一看中英文的对照，就知道英语对亲属的称谓比起中文要简单得多。中文按年龄、男方还是女方的关系等等为亲属冠之以不同的称呼，而西方人似乎不太在乎这位亲戚是父亲这边的(on the father's side)还是母亲那边的(on the mother's side)，一视同仁，给一个称呼。
更有意思的是对distant relatives(远亲)的称呼。cousin一词不分男女，概括了所有“堂兄弟/姐妹；表兄弟/姐妹”。而 “侄子/外甥” 都是nephew；“侄女/外甥女”则都是 niece。不过，尽管英语中的称谓不如中文的分工细致, "Blood is thicker than water"(血浓于水)是东、西方人都认同的。
那么，既然英语的家庭关系词汇不难，我们来看看下面这段话，你是否能据此画出一张 family tree (家谱图)？
Stephanie is the youngest in her family. Her elder brother Mark is married with a son Kevin. Her sister-in-law Rose used to go to the same high school with Stephanie. Her sister Kate married Thomas Hawkins last year and they've just had a baby daughter Millie. Stephanie adores her nephew and niece. Bart and Marie are Stephanie's cousins. They are children of Barbara and Peter. Aunt Barbara is the younger sister of Stephanie's father Gordon. Stephanie's mother Joy had a younger sister Liz who is divorced with a daughter Lily. Both grandparents on Stephanie's father's side have passed away. But her mother's parents Lucas and Nancy are living not far away from their house.
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