The traditional American family is a nuclear family.

传统的美国家庭是核心家庭。

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A nuclear family refers to a husband and wife and their children. The average American family today has two or three children (and maybe a few pets).

核心家庭包含了先生、太太和小孩子，今日美国的一般家庭有二个或三个小孩(或者再加上几只宠物)。

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When American say "family", they mean a nuclear family nuclear family of mom, dad and the kids.

当美国人提起“家庭”时，他们是指由爸爸，妈妈，孩子组成的核心家庭。

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But even a passing knowledge of American history would tell you how unusual a family formation the nuclear one is.

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What cooking demands is time, a far scarcer commodity for most American households today than 50 years ago thanks to the decline of the nuclear family and the normalization of commercial work for women.

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