VOA标准英语2010年-Japanese Child Poverty on the Rise

Child poverty in Japan is increasing at a surprising rate. That is the assessment¹ from a senior government researcher studying the country's economic decline. Aya Abe says 15 percent of Japanese children live in poverty and the government is not doing enough to help them

Akiko Fujita | Tokyo 25 February 2010

Child poverty in Japan is increasing at a surprising rate

Poverty is not first thing that comes to mind when you think of Japan.  After all, there are no children begging on the streets in major cities here. You do not often see Japanese citizens publicly venting² their frustrations³ over the country's economic decline.  But senior government researcher Aya Abe says Japan has the fourth-highest rate of poverty among developed countries.

She says she sees that poverty in schools where students admit to only bathing once a week.  Some cannot afford to buy pencils for class.

"They may not be on the streets begging or they may not be turning into criminals, but it's there. It's just that we have to open our eyes and see," Abe said.

Abe attributes the increase in child poverty to the country's changing demographics, struggling economy and high social security premiums⁴.  She says fewer people live in three-generation households, where the parents and grandparents work. The number of single mothers has increased. The salary for young fathers has declined with the economic downturn. Social security premiums have increased in the last 20 years, putting families on the threshold of poverty.

Abe says studies conducted by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD ) point to rising poverty in Japan before the global economic crises in 2008. But the Japanese government and public refused to acknowledge it until then - in part, because of the stigma⁵ associated with poverty.

"It was, what should I say, very unpopular for Japanese media to say anything about Japanese poverty," said Abe.  "Even though OECD announced it and OECD Japan announced it in Japanese, it didn't make it into the articles."

Abe says new Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama has taken one important step to help alleviate⁶ the problem. Next year, his Democratic Party of Japan plans to double monthly child care allowances given to families.

But Abe wants the government to expand its financial help even more.

She wants it to simplify the process to apply for public assistance and provide educational grants for students struggling to pay for tuition at high schools and colleges.  The country now only offers loans.

Abe says the government must act quickly because she says the problem will only get worse, in the next few years. 

 

1 assessment   

n.评价；评估；对财产的估价，被估定的金额

参考例句：

• This is a very perceptive assessment of the situation.这是一个对该情况的极富洞察力的评价。
• What is your assessment of the situation?你对时局的看法如何？

2 venting   

消除； 泄去； 排去； 通风

参考例句：

• But, unexpectedly, he started venting his spleen on her. 哪知道，老头子说着说着绕到她身上来。 来自汉英文学 - 骆驼祥子
• So now he's venting his anger on me. 哦，我这才知道原来还是怄我的气。

3 frustrations   

挫折( frustration的名词复数 )； 失败； 挫败； 失意

参考例句：

• The temptation would grow to take out our frustrations on Saigon. 由于我们遭到挫折而要同西贡算帐的引诱力会增加。
• Aspirations will be raised, but so will frustrations. 人们会产生种种憧憬，但是种种挫折也会随之而来。

4 premiums   

n.费用( premium的名词复数 )；保险费；额外费用；（商品定价、贷款利息等以外的）加价

参考例句：

• He paid premiums on his life insurance last year. 他去年付了人寿保险费。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• Moves are afoot to increase car insurance premiums. 现正在酝酿提高汽车的保险费。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 stigma   

n.耻辱，污名；(花的)柱头

参考例句：

• Being an unmarried mother used to carry a social stigma.做未婚母亲在社会上曾是不光彩的事。
• The stigma of losing weighed heavily on the team.失败的耻辱让整个队伍压力沉重。

6 alleviate   

v.减轻，缓和，缓解(痛苦等)

参考例句：

• The doctor gave her an injection to alleviate the pain.医生给她注射以减轻疼痛。
• Nothing could alleviate his distress.什么都不能减轻他的痛苦。