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South Korea's fertility rate, which already is the world's lowest, dropped again in 2023.
韩国的生育率已经是世界上最低的，但在2023年再次下降。
This means that the number of babies a South Korean woman is expected to have during her reproductive years dropped from 0.78 in 2022 to 0.72 in 2023.
这意味着韩国女性在其生育期内的预期生育数量从2022年的0.78个下降到2023年的0.72个。
Concerns about missing out on long-term jobs and the cost of raising a child are reasons given for the low rate.
对失去长期工作的担忧和养育孩子的成本是低生育率的原因。
The fertility number is much lower than the rate of 2.1 per woman that would be needed to keep South Korea's population stable.
这一生育率远低于维持韩国人口稳定所需的平均每名女性生育2.1个孩子的水平。
In 2015, when the cost of housing and education were lower, the rate was 1.24.
2015年，当住房和教育成本较低时，生育率为1.24。
That means South Korea's population has been shrinking for a long time.
这意味着韩国人口在很长一段时间内一直在减少。
The South Korean government is trying to encourage men and women to start families.
韩国政府正试图鼓励男性和女性组建家庭。
Since 2018, the nation has been the only member of a group of large economies to have a rate below one.
自2018年以来，韩国一直是一组大型经济体中唯一一个生育率低于1的国家。
The Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD) includes a wide group of nations such as Britain, the United States, Australia, New Zealand as well as Mexico and Chile.
经济合作与发展组织包括英国、美国、澳大利亚、新西兰以及墨西哥和智利等国。
Among OECD nations, South Korea has the largest difference in pay between men and women.
在经合组织国家中，韩国的男女薪酬差距最大。
Balancing motherhood with a job is a concern for South Korean women.
平衡为人母和工作是韩国女性关心的问题。
Jung Jae-hoon is a professor at Seoul Women's University.
郑在勋（音译）是首尔女子大学的教授。
Jung noted that women have trouble moving their careers forward after taking leave to care for children.
郑在勋指出，女性在休假照顾孩子后很难推进自己的职业生涯。
An example of this is Gwak Tae-hee who is 34.
34岁的郭泰熙（音译）就是一个典型的例子。
She is concerned about missing career opportunities if she stops working to start a family.
她担心，如果她为了要孩子而停止工作就会错失职业机会。
She has been married for three years and works as a manager for a company that makes milk products.
她已经结婚三年了，是一家奶制品公司的经理。
"Having a baby is on my list, but there's windows for promotions and I don't want to be passed over," she said.
她说：“生孩子在我的计划中，但有晋升的机会，我不想错过”。
Gwak said she considered starting medical treatments last year that would help her have a child.
郭泰熙表示，她去年考虑过开始治疗，以帮助她生孩子。
However, she decided against it because she wanted to take on work projects that would help her career.
然而，她决定不接受治疗了，因为她想承担对她的职业生涯有帮助的工作项目。
“I hope it's not too late when I try next year or the year after," Gwak said.
郭泰熙说：“我希望明年或后年我尝试治疗的时候还不算太晚”。
If the birth rate continues to drop, South Korea's population of about 51 million will be cut in half by 2100.
如果出生率继续下降，到2100年，韩国约5100万人口将会减少一半。
In Seoul, the largest city and capital, the fertility rate is only 0.55.
在韩国最大的城市首都首尔，生育率只有0.55。
The nation has an election in April, and politicians have been offering ideas to make it easier for young adults to consider having children.
该国将在4月份举行选举，政界人士一直在提出一些想法，让年轻人更容易考虑要孩子。
The ideas include more housing and financial support for people thinking of having a family.
其中包括为那些想要组建家庭的人提供更多的住房和财政支持。
An official at Statistics Korea said there are some people who are a couple but do not get married.
韩国统计厅的一位官员表示，有些人虽是情侣，但却没有结婚。
In South Korea, many people see marriage as a requirement to have children, so that reduces the number of babies.
在韩国，许多人认为结婚是生孩子的必要条件，这就减少了婴儿的数量。
But the official told Reuters that right now the group is centering its work on trying to help married people feel better about starting families.
但这位官员告诉路透社，目前该组织的工作重点是努力帮助已婚人士对生孩子产生好感。
Politicians are worried that additional social spending has not encouraged more families.
政客们担心，额外的社会支出并没有鼓励更多的家庭。
Since 2006, the government has spent about $270 billion in areas such as helping families pay for childcare, but the fertility numbers are still falling.
自2006年以来，韩国政府已经在帮助家庭支付育儿费用等方面花费了约2700亿美元，但生育率仍在下降。
South Korea, however, is not the only nation concerned about falling birth rates.
然而，韩国并不是唯一一个担心出生率下降的国家。
China and Japan also recorded all-time low rates in 2022.
中国和日本在2022年也创下了历史新低。
I'm Dan Friedell.
丹·弗里德尔为您播报。
译文为可可英语翻译，未经授权请勿转载！
