日本少子化「國難」
Japan is facing an acute demographic crisis as its elderly population expands and the number of young people shrinks.
隨著老年人口不斷增加，年輕人口不斷縮減，日本正面臨嚴重的人口危機。
acute(adj.)急遽的;嚴重的demographic(adj.)人口統計學的shrink(v.)縮水;縮減=decrease
Last year, the number of births in Japan has fallen to its lowest since records began in 1899, with about 940,000 new babies, according to government data.
日本政府公布數據指出，去年日本新生兒人數僅約94萬，創下自1899年有史以來的新低。
But the country town of Nagi in Okayama Prefecture has seen its fertility rate double since 2005.
但岡山縣奈義町的生育率自2005年來已成長至兩倍。
The explanation is simple — the local government pays families to have babies.
背後的理由很簡單——當地政府用錢鼓勵生育。
Nagi has a population of only around 6,000 people. In 2005, the town had a fertility rate of 1.4, which means that the average woman will have 1.4 children in her lifetime, roughly the national rate. By 2014, the total birth rate rose to 2.8.
奈義町的人口只有約6千人。2005年，奈義町的生育率為1.4，代表一般女性一生中只生1.4個小孩，大概和全國平均值差不多，到了2014年，總出生率成長至2.8。
Provisional figures suggest the rate has since subsided to 1.9, but remains well above the national average.
初步數據顯示，之後奈義町的出生率已降至1.9，但仍遠高於全國平均值。
provisional(adj.)初步的;臨時的;暫定的subside(v.)減少=decline=decrease
The town provides a number of incentives to have babies. Each mother will receive a “celebratory” gift of ¥100,000 (NT$26,792) when they give birth to their first child.
奈義町有許多獎勵生育的措施。每位媽媽在第一個孩子出生的時候，會收到10萬日元（新台幣2萬6792元）的「賀禮」。
incentivegive birth to~生孩子
Mothers of small children can also enjoy subsidized baby-sitting services for just ¥1,800 (NT$482) a day. Baby accessories such as cots and car seats can be rented with discounts.
幼兒母親也可享有公家補助的育嬰服務，每日只要1800日元（新台幣482元）。嬰兒床和汽車座椅等嬰兒用品也有補助。
subsidize(v.)補助;補貼baby-sitting services托嬰服務baby accessories育嬰用品
When a child reaches senior high school, there is a further bonus of 90,000 yen a year to cover the cost of transportation to the school in a neighboring town.
當孩子到高中就學年齡時，因必須到隔壁鎮上的高中就讀，還可獲得9萬日元的津貼。
The local government also pays 30% of the children’s health-care bills.
當地政府還會替孩子支付30％的健保費。
Other initiatives are more creative. The town relies on a network of volunteers to help keep its two nurseries open.
其他鼓勵生育的措施更是創意十足，當地有志工團隊經營兩家托兒所。
initiative(n.)倡議creative(adj.)有創意的rely on~仰賴;依靠=depend on~volunteer(n.)志工nursery(n.)托兒所=daycare centerkindergarten(n.)幼稚園
There are also refurbished and newly built apartments and houses for rent at subsidized rates.
也有新裝修或新建的公寓和獨棟住宅便宜租給家庭。
refurbished(adj.)裝修過的
All these measures have merely increased the share of the town’s ¥4 billion annual budget devoted to raising the fertility rate from 2% to 3%.
奈義町的年度預算近40億日元，這些福利只讓提高生育率的預算從2％增加到3％。
increase(v.)增加=raisebudget(n.)預算be devoted to~ 被用在…
For the Japanese government as well as countries that are dealing with a rapidly aging population, Nagi may provide a case study showing how fertility rates can be increased.
對日本政府還有試圖阻止人口快速老化的國家來說，奈義町或許能成為提高出生率的研究案例。
deal with sth.處理;解決=addressag(e)ing(adj.)老化中的