留守儿童

留守儿童 （left-behind children）很容易面临情感关怀的缺失。父母外出务工后，他们大多由祖父母或亲友临时监护。他们无法像其他孩子一样得到父母的养育，而祖父母又极可能缺乏养育的精力和能力。这种亲情和关怀的缺失，已严重地影响了留守儿童的心理健康发展。更为严峻的挑战是，留守儿童群体还在不断扩大。据最新统计，目前全国农村留守儿童人数已达6102万，占全国儿童总人数的21.88%，比五年前增加了近300万人。如何让这些占全国儿童总人数超过五分之一的孩子们更健康地成长，不仅是对弱势群体应有的关爱，更是社会健康发展的必要条件。

翻译点拨

1. 面临……的缺失：可以有几种表达，如：be confronted with the lack of, be faced with the lack of, encounter the lack of等。

2. 情感关怀的缺失：此处是指留守儿童缺少情感关怀，而不是指他们本身缺少情感，所以翻译成lack of emotional support。

3. 他们无法像其他孩子一样得到父母的养育：这句话应将“无法像其他孩子一样”的翻译前置，以表示强调。

4. 更为严峻的挑战：这一常见汉语表达还可以翻译为a more severe challenge。

5. 据最新统计……：此处有三个分句，在翻译时合并成一个长句；第一个分句翻译成主句，后两个分句分别译成非限制性定语从句和分词引导的伴随结构。

6. 应有的关爱：可以采用定语后置法，即先翻译“关爱”—care，再用定语they are entitled to and deserve来修饰。

参考译文

Left-behind Children

The left-behind children easily suffer from the lack of emotional support. Since their parents are migrant workers, they are mostly left in the care of their grandparents, relatives or family friends. Unlike other children, they don't have their parents to care for them, and much too often, their grandparents don't have the energy or capability to look after them. The absence of such support and care seriously influences the healthy psychological development of these children. An even more pressing issue is the fact that the number of the left-behind children is still growing. According to the latest statistics, the number has reached 61.02 million, which is three million more than five years ago, accounting for 21.88 percent of China's children. Giving them a healthy upbringing isn't just about providing this vulnerable group with the care they are entitled to and deserve—it is also a prerequisite to the healthy development of Chinese society.

知识小贴士

留守儿童年幼时就与父母分离，父母关爱严重缺失。尽管也有爷爷奶奶或亲朋监管（custody），但毕竟与父母亲疏不同，遇到一些麻烦就会感觉柔弱无助，久而久之变得不愿与人交流，性格内向（introvert）。有些父母甚至半年多才回家一次，这种长期与父母的分离导致孩子自卑封闭，逆反心理严重。和有父母在身边的孩子相比，留守儿童更容易产生心理障碍，有的甚至自暴自弃（abandon oneself to despair），丧失信心，学习上不求上进。不少孩子上网成瘾，荒废学业，义务教育没有完成就流落社会。再加上他们缺乏安全感，总觉得别人会欺负他，一点小事就会计较当真，与人交流时充满警惕（vigilance）甚至是敌意（hostility）。对老师或临时监护人的管教有比较强的逆反心理。