原文期刊：经济学人
原文标题：Coping with Senility in Japan
本文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 ①Japan is one of the planet’s oldest societies, pipped only by tiny Monaco for the proportion of elderly in the population. ②Lengthening life expectancy is a boon for millions of Japanese retirees leading full lives. ③But it also means a sharp increase in the numbers suffering from dementia. ④Who, asks Florian Coulmas, an expert on Japanese ageing, should accept responsibility for people unable to articulate their own interests or care for themselves?
II ①Over 5m elderly Japanese suffer from dementia. ②By 2025 some 7m will need care, the health ministry predicts. ③Most live at home, putting a strain on relatives. ④A new survey says three-quarters 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.
III ①Japan has made strides in coping with the problems of a population with ever fewer young people. ②The 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. ③Many elderly say they are keen to keep on working for as long as they are fit. ④As for dealing with senility, some approaches have been innovative. ⑤Convenience stores, everywhere in Japan, offer themselves as safe havens for wandering pensioners. ⑥Phone and car companies have made products with simpler, more intuitive functions.
IV ①Policy and spending lag, however. ②Public 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, according to the most recent OECD comparison. ③One reason is that relatives are still the main caregivers in Japan, says Miharu Nakanishi of the Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science. ④Family members often quit work and burn through savings to look after senile parents.
V ①Undaunted, the prime minister, Shinzo Abe, promises that Japan will become an example to the world in dealing with senility. ②Among his promises is better funding for research into Alzheimer’s disease and more money to train 60,000 doctors in its early diagnosis. ③But much more should be done, including lowering the immigration barriers that keep out foreign care workers (which Mr Abe shows little sign of doing). ④Ms Nakanishi says the entire national strategy for dealing with dementia is fragmented. ⑤Above all, she says, the government has failed properly to consult with those who actually take care of the elderly.
【词汇短语】
1.*pip [pɪp] v. 打败，击败
2.life expectancy n. 预期寿命
3.*boon [buːn] n. 恩惠；福利；利益
4.retiree [rɪ,taɪə’riː] n. 退休人员
5.*dementia [dɪ’menʃə] n. 痴呆
6.put a strain on 使……（极度）劳累
7.at one’s wits’ end 山穷水尽；智穷计尽
8.stride [straɪd] n. 大步；步幅；进展
9.fit [fɪt] a. 健康的；合适的；恰当的；准备好的
10.*senility [sɪ’nɪlɪtɪ] n. 衰老；高龄；老态龙钟
11.*haven [‘heɪv(ə)n] n. 港口；避难所，安息所
12.pensioner [‘penʃ(ə)nə] n.领养老金者
13.lag [læg] vi. 滞后
14.undaunted [ʌn’dɔːntɪd] a. 勇敢的，无畏的
15.*Alzheimer [‘ælz’ɛmɚ] n. 阿尔茨海默病，老年痴呆症（等于Alzheimer’s disease）
（注：标*的为超纲词）
【翻译点评】
I ①Japan is one of the planet’s oldest societies, pipped only by tiny Monaco for the proportion of elderly in the population. ②Lengthening life expectancy is a boon for millions of Japanese retirees leading full lives. ③But it also means a sharp increase in the numbers suffering from dementia. ④Who, 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：本文可以分为两大部分，第I段是引子，引出全文讨论话题日本老龄化问题，第II~V段为具体论述，其中第II段介绍老年痴呆这一典型老年病凸显问题的严重性；第III、IV两段分别从正反面介绍了日本政府为老龄化问题采取的有效措施以及不足之处；第V段则引用他人观点评述了日本政府的做法。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等词及词组构成的近义词场完成。句①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②③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②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retirees（句①中elderly的下义词），暗示对其他老人来说不一定是好事。句③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④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。
II ①Over 5m elderly Japanese suffer from dementia. ②By 2025 some 7m will need care, the health ministry predicts. ③Most live at home, putting a strain on relatives. ④A new survey says three-quarters 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。句①②承接上文处理英文，引用数据说明老年痴呆患者人数众多，且呈增长趋势。句①介绍目前痴呆老人超过500万，句②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③④介绍了围绕老年痴呆出现的问题。句③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④引用调查结果，进一步表明老年痴呆带来的社会问题，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。
III ①Japan has made strides in coping with the problems of a population with ever fewer young people. ②The 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. ③Many elderly say they are keen to keep on working for as long as they are fit. ④As for dealing with senility, some approaches have been innovative. ⑤Convenience stores, everywhere in Japan, offer themselves as safe havens for wandering pensioners. ⑥Phone 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①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population，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。②至⑥句具体介绍日本采取的措施，包括延迟退休年龄（②③）等比较常见的措施处理英文，以及创造性的措施（④），如便利店为走失的患者提供安全庇护（⑤），手机和汽车公司为患者生产更方便更人性化的产品（⑥）。句②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③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）让人不禁隐隐担忧互联网项目，毕竟上文提到老年人健康问题堪忧，暗示这些措施还不足以解决人口问题。句④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。
IV ①Policy and spending lag, however. ②Public 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, according to the most recent OECD comparison. ③One reason is that relatives are still the main caregivers in Japan, says Miharu Nakanishi of the Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science. ④Family 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 Nakanishi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①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②至④论证句①。句②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③引用权威人士观点一方面说明句②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④补充说明句③，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 through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。
V ①Undaunted, the prime minister, Shinzo Abe, promises that Japan will become an example to the world in dealing with senility. ②Among his promises is better funding for research into Alzheimer’s disease and more money to train 60,000 doctors in its early diagnosis. ③But much more should be done, including lowering the immigration barriers that keep out foreign care workers (which Mr Abe shows little sign of doing). ④Ms Nakanishi says the entire national strategy for dealing with dementia is fragmented. ⑤Above all, she says, the government has failed properly to consult with those who actually take care of the elderly.
翻译：不为所惧的日本首相安倍晋三承诺，日本会在应对老年问题方面为世界各国树立榜样。其中一项承诺为，加大对阿兹海默疾病研究的经费投入，并花费更多资金培训6万医生更好进行早期诊断。但是还有很多措施需要实施，包括降低排斥海外护工的移民门槛（安倍先生根本无意实施）。Nakanishi女士表示，应对老年痴呆问题的全国性战略过于分散。她还认为，最关键的是，日本政府完全没有听取一线护工的意见。
点评：第V段收束全文，对日本政府的行为进行负面评价。句①②介绍日本首相安倍晋三对解决人口问题的美好期许。句①以undaunted开头，点明安倍晋三的态度：不惧问题，对日本成功解决老龄化问题并为世界树立榜样充满信心。句②among his promises与上句中promises呼应，举例说明他许下的承诺之一：投入更多资金进行疾病研究并训练6万名医生进行早期诊断。句③④⑤转而指出要做的还很多，并对日本政府的表现作出了负面评价。句③承接上文安倍晋三的承诺指出要做的还有很多。其中安倍的promise与本句中done形成言语与行动的对比，暗含对安倍只说不做的批判。逗号后现在分词做伴随状语补充说明可行的措施：降低移民门槛，接收外国护工。括号内补充说明安倍对此举措丝毫不予考虑，使得本表尊敬的Mr也带上了讽刺的意味。句④⑤借专家之口点出日本政府的问题在于：整个全国性应对战略分散不成体系；政府未充分听取一线护工的意见。句⑤中above all说明充分听取一线护工的意见是最重要的，然而日本政府未做到这一点，至此作者通过专家观点委婉表达了对日本政府作为的批评。
今日推荐
联系我们
官方微信公众号
世纪高教在线 / 考研英语黄皮书
官方新浪微博
世纪高教在线 / 世纪高教张剑锋
考研英语黄皮书咨询电话
4006-506-139
考研&四六级在线课程与服务
13522750461（同客服黄皮皮微信）
