美国国家公共电台 NPR--How Japan's low-birth rate threatens centuries-old traditions and skills

How Japan's low-birth rate threatens centuries-old traditions and skills

Transcript¹

Small and medium-sized businesses are the backbone² of Japan's economy. But for many, the future is uncertain as a younger generation looks for jobs elsewhere.

A MARTINEZ, HOST:

In Japan, decades of declining birthrates have put tens of thousands of family-owned businesses in crisis. Many have to shut down because there's no one to take over from the aging owners. Now the government there is trying to reverse the trend. NPR's international affairs correspondent Jackie Northam reports from Kanazawa, Japan.

(SOUNDBITE OF MACHINE WHIRRING)

JACKIE NORTHAM, BYLINE³: Shinichi Netsuno sits cross-legged on a thin mat and carefully guides a heavy-duty press as it strikes a thick stack of paper. In between each sheet is a small square of gold leaf. The stack will be beaten over the course of several days until the gold leaf is whisper-thin.

(SOUNDBITE OF MACHINE WHIRRING)

NORTHAM: Everything about gold leaf requires a great deal of skill and time. It's almost all done by hand, even making the paper, says Yoshikazu Netsuno, the owner of this small family-run company.

YOSHIKAZU NETSUNO: (Through interpreter) We soak the paper in a mixture of lye, egg whites and ashes made from rice. Then we soak and dry the paper repeatedly for one year. That helps make it durable⁴. The paper is then hammered out for about three months to make it smooth.

NORTHAM: Netsuno says the smoother the paper, the better the gold leaf. He's been working with gold leaf for six decades, following in his father's and grandfather's footsteps. His tiny factory is really nothing more than a small hut behind his home here in Kanazawa. This western Japanese city produces nearly all of the country's gold leaf. But now the industry is threatened because there aren't enough people to take over the businesses.

NETSUNO: (Through interpreter) In the past, when I was small, it was quite natural for sons to take over the business from the father. My son is going to take over this business. So in our case, we had a successor. But other artisan's families were not so lucky, and they went out of business.

NORTHAM: Netsuno says when he was young, there were more than 300 gold leaf craftsmen⁵ in Kanazawa. Now, he says, there are less than 20.

NAOHISA YAMAGA: (Through interpreter) The craftsmen are getting older, and there's not many successors to this technology.

NORTHAM: Naohisa Yamaga heads the cooperative for the gold leaf industry. He says there are several reasons for the falling number of craftsmen.

YAMAGA: (Through interpreter) Demand for gold leaf is going down. It used to be for Buddhism⁶ temples and altars, but not so many anymore. Also, many young people want white-collar jobs instead of being craftsmen.

NORTHAM: But what's happening with the gold leaf industry is indicative throughout Japan. Everything from restaurants and garages to repair shops and small factories are going under at an alarming rate because of the issue of succession. A recent government report found that roughly 40,000 small and medium businesses were closing each year.

YASUHIRO OCHIAI: (Through interpreter) If this continues, it will create a large impact on Japan's economy.

NORTHAM: Yasuhiro Ochiai, a professor at the University of Shizuoka, specializes in the succession issue. He says smaller businesses are the economic engine of Japan. And many of them are run by people more than 70 years old.

OCHIAI: (Through interpreter) In Japan, the small- and medium-sized enterprises make up 97% of entire operating companies. When these businesses close because there is no successor, the skill and technology are lost. It also hurts the local economy.

(SOUNDBITE OF MACHINE WHIRRING)

NORTHAM: But there are moves to stem the tide, including a new program to train craftsmen in Kanazawa. Twenty-four-year-old Mio Oketani is doing her apprenticeship⁷ at the Netsuno factory. That includes navigating⁸ the hammering machine, where one slip can cost you a thumb.

MIO OKETANI: (Through interpreter) I was majoring in Japanese painting at university and discovered that gold foil is used in paints and artifacts. It's beautiful. And so I wanted to become a craftsperson to make gold foil, to keep these skills alive.

NORTHAM: But there are only four new applicants⁹ allowed into the training program every three years. And Yamaga, with the gold leaf cooperative, says it can take at least a decade to become a full-fledged craftsman¹⁰.

YAMAGA: To be honest, we don't know what will happen in the future. It all depends on the willingness of those four interns¹¹, whether they want to stay on in this business. But we hope they can help save the industry.

NORTHAM: But like many other small and medium businesses in Japan, they're up against the clock, as more aged¹² owners retire with no one to fill their shoes.

Jackie Northam, NPR News, Kanazawa.

1 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

2 backbone   

n.脊骨，脊柱，骨干；刚毅，骨气

参考例句：

• The Chinese people have backbone.中国人民有骨气。
• The backbone is an articulate structure.脊椎骨是一种关节相连的结构。

3 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

4 durable   

adj.持久的，耐久的

参考例句：

• This raincoat is made of very durable material.这件雨衣是用非常耐用的料子做的。
• They frequently require more major durable purchases.他们经常需要购买耐用消费品。

5 craftsmen   

n. 技工

参考例句：

• rugs handmade by local craftsmen 由当地工艺师手工制作的小地毯
• The craftsmen have ensured faithful reproduction of the original painting. 工匠保证要复制一幅最接近原作的画。

6 Buddhism   

n.佛教（教义）

参考例句：

• Buddhism was introduced into China about 67 AD.佛教是在公元67年左右传入中国的。
• Many people willingly converted to Buddhism.很多人情愿皈依佛教。

7 apprenticeship   

n.学徒身份；学徒期

参考例句：

• She was in the second year of her apprenticeship as a carpenter. 她当木工学徒已是第二年了。
• He served his apprenticeship with Bob. 他跟鲍勃当学徒。

8 navigating   

v.给（船舶、飞机等）引航，导航( navigate的现在分词 )；（从海上、空中等）横越；横渡；飞跃

参考例句：

• These can also be very useful when navigating time-based documents, such as video and audio. 它对于和时间有关的文档非常有用，比如视频和音频文档。 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓
• Vehicles slowed to a crawl on city roads, navigating slushy snow. 汽车在市区路上行驶缓慢，穿越泥泞的雪地。 来自互联网

9 applicants   

申请人，求职人( applicant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• There were over 500 applicants for the job. 有500多人申请这份工作。
• He was impressed by the high calibre of applicants for the job. 求职人员出色的能力给他留下了深刻印象。

10 craftsman   

n.技工，精于一门工艺的匠人

参考例句：

• A cabinet maker must be a master craftsman.家具木工必须是技艺高超的手艺人。
• The craftsman is working up the mass of clay into a toy figure.艺人把一团泥捏成玩具形状。

11 interns   

n.住院实习医生( intern的名词复数 )v.拘留，关押( intern的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• Our interns also greet our guests when they arrive in our studios. 我们的实习生也会在嘉宾抵达演播室的时候向他们致以问候。 来自超越目标英语 第4册
• The interns work alongside experienced civil engineers and receive training in the different work sectors. 实习生陪同有经验的国内工程师工作，接受不同工作部门的相关培训。 来自超越目标英语 第4册

12 aged   

adj.年老的，陈年的

参考例句：

• He had put on weight and aged a little.他胖了，也老点了。
• He is aged,but his memory is still good.他已年老，然而记忆力还好。