Why So Many Children【為什么有這么多的孩子】-非新增文章

　　In many of the developing countries in Africa and Asia, the population is growing fast. The reason for this is simple: Women in these countries have a high birth ratefrom 3. 0 to 7. 0children per woman. The majority of these women are poor, without the food or resources to care for their families. Why do they have many so children? Why dont they limit the size of their families? The answer may be that they often have no choice. There are several reasons for this.

　　One reason is economic. In a traditional agricultural economy, large families are helpful. Having more children means having more workers in the fields and someone to take care of the parents in old age. In an industrial economy, the situation is different. Many children do not help a family; instead, they are an expense. Thus, industrialization has generally brought down the birth rate. This was the case in Italy, which was industrialized quite recently and rapidly. In the early part of the twentieth century, Italy was a poor, largely agricultural country with a high birth rate. After World War II, Italy s economy was rapidly modernized and industrialized. By the end of the century, the birth rate had dropped to 1. 3 children per woman, the world s lowest.

　　However, the economy is not the only important factor that influences birth rate. Saudi Arabia, for example, does not have an agriculture-based economy, and it has one of the highest per capita incomes in the world. Nevertheless, it also has a very high birth rate . Mexico and Indonesia, on the other hand, are poor countries, with largely agricultural economies, but they have recently reduced their population growth.

　　Clearly, other factors are involved. The most important of these is the condition of women. A high birth rate almost always goes together with lack of education and low status for women. This would explain the high birth rate of Saudi Arabia. There, the traditional culture gives women little education or independence and few possibilities outside the home. On the other hand, the improved condition of women in Mexico, Thailand, and Indonesia explains the decline in birth rates in these countries. Their governments have taken measures to provide more education and opportunities for women.

　　Another key factor in the birth rate is birth control. Women may want to limit their families but have no way to do so. In countries where governments have made birth control easily available and inexpensive, birth rates have gone down. This is the case in Singapore, Sri Lanka, and India, as well as in Indonesia, Thailand, Mexico, and Brazil. In these countries, women have also been provided with health care and help in planning their families.

　　These trends show that an effective program to reduce population growth does not have to depend on better economic conditions. It can be effective if it aims to help women and meet their needs. Only then, in fact, does it have any real chance of success.

　　練習(xí)：

　　1. In a traditional agricultural economy, a large family __.

　　A) can be an advantage

　　B) may limit income

　　C) isnt necessary

　　D) is expensive

　　2. When countries become industrialized, ________.

　　A) families often become larger

　　B) the birth rate generally goes down

　　C) women usually decide not have a family

　　D) the population generally grows rapidly

　　3. According to this passage, Italy today is an example of an________.

　　A) agricultural country with a high birth rate

　　B) agricultural country with a low birth rate

　　C) industrialized country with a low birth rate

　　D) industrialized country with a high birth rate

　　4. Saudi Arabia is mentioned in the passage because it shows that________.

　　A) the most important factor influencing birth rate is the economy

　　B) factors other than the economy influence birth rate

　　C) women who have a high income usually have few children

　　D) the birth rate depends on per capita income

　　5. In Mexico, Thailand, and Indonesia, the government________.

　　A) is not concerned about the status of women

　　B) has tried to industrialize the country rapidly

　　C) does not allow women to work outside the home

　　D) has tried to improve the condition of women

　　翻譯：為什么有這么多的孩子

　　非洲和亞洲的很多發(fā)展中國(guó)家，人口增長(zhǎng)迅速。原因很簡(jiǎn)單：這些國(guó)家的女人生育率很高每個(gè)女人平均有三個(gè)到七個(gè)孩子。這些女人大部分都很窮，沒有足夠的食物和資源來照顧家庭。為什么她們要有這么多孩子呢?為什么她們不限制家庭的大小呢?答案是大多數(shù)時(shí)候她們沒辦法選擇。這有很多原因。

　　其中之一是經(jīng)濟(jì)原因。傳統(tǒng)的農(nóng)業(yè)經(jīng)濟(jì)中，家庭成員數(shù)目多是十分有利的。孩子多意味著田里的勞動(dòng)力多且有人給父母養(yǎng)老。在工業(yè)經(jīng)濟(jì)國(guó)家中情況就不同了。多數(shù)孩子不幫助家里，而是增加家庭開銷。因此，工業(yè)化極大降低了生育率。這是意大利的一個(gè)例子，意大利最近幾年工業(yè)化發(fā)展十分迅速。在20世紀(jì)前葉，意大利是個(gè)貧窮的農(nóng)業(yè)國(guó)家，有著很高的生育率。第二次世界大戰(zhàn)之后，意大利的現(xiàn)代化和工業(yè)化十分迅速。世紀(jì)之末其生育率降到世界最低，平均每個(gè)女人1.3個(gè)孩子。

　　然而經(jīng)濟(jì)并不是唯一重要的影響出生率的因素。以沙特阿拉伯為例，那里并沒有以農(nóng)業(yè)為基礎(chǔ)的經(jīng)濟(jì)，而且是人均收入最高的國(guó)家之一。然而還是有很高的生育率。而像墨西哥和印度尼西亞，主要是農(nóng)業(yè)經(jīng)濟(jì)的窮國(guó)，但他們的人口還在不斷地下降。

　　很明顯有其他的因素。最重要的就是婦女的狀況。高的生育率往往與婦女缺乏教育與社會(huì)地位低下相關(guān)。這就能解釋沙特阿拉伯的出生率為什么如此之高。傳統(tǒng)的文化使婦女缺乏教育或者不能獨(dú)立，并且在外生存的技能很少。相反，墨西哥、泰國(guó)、印度尼西亞的生育率就低。他們的政府給婦女提供了更多的教育和機(jī)會(huì)。

　　另一個(gè)主要的因素是計(jì)劃生育。女人們也許想限制家庭的大小，但是她們沒有辦法。一些倡導(dǎo)計(jì)劃生育的政府為她們提供有效而且不貴的方式，生育率下降。比如新加坡、斯里蘭卡、印度和印度尼西亞、泰國(guó)、墨西哥、巴西。在這些國(guó)家婦女被提供健康和計(jì)劃生育的幫助。

　　這些趨勢(shì)表明有效的控制人口的方案并不是依賴于良好的經(jīng)濟(jì)狀況。如果是致力于幫助婦女適應(yīng)她們的需求那么就是有效的。事實(shí)上只有這樣，才能有機(jī)會(huì)取得成功。

　　Why So Many Children【為什么有這么多的孩子】-非新增文章

　　In many of the developing countries in Africa and Asia, the population is growing fast. The reason for this is simple: Women in these countries have a high birth ratefrom 3. 0 to 7. 0children per woman. The majority of these women are poor, without the food or resources to care for their families. Why do they have many so children? Why dont they limit the size of their families? The answer may be that they often have no choice. There are several reasons for this.

　　One reason is economic. In a traditional agricultural economy, large families are helpful. Having more children means having more workers in the fields and someone to take care of the parents in old age. In an industrial economy, the situation is different. Many children do not help a family; instead, they are an expense. Thus, industrialization has generally brought down the birth rate. This was the case in Italy, which was industrialized quite recently and rapidly. In the early part of the twentieth century, Italy was a poor, largely agricultural country with a high birth rate. After World War II, Italy s economy was rapidly modernized and industrialized. By the end of the century, the birth rate had dropped to 1. 3 children per woman, the world s lowest.

　　However, the economy is not the only important factor that influences birth rate. Saudi Arabia, for example, does not have an agriculture-based economy, and it has one of the highest per capita incomes in the world. Nevertheless, it also has a very high birth rate . Mexico and Indonesia, on the other hand, are poor countries, with largely agricultural economies, but they have recently reduced their population growth.

　　Clearly, other factors are involved. The most important of these is the condition of women. A high birth rate almost always goes together with lack of education and low status for women. This would explain the high birth rate of Saudi Arabia. There, the traditional culture gives women little education or independence and few possibilities outside the home. On the other hand, the improved condition of women in Mexico, Thailand, and Indonesia explains the decline in birth rates in these countries. Their governments have taken measures to provide more education and opportunities for women.

　　Another key factor in the birth rate is birth control. Women may want to limit their families but have no way to do so. In countries where governments have made birth control easily available and inexpensive, birth rates have gone down. This is the case in Singapore, Sri Lanka, and India, as well as in Indonesia, Thailand, Mexico, and Brazil. In these countries, women have also been provided with health care and help in planning their families.

　　These trends show that an effective program to reduce population growth does not have to depend on better economic conditions. It can be effective if it aims to help women and meet their needs. Only then, in fact, does it have any real chance of success.

　　練習(xí)：

　　1. In a traditional agricultural economy, a large family __.

　　A) can be an advantage

　　B) may limit income

　　C) isnt necessary

　　D) is expensive

　　2. When countries become industrialized, ________.

　　A) families often become larger

　　B) the birth rate generally goes down

　　C) women usually decide not have a family

　　D) the population generally grows rapidly

　　3. According to this passage, Italy today is an example of an________.

　　A) agricultural country with a high birth rate

　　B) agricultural country with a low birth rate

　　C) industrialized country with a low birth rate

　　D) industrialized country with a high birth rate

　　4. Saudi Arabia is mentioned in the passage because it shows that________.

　　A) the most important factor influencing birth rate is the economy

　　B) factors other than the economy influence birth rate

　　C) women who have a high income usually have few children

　　D) the birth rate depends on per capita income

　　5. In Mexico, Thailand, and Indonesia, the government________.

　　A) is not concerned about the status of women

　　B) has tried to industrialize the country rapidly

　　C) does not allow women to work outside the home

　　D) has tried to improve the condition of women

　　翻譯：為什么有這么多的孩子

　　非洲和亞洲的很多發(fā)展中國(guó)家，人口增長(zhǎng)迅速。原因很簡(jiǎn)單：這些國(guó)家的女人生育率很高每個(gè)女人平均有三個(gè)到七個(gè)孩子。這些女人大部分都很窮，沒有足夠的食物和資源來照顧家庭。為什么她們要有這么多孩子呢?為什么她們不限制家庭的大小呢?答案是大多數(shù)時(shí)候她們沒辦法選擇。這有很多原因。

　　其中之一是經(jīng)濟(jì)原因。傳統(tǒng)的農(nóng)業(yè)經(jīng)濟(jì)中，家庭成員數(shù)目多是十分有利的。孩子多意味著田里的勞動(dòng)力多且有人給父母養(yǎng)老。在工業(yè)經(jīng)濟(jì)國(guó)家中情況就不同了。多數(shù)孩子不幫助家里，而是增加家庭開銷。因此，工業(yè)化極大降低了生育率。這是意大利的一個(gè)例子，意大利最近幾年工業(yè)化發(fā)展十分迅速。在20世紀(jì)前葉，意大利是個(gè)貧窮的農(nóng)業(yè)國(guó)家，有著很高的生育率。第二次世界大戰(zhàn)之后，意大利的現(xiàn)代化和工業(yè)化十分迅速。世紀(jì)之末其生育率降到世界最低，平均每個(gè)女人1.3個(gè)孩子。

　　然而經(jīng)濟(jì)并不是唯一重要的影響出生率的因素。以沙特阿拉伯為例，那里并沒有以農(nóng)業(yè)為基礎(chǔ)的經(jīng)濟(jì)，而且是人均收入最高的國(guó)家之一。然而還是有很高的生育率。而像墨西哥和印度尼西亞，主要是農(nóng)業(yè)經(jīng)濟(jì)的窮國(guó)，但他們的人口還在不斷地下降。

　　很明顯有其他的因素。最重要的就是婦女的狀況。高的生育率往往與婦女缺乏教育與社會(huì)地位低下相關(guān)。這就能解釋沙特阿拉伯的出生率為什么如此之高。傳統(tǒng)的文化使婦女缺乏教育或者不能獨(dú)立，并且在外生存的技能很少。相反，墨西哥、泰國(guó)、印度尼西亞的生育率就低。他們的政府給婦女提供了更多的教育和機(jī)會(huì)。

　　另一個(gè)主要的因素是計(jì)劃生育。女人們也許想限制家庭的大小，但是她們沒有辦法。一些倡導(dǎo)計(jì)劃生育的政府為她們提供有效而且不貴的方式，生育率下降。比如新加坡、斯里蘭卡、印度和印度尼西亞、泰國(guó)、墨西哥、巴西。在這些國(guó)家婦女被提供健康和計(jì)劃生育的幫助。

　　這些趨勢(shì)表明有效的控制人口的方案并不是依賴于良好的經(jīng)濟(jì)狀況。如果是致力于幫助婦女適應(yīng)她們的需求那么就是有效的。事實(shí)上只有這樣，才能有機(jī)會(huì)取得成功。