我們管“上有老，下有小”的中年一代叫做“三明治一代（sandwich generation）”，生動地描述了他們被夾在中間的困境。如今，隨著人類壽命延長，不少五十多歲的人家里除了要照看孩子和孫子，還有年邁的父母需要照顧，壓力比“三明治一代”還要大，因此被稱為“多層三明治”（club-sandwich）。

Club-sandwich generation refers to people who provide care for their parents, children, and grandchildren.

多層三明治一代（club-sandwich generation）指同時要照顧父母、孩子以及孫輩的一代人。

The "sandwich generation" of middle-aged family members who have responsibility for children and aging parents is changing. Due to increased longevity, middle-aged children today are the first to be living in an age where a four- or five-generation family is becoming commonplace. More frequently, adult children in their 50s and 60s who are hoping to retire and enjoy long-anticipated freedom find themselves caught in what is described as a "club sandwich generation," with responsibility for very old parents of their own.

既要養(yǎng)育孩子又要照顧年邁父母的中年“三明治一代”情形正在發(fā)生變化。由于壽命延長，中年子女跟四、五代人住在一起的情況也逐漸普遍。更常見的情況是，五六十歲的人們希望退休后可以享受期盼已久的自由時光，結(jié)果卻發(fā)現(xiàn)自己年邁的父母還要人照看，一下子落入了“多層三明治一代”。

The American Association of Retired Persons estimates that 11% of grandparents who are over 50 are helping to raise their grandchildren. Since many of those grandparents also have children and elderly parents to care for, their metaphorical sandwich has an extra layer of bread, making it a club sandwich. You can also call it the triple-decker generation.

美國退休人員協(xié)會預(yù)計，50歲以上且身為祖父母的人中有11%都在幫著照看孫輩。而他們這些人中很多人同時還要照顧自己的孩子和父母，由此，他們原本所在的“三明治”又多出一層，使得他們成為“多層三明治一代”。

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（中國日報網(wǎng)英語點津 Helen）

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