如何让弥合代沟？How to Bridge the Generation Gap?

The generation gap is unavoidable in almost every family, which brings about a number of conflicts in a family. In my opinion, to limit the bad effects of the generation gap, each family should use the following three methods:

大部分的家庭免不了存在代沟，代沟给一个家庭带来很多冲突。我认为，为了控制代沟的不良影响，每个家庭都应该尝试以下方法：

First of all, it is important that family members discuss openly about their pleasures or sadness in childhood in family gatherings. This activity does not only create a close relationship but also help build up understanding among all members. For instance, once children are aware that their grandparents and even their parents did not have a good upbringing during their hard childhood, they will stop complaining about the previous generations’ obsoleteness. In the meantime, once old people realize young people are nurtured in a new modern way, it is easy for them to be tolerant of young people’s new habits or hobbies.

首先，在家庭聚会的时候，家庭成员公开讨论自己的童年时期的快乐或悲伤是很重要的。这一活动不仅营造一种紧密的关系而且能够帮助建立家庭成员之间的相互理解。比如说，一旦孩子们意识到他们的爷爷奶奶甚至是爸爸妈妈在艰苦的童年时期没有很好的成长，他们就会停止抱怨上一代人的陈旧思想。同时，一旦老一辈人意识到年轻人是在一种新的现代方式下成长，他们就很容易接受年轻人的习惯和爱好。

Secondly, people of each generation should not develop a very high feeling about themselves. In order to do that, they should not think that they are the only right people in their family because each person has his or her own limitations. Teenagers would realize that their parents have to struggle with pain to support them financially, and they would stop rebelling their strictness. Parents would realize that their children’s new style does no harm to their studies and stop imposing their own unsuitable standards on their children.

其次，每一代人都不应该高估自己。为此，他们不应该认为他们是家里唯一对的人，因为每个人都有自己的极限。青少年应该意识到，他们的父母必须与困苦斗争给他们提供经济上的支持，他们就会停止反抗父母的严厉。父母也应该意识到，孩子们的新风格不会影响学习，从而停止把自己不合适的吧标准强加在孩子身上。

Finally, the generation gap and its bad effects can be limited if all members cooperate to build up a close-knit family relationship and a harmonious atmosphere in which they are open and tolerant of each other. I strongly believe that each family, by doing that, can enjoy a cozy atmosphere with minimum interference by the generation gap.

最后，如果所有的成员合作起来去建立一个关系紧密的家庭关系以及能够坦诚和互相容忍融洽的氛围，代沟及其不良影响就可以得到限制。我坚信，通过这样做，每个家庭都能享有一个代沟干扰最小的舒适氛围。