两个人谈恋爱，感情深厚然后搬到一起住似乎已经不是什么新鲜事了。不过近几年，在英国、瑞典以及日本等国，恋人们却开始流行“分开同居”了。英国国家统计局的一份报告中说，英国有近35％的人选择这种同居方式。这到底是怎么回事呢？

Living Apart Together (LAT) is a term for couples who, while committed to each other, decide to have separate homes rather than one shared residence.

“分开同居”（Living Apart Together，英文缩写为LAT）指一对情侣保持固定的情感关系但却不住在一起。

There are three approaches LAT couples can take, concerning decision to keep separate domestic residences. The majority are the "gladly apart", along with the "regretfully apart" (due to work commitments, family responsibilities, legal or residency requirements, or other reasons) and the "undecidedly apart" (committed but not especially moving towards cohabitation at the time).

伴侣选择“分开同居”一般有以下三种情形：“乐意分开”、“无奈分开”（由于工作原因、家庭责任、法律或居住要求，以及其它原因）和“暂时分开”（有感情基础，但还没有朝同居那个方向考虑）。

Those gladly apart couples claim that their motives include:

自愿选择“分开同居”的伴侣们列出的原因有：

LAT having "kept their relationship fresh".

“分开同居”能够让他们的关系时刻保持新鲜感。

Having both an intimate relationship and one's own space is a treat.

既能保持一段亲密关系又能拥有自己的空间，这是一种享受。

The anticipation of time together always being special.

盼望相聚的日子总是很特别。

Having bases in two cultures – for example both a busy city and a country village.

能够在两种不同文化的氛围中生活——比如，一个是繁忙的都市，一个是静谧的乡村。

Freedom to do things without consultation, and the freedom not to do things in one's own abode.

在自己的地盘，想做什么或者不想做什么都由自己来决定。

Independent finances and homes meaning that financial dispute and negotiation is not a source of friction in the couple's relationship.

独立的经济和住所意味着在两人的关系中经济纠纷不会成为关系破裂的原因。

Ability to focus on work or one's own activities without interruption at times when one wishes to work.

在想要专心工作的时候能够集中注意力，不会有人打扰。