新奇事件簿 日本劳动力短缺促成移民新政策（在线收听）

Japan is changing its immigration policy because it needs workers. Japan is an aging society. This means it does not have enough workers to work in many jobs. Japan's government has decided to allow many workers from other countries into the country to help fill the jobs. Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said his government will meet on December 28 to approve the plan. If the plan is approved, it will become law on April 1. The new law would allow up to 345,000 foreign workers to help with labor shortages. Many of these workers will work in the construction, fishing, healthcare and agriculture industries. They will be largely low-skilled workers and will need to pass a Japanese language test.

因为劳动需求，日本更改其移民政策。日本是一个老龄化社会。这意味着日本没有充足的劳动力满足职位需求。日本政府已经决定允许来自他国家的劳动力进入日本帮助填补职位。日本首相安倍晋三表示他的政府将于12月28日会面批准该计划。如果计划得到批准，那么将于4月1日成为法律。新法将允许多达345,000名外籍劳工帮助填补劳动短缺。其中很多劳工将任职建筑业、渔业、医疗健康以及农业。他们大部分将是低技能工人且将需要通过日语测试。

Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said on Saturday that Japan had to change and allow more foreign workers in to help the economy. He said: "If Japan simply continued along the same path, we would find ourselves in a very difficult situation." He also said the government would make sure the foreign workers can quickly adjust to life in smaller Japanese cities and towns. He said: "We want to ensure they have the right environment in which to live and work." Japanese people are having fewer children. The fertility rate is now only 1.4 children per woman. The rate should be 2.1 for Japan to have enough Japanese workers. Japan's population is already dropping by about 400,000 people a year.

日本首席内阁部长菅义伟周六表示日本不得不改变并允许更多的外籍员工来日本帮助经济。他说：“如果日本仅仅是继续同样的道路，那么我们将发现自己处于一个非常艰难的境地。”他还表示政府将确保外籍劳工能够迅速适应日本的小城市和城镇生活。他说：“我们希望确保他们有合适的生存和工作环境。”日本民众的孩子越来越少。现在的生育率仅为1.4。日本生育率只有达到2.1才能拥有充足的日本劳动力。日本人口一年已经下降了约40万。