CCTV9英语新闻：China close to low fertility trap

China's birthrate is moving toward a dangerously low level. Experts are calling for  scrapping of restrictions¹ on a second child as soon as possible, and even more aggressive changes to the family planning policy. Wu Guoxiu speaks to an expert from the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences to get some insight.

 

The world's most populous² country has a dangerously low birth rate. A recent report from the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences says the fertility rate in China is now 1.4 children per woman, close to the global warning line of 1.3, or the "low fertility trap". And it warns, once it slips into the trap, no country has ever returned to the replacement³ level.

 

"In the future we will have a labor⁴ shortage and labor aging, this is what definitely will happen. For the developed countries we observed, their response to that is introducing immigrants. However for China, we have such a large population, I don’t think any country can fill this large hole when we need more labor force, so we can only solve this problem by ourselves," Professor Zheng Zhenzhen with Institute Of Population & Labor Economics, CASS, said.

 

For over thirty years, China had allowed each couple to have only one child.  In 2013, it began to allow couples to have a second child if either is an only child. But few couples chose this option.

 

Official figures show of 11 million couples eligible⁵ for a second child, as of September, only 800,000 had applied⁶. That’s only 7 percent.

 

"According to our research, more money is not enough. They need to have more time and stable job, especially for the mother. For example, government staff, state-run enterprise staff, university professors and staff, they have relatively⁷ stable job, less competitive. On the other side, a lot of women working in high-competitive jobs look like less likely to have a second child," Professor Zheng said.

 

Experts from the Academy are calling the government to fully⁸ lift all restrictions on a second child, the sooner the better. And to adjust the family planning policy, even more.

 

"Maybe if we remove the birth-control policy, there will be more birth in a couple of years, it looks like a disadvantage in a short time, but it will make the population more balanced in the age structure in the long run, so it will benefit our economic development," Professor Zheng said.

 

1 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制

2 populous   

adj.人口稠密的，人口众多的

参考例句：

• London is the most populous area of Britain.伦敦是英国人口最稠密的地区。
• China is the most populous developing country in the world.中国是世界上人口最多的发展中国家。

3 replacement   

n.取代，替换，交换；替代品，代用品

参考例句：

• We are hard put to find a replacement for our assistant.我们很难找到一个人来代替我们的助手。
• They put all the students through the replacement examination.他们让所有的学生参加分班考试。

4 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。

5 eligible   

adj.有条件被选中的；(尤指婚姻等)合适(意)的

参考例句：

• He is an eligible young man.他是一个合格的年轻人。
• Helen married an eligible bachelor.海伦嫁给了一个中意的单身汉。

6 applied   

adj.应用的；v.应用，适用

参考例句：

• She plans to take a course in applied linguistics.她打算学习应用语言学课程。
• This cream is best applied to the face at night.这种乳霜最好晚上擦脸用。

7 relatively   

adv.比较...地，相对地

参考例句：

• The rabbit is a relatively recent introduction in Australia.兔子是相对较新引入澳大利亚的物种。
• The operation was relatively painless.手术相对来说不痛。

8 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。