japanese men in their 40s and 50s had to compete intensely for both jobs and women. thus, they became known as the "carnivorous" generation. now here comes a small but growing class of "herbivore men", they are young, earn little and spend little, and take a keen interest in fashion and personal appearance.

在日本，四五十岁的男人们每天都忙着抢工作、抢女人，因此被称为“食肉族”。现在，一个新兴的群族正在日本兴起，这个群族叫做“草食男”，他们是年轻的一代，收入和支出都不高，他们追逐时尚，并且对自己的外表格外在意。

typically, "herbivore men" are in their 20s and 30s, and believe that friendship without sex can exist between men and women. they are not eager to find girlfriends and tend to be clumsy in love.

通常来说，“草食男”都是二三十岁左右的年纪，他们相信男女之间存在与性无关的友谊，他们并不急着找女朋友，而且通常在爱情方面比较迟钝。

the group does not care so much about making money -- a quality tied to the fact that there are fewer jobs available during the global economic recession.

对于赚钱的事情，他们也不太在意。这点应该跟全球经济危机致使工作机会比较少的整体状况有关。