In many countries, more and more fathers are staying at home to look after children, while mothers work full-time. What are the reasons? Is it positive or negative? 

14日雅思考试的大作文终于等来一个相对新颖的题目，要求讨论现在社会上的一个很明显的新现象，即越来越多的男人留在家里照顾家庭孩子，而女性则在外面全职工作。在唐老师的雅思写作真题库里，似乎没有发现类似的题目，因此本次雅思写作题可算一个新题。这是近半年来雅思考试作文难得出现的新题。

就算是新题，我相信参加本次考试的烤鸭们也不会显得过于慌乱，我们平时其实也常关注这个社会现象，对其原因也进行过思考或讨论，因此对本话题并不陌生。那么，为什么当今家庭妇男越来越多呢？

原因无外乎包括内因和外因。内因是经过这么多年的性别平等运动，男外女内的传统性别角色（gender roles）观念早已动摇，多数男人已经不再认为在家照顾孩子是一件不可接受的事情；

外因则是当今社会科技发展，很多原来由男人做的工作都被机器人代替了，男性的工作机会被大大压缩，而另一方面服务业的迅猛发展需要更多女性，这从客观上为女性创造了更多工作机会，此消彼涨，家庭妇男越来越多也就不足为奇了。

各位烤鸭，你是否从这些方面进行了论证？

老师笔记

01

Just 30 years ago, it was extremely rare that men stayed at home and looked after the family while women worked full-time outside, but now this has become rather common. My personal view is that this development is positive and there arebasically two reasons why it happens.

就在30年前，男人们待在家里照顾家人，而女性在外面全职工作是非常罕见的，但现在这种情况已经相当普遍了。我个人的看法是这个现象是积极的，其发生主要有两个原因。

解析

（1） 本段为引入段，引入话题的方法是提供背景，然后提出自己的观点。

（2）  rare 罕见的

（3）  basically 主要地

02

Men refused to stay at home and do the housework, as far as I understand, not because they did not want to, but because they were not allowed to do so in the past. The traditional gender role assigned to the husband was to work outside and earn bread for the family. A man who failed to undertake this responsibility would turn himself into a laughing stock among his friends. After years of feminist movement, however, this idea has been essentially overturned. Today, it is perfectly acceptable and natural that the husband, rather than the wife, stays at home and takes care of the kids. 

据我所知，男人拒绝待在家里做家务，不是因为他们不想做，而是因为他们过去不被允许这样做。赋予给丈夫的传统性别角色是在外面工作挣钱养家。一个没有承担这项责任的男人会把自己沦为朋友中的笑柄。然而，经过多年的女权主义运动后，这一想法已经基本上被推翻了。今天，丈夫，而不是妻子，待在家里照顾孩子是完全可以接受的，也是很自然的。

解析

（1）本段讨论原因之一：思想观念的改变，让男人们不再为当家庭妇男而难为情。

（2）gender role 性别角色

（3）assign 给予；赋予

（4）a laughing stock 笑柄

（5）feminist movement 女权运动

（6）essentially 本质上地

03

Another reason has much to do with the transformed structure of the job marketin recent decades. On the one hand, new technologies have made many positions previously held by men unavailable any more. For instance, much work in a construction site is now done by machines, rendering many construction workers jobless. On the other hand, more and more positions usually held by women have been created, owing to the rapid growth of the service industry. It is then not surprising at all to see the growing number of women working full time while their husbands are left behind at home.

另一个原因与近几十年来就业市场结构的转变有很大关系。一方面，新技术使许多以前由男性担任的职位不复存在。例如，建筑工地上的许多工作现在都是由机器完成，从而使许多建筑工人失业。另一方面，由于服务业的快速发展，创造了越来越多通常由妇女担任的职位。因此，越来越多的妇女全职工作，而丈夫们留在家里，这一点也不奇怪了。

解析

（1）本段论证原因之二：工作结构的转变使女性工作越来越多，而男性工作减少。

（2）have much to do with... 与......有很大关系

（3）transform 改变

（4）job market 就业市场

（5）render 使得

（6）owing to 由于

（7）service industry服务业

04

I think of this development as being positive, because it represents one step forward towards social equality and freedom. Now the househusbands no longer have to feel ashamed of themselves and the working wives have more opportunities to realize their personal ambitions. 

我认为这种趋势是积极的，因为它代表着朝着社会平等和自由又迈出了一步。现在，家庭妇男们不必再为自己感到羞耻，而在外工作的妻子则有更多的机会去实现自己的个人理想。

解析

（1）本段为结论段，同时提出自己的观点。

（2）think of ... as ... 把......视为......

（3）represent 代表

（4）feel ashamed of... 为......感到羞耻

（5）ambition 理想；野心

本场考试范文

Just 30 years ago, it was extremely rare that men stayed at home and looked after the family while women worked full-time outside, but now this has become rather common. My personal view is that this development is positive and there are basically two reasons why it happens.

Men refused to stay at home and do the housework, as far as I understand, not because they did not want to, but because they were not allowed to do so in the past. The traditional gender role assigned to the husband was to work outside and earn bread for the family. A man who failed to undertake this responsibility would turn himself into a laughing stock among his friends. After years offeminist movement, however, this idea has been essentially overturned. Today, it is perfectly acceptable and natural that the husband, rather than the wife, stays at home and takes care of the kids.

Another reason has much to do with the transformed structure of the job market in recent decades. On the one hand, new technologies have made many positions previously held by men unavailable any more. For instance, much work in a construction site is now done by machines, rendering many construction workers jobless. On the other hand, more and more positions usually held by women have been created, owing to the rapid growth of the service industry. It is then not surprising at all to see the growing number of women working full time while their husbands are left behind at home.

I think of this development as being positive, because it represents one step forward towards social equality and freedom. Now the househusbands no longer have to feel ashamed of themselves and the working wives have more opportunities to realize their personal ambitions.

 (296 words)