One thing we always remember from our childhood is our favourite teddy bear. This soft, ragged toy was our comfort and companion. As we grow up, we normally give up our childish ways, and our furry friend often ends up in storage or at a jumble sale. But that’s not the case for everyone.

我们从小就永远记得的一件事是我们最喜欢的泰迪熊。这个柔软、破烂的玩具是我们的安慰和伴侣。随着我们的成长，我们通常会放弃幼稚的方式，而我们毛茸茸的朋友通常会被存放在仓库或杂货店。但并非所有人都如此。

It seems that some grown-ups continue to need their cuddly toy by their sides. One sleep survey suggested a tenth of people in the UK need a teddy bear in bed. And for some adults, soft toys remain an essential presence ­– they take them wherever they go.

似乎一些成年人仍然需要他们身边的可爱玩具。一项睡眠调查表明，十分之一的英国人需要在床上养一只泰迪熊。对于一些成年人来说，毛绒玩具仍然是必不可少的存在——无论他们走到哪里，他们都会带着它们。

A cuddly toy can come in many forms – animals, strange shapes or just a piece of stuffed material. But it’s the teddy bear in particular that seems to have an enduring appeal – it gives us a nostalgic feeling and a reminder of our younger days. Writing for the BBC, historian David Cannadine says, “Perhaps it’s that bears represent the happy security of a childhood friend who never changes or lets you down.” For whatever reason, teddies appeal to both children and adults of all ages.

毛茸茸的玩具可以有多种形式——动物、奇怪的形状或只是一块填充材料。但尤其是泰迪熊似乎具有持久的吸引力——它给我们一种怀旧的感觉，让我们想起我们年轻的日子。历史学家大卫·卡纳丁 (David Cannadine) 为 BBC 撰文说：“也许熊代表了童年朋友的快乐安全感，他们永远不会改变或让您失望。”无论出于何种原因，泰迪熊对所有年龄段的儿童和成人都具有吸引力。

The teddy bear is much celebrated these days, and they’ve become something that we don’t just grow up with – people buy them as adults too. There are shops which sell only teddy bears, there are teddy bear museums in many countries, and teddy bear festivals regularly take place around the world.

泰迪熊现在非常受欢迎，它们已经成为我们长大的东西——人们也会在成人时购买它们。有些商店只卖泰迪熊，许多国家都有泰迪熊博物馆，世界各地定期举办泰迪熊节。

While our soft toys offer us a kind of comfort blanket, some experts say it’s nothing to be ashamed of. It’s sometimes good to let go of the constraints of adult life and be a big kid again. And research commissioned by Barclaycard in the UK found 44% of adults have purchased playthings they enjoyed as children because they bring back happy memories. Colouring books, cuddly toys and board games were top of the list. So, if you’re still keeping your teddy a secret, don’t worry – you’re not alone!

虽然我们的毛绒玩具为我们提供了一种舒适的毯子，但一些专家表示这没什么好羞耻的。放开成年生活的束缚，重新成为一个大孩子，有时是件好事。英国 Barclaycard 委托进行的研究发现，44% 的成年人购买了他们小时候喜欢的玩具，因为它们能唤起快乐的回忆。涂色书、可爱的玩具和棋盘游戏位居榜首。所以，如果你仍然对你的泰迪熊保密，别担心——你并不孤单！

词汇表

childhood 童年
teddy bear 泰迪熊
ragged 用旧、磨损的，破烂的
comfort 宽慰，慰藉
companion 伙伴，同伴
childish 孩子般的，幼稚的
furry 毛茸茸的
grown-up 大人
cuddly toy 毛绒玩具
stuffed 填满的，有填充物的
enduring appeal 经久不衰的吸引力
nostalgic 怀旧的
security 安全保障
celebrated 有名的，闻名的
soft toy 毛绒玩具
comfort blanket （给婴儿、孩子用的）安心毯，这里比喻精神安慰
big kid 大小孩，大孩子
plaything 玩具，玩物
colouring book 填色书
board game （尤指棋盘类）桌上游戏