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Why So Many Children? 為什麼有這麼多的孩子
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 rate — from 3. 0 to 7. 0 children per woman . The majority of these women are poor , without the food or resources to care for their families do they have many so children ? Why don’t they limit the size of their families ? The answer may be that they often have no choice . There are several reasons for this .
非洲和亞洲的很多發展中國家，人 P 增長迅速。原因很簡單：這些國家的女人生育率很 高——每個 女人平均有三個到七個孩子。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。為什麼她們 要有這麼多孩子呢?為什麼她們不限制家庭的大小呢?答案是大多數時候她們 沒辦法選擇。這有很多原因。
One reason is economic . In a traditional agricultural economy , large families are helpful ng more children means having more workers in the fields and someone to take care of the parents in old age. 1 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.
其中之一是經濟原因。傳統的農業經濟中，家庭成員數目多是十分有利的。孩子多意味著田裡的勞 動力多且有人給父母養老。在工業經濟國家中情況就不同了。多數孩子不幫助家裡，而是 增加家庭開銷。 因此，工業化極大降低了生育率。這是義大利的一個例子，義大利最近幾年工業化發展十分迅速。在20 世紀前葉，義大利是個貧窮的農業國家，有著很高的生育率。第二次世界 大戰之後，義大利的現代化和工業化十分迅速。世紀之末其生育率降到世界最低，平均每個女人 1. 3個孩子
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 (7. 0). Mexico and Indonesia, on the other hand, are poor countries, with largely agricultural economies, but they have recently reduced their population growth.
然而經濟並不是唯一重要的影響出生率的因素。以沙烏地阿拉伯為例，那裡並沒有以農業為基礎的經 濟，而且是人均收入最高的國家之一。然而還是有很高的生育率(7. 0)。而像墨西哥和印 度尼西亞，主要 是農業經濟的窮國，但他們的人口還在不斷地下降。
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. 2 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 r governments have taken measures to provide more education and opportunities for women.
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地位低下 相關。這就能解釋沙烏地阿拉伯的出生率為什麼如此之髙。傳統的文化使婦女缺乏教育或者 不能獨立，並 且在外生存的技能很少。相反，墨西哥、泰國、印度尼西亞的生育率就低。他們的政府給婦女提供更多的教育和機會。
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.
另一個重要的因素是計劃生育。女人們也許想限制家庭的大小，但是她們沒有辦法。一些倡導計劃 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、墨西哥、巴西。在這些國家婦女被提供健康和計劃生育的幫助。
These trends show that an effective program to reduce population growth does not have to depend on better economic conditions. 3 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.
這些趨勢表明有效的控制人口的方案並不依賴於良好的經濟狀況。如果是致力於幫助婦女適應她們 的需求那麼就是有效的。事實上只有這樣，才能有機會取得成功。
詞彙：
industrialization n工業化
possibility n可能性，可能發生的事物
effective adj有效的，起作用的，實際的
註釋：
1. 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. 傳統的農業經濟中，家庭成員數目多是十分有利的。孩子多意味著田裡的勞動力多,且有人給父母養老。
2. A high birth rate almost always goes together with lack of education and low status for women. 高的生育率往往與婦女缺乏教育與社會地位低下相關。
3. These trends show that an effective program to reduce population growth does not have to depend on better economic conditions. 這些趨勢表明有效的控制人口的方案並不依賴於良好的經濟狀況。
練習：
1. In a traditional agricultural economy, a large family_______.
A. can be an advantage
B. may limit income
C. isn’t necessary
D. is expensive
1. A 本題的問題是：在傳統的農業經濟中，大家庭的影響是什麼?從文中第二段第二句和第三句 話可以得出明確的答案。 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. 所以答案為 A，是優勢。
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
2. B 本題的問題是：當國家工業化後，人口和出生率的狀況是什麼?從第二段義大利的例子可以明確得出答案。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. 由此可見出生率降低。
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
3. C 本題的問題是：本文舉出義大利的例子要說明什麼?從第二段義大利的前後對比的情況可以看出正確答案為 C。
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
4. B 本題的問題是：文中提到沙烏地阿拉伯的例子說明了什麼?由第三段開頭可知，However, the economy is not the only important factor that influences birth rate. 下面將要介紹其他因素，之後以沙烏地阿拉伯為例。故正確答案為 B，經濟以外影響出生率的因素。
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
5. D 本題的問題是： 墨西哥、 泰國、 印度尼西亞的政府採取了怎樣的措施?從文中第四段後半部分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. 可以得出結論。另一方面從第四段開頭也可以得出結論。The most important of these is the condition of women. 之後舉出這幾個國家的例子，從而也可以得出結論。
