An ageing population 人口老龄化

全球人口正在经历老龄化，这重要吗？虽然人口老龄化意味着劳动人口比重下降，老年人更依赖政府救济，但这件事情也有积极的一面。有哪些办法可以减轻人口老龄化的影响？本期 “随身英语” 围绕这一现象展开讨论。

词汇：age 年龄老化

There’s one thing for certain – we’re all getting older. And while the older amongst us may be 

no spring chickens 

any more, growing old 

gracefully

 is no bad thing. And with age comes 

wisdom

. However, as the world population 

ages

, will there be enough people to replace our younger selves? 有一件事是肯定的——我们都在变老。虽然我们中的老年人可能不再是年轻的年轻人，但优雅地变老并不是一件坏事。随着年龄的增长，智慧也随之增长。然而，随着世界人口老龄化，会有足够的人来取代我们年轻时的自己吗? A situation where there are more old people than young certainly has an effect on the world. A report by the Pew Research Center says that globally the number of people over 65 years old will triple by 2050, drastically altering some countries’ 

demographic make-up

. 老年人多于年轻人的情况肯定会对世界产生影响。皮尤研究中心的一份报告称，到2050年，全球65岁以上的人口数量将增加两倍，这将极大地改变一些国家的人口构成。 This growing and 

dependent 

population means that there is an increased demand for health and 

social care

. Governments will struggle to provide satisfactory 

pensions

, which are ultimately funded by taxes paid by the 

working population

. And long-term, a smaller population of economically-active people may be a problem for companies trying to recruit staff. 这种不断增长和依赖的人口意味着对保健和社会护理的需求增加。政府将努力提供令人满意的养老金，这些养老金最终由劳动人口缴纳的税款提供。长期来看，从事经济活动的人口减少可能会给那些试图招聘员工的公司带来问题。 Attitudes to an 

ageing population

 vary around the world. The Pew Research Center survey found that 87% of Japanese people were most concerned about it, while only 26% of people from the USA were. Here, immigration is helping to boost the younger workforce. Some countries thought 

the elderly

 should take care of themselves, while others thought it was the responsibility of the family. Many thought the government should be responsible. 世界各地对人口老龄化的态度各不相同。皮尤研究中心的调查发现，87%的日本人最关心这个问题，而只有26%的美国人关心这个问题。在这里，移民正在帮助增加年轻劳动力。一些国家认为老年人应该照顾好自己，而另一些国家则认为这是家庭的责任。许多人认为政府应该对此负责。 But 

old age

 shouldn’t just be seen negatively. Elderly people have knowledge and experience they can 

pass on

. Some have wealth which they can spend, helping the economy. And some help society by doing voluntary or charity work. Of course, solutions are needed to tackle the issue, and these include increasing the 

retirement age

, encouraging people to save for the future, persuading skilled and educated migrants to fill labour shortages, or even convincing people to have more children. 但不应该只消极地看待老年。老年人拥有可以传承的知识和经验。一些人拥有可以用来消费的财富，从而促进经济发展。还有一些人通过做志愿或慈善工作来帮助社会。当然，解决这个问题需要解决方案，其中包括提高退休年龄，鼓励人们为未来储蓄，说服有技能和受过教育的移民填补劳动力短缺，甚至说服人们多生孩子。 词汇表 no spring chicken 不再年轻 gracefully 优雅地，体面地 wisdom 智慧 age 变老，老龄化 demographic make-up 人口构成 dependent 需要被赡养的，依赖他人生活的 social care 社会护理服务 pension 养老金 working population 劳动人口 ageing population 老龄化人口 the elderly 老人，上了年纪的人 old age 老龄，老年 pass on 传授 retirement age 退休年龄

测验与练习

1. 阅读课文并回答问题。

1. According to research, what will happen to the number of over 65-year-olds by 2050? 2. Who funds the pensions paid out by governments? 3. Who do people think should take care of the elderly? 4. True or false?

 Skilled migrants can help overcome the problems of a shrinking workforce.

5. What can elderly people do with the experience and knowledge they have?

2. 选择意思恰当的单词或词组来完成下列句子。

1. The professor was known for her experience and _______. pensions           wisdom           pass on          dependant 2. I’m planning for my _______ by saving money every month. old age            elderly            retirement age     pass on 3. Although incredibly _______, my 90-year-old grandma has such a wonderful spirit. depending          dependable        dependent        depends 4. I’m going to _______ my knowledge of baking to my children. gracefully           wisdom           old age                     pass on 5. A special grocery delivery service has been set up to help the _______ in the community. old age            elderly            pension           retirement age

答案

1. 阅读课文并回答问题。

1. According to research, what will happen to the number of over 65-year-olds by 2050?

A report by the Pew Research Center says that globally, the number of people over 65 years old will triple by 2050.

2. Who funds the pensions paid out by governments?

Governments provide pensions which are ultimately funded by taxes paid by the working population.

3. Who do people think should take care of the elderly?

It varies. Some think they should take care of themselves, while others believe it should be the family’s job. Many think it’s the government’s responsibility.

4. True or false? 

Skilled migrants can help overcome the problems of a shrinking workforce.

True. Encouraging skilled and educated migrants can fill labour shortages.

5. What can elderly people do with the experience and knowledge they have?

Elderly people have knowledge and experience they can pass on.

2. 选择意思恰当的单词或词组来完成下列句子。

1. The professor was known for her experience and 

wisdom

. 2. I’m planning for my 

old age

 by saving money every month. 3. Although incredibly 

dependent

, my 90-year-old grandma has such a wonderful spirit. 4. I’m going to 

pass on

 my knowledge of baking to my children. 5. A special grocery delivery service has been set up to help the 

elderly

 in the community. 文章来源BBC侵权删。