"Empty nesters" in focus as China marks Seniors' Day

"Empty nesters" in focus as China marks Seniors' Day

 SHANGHAI, Oct. 23 (Xinhua) -- With China's fast economic expansion driving many youngsters away from their hometowns to work in big cities, some Chinese are starting to recognize the physical and psychological toll¹ that their migration² has had on their parents.

With no children at home to take care of them, "empty nesters" have become increasingly vulnerable, according to netizens who expressed their worries online on Seniors' Day, a holiday that calls for spending time with one's parents.

Seniors' Day falls on Oct. 23 this year.

A "yellow bracelet³" campaign initiated⁴ by the China Population Welfare Foundation to help wayward elderly people find their way home has been one of the most discussed topics online.

The foundation posted a message on Sina Weibo, a popular microblogging site, asking netizens to help senior citizens who are spotted⁵ wearing yellow rubber bracelets⁶ donated by the foundation to make their way back home, as the bracelets indicate that the person in question has memory loss and may need help returning home.

The foundation said it would donate one bracelet for each time the post was forwarded. The post had been forwarded more than 50,000 times as of Tuesday evening.

"Every day we see messages about missing elderly people who cannot find their way home due to memory loss," the post said. "A single click can help an old man make his way home."

Many netizens said they were happy to forward the post, as many of them do not have time to take care of or even visit their parents.

"It's not easy to find a job today and I wouldn't dare take leave to visit my parents and grandparents," said Shanghai resident Pan Xian, adding that her grandmother has had difficulty remembering her face when she does manage to visit.

Pan said it is too expensive for her family to move in with her in Shanghai.

"The most regretful thing is that when you want to treat your parents better, they are already gone," wrote netizen "niu'ya'niununu."

Another post on Sina Weibo asking young people to reunite and have conversations with their parents during the holiday was also a popular topic on Tuesday.

The post encouraged young people to express their love toward their parents, as Chinese custom traditionally discourages vocal⁷ expressions of affection, even toward loved ones.

Experts said the online buzz surrounding the holiday reflects growing pressure that young people face in a time of rapid urbanization.

"It's now common for young Chinese to leave home and pursue their dreams in other cities, a deviation⁸ from the traditions that require children to stay with their aging parents and take care of them," said Sun Pengbiao, secretary-general of the Gerontological Society of Shanghai.

Sun said fast-paced urban life and fierce competition in the job market have placed great pressure on many Chinese, many of whom are only sons or daughters due to the effects of the one-child policy.

Fifty-four percent of respondents to a survey conducted by Daguu.com, a job-hunting website for migrant workers, stated that they visit their parents less than twice a year.

Most of the surveyed workers said they would not bring their parents to the cities where they work, citing high living costs as the main reason.

Zhang Youde, a sociologist⁹ at the Shanghai University of Political Science and Law, advised young people to teach their parents to surf the Internet in order to increase interaction between them.

"Online communication is an effective way for young people to provide care," said Zhang.

1 toll   

n.过路(桥)费；损失，伤亡人数；v.敲(钟)

参考例句：

• The hailstone took a heavy toll of the crops in our village last night.昨晚那场冰雹损坏了我们村的庄稼。
• The war took a heavy toll of human life.这次战争夺去了许多人的生命。

2 migration   

n.迁移，移居，（鸟类等的）迁徙

参考例句：

• Swallows begin their migration south in autumn.燕子在秋季开始向南方迁移。
• He described the vernal migration of birds in detail.他详细地描述了鸟的春季移居。

3 bracelet   

n.手镯，臂镯

参考例句：

• The jeweler charges lots of money to set diamonds in a bracelet.珠宝匠要很多钱才肯把钻石镶在手镯上。
• She left her gold bracelet as a pledge.她留下她的金手镯作抵押品。

4 initiated   

n. 创始人 adj. 新加入的 vt. 开始，创始，启蒙，介绍加入

参考例句：

• He has not yet been thoroughly initiated into the mysteries of computers. 他对计算机的奥秘尚未入门。
• The artist initiated the girl into the art world in France. 这个艺术家介绍这个女孩加入巴黎艺术界。

5 spotted   

adj.有斑点的，斑纹的，弄污了的

参考例句：

• The milkman selected the spotted cows,from among a herd of two hundred.牛奶商从一群200头牛中选出有斑点的牛。
• Sam's shop stocks short spotted socks.山姆的商店屯积了有斑点的短袜。

6 bracelets   

n.手镯，臂镯( bracelet的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The lamplight struck a gleam from her bracelets. 她的手镯在灯光的照射下闪闪发亮。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• On display are earrings, necklaces and bracelets made from jade, amber and amethyst. 展出的有用玉石、琥珀和紫水晶做的耳环、项链和手镯。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 vocal   

adj.直言不讳的；嗓音的；n.[pl.]声乐节目

参考例句：

• The tongue is a vocal organ.舌头是一个发音器官。
• Public opinion at last became vocal.终于舆论哗然。

8 deviation   

n.背离，偏离；偏差，偏向；离题

参考例句：

• Deviation from this rule are very rare.很少有违反这条规则的。
• Any deviation from the party's faith is seen as betrayal.任何对党的信仰的偏离被视作背叛。

9 sociologist   

n.研究社会学的人，社会学家

参考例句：

• His mother was a sociologist,researching socialism.他的母亲是个社会学家，研究社会主义。
• Max Weber is a great and outstanding sociologist.马克斯·韦伯是一位伟大的、杰出的社会学家。