在恩菲爾德的家中，他在床底下存放著兩只彩色箱子，里面是童年時(shí)代已經(jīng)松動(dòng)的樂高玩具，他還用各式各樣懷舊的大件模型來裝飾房子。比如有一只大眾牌露營(yíng)車的樂高玩具(價(jià)值85英鎊)，這是去年夏天他與阿黛爾收到的結(jié)婚禮物，這件樂高總是讓他們想起在新西蘭時(shí)開的那輛大眾車。還有一只星球大戰(zhàn)的“X-Wing戰(zhàn)斗機(jī)”，這是他所在的青年組織一起買給他的謝禮。而私下里，他每?jī)蓚�(gè)月左右就添一件新的收藏品，通常都是樂高城市系列的趣玩基礎(chǔ)款，這些東西不像有些玩具那么幼稚。

　　“In a way, this comes around with each generation,” says Lou Ellerton, a brand consultant with considerable experience tracking consumer trends. “A decade ago, people might remember board game cafés being all over the news. That was Generation X experiencing the same nostalgia and backlash against work; we called them ‘greenagers’ – grown-up teenagers. What we’re seeing now is Generation Y having the same feelings, and they’re less ashamed about it.”

　　“某種程度上說，每代人都會(huì)這樣，”善于捕捉消費(fèi)趨勢(shì)的品牌顧問盧•伊勒頓說，“十年之前，人們或許還記得，新聞中全是桌游咖啡廳的報(bào)道。那是有著相同的懷舊情緒并且同樣厭惡工作的X一代(出生于1970年代的美國(guó)人)，我們稱他們是“成年的孩子們”。而我們現(xiàn)在所看到的是Y一代(出生于1980年后的美國(guó)人)相同的情感，只不過他們不那么感到羞愧了。”

　　Indeed, as millennials have sought to return to the toys of their own childhoods, clever brands have pandered to their every needs, often charging very adult prices for essentially souped-up versions of 90s toys. Could it be that Gen Y, unable to afford to move on with their lives in the traditional sense – getting a mortgage, for one – are seeking more immediate pleasures?

　　的確，當(dāng)千禧一代回歸各種兒時(shí)的玩具時(shí)，精明商家便努力迎合他們的各種需求，經(jīng)常把改裝過的90年代的玩具高價(jià)賣給成年人。Y一代會(huì)不會(huì)因?yàn)槌袚?dān)不起傳統(tǒng)意義上長(zhǎng)大的代價(jià)——比如支付不起抵押貸款——而去尋求更加直接的樂趣呢?

　　“Probably true,” says Ellerton. “If they put every spare pound they get into savings now, it could [still] take 10 or 15 years to get a deposit. This generation is characterised by not putting off today for tomorrow – they spend on experiences, so £500 for a toy is worth it to them.”

　　伊勒頓說：“很有可能是這樣。如果他們把多余的每一分錢都存進(jìn)銀行，也得花10到15年才能有一筆像樣的存款。這一代人的特點(diǎn)就是及時(shí)行樂，他們喜歡花錢體驗(yàn)生活，所以一個(gè)價(jià)值500英鎊的玩具對(duì)他們來說是物有所值�！�

　　And it’s not just millennials. The ‘middle aged’ bracket of 34-50 may be least likely to buy their own toys – as they’re most likely to have young children themselves – but baby boomers account for a fifth of the ‘kidult’ market spend.

　　不僅僅千禧一代是如此。34到50歲的中年一代應(yīng)該是最不可能給自己買玩具的人群，畢竟他們基本都有自己的孩子了，而事實(shí)卻是，戰(zhàn)后嬰兒潮一代(1946年-1964年出生人群)的消費(fèi)竟占據(jù)了五分之一的“成人玩具”市場(chǎng)。

　　“I have a lot of toys around the house, but it’s more of a way of connecting with the kids,” says Andrew Birkin, a 71-year-old screenwriter with young children from his second marriage. “[The toys] went away when my older ones grew up, but now I get them out to spend time with them and fiddle about myself. I’m fortunate – my five-year-old loves World War One and rockets and planes, so that’s interesting for me as well. I even bought a drone, to take photos and show him.”

　　“我家里有很多玩具，但這些大多都是與孩子們一起玩耍用的，”71歲的編劇安德魯•伯金這樣說，他與繼子女住在一起�！澳昙o(jì)大一些的孩子們長(zhǎng)大后，他們的玩具就都收起來了，但是現(xiàn)在我把它們找了出來，陪孩子們玩，自己同時(shí)也以此打發(fā)時(shí)間。我很慶幸我五歲的小兒子喜歡一戰(zhàn)玩具，還喜歡火箭和飛機(jī)，我對(duì)這些也很感興趣。我甚至還買了一架無人機(jī)，用來拍照并給我的小兒子展示。”

　　Willner’s motivations are slightly more profound. When he became a man, it was important he didn’t put away childish things.

　　而維爾納想得更深刻一些。當(dāng)他長(zhǎng)大成人時(shí)，還能葆有一顆簡(jiǎn)單的童心是多么的重要。

　　“I don’t want to be one of these people surrounded by models or spending all my money [on toys], but it’s more like a symbol of what really matters – fun.”