Eating alone has become a defining feature of modern life: the breakfasting commuter; the household members with conflicting schedules; the widower who receives few visitors. Almost a third of British adults are eating alone "most or all of the time", according to the latest Wellbeing Index, compiled with data from more than 8,000 people by Oxford Economics and the National Centre for Social Research. Similarly, a Mintel survey of 2,000 UK consumers aged 16 and over has found that one in three are "regularly eating every meal alone". In London, the figure rises to almost half.
一人食已成为现代生活的一个特征：早餐通勤人士；时间对不上号的家人；鲜有客人的鳏夫。最近的幸福指数表明，近乎三分之一的英国成年人"大部分时间或一直都是"一个人吃饭。该幸福指数的依据是牛津经济研究所和英国国家社会研究中心对8000多人进行调查后所获得的数据。同样，英敏特对2000名16岁及以上的英国消费者开展的一项研究发现，三分之一的受试者"经常一个人吃饭"。在伦敦，这一数字几乎上升到一半。

Much of this solitary munching takes place behind closed doors. Single-occupancy homes are the second-most-common household size in Britain and a record 35% of over-16s are single, according to the Office for National Statistics. This is why, in 2018, Tesco announced plans to stock more than 400 single-portion products including burgers, steaks and vegetables.
一人食通常发生在大门紧闭的情况下。单人住房是英国第二大最常见的住房类型，而16岁以上的人群中，35%的人都一个人住，英国国家统计局的数据表示。所以，2018年，特易购宣布，计划购入汉堡、牛排和蔬菜等400多种单份产品。

As a nation, we have also become less self-conscious about solo dining. The bookings website OpenTable recently reported that reservations for one have increased across the UK by 160% since 2014. Bar seating and communal tables are increasingly popping up in restaurants.
就国家层面而言，我们对一人食的意识并不强烈。订餐网站OpenTable最近报道，2014年以来，英国一人座的预订量增加了160%。酒吧凳和公共餐桌也越来越多地出现在餐馆中。

While solo dining in all its manifestations is liberating, our new dietary habits steer us into uncharted territory. Until now, eating in groups has been a universal human ritual. Not only is it practical (many hands make light work - and also reduce our vulnerability to predators) but meals have, traditionally, been used to meet our fundamental need for connection with others. One might also wonder if it is only a coincidence that this new phase is happening at the same time as rising obesity rates.
虽然各种形式的一人食都是一种解放，但这种新的饮食习惯却将我们带入了未知领域。直到现在，集体饮食一直都是全人类的饮食习惯。不仅因为其实用（人多力量大--也使我们在面对掠食者时，不至于不堪一击），而且因为从传统角度看，膳食可以满足我们与他人联系的基本需要。有人也许会好奇，发生这一新趋势的同时，肥胖率也在上升，这是不是只是巧合？

On a micro level, deciding what to have for dinner after a long day can be a challenge. "Eating alone has not only hugely changed how and what we eat but also how we talk about eating," says Bee Wilson.
微观层面而言，经历了漫长一天，这时候决定晚上吃什么可能是一个挑战。"一人食不仅极大地改变了我们的饮食和就餐方式，也改变了我们谈论饮食的方式，"毕·威尔逊（Bee Wilson）说道。