日本人口老龄化

1、“Coping with Senilitin Japan”本文节选自经济学人一篇题为“Coping with Senility in Japan”的 文章。节选部分以日本老龄人口比重在世界的排名引出讨论主题：日 本应如何应对老龄化带来的一系列问题。文章接着展开对日本老龄化 问题的讨论，首先以老年痴呆为例介绍日本正面临严重的老龄化问 题，亟待解决，然后肯定日本政府为此做出的努力，继而指出其不足 之处，最后引用专家观点对日本政府的表现予以评价。本文结构清楚， 采用列数据、举例子、引用他人话语多种论证方式，说理克制却有力， 值得赏读。原文I Japan is one of the planets o

2、ldest societies, pipped only by tiny Monaco for the proportion of elderly in the population.Lengthening life expectancy is a boon for millions of Japanese retirees leading full lives.But it also means a sharp increase in the numbers suffering from dementia.Who, asks Florian Coulmas, an expert on Jap

3、anese ageing, should accept responsibility for people unable to articulate their own interests or care for themselves?7m will need care, the health ministry predicts.Most live at home, putting a strain on relatives.A new survey says three-quarters of people looking after elderly family members are a

4、t their wits end, and many have considered suicide, or worse: last year police recorded 44 cases of murder or attempted murder in such homes.Japan has made strides in coping with the problems of a population with ever fewer young people.The retirement age has been pushed back, and it is not unusual

5、for 70-year-olds to be driving taxis, working as watchmen on building sites and serving in supermarkets.Many elderly say they are keen to keep on working for as long as they are fit. As for dealing with senility, some approaches have been innovative. Convenience stores, everywhere in Japan, offer th

6、emselves as safe havens for wandering pensioners.Phone and car companies have made products with simpler, more intuitive functions.Policy and spending lag, however.Public funding for long-term care for the elderly was the equivalent of just 1.2% of GDP in 2010 versus 3.7% in the Netherlands, accordi

7、ng to the most recent OECD comparison.One reason is that relatives are still the main caregivers in Japan, says Miharu Nakanishi of the Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science.Family members often quit work and burn through savings to lookafter senile parents.Undaunted, the prime minister, S

8、hinzo Abe, promises that Japan will become an example to the world in dealing with se nility. Among his promises is better funding for research into Alzheimers disease and more money to train 60,000 doctors in its early diagnosis.But much more should be done, including lowering the immigration barri

9、ers that keep out foreign care workers (which Mr Abe shows little sign of doing).Ms Nakanishi says the entire national strategy for dealing with dementia is fragmented.Above all, she says, the government has failed properly to consult with those who actually take care of the elderly.“Coping with Sen

10、ility in Japan The Economist, Apr. 9th.词汇短语*pip pip v.打败，击败，险胜life expectancy n,预期寿命，平均寿命*boon bu:n n.恩惠；福利；利益retiree ri,taiari: n.退休人员*dementiadimenja n.痴呆put a strain on 使.(极度)劳累at ones witsend山穷水尽；智穷计尽stride straid n,大步；步幅；进展fit fit a.健康的；合适的；恰当的；准备好的*senility siniliti n.衰老；高龄；老态龙钟*haven heiv(a)n

11、 n,港口；避难所，安息所pensioner penj(a)na n.领养老金者lag lg vi.滞后undaunted Andomtid a.勇敢的，无畏的*AlzheimerWlzHmi n.阿尔茨海默病，老年痴呆症(等于 Alzheimers disease)点评I Japan is one of the planets oldest societies, pipped only by tiny Monaco for the proportion of elderly in the population. Lengthening life expectancy is a boon fo

12、r millions of Japanese retirees leading full lives.But it also means a sharp increase in the numbers suffering from dementia.Who, asks Florian Coulmas, an expert on Japanese ageing, should accept responsibility for people unable to articulate their own interests or care for themselves?翻译：日本是地球上最年长的国

13、家之一，老年人占总人口比例仅次于 世界第二小国摩纳哥。对于日本数百万过着充实生活的退休老人来 说，预期寿命得以延长是一件好事。但这同时也意味着罹患老年痴呆 的人数激增。日本老龄化问题专家Florian Coulmas问道，谁应该为这 些无法表达自己喜好、无法照顾自己的人们担起责任？点评:第I段以日本老年人比例居世界第二的数据引入文章论述主题: 老龄化问题。本段段内衔接由 oldest，elderly，retiree，dementia，ageing， people unable to articulate their own interests or care for themselves 等

14、词及词组构成的近义词场完成。句引用老年人比例世界排名结果， 引出话题：日本老龄化问题。前半句正面介绍日本为最年长的国家之 一，其中限定范围用词为planet而非更为常见的world，凸显日本老 龄化的严重程度。后半句则从反面说明日本老年人比重仅次于摩纳 哥，居世界第二，其中tiny点出摩纳哥之小，暗示老龄化问题对于大 得多的日本来说是更大的挑战。句从正反两方面介绍了老龄化 的影响，两句由but，also衔接表转折并列，重点强调老龄化带来的 问题，为下文探究应对措施做铺垫。句说明老龄化对于过着充实 退休生活的老人来说是好事。leading full lives动名词作后置定语修饰 retiree

15、s （句中elderly的下义词），暗示对其他老人来说不一定是 好事。句转而（But）指出老龄化带来的严重问题：老年痴呆患者 人数激增。句则借老龄化问题专家之口顺而提出问题：谁应该为 日益庞大的痴呆老人群体负责？引出下文对于老龄化问题的现状及 其应对措施的论述。people unable.与上句中 suffering from dementia 同义。7m will need care, the health ministry predicts.Most live at home, putting a strain on relatives.A new survey says three-qu

16、arters of people looking after elderly family members are at their wits end , and many have considered suicide, or worse: last year police recorded 44 cases of murder or attempted murder in such homes.翻译：日本现有500多万老人罹患痴呆。卫生部预测，到2025年， 将有大约700万人需要护理。多数患者住在家中，成为家人的沉重负 担。一项新的研究显示照料家中老人的人中，四分之三感到无能为力。 很多

17、人考虑过自杀，甚至出现更糟的结果：去年警方记录类似家庭发 生谋杀与杀人未遂案件共44起。点评：第II段说明老年痴呆问题严重，甚至引发犯罪。承接上 文，引用数据说明老年痴呆患者人数众多，且呈增长趋势。句介 绍目前痴呆老人超过500万，句引用卫生部权威数据说明2025年 这一数字将增至700万。直接引用数据直观且有说服力。两句由时间 状语by 2025衔接。句介绍了围绕老年痴呆出现的问题。句 前半句点明前提：多数痴呆老人住在家中。Most回指上文中提到的 痴呆患者。Putting a strain on动名词表结果，说明老年痴呆患者成为 家人的负担。句引用调查结果，进一步表明老年痴呆带来的社会 问

18、题，不仅把看护的家人逼到无路可走，甚至引发谋杀或杀人未遂等 犯罪案件。Many 指代 people looking after.， such homes 指代有老年 痴呆患者的家庭。putting a strain，at their wits end，suicide， murder or attempted murder由轻到重递进展示了单就老年痴呆疾病带来的 负面影响；而 most, three-quarters, many, 44 cases则表明人数之多， 问题之严重。从患病人数及疾病的影响两个方面强调了老年痴呆的严 重性，为下文转入应对措施的讨论做铺垫。Japan has made s

19、trides in coping with the problems of a population with ever fewer young people.The retirement age has been pushed back, and it is not unusual for 70-year-olds to be driving taxis, working as watchmen on building sites and serving in supermarkets.Many elderly say they are keen to keep on working for

20、 as long as they are fit. As for dealing with senility, some approaches have been innovative. Convenience stores, everywhere in Japan, offer themselves as safe havens for wandering pensioners.Phone and car companies have made products with simpler, more intuitive functions.翻译：日本在应对人口老龄化和少子化问题方面已经取得了

21、很大进 步。退休年龄延迟，70多岁的出租车司机、建筑工地守门人、超市 工作人员并不少见。很多老年人表示只要身体条件允许，他们很乐意 继续工作。日本在应对老年人问题方面也有一些创新性举措。日本随 处可见的便利店主动为走失的患者提供庇护所。手机和汽车公司也生 产了操作更简单、功能更人性化的产品。点评:第III、IV段从正反两方面探讨日本政府应对老龄化问题的措施。 第III段肯定日本政府在应对老龄化问题的长足进步。句为段落主 旨句，直接点明日本在解决人口问题方面采取了很多有效措施。Stride（大跨步）形象地说明日本取得了很大的成就。with ever fewer young people修饰pop

22、ulation,说明日本面临的人口问题除了老龄化之外还 有少子化，但是本文重点是老龄化，这里提到少子化是为了进一步说 明人口问题的严重性，从而凸显日本在解决人口问题方面取得成就的 不易。至句具体介绍日本采取的措施，包括延迟退休年龄（）等比较常见的措施，以及创造性的措施（），如便利店 为走失的患者提供安全庇护（），手机和汽车公司为患者生产更方 便更人性化的产品（）。句中not unusual说明延长退休年龄这 一措施已经得到比较普遍的实施；句介绍老年人继续工作的意愿， 但条件从句从句as long as they are fit（只要还健康）让人不禁隐隐担 忧，毕竟上文提到老年人健康问题堪忧，暗

23、示这些措施还不足以解决 人口问题。句中some approaches也暗示部分措施不那么有效，为 下文日本政府的不足之处做铺垫。Policy and spending lag, however.Public funding for long -term care for the elderly was the equivalent of just 1.2% of GDP in 2010versus 3.7% in the Netherlands, according to the most recent OECD comparison.One reason is that relatives

24、are still the main caregivers in Japan, says Miharu Nakanishi of the Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science.Family members often quit work and burn through savings to look after senile parents.翻译：但是，政策与资金却有所滞后。经合组织最新报告显示，2010年日本在老人长期护理方面投入的公共资金仅占国内生产总值的1.2%,而荷兰为3.7%。东京都医学综合研究所的Miharu Nakani

25、shi表 示，原因之一在于日本护理老人主要依靠家人。家庭成员常为照顾年 老的父母辞掉工作，花光积蓄。点评：第IV段指出日本政府的不足之处。句为段落主旨句，指出 日本政府问题所在。However实现段落之间的转折衔接，放在句末， 且不加多余修饰，突出强调policy和spending两大问题，直击主题， 简明扼要。句至论证句。句再次列数据，与荷兰对比， 说明日本在老年人长期护理方面的公共资金投入过少，just强调少。 句引用权威人士观点一方面说明句的原因，同时也是政策方面 不足的表现：老人护理过分依赖家人。句补充说明句，指出为 了照顾年迈的父母付出的沉重代价：辞职和花钱。其中burn throu

26、gh 形象地呈现了花钱如流水的景象，说明家人负担重，进而直指日本政 府的不足之处。Undaunted, the prime minister, Shinzo Abe, promises that Japan will become an example to the world in dealing with senility. Among his promises is better funding for research into Alzheimers disease and more money to train 60,000 doctors in its early diagnosis.But much more should be done, including lowering the immigration barriers that keep out foreign care workers (which Mr Abe shows little sign of doing).Ms Nakanishi says the entire national strategy for dealing with dementia is fragmented.Above all, she says, the government has f