20s should include passing a driving test at 20, moving out of home and buying our first car at 22 and jetting off to sunnier climes for the first time with a boyfriend or girlfriend at 23.

　　我们20岁出头的经历应包括：20岁拿到驾照，22岁搬出家里在外独立生活，买到自己的第一辆车，23岁第一次开始与男朋友或女朋友飞往气候更和煦的远方旅行。

　　Researchers also revealed that 19 is the best age to start a full-time job, while we should feel free to enjoy the first holiday without mum and dad two years later.

　　研究人员还透露，19岁是开始自己第一份全职工作的最好时机，21岁应该去享受父母不在身边的自由旅行。

　　The common consensus is that by the time we are 30 we should have ticked off everything from living on our own at 24, to meeting the one and getting engaged at 25, and getting married at the age of 27.

　　人们的共识是，30岁之前我们应完成以下所有事：24岁独立生活，25岁找到结婚对象并订婚，27岁结婚。

　　According to the data, buying a house and even having a first child are best ticked off before reaching the big 3-0, at the ages of 29 and 28, respectively.

　　数据显示，30岁之前最好能买一套房子，甚至有了第一个孩子，这两件事最好分别在29岁和28岁实现。

　　The age of 31 was hailed as the prime time at which to have a second child, while landing a managerial role and being able to afford to buy a brand new car should also be within sight at this point.

　　31岁被誉为生第二个孩子的黄金年龄，在这个年龄，晋升到管理阶层、买得起一辆新车都应该是可及的目标。

　　Additionally, two holidays a year should be affordable by the time we turn 37, and we ought to have our eye on a buy-to-let property two years later.

　　另外，到了37岁就应支付得起一年两次的旅行，39岁应关注一下房产投资了。

　　As we head through our mid to late-30s and early-40s we ought to be aiming to have moved to slightly bigger second home, have earnings of around £40k a year or more, and even have considered, or set up our own business.

　　在35岁到40岁出头，我们的目标应该是移居大一点的房子，年薪达4万英镑或更高，甚至考虑自己创业。

　　A spokeswoman for Amigo Loans, who commissioned the study, said: 'It's normal to want to achieve certain things by certain ages and it's good to be ambitious.

　　Amigo Loans公司委托此项调查的发言人说道：“人到了一定的年龄就想实现一定的目标，这很正常。人应该心怀抱负。”

　　'Borrowing money to achieve life's milestones, such as moving out, buying a car or starting a business is harder than ever for ordinary, hard-working people and our research shows nearly half of people between the ages of 16-34 expect to turn to their family and friends for financial help to achieve their life goals.

　　“借钱来实现搬家、买车、创业这些大事对普通劳动者来说前所未有的难。我们的研究显示，16岁至34岁人群中有近一半渴望从家人或朋友那里得到经济援助来实现这些目标。”

　　'Indeed, nearly 80 per cent of our guarantors are family members.'

　　“确实如此，我们的担保人近8成是家庭成员。”

　　The team of researchers also found those who are yet to tick off significant milestones are struggling to do because of financial pressures.

　　研究小组还发现，由于经济压力，即将完成这些大事的人都在苦苦挣扎。

　　Of those who have managed to achieve most of those on the list, the majority did so within their targeted time-frame.

　　而那些已经实现了清单上大多数大事的人，多数也是在他们的目标时间内完成的。

　　But the milestones which proved the most difficult to achieve and which took longer than expected were passing a driving test, buying a first car and then being able to afford a brand new car.

　　这些大事中最难的、可能需要花费比预想的更长时间才能做到的是：拿到驾照，买到第一部车，以及有能力支付一辆新车。

　　Most had to wait longer to have their second child than they would have liked, while getting to the point where two holidays a year wasn’t a problem also proved tough.

　　大多数人花了比他们料想的更长时间才迎来了他们的第二个孩子。毫不费劲地支付一年两次的旅行，要达到这个阶段也比较难。

　　The study also looked into the subject of pressure and the part it plays in helping us achieve our goals.

　　这项研究还对压力这一话题及它在我们实现目标过程中的作用进行了分析。

　　One in three people said they felt there was more pressure on the current generation to reach milestones within specific time-frames.

　　三分之一的人坦言，当代人在既定时间内实现人生大事得承担着更大的压力。

　　But according to the data, a large percentage of us also put the pressure on ourselves to achieve things by certain times.

　　调查数据显示，我们中大部分人也会自我施压，迫使自己在既定时间内实现既定目标。

　　Vocabulary

　　splash out 随意花钱

　　tender age 未成熟的年纪

　　sunnier climes

　　阳光更充沛的地带

　　tick off 勾出