日本百岁老人达99,763人

近日，日本官方宣布，日本100岁或以上人口首次逼近10万人，再创新高。

今天你练听力了吗？

🤔️小作业：

1. Why are Japanese women more likely to reach 100 years old compared to men, according to the text?

A. They consume less red meat and sugar than men.

B. They participate more in Radio Taiso exercises.

C. They have a lower obesity rate compared to men.

D. They benefit more from healthcare policies.

无注释原文：

Japan sets record of nearly 100,000 people aged over 100

From: BBC

The number of people in Japan aged 100 or older has risen to a record high of nearly 100,000, its government has announced.

Setting a new record for the 55th year in a row, the number of centenarians in Japan was 99,763 as of September, the health ministry said on Friday. Of that total, women accounted for an overwhelming 88%.

Japan has the world's longest life expectancy, and is known for often being home to the world's oldest living person - though some studies contest the actual number of centenarians worldwide.

It is also one of the fastest ageing societies, with residents often having a healthier diet but a low birth rate.

The oldest person in Japan is 114-year-old Shigeko Kagawa, a woman from Yamatokoriyama, a suburb of the city Nara. Meanwhile, the oldest man is Kiyotaka Mizuno, 111, from the coastal city of Iwata.

Health minister Takamaro Fukoka congratulated the 87,784 female and 11,979 male centenarians on their longevity and expressed his "gratitude for their many years of contributions to the development of society".

The figures were released ahead of Japan's Elderly Day on 15 September, a national holiday where new centenarians receive a congratulatory letter and silver cup from the prime minister. This year, 52,310 individuals were eligible, the health ministry said.

In the 1960s, Japan's population had the lowest proportion of people aged over 100 of any G7 country - but that has changed remarkably in the decades since.

When its government began the centenarian survey in 1963, there were 153 people aged 100 or over.

That figure rose to 1,000 in 1981 and stood at 10,000 by 1998.

The higher life expectancy is mainly attributed to fewer deaths from heart disease and common forms of cancer, in particular breast and prostate cancer.

Japan has low rates of obesity, a major contributing factor to both diseases, thanks to diets low in red meat and high in fish and vegetables.

The obesity rate is particularly low for women, which could go some way to explaining why Japanese women have a much higher life expectancy than their male counterparts.

As increased quantities of sugar and salt crept into diets in the rest of the world, Japan went in the other direction - with public health messaging successfully convincing people to reduce their salt consumption.

But it's not just diet. Japanese people tend to stay active into later life, walking and using public transport more than elderly people in the US and Europe.

Radio Taiso, a daily group exercise, has been a part of Japanese culture since 1928, established to encourage a sense of community as well as public health. The three-minute routine is broadcast on television and practised in small community groups across the country.

However, several studies have cast doubt on the validity of global centenarian numbers, suggesting data errors, unreliable public records and missing birth certificates may account for elevated figures.

- ◆ -

注：完整题目见本文开头；中文文本为BBC官方译文，仅供参考

含注释全文：

Japan sets record of nearly 100,000 people aged over 100

From: BBC

The number of people in Japan aged 100 or older has risen to a record high of nearly 100,000, its government has announced.

日本政府宣布，日本100岁或以上人口首次逼近10万人，创下新高。

Setting a new record for the 55th year in a row, the number of centenarians in Japan was 99,763 as of September, the health ministry said on Friday. Of that total, women accounted for an overwhelming 88%.

厚生劳动省周五表示，截至9月，日本百岁人瑞共有99,763人，连续第55年刷新纪录，其中女性占比高达88%。

in a row表示“接连地；连续地”，英文解释为“one after another without a break”举个🌰：She's been voted Best Actress three years in a row. 她已经连续3年当选为最佳女演员。

📍类似的：

straight表示“连续的，不间断的”，英文解释为“following one after another without an interruption”举个🌰：They had been working for 16 hours straight. 他们已经一连工作了16个小时。

centenarian /ˌsen.təˈneə.ri.ən/ 表示“百岁（或百岁以上的）老人”，英文解释为“someone who is a 100 years old or more”

📍查这个词的时候，发现早在2015年4月6日当天讲述日本百岁老人创下游泳世界纪录的推文就出现了这个词。10年前的推文如下👇哈哈。

overwhelming /ˌəʊ.vəˈwel.mɪŋ/ 1）表示“难以抵挡的；无法抗拒的；强悍而令人难以应对的”，英文解释为“difficult to fight against”举个🌰：She felt an overwhelming urge/desire/need to tell someone about what had happened. 她感到有一种抑制不住的冲动/欲望/需要想告诉别人所发生的事情。

2）表示“巨大的，极大的；（数量上）压倒性的”，英文解释为“You can use overwhelming to emphasize that an amount or quantity is much greater than other amounts or quantities.”举个🌰：An overwhelming majority has voted in favour of the proposal. 绝大多数的人投票赞成该提议。

📍词根“whelm”表示“淹没”，前缀“over-”表示“过度”。近义词：staggering（惊人的），同根词：whelm（淹没），常用短语：feel overwhelmed by something（被某事压垮）

Japan has the world's longest life expectancy, and is known for often being home to the world's oldest living person - though some studies contest the actual number of centenarians worldwide.

日本人拥有全球最长寿命，经常诞生“全球最年长者”，虽然有研究质疑全球百岁人瑞的统计数字是否精确。

life expectancy表示“（尤指人的）预期寿命”，英文解释为“the length of time that a living thing, especially a human being, is likely to live”举个🌰：Life expectancy in Europe increased greatly in the 20th century. 欧洲人的预期寿命在20世纪大幅增长。

contest /ˈkɒn.test/ 作名词，表示“比赛；竞赛”，英文解释为“a competition to do better than other people, usually in which prizes are given”如：a dance/sports contest 舞蹈/体育比赛。

作动词，1）表示“质疑；辩驳；驳斥”，英文解释为“If you contest a formal statement, a claim, a judge's decision, or a legal case, you say formally that it is wrong or unfair and try to have it changed.”举个🌰：We will certainly contest any claims made against the safety of our products. 我们肯定会驳斥任何批评我们产品安全性的说法。

2）表示“争取，争夺（选举胜利或权力）”，英文解释为“to attempt to win an election or to get power or control”举个🌰：She could win, since only two people are contesting the seat and the other candidate is very unpopular. 她大有希望获胜，因为只有两个人争夺这个位置，而另一个候选人很不得人心。

It is also one of the fastest ageing societies, with residents often having a healthier diet but a low birth rate.

日本同时也是全球老龄化速度最快的社会之一，居民通常饮食健康，但出生率偏低。

The oldest person in Japan is 114-year-old Shigeko Kagawa, a woman from Yamatokoriyama, a suburb of the city Nara. Meanwhile, the oldest man is Kiyotaka Mizuno, 111, from the coastal city of Iwata.

目前日本最年长者是114岁的贺川滋子，来自奈良市郊的大和郡山市；最年长男性则是来自磐田市的水野清隆，现年111岁。

coastal /ˈkəʊ.stəl/ 表示“（位于）海岸的；临海的；沿海的”，英文解释为“positioned on, or relating to the coast”如：a coastal town 海滨城镇。

Health minister Takamaro Fukoka congratulated the 87,784 female and 11,979 male centenarians on their longevity and expressed his "gratitude for their many years of contributions to the development of society".

厚生劳动大臣福冈资麿向87,784名女性及11,979名男性百岁人瑞致贺，并感谢他们“多年来为社会发展所作的贡献”。

longevity /lɒnˈdʒev.ə.ti/ 表示“长寿，长命，持久”，英文解释为“living for a long time”举个🌰：To what do you attribute your longevity? 你的长寿归功于哪些因素？

The figures were released ahead of Japan's Elderly Day on 15 September, a national holiday where new centenarians receive a congratulatory letter and silver cup from the prime minister. This year, 52,310 individuals were eligible, the health ministry said.

9月15日是日本“敬老日”。这一天是日本的国定假日，政府会向新晋百岁人瑞赠送首相贺信和银杯。厚生劳动省表示，今年共有52,310人符合资格领取。

eligible /ˈel.ɪ.dʒə.bəl/ 1）表示“有资格的；合格的；具备条件的”，英文解释为“a person who is eligible for sth or to do sth, is able to have or do it because they have the right qualifications, are the right age, etc.”举个🌰：Only those over 70 are eligible for the special payment. 只有70岁以上的人才有资格领取这项专款。

2）还有一个好玩的意思，表示“（指结婚对象）令人中意的；合意的，合适的”，英文解释为“An eligible man or woman is not yet married and is thought by many people to be a suitable partner.”举个🌰：He's the most eligible bachelor in Japan. 他是日本最令人中意的单身汉。

🎬电影《我要当警察》（Observe And Report）中的台词提到：There are several tests to complete in order to be eligible for police academy 想要进警校 得通过几项测试。

In the 1960s, Japan's population had the lowest proportion of people aged over 100 of any G7 country - but that has changed remarkably in the decades since.

1960年代，日本是七大工业国中百岁人口比例最低的国家，但数十年来情况出现巨大变化。

proportion /prəˈpɔː.ʃən/ 1）表示“比率，比例”，英文解释为“the number, amount, or level of one thing when compared to another”举个🌰：The proportion of women to men at my college was about one to eight. 我所在大学的男女比例大约为8：1。

2）表示“部分；份额”，英文解释为“the number or amount of a group or part of something when compared to the whole”举个🌰：Children make up a large proportion of the world's population. 孩子占世界人口的很大一部分。

3）表示“（某物各个组成部分或一物与另一物之间的）相称，协调，均衡，匀称”，英文解释为“the correct or most attractive relationship between the size of different parts of the same thing or between one thing and another”举个🌰：Your legs are very much in proportion to (= the right size for) the rest of your body. 你的腿和你身体的其他部位比例非常协调。

When its government began the centenarian survey in 1963, there were 153 people aged 100 or over. That figure rose to 1,000 in 1981 and stood at 10,000 by 1998.

1963年政府开始调查时，全国仅有153名百岁老人；到1981年突破1,000人，1998年已达10,000人。

The higher life expectancy is mainly attributed to fewer deaths from heart disease and common forms of cancer, in particular breast and prostate cancer.

日本人长寿，主要原因在于心脏病和常见癌症（尤其是乳癌和前列腺癌）的死亡率较低。

prostate /ˈprɒs.teɪt/ 表示“前列腺”，英文解释为“an organ near the penis in male mammals that produces a liquid that mixes with and carries sperm”举个🌰：He has prostate trouble. 他有前列腺病。

Japan has low rates of obesity, a major contributing factor to both diseases, thanks to diets low in red meat and high in fish and vegetables.

这与日本人的肥胖率偏低有关，而低肥胖率则得益于少红肉、多鱼类和蔬菜的饮食习惯。

obesity /oʊˈbiːsəti/ 表示“肥胖”，英文解释为“the fact of being extremely fat, in a way that is dangerous for health”

📍词根“obes-”来自拉丁语“obesus”，意味着“肥胖的”。近义词：overweight（超重），同根词：obese（肥胖的），常用短语：combat obesity（对抗肥胖症）

The obesity rate is particularly low for women, which could go some way to explaining why Japanese women have a much higher life expectancy than their male counterparts.

日本女性的肥胖率尤其低，这也部分解释了为何日本女性的平均寿命明显高于男性。

counterpart一词经常出现，counter-表示“相反的；对立的；相应的”（opposite; against; in return; corresponding），和part一起就是“对立的，相应的事物”，从而表示“职位相当的人；作用相当的事物”，英文解释为“Somene's or something's counterpart is another person or thing that has a similar function or position in a different place.”

As increased quantities of sugar and salt crept into diets in the rest of the world, Japan went in the other direction - with public health messaging successfully convincing people to reduce their salt consumption.

当世界其他地区饮食中糖和盐的摄取量逐渐增加时，日本则走向相反方向，公共卫生宣导成功让人们减少盐分摄取。

quantity /ˈkwɒn.tə.ti/ 表示“（尤指可测量或确定的）量，数量，分量”，英文解释为“the amount or number of something, especially that can be measured”举个🌰：We consumed vast quantities of food and drink that night. 那天晚上我们大吃大喝了一通。

creep /kriːp/ 表示“（通常指为避免注意而）缓慢行进，悄悄移动，潜行”，英文解释为“to move slowly, quietly, and carefully, usually in order to avoid being noticed”举个🌰：She turned off the light and crept through the door. 她关上灯，悄悄溜出门。

📍creep in/creep into sth 1）表示“逐渐显现；逐渐引起注意”，英文解释为“to gradually start to be noticeable”举个🌰：Doubts began to creep into my mind about the likely success of the project. 我逐渐对这项计划成功的可能性产生了怀疑。

2）表示“（错误）不知不觉地存在，无法避免地出现”，英文解释为“If mistakes creep in or creep into a piece of text, they are included despite efforts not to include them.”举个🌰：A few mistakes always creep in during the editing process. 在编辑过程中总会不小心出几个错。

But it's not just diet. Japanese people tend to stay active into later life, walking and using public transport more than elderly people in the US and Europe.

不过，长寿的原因并不仅限于饮食，日本人往往在晚年依然保持活跃，比欧美长者更多步行、乘坐公共交通。

Radio Taiso, a daily group exercise, has been a part of Japanese culture since 1928, established to encourage a sense of community as well as public health. The three-minute routine is broadcast on television and practised in small community groups across the country.

此外，自1928年起，日本文化中就有“广播体操”这项群体日常运动。这套三分钟的动作不仅为促进健康而设，也旨在加强社区凝聚力。它透过电视播出，全国各地的社区小组都会一同练习。

However, several studies have cast doubt on the validity of global centenarian numbers, suggesting data errors, unreliable public records and missing birth certificates may account for elevated figures.

然而，多项研究质疑全球百岁人口数据的准确性，认为资料错误、不可靠的户籍纪录及缺失的出生证明，可能导致数字偏高。

表示“对…怀有疑虑，对…表示怀疑”，英文解释为“to make something seem uncertain”举个🌰：Witnesses have cast doubt on the accused's innocence. 证人们对嫌疑人是否清白表示怀疑。

validity /vəˈlɪd.ə.ti/ 表示“（法律上的）有效，合法，认可；真实性，正确性；可信性”，英文解释为“The validity of something such as a result or a piece of information is whether it can be trusted or believed.”举个🌰：Some people, of course, denied the validity of any such claim. 当然，一些人否认任何此类说法的可信性。

elevated /ˈel.ɪ.veɪ.tɪd/ 1）表示“提高的；升高的；抬高的”，英文解释为“raised”举个🌰：The doctor said I was to keep my leg elevated. 医生说我要保持腿部抬高。

2）表示“高出正常水平的；偏高的”，英文解释为“greater than is normal or reasonable”举个🌰：He has a slightly elevated idea of his own importance. 他自视过高。

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