VOA常速英语2014--联合国全球老龄化会议（在线收听）

UN Panel Meets on Global Aging 联合国全球老龄化会议

This week, a U.N. panel opens a three-day meeting on the ageing of the global population. It’s part of a process that could lead to a new international treaty to protect the rights of older persons.

本周，一个联合国小组就全球人口老龄化召开了为期三天的会议，这是促成保护老年人权利的国际新协定过程的一部分。

This is the fifth session of the Open-ended Working Group on Aging. Its focus is on human rights, the care of older persons, violence, abuse and legal and financial issues. Its work could lead to a U.N. Convention on the Rights of Older People.

这是老龄化开放式工作组第五次会议，其讨论重点是人权、老年人护理、暴力、虐待以及法律和金融问题，这次会议将促成联合国老年人权利公约。

One of the groups driving the process is HelpAge International, which began its Age Demands Action Campaign in 2007.

推动该过程的一个组织是帮助老年人国际组织，该组织2007年开始了“老年要求行动项目”。

HelpAge Chief Executive Toby Porter explained why he believes a convention is needed for those 60 years of age and older.

该项目总裁托比·波特解释为何他认为需要为60岁及以上老人制定这样的公约。

“Elder people around the world still suffer a lot of discrimination, a lot of abuse. There really is a sort of feeling that there have been decades of various commitments, plans of action on ageing, international agreements that more needed to be done for the world’s older people, but it hasn’t really delivered enough change.”

“全世界的老年人仍然遭受很多歧视，很多虐待，过去三十年来我们为世界老年人做出各种各样的承诺、计划、老年人行动计划，也感觉需要为全世界的老年人制定国际协议，但所有这些并没有带来很多改变。”

He said when such a U.N. convention was approved for the disabled it brought dramatic changes for the better.

他说这样的联合国公约得到批准，是希望能带来更好的重大改变。

HelpAge has collected nearly 300,000 petition signatures – from 112 countries – in support of a convention for older people. The movement has gained the support of Nobel Laureate Desmond Tutu of South Africa. In a statement, Tutu said, “This is not a minority issue. We are all growing older.”

帮助老年人组织从112个国家收集了近30万个情愿签名，支持公约对老年人的承诺。这次运动得到南非诺贝尔奖得主图图的支持，他在声明中称，“这不是个小众问题，我们每个人都在变老。”

Porter said it’s important that people’s rights are protected as they age.

波特说重要的是人们在步入老年时其权利能得到保护。

“By protecting people’s rights and ensuring they’re not discriminated against in health services, in the work place, holding property, et cetera, by law, it’s going to benefit society as a whole. Because it’s going to make sure that the contribution of older people can be maximized and to make sure that older people aren’t ignored,” he said.

“通过保护人们的权利，并确保他们不受歧视，无论是在医疗部门、工作场所还是在财产拥有方面还是法律上，这将令整个社会受益。因为这次运动是要确保将老年人的贡献最大化，确保老年人不被忽视。”

Porter called the campaign a “real grassroots movement” that includes many people “who’ve suffered a lifetime of poverty, exclusion and discrimination.”

波特称这次运动是“真正的草根运动”，因为它包括了很多“遭受终生贫困、排斥和歧视”。

“The world is rapidly ageing. It’s a triumph. It’s an unconditional triumph of international and national development that people are living longer lives. The average age of the population is rising significantly and this is a trend that will increase. It won’t decrease. Older age is hopefully everybody’s future,” he said.

“全世界正在快速老龄化，这是一场胜利，人们的寿命越来越长，这是国际和国家发展的无条件胜利。人们的平均寿命大幅度提高，这个趋势还会继续下去而不会衰退，未来每个人都有望更长寿。”

The HelpAge chief executive said society faces the challenge of moving beyond negative stereotypes of aging.

帮助老年人组织总裁说，社会面临着超越对老龄化负面刻板印象的挑战。

“Older people are actually massive contributors to society, massively contributing to their families. And so I really do feel that population aging is going to become one of the most important themes in the world,” he said.

“事实上老年人对社会有着巨大的贡献，对他们的家庭也有着巨大的贡献。因为我认为人口老龄化将成为全世界最重要的主题之一。”

The U.N. Open-ended Working Group on Aging meets in New York from July 30 through August 1.

联合国老龄化开放式工作组的会议在纽约召开，时间是7月31日到8月1日。