兩個人談戀愛，感情深厚然后搬到一起住似乎已經不是什么新鮮事了。不過近幾年，在英國、瑞典以及日本等國，戀人們卻開始流行“分開同居”了。英國國家統計局的一份報告中說，英國有近35％的人選擇這種同居方式。這到底是怎么回事呢？

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.

“分開同居”（Living Apart Together，英文縮寫為LAT）指一對情侶保持固定的情感關系但卻不住在一起。

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).

伴侶選擇“分開同居”一般有以下三種情形：“樂意分開”、“無奈分開”（由于工作原因、家庭責任、法律或居住要求，以及其它原因）和“暫時分開”（有感情基礎，但還沒有朝同居那個方向考慮）。

Those gladly apart couples claim that their motives include:

自愿選擇“分開同居”的伴侶們列出的原因有：

LAT having "kept their relationship fresh".

“分開同居”能夠讓他們的關系時刻保持新鮮感。

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

既能保持一段親密關系又能擁有自己的空間，這是一種享受。

The anticipation of time together always being special.

盼望相聚的日子總是很特別。

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

能夠在兩種不同文化的氛圍中生活——比如，一個是繁忙的都市，一個是靜謐的鄉村。

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

在自己的地盤，想做什么或者不想做什么都由自己來決定。

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

獨立的經濟和住所意味著在兩人的關系中經濟糾紛不會成為關系破裂的原因。

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

在想要專心工作的時候能夠集中注意力，不會有人打擾。