Japan tries to curb its plummeting population

日本试图遏制其人口急剧下降的趋势

来源：福克斯新闻 翻译：世界播

Japan’s government believes that 921,000 babies will be born by the end of 2018 — 25,000 fewer than in the previous year. (REUTERS)

日本政府认为，到2018年年底，将有92.1万名婴儿出生，比前一年减少2.5万人。( 路透社)

The acceleration of Japan’s population collapse is so rapid that the country’s birthrate has dropped to a historic level, the lowest since data gathering began in 1899, according to reports.

据报道，日本人口急剧减少，出生率已降至历史水平，这是1899年开始收集数据以来的最低水平。

The Japan Times reported that its government believes that 921,000 babies will be born by the end of 2018 — 25,000 fewer than in the previous year.

据“日本时报”报道，日本政府认为，到2018年年底，将有92.1万名婴儿出生，比前一年减少2.5万人。

The country’s birth and death rates are creating huge social and economic concerns, as NPR reported.

据国家公共电台报道，该国的出生率和死亡率正在引起巨大的社会和经济问题。

About 127 million people live in Japan, and its population could drop below 100 million by 2049. By 2036, one in three people will be elderly, creating workforce concerns.

大约有1.27亿人生活在日本，到2049年，日本的人口可能会减少到1亿以下。到2036年，三分之一的人将是老年人，这引起了劳动力不足的问题。

The Atlantic reported that a major factor may be that labor laws were changed in the 1990s leading to more freelance work rather than stable jobs for workers — building “a class of men who don’t marry and have children because they — and their potential partners — know they can’t afford to.”

“大西洋月刊”报道称，一个主要原因可能是，上世纪90年代，劳动法发生了变化，带来了更多的自由职业者，而非稳定的工作岗位-导致“有一群没有结婚、也没有孩子的的人，因为他们-以及他们的潜在伴侣-知道自己负担不起。”

Reports have said among Japanese singles between the ages of 18 and 34, nearly 70 percent of men and 60 percent of women were not in a relationship.

有报道称，在18至34岁的日本单身人士中，近70%的男性和60%的女性没有恋爱。

The country’s social security system is being redeveloped on the premise that aging and a shrinking population will continue.

在人口老龄化和人口萎缩的前提下，日本的社会保障体系正在重新发展。

In September, Foreign Minister Taro Kono said Japan is gearing up to accept more foreign workers as its own population is on the brink of a steep decline. Kono told a World Economic Forum meeting in Hanoi that Japan gains “value added” by accepting foreigners, especially since its aging population and low birth rate mean the country is shrinking by a half-million people a year.

今年9月，日本外相河野太郎表示，日本正准备接受更多的外国工人，因为日本的人口正处于急剧下降的边缘。河野在河内举行的世界经济论坛会议上表示，日本通过接纳外国人获得了“附加值”，尤其是人口老龄化和低出生率意味着日本每年减少50万人口。

“We cannot sustain our society like that,” he said in response to a question during a panel discussion. “We are opening up our country. We are opening up our labor market to foreign countries. We are now trying to come up with a new work permit policy so I think everyone shall be welcome in Japan if they are willing to assimilate into Japanese society.”

“我们不能这样维持我们的社会，”他在小组讨论中回答一个问题时说。“我们正在开放我们的国家。我们正在向外国开放劳动力市场。我们现在正努力想出一个新的工作许可政策，所以我认为，如果每个人都愿意融入日本社会，我们将非常欢迎。“