英闻天下——557 Caring for Families that Lost Their Only Child

 　　Due to China's One Child Policy adopted in 1979, millions of families gave birth to only one child.

 

　　If such families lose the child, or the child becomes disabled after the parents lose their childbearing ability, they will become a "Shi Du Jia Ting", literarily¹ translated as families who lost their only child.

 

　　The number of these families has been surging² in China in recent years.

 

　　With low incomes and being out of physical condition, their lives are much more lonely and helpless.

 

　　Professor Wang Ming from Tsinghua University started to pay attention to such a special group of people when he wrote his proposal to suggest that the country revise its family planning policy.

 

　　"What does a family mean? A family is made up of parents and their child. The child represents the future and hope. A family who lost their only child is like a family who lost their future and hope."

 

　　Ms. Wang is a mother who lost her only son years ago.

 

　　"When I was getting old, I made a plan for my old age. I would have been very happy to help my son bring up his child, but now I've already lost the chance."

 

　　According to Wang Ming, the problem is caused by the special national family planning policy, so the government should take the responsibility to help them.

 

　　He also suggests the government revise the adoption³ law in order to encourage and support such families to adopt an orphan⁴ if they are willing to.

 

　　For families who don't intend to adopt, article 27 of the Law on Population and Family Planning states that local governments should provide necessary help to them, if they've already passed the age of giving birth to a second child.

 

　　But national advisor⁵ Yang Jia, vice-chair of the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, thinks the government should revise this article, since it didn't say clearly what kind of help is necessary to these families.

 

　　"We should mention the necessary help must come from all the three areas -- namely economic, psychological, as well as health care and old age like nursing homes, so that the local government knows where to pay attention and where to support them."

 

　　As a female advisor, Yang also suggests building a mutual⁶ support network among mothers who lost their only child instead of just waiting for government support.

 

　　"Such mothers can have peer⁷ help. We are in the internet age. I think the government or NGOs should set up more networks or platforms for those mothers to communicate more, and to organize more activities."

 

　　According to Yang's research, right now there are more than 1 million families who lost their only child in China. By the year 2035, the number will be more than 10 million.

 

　　For CRI, I'm Shen Ting.

1 literarily   

adv.文学上地，学术上地

参考例句：

2 surging   

n.汹涌

参考例句：

• The historical tide is surging forward with great momentum. 历史洪流气势磅礴，奔腾向前。
• Seagulls hover over the surging waves. 海鸥在惊涛骇浪上翱翔。

3 adoption   

n.采用，采纳，通过；收养

参考例句：

• An adoption agency had sent the boys to two different families.一个收养机构把他们送给两个不同的家庭。
• The adoption of this policy would relieve them of a tremendous burden.采取这一政策会给他们解除一个巨大的负担。

4 orphan   

n.孤儿；adj.无父母的

参考例句：

• He brought up the orphan and passed onto him his knowledge of medicine.他把一个孤儿养大，并且把自己的医术传给了他。
• The orphan had been reared in a convent by some good sisters.这个孤儿在一所修道院里被几个好心的修女带大。

5 advisor   

n.顾问，指导老师，劝告者

参考例句：

• They employed me as an advisor.他们聘请我当顾问。
• The professor is engaged as a technical advisor.这位教授被聘请为技术顾问。

6 mutual   

adj.相互的，彼此的；共同的，共有的

参考例句：

• We must pull together for mutual interest.我们必须为相互的利益而通力合作。
• Mutual interests tied us together.相互的利害关系把我们联系在一起。

7 peer   

n.同辈，同等地位的人，伙伴，贵族；vi.仔细看，费力地看

参考例句：

• Children are easily influenced by their peer.孩子很容易受同辈影响。
• He is a peer.他是一个贵族。