现在养一个孩子要多少钱?猜猜看!

 　　First, the good news: the cost of raising kids rose at a slower rate between 2014 and 2015 than any typical year since 1960, says government data released this month. The bad news? Well, you make want to take a seat. If you're planning to have any more kids, it's going to cost you—and maybe a lot more than you thought it would. Even though the cost rose only 3 percent, it's still above the rate of inflation and the total price tag is quite hefty when you think about it.

　　首先，有则好消息：本月政府发布的数据显示：自1960年以来，2014年到2015年间，养育孩子的费用涨幅最低。那坏消息呢？你最好还是坐下来听我慢慢宣布。如果你还想再生孩子，那么其成本可能会比你以为的要多得多。虽然养育孩子的费用只涨了3%，但仍然超过了通货膨胀率，当你认真思考时，你会发现总价格还是相当高的。

　　现在养一个孩子要多少钱？猜猜看！.jpg

　　The average cost for a middle-income married couple to raise a child from birth to age 18 for kids born in 2015 was a whopping $233,610, according to a report from the Department of Agriculture. The cost for low-income families ranged as low as $174,690 and as high as $372,210 for wealthy families.

　　据农业部门的一份报告显示：2015年，中等收入家庭的结婚夫妇将宝宝从出生抚养到18岁需平均投入233,610美元，数目不小吧？而低收入家庭最低也要投入174,690美元；富裕家庭最高会投入372,210美元。

　　But how much you end up paying overall depends a lot on where you live. Families living in Northeast urban areas (think New York City and Boston, for example) pay the highest cost for raising kids, followed by families living in West Coast urban areas (think Los Angeles, San Francisco and Seattle) and urban areas in Southern states (think Dallas, Atlanta and Miami). Parents raising kids in rural areas pay the least, but then, they also lack access to some things urban and suburban¹ parents have at their disposal.

　　但是最终投入的金额在很大程度上与你的居住地相关。生活在东北城区（比如纽约城和波士顿）的家庭，他们在养育孩子方面支出最多；生活在西海岸城区（比如洛杉矶、旧金山和西雅图）和南部各州（比如达拉斯、亚特兰大和迈阿密）的家庭则紧随其后。生活在乡村的父母在养育孩子方面支出最少，但他们也缺少城区或次城区父母所能接触到的东西。

　　Average costs for families in urban Midwest and rural areas are the lowest.

　　中西部城区和乡村地区的家庭，他们的平均成本是最低的。

　　So what does the breakdown² look like?

　　所以细分下来是怎么样呢？

　　From birth until age 18, you'll shell out that cost divided somewhat like this:

　　从出生到成年，你的支出成本细则可能是这样的：

　　29 percent on housing

　　29%用于供房

　　18 percent on food

　　18%用于食物

　　16 percent on child care and education

　　16%用于儿童看护和教育

　　15 percent on transportation

　　15%用于交通

　　9 percent on health care

　　9%用于医疗

　　7 percent on miscellaneous costs (this includes things such as personal care items, entertainment, devices such as portable media players and computers, sports equipment, and non-school reading materials)

　　7%用于各杂项支出（包括个人洗护用品、娱乐、可携带媒体播放器和电脑等设备、运动器材、校外的阅读材料）

　　6 percent on clothing

　　6%用于买衣服

　　None of these figures take into account the costs of private schooling³ or college if those are in the cards. Ouch.

　　如果你有考虑私立学校或大学，那么让我告诉你，上述那些数据可没有包含这些费用哦！心疼三秒！

1 suburban   

adj.城郊的，在郊区的

参考例句：

• Suburban shopping centers were springing up all over America. 效区的商业中心在美国如雨后春笋般地兴起。
• There's a lot of good things about suburban living.郊区生活是有许多优点。

2 breakdown   

n.垮，衰竭；损坏，故障，倒塌

参考例句：

• She suffered a nervous breakdown.她患神经衰弱。
• The plane had a breakdown in the air,but it was fortunately removed by the ace pilot.飞机在空中发生了故障，但幸运的是被王牌驾驶员排除了。

3 schooling   

n.教育；正规学校教育

参考例句：

• A child's access to schooling varies greatly from area to area.孩子获得学校教育的机会因地区不同而大相径庭。
• Backward children need a special kind of schooling.天赋差的孩子需要特殊的教育。