How the Elderly Are Treated Around the World

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A new “Elderly Rights Law” passed in China wags a finger at1wag a finger at對某人指指點點。adult children,warning them to “never neglect or snub2snub冷落。elderly people” and mandating3mandate要求；規(guī)定。that they visit their elderly parents often,regardless of how far away they live.The law includes enforcement mechanisms,too: Offspring who fail to make such trips to mom and dad face potential punishment ranging from fines to jail time.

中國新通過的老年人權(quán)益保障法將矛頭指向成年子女，警告他們“不得忽視、冷落老年人”，并規(guī)定無論子女離家多遠(yuǎn)，都應(yīng)經(jīng)常看望年邁父母。該保障法還規(guī)定了執(zhí)法機(jī)制：未按規(guī)定看望父母的，可處以罰款或監(jiān)禁。

[2]How cultures view and treat their elderly is closely linked to their most prized values and traits.Here’s what we can learn from other cultures,both past and present,about embracing the aging process.

[2]各種文化如何看待和對待老人，與該文化最重視的價值觀和品質(zhì)關(guān)系密切。下面，就讓我們來一起學(xué)習(xí)古今中外各種文化是如何對待老人的。

In the U.S.and U.K.,protestantism4 protestantism新教，又稱基督教新教，是西方基督教中不屬于天主教體系的宗派的統(tǒng)稱，源于16世紀(jì)神學(xué)家馬丁·路德等人所領(lǐng)導(dǎo)的宗教改革運動。 is at play

英美兩國受新教影響

[3]Western cultures tend to be youthcentric,emphasizing attributes like individualism and independence.This relates back to the Protestant work ethic5新教工作倫理是一個關(guān)于西方基督教新教社會和經(jīng)濟(jì)理論的概念。它強調(diào)努力工作是一個人的使命，世俗的成功可以作為個人超度的一個標(biāo)志。,which ties an individual’s value to his or her ability to work—something that diminishes in old age.Anthropologist6anthropologist人類學(xué)家。Jared Diamond,who has studied the treatment of the elderly across cultures,has said the geriatric7geriatric n.老年人；adj.衰老的。in countries like the U.K.and U.S.live “l(fā)onely lives separated from their children and lifelong friends.” As their health deteriorates,the elderly in these cultures often move to retirement communities,assisted living8assisted living贍養(yǎng)院；安養(yǎng)照護(hù)。facilities,and nursing homes9nursing home小型私立療養(yǎng)院；（尤指）私立養(yǎng)老院。.

[3]西方文化往往以年輕人為中心，強調(diào)個人主義和獨立自主等特質(zhì)，這一點與新教工作倫理有關(guān)。新教工作倫理把個人價值和工作能力掛鉤，而工作能力在晚年會降低。人類學(xué)家賈德·戴蒙曾研究不同文化對待老人的態(tài)度，稱英美等國的老人過著“遠(yuǎn)離子女和老友的孤獨生活”。隨著健康狀況惡化，這些老人通常會搬到退休社區(qū)、養(yǎng)老院和私立療養(yǎng)院生活。

In France,parents are also protected by law

法國老人亦受法律保護(hù)

[4]It’s difficult to imagine such an Elderly Rights Law being a legislative priority in many Western cultures.France did,however,pass a similar decree in 2004 (Article 207 of theCivil Code)requiring its citizens to keep in touch with their geriatric parents.It was only enacted following two disturbing events,though: One was the publication of statistics revealing France had the highest rate of pensioner suicides in Europe,and the other was the aftermath of a heat wave that killed 15,000 people—most of them elderly,and many of whom had been dead for weeks before they were found.

[4]很難想象，這樣的老年人權(quán)益保障法會成為許多西方國家的立法重點。但法國的確在2004年通過了一項類似法令——《民法典》第207條，要求公民與年邁父母保持聯(lián)系。但這條法令是在兩起令人不安的事件發(fā)生后才頒布的：一是法國曾公布一組數(shù)據(jù)，顯示法國是歐洲退休老人自殺率最高的國家；二是法國出現(xiàn)的一股熱浪導(dǎo)致15000人死亡，其中大部分是老人，而且很多人在死后數(shù)周才被發(fā)現(xiàn)。

“Old man” isn’t a bad word in Greek

希臘語“老人”無負(fù)面含義

[5]The Western cultural stigma10around aging and death doesn’t exist in Greece.In Greek and Greek-American culture,old age is honored and celebrated,and respect for elders is central to the family.

[5]西方文化中伴隨年老和死亡的恥感在希臘并不存在。在希臘人和希臘裔美國人眼中，年老是一件光榮和值得慶祝的事，敬重老人是家庭的核心。

[6]Arianna Huffington described an experience of Greek elderly respect in her book,On Becoming Fearless:

Ten years ago I visited the monastery of Tharri on the island of Rhodes with my children.There,as in all of Greece,abbots11 are addressed by everyone as‘Geronda’,which means ‘old man.’ Abbesses12 are called ‘Gerondissa.’ Not exactly terms of endearment in my adopted home.The idea of honoring old age,indeed identifying it with wisdom and closeness to God,is in startling contrast to the way we treat aging in America.

[6]阿里安娜·赫芬頓在其著作《無所畏懼》中描寫了一段希臘老人受社會尊重的經(jīng)歷：

十年前，我和孩子們一起參觀了希臘羅德島的塔里修道院。在希臘，男修道院院長被稱為Geronda，女修道院院長被稱為Gerondissa，兩個詞的意思均為“老人”。但在我的第二故鄉(xiāng)美國卻沒有這樣的尊稱。希臘人敬老，將年邁與智慧和親近上帝聯(lián)系在一起，這種想法與我們在美國對待年老的方式形成了鮮明對比。

[7]In both Mediterranean and Latin cultures,it’s commonplace for multiple generations to live under one roof,(à laMy Big Fat Greek Wedding)sharing a home and all the duties that come with maintaining one.In the contemporary iteration13of this living arrangement,the oldest generation often is elied onto assist with caring for the youngest,while the breadwinners labor outside the home.As such,the aged remain thoroughly integrated well into their last days.

[7]在地中海和拉丁文化中，多代同堂的現(xiàn)象非常普遍（見《我盛大的希臘婚禮》），一大家人同住一個屋檐下，共同分擔(dān)維系一個家庭所需承擔(dān)的所有責(zé)任?，F(xiàn)如今，在這樣的多代同堂家庭里，老人通常負(fù)責(zé)照看小孩，年輕人則在外掙錢，養(yǎng)家糊口。這樣，老人一輩子都和家人生活在一起。

Native American elders pass down their knowledge

美洲原住民老人傳遞后代知識

[8]Though attitudes towards death in contemporary American culture are largely characterized by fear,Native American cultures traditionally accept death as a fact of life.

[8]盡管在當(dāng)代美國文化中，大部分人談死色變，但傳統(tǒng)上，美洲原住民卻認(rèn)為死亡是一件自然而然的事。

[9]There are over 500 Native American nations,and each has its own traditions and attitudes toward aging and elderly care.But in many tribal communities,elders are respected for their wisdom and life experiences.Within Native American families,it’s common for the elders to be expected to pass down their learnings to younger members of the family,according to the University of Missouri,Kansas City.

[9]美洲有500多個原住民民族，每個民族對年老和養(yǎng)老都有自己的傳統(tǒng)和態(tài)度。但在很多部落里，老人因其智慧和生活經(jīng)歷而受到尊重。據(jù)密蘇里大學(xué)堪薩斯分校研究發(fā)現(xiàn)，在美洲原住民家庭里，通常由長者把知識傳給家里的年輕人。

Chinese children care for their parents in old age

中國子女照顧年邁父母

[10]Chinese families traditionally view filial piety and respect for one’s elders as the highest virtue,deriving from the Confucian tradition.Adult children are generally expected to care for their parents in their old age.

[10]按照儒家傳統(tǒng)，中國家庭將孝順和尊敬老人視為做人的最高美德。成年子女通常需要照看年邁的父母。

[11]However,this tradition is beginning to break down14break down崩潰；分解。in China,due to rising life expectancy and an aging population.Nursing homes are beginning to become a more socially acceptable option for elderly care.

[11]但由于預(yù)期壽命增加和人口老齡化，這種傳統(tǒng)在中國開始瓦解。去養(yǎng)老院開始成為更被人接受的養(yǎng)老選擇。

South Koreans celebrate old age

韓國人慶祝晚年

[12]Much of the Korean regard for aging is rooted in the Confucian principle of filial piety,a fundamental value dictating that one must respect one’s parents (although Confucius was Chinese,Confucianism has a long history in South Korea).Younger members of the family have a duty to care for the aging members of the family.And even outside the family unit,South Koreans are socialized to respect and show deference to older individuals as well as authority figures.

[12]韓國人對老年的態(tài)度深受儒家孝道的影響。孝是儒家最基本的一個價值觀，規(guī)定人必須孝敬父母（盡管孔子是中國人，但儒家思想在韓國有著悠久的歷史）。年輕人有義務(wù)照顧家中的長者。即便走出家門，韓國人在社交場合也被要求尊敬和服從長者及權(quán)威人士。

[13]It’s also customary in South Korea to have a big celebration to mark an individual’s 60th and 70th birthdays.Thehwan-gap,or 60th birthday,is a joyous time when children celebrate their parents’ passage into old age.The age is thought to be reason for celebration in part because many of their ancestors would not have survived past the age of 60 without the advances of modern medicine.A similar large family celebration is held for the 70th birthday,known askohCui(“old and rare”).

[13]慶祝六十和七十大壽也是韓國人的習(xí)俗。甲子或六十大壽是子女慶祝父母步入晚年的喜慶日子。之所以慶祝六十大壽，部分原因在于，許多韓國人在現(xiàn)代醫(yī)學(xué)取得進(jìn)步之前活不過六十歲。另外一個舉家歡慶的日子是七十大壽，也被稱作“古稀之年”。

Japan faces an elderly predicament15

日本面臨老齡困局

[14]Like the Chinese and the Koreans,the Japanese prize filial piety and expect children to dutifully tend to their parents.But Japan also faces the unique problem of tending to an increasingly elderly population.According toSocial Gerontology16: A Multidisciplinary Perspective,7.2 percent of the Japanese population will be 80 or older in 2020 (compared to 4.1 percent in the U.S.),which will likely lead to a host of new problems for the country.Adult diapers are already outselling17baby diapers,and the pension system is on course to dry up.

[14]日本人跟中國人和韓國人一樣重視孝道，要求子女孝敬父母。但日本同樣也面臨著人口老齡化的特殊問題?！渡鐣夏陮W(xué)：跨學(xué)科視角》一書指出，到2020年，7.2%的日本人將年滿或超過80歲（美國的這一比例為4.1%），這很可能給日本帶來一系列新的問題。在日本，成人紙尿褲的銷量已超過嬰兒紙尿褲，且養(yǎng)老金體系瀕臨崩潰。

In India,elders are the head of the family.

印度老人是一家之長

[15]Many Indians live in joint family units,with the elders acting as the head of the household.The elders are supported by the younger members of the family and they in turn play a key role in raising their grandchildren.

[15]許多印度人住在數(shù)代同堂的大家庭里，老人是一家之長。年輕人贍養(yǎng)老人，老人則主要負(fù)責(zé)撫養(yǎng)小孩。

[16]“Advice is always sought from them on a range of issues,from investment of family money to nitty-gritties18of traditional wedding rituals and intrafamily conflicts.And this is not just passive advice;their word is final in settling disputes,” Achyut Bihani wrote inSlate19.“The elderly are often the most religious and charitable members of the family.”

[16]阿奇優(yōu)特·畢哈尼在美國Slate雜志上寫道：“家中的大小事務(wù)都會向老人征求意見，從家庭投資到傳統(tǒng)婚禮儀式的具體細(xì)節(jié)和家庭內(nèi)部沖突，不一而足。而且老人的意見并不是聽聽就算了，如何解決糾紛，最終是他們說了算。老人通常是家里最虔誠慈愛的人?！?/p>

[17]Disrespecting the elders of the family or sending them to an old-age home has a social stigma in India,Bihani adds.

[17]畢哈尼還寫道，在印度，不尊重家中老人或把老人送到養(yǎng)老院是件不光彩的事。

In the African-American community,death is seen as an opportunity to celebrate life.

非裔美國人借死亡贊頌生命

[18]In African-American culture,death is seen as part of the “natural rhythm of life,” which lessens the cultural fear around aging.For this reason,Karen H.Meyers writes inThe Truth About Death and Dying,“African-American funerals tend to be life-affirming and to have a celebratory air intermingled with the sorrow.” ■

[18]非洲裔美國人認(rèn)為死亡是“生命自然的節(jié)奏”，這種想法減輕了人們對于衰老的恐懼。正因如此，凱倫·H.邁爾斯在《死亡與垂死的真相》一書中寫道，“非洲裔美國人的葬禮往往令人振奮，歡慶中夾雜著哀傷?！?□

訃 告

我刊編委郝啟成教授2018年9月11日因病醫(yī)治無效在河北秦皇島去世，享年77歲。郝啟成教授1941年生，吉林大安人，1966年畢業(yè)于北京外國語學(xué)院，曾任東北大學(xué)秦皇島分校外語系主任、吉林省翻譯工作者協(xié)會常務(wù)理事、吉林省作家協(xié)會會員等職務(wù)，主要譯作有《死亡勛章》《抓間諜的人》《總統(tǒng)的隱私》《女勞務(wù)間諜》等，另著譯中短篇文學(xué)、戲劇、民間文學(xué)、論文等數(shù)十篇，人名入選《中國科技翻譯家辭典》。

多年來郝老師給予《英語世界》極大支持，孜孜不倦為本刊翻譯或?qū)徯８哔|(zhì)量譯文多篇，深受我們敬重。我們對這位摯友的離世表示沉痛哀悼。

《英語世界》雜志社

2018年9月

（譯者曾獲第五屆“《英語世界》杯”翻譯大賽二等獎）