Vietnam rethinks contentious two-child policy 越南重新考慮爭議的兩胎政策

The Communist government of Vietnam is considering changing a law that restricts most families to two children.

越南的共產黨政府正考慮修改限制大部分一家僅能有二胎的法案。

Adjustments to the policy may happen this year in certain parts of the country, which has been in place on and off for decades and is being blamed for a looming population problem.

由於數十年來不斷變動的法案及因為迫在眉睫的人口問題而被譴責，越南的某些特定地區可能將在今年對法案進行調整。

“We haven't had to make any changes to the population policy yet and I don't think we need a big change now but amendments only," said Le Van Cuong, a government adviser.

"Ageing population is not putting pressure on today but it will come tomorrow."

政府顧問Le Van Cuong表示：「我們一直還沒有必要變更這個人口政策，我不認為需要什麼很大的變動，只是需要一點小修正。」

「人口老化遲早會帶來壓力。」

Vietnam's population growth is slowing and ageing at one of the fastest rates in the world. In fact, the World Bank says the number of people in Vietnam who are 65 or older will triple by 2040.

越南的人口成長正在減緩且老化速度居全球之冠，事實上，世界銀行指出，到了2040年，在越南65歲以上的人數會是現在的三倍。

Contributing to the problem is a low birth rate, which is exacerbated by a law that limits families to a maximum of two children.

促使這樣的問題是因為限制一個家庭最多只能有兩個小孩的法律所加劇的低出生率。

The policy is not as striclty enforced as the one in China. However, there have been reports of forced sterilisations and punishments for breaking the law.

這個政策不如中國嚴格實施，卻一直有強迫絕育和因違法而受懲處的報導。

Population-control measures have sometimes been implemented since the 1960s. During the war and economic crisis, the government thought a population boom was the last thing it needed.

人口控制的措施自1960年代一直實行，在戰爭和經濟危機期間，政府認為人口增長更是最不需要的事。

Last year the population grew 6.2 per cent - which was among the fastest in the world, but that was slower than the previous year. The government thinks more children could mean more economic security.

去年人口成長6.2%，雖是世界上成長最快，但卻比前年還慢，政府認為較多的孩子意味著更多的經濟保障。

That security has already arrived for many families who believe they can now afford more children.

這樣的保障對於許多深信現在能養育得起更多小孩的家庭而言已經有所實現。

In Vietnam, it is often desirable to have boys, which has led to another problem, gender imbalance, and what is believed to be one of world's highest abortion rates.
在越南，人們常渴望有兒子，導致另一個問題，性別不平等，造成在世界各國間最高流產率之一。

Nguyen Thu Huong and her husband have two girls and say they would be happy with a third. 

“My little one says, 'Mommy, please have another baby so we can have more fun'. Actually, we don't mind having a boy or a girl," Huong said.

Nguyen Thu Huong和她丈夫育有兩女並表示，若能有第三個小孩他們會很開心。

我的小女兒說：「媽咪，請再生一個貝比，我們就可以一起玩得更開心」，事實上我們並不介意生男孩生女。

原文網址: https://goo.gl/v4gugb