◎孫宇青
Japan had an estimated 4.5 million unemployed － or under-employed － and unmarried 35- to 54-year-olds who still lived at home in 2016. They have been dubbed "parasite singles" by researchers.
日本2016年計有450萬名無業或非全日性雇用者，及35至54歲未婚者仍住家裡。他們被研究人員稱為「單身寄生族」。
Japan’s population is set to plummet from 127 million to 88 million by 2065 - and is projected to drop even further to just 51 million by 2115 if current trends continue.
日本的人口在2065年將從1億2700萬減至8800萬；若這股趨勢持續，2115年將降至5100萬人。
By then nearly 40 percent of the country will be senior citizens. There will be 1.3 workers for every person over the age of 65. Economists have described the situation as a “demographic time bomb”.
屆時，國家有近4成人口都是年長者。每1.3名勞工就要負責扶養一名65歲以上老人。這種情況被經濟學家形容為「人口定時炸彈」。
About 20 percent of “parasite singles” rely solely on parents for financial support. When their parents pass away, they could become a burden on the state. “Once they use up inherited assets and savings, when nothing is left, they will go on the dole”.
約20％的「單身寄生族」完全仰賴父母的金錢支援。當父母過世後，他們可能成為國家的負擔。「一旦花完繼承的資產和存款，變得一無所有後，他們就得靠救濟金過活」。
But many “parasite singles” argue that they did not choose their lifestyle, but were handed it by the economy.
不過，許多「單身寄生族」主張，並非他們選擇這種生活方式，而是國家經濟一手造成。
新聞辭典
parasite singles：單身寄生族，即基本生活依賴父母的成年單身人士。例句：The number of parasite singles in Taiwan is on the rise.（台灣的單身寄生族人數正在上升。）
underemployed：形容詞，未充分就業的。例句：Due to the depressed economy, many college graduates became underemployed.（由於經濟低迷，許多大學畢業生只能打零工。）
dole：名詞，救濟金。例句：He goes on the dole after being expelled.（他被開除後只能仰賴失業救濟金過活。）
全通翻譯引用自http://iservice.ltn.com.tw/Service/english/english.php?engno=1114607&day=2017-06-29
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