A major source of anxiety about the future of the family is rooted not so much in reality as in the tension between the idealized expectation in the culture and the reality itself. Nostalgia for a lost family tradition, which, in fact, never existed, has prejudiced our understanding of the conditions of families in contemporary society. Thus, the current .anxiety over the fate of the family reflects not only problems in the family but also a variety of fears about other social problems that are eventually projected onto the family.

　　The real problem facing American families today are not symptoms of breakdown as is often suggested; rather, they reflect the difficulties of adaptation to recent social changes, particularly to the loss of diversity in household membership, to the reduction of the variety of family functions and, to some extent, to the weakening of the family adaptability. The idealization of the family as a refuge from the world and the myth that the work of mothers is harmful has added considerable strain. The continuous emphasis on the family as a universal private retreat and as an emotional haven is misguided in light of historical experience.

　　中译英5

　　十月的上海，阳光明媚，秋高气爽，来自35个国家和地区的1300余名比赛选手参加了在沪举行的本世纪最后一届世界中学生运动会。

　　世界各国青少年在沪逗留的时间虽然短暂，但上海的风貌和中国的传统文化仍然给他们留下了深刻的印象。无论是参观矗立于浦江之畔的东方明珠电视塔，还是游览静卧一隅的城隍庙，他们都能感受到传统与现代的美妙结合。博大精深的中国传统文化让这些外国朋友感受到的是神秘和新奇，这种认知来自短暂的接触，但从此之后，他们不会忘记;有这样一个民族，生活在世界的东方。