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The number of babies born in Japan last year fell to a new low for an eighth straight year, government data shows.
日本政府數據顯示，去年日本出生的嬰兒數量連續第八年降至新低。
In addition, the number of marriages continues to drop.
此外，結婚人數也在持續下降。
The Health and Welfare Ministry reported Tuesday that 758,631 babies were born in Japan in 2023.
日本厚生勞動省周二報告稱，2023年日本新生兒數量為758631名。
That represented a 5.1 percent decline from the year earlier.
這比去年同期下降了5.1%。
It was the lowest number of births since Japan started recording the statistics in 1899.
這是日本自1899年開始記錄這一數據以來的最低出生人數。
The number of marriages fell by 5.9 percent to 489,281 couples, falling below a half-million for the first time in 90 years.
結婚人數下降了5.9%，為489281對，90年來首次低于50萬對。
Fewer marriages are one of the reasons for fewer births.
結婚率下降是生育率下降的原因之一。
Having children outside of marriage is rare in the East Asian country.
在這個東亞國家，婚外生子是很少見的。
Opinion studies show that many younger Japanese do not want to marry or have families.
民意調查顯示，許多年輕的日本人不想結婚（即成家）。
They note the lack of good jobs and high cost of living as reasons.
他們指出，缺乏好工作和高生活成本是原因。
Some say the working culture in Japanese businesses makes it hard for both parents to work.
有些人表示，日本的企業文化讓父母雙方都很難工作。
Young parents say they often feel isolated as people do not want to hear crying babies or children playing outside.
年輕的父母表示，他們經常感到孤立，因為人們不想聽到嬰兒的哭鬧聲或孩子在外面玩耍。
Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi called the ongoing declining birth rate "critical."
日本內閣官房長官林芳正稱目前持續下降的出生率是“嚴重的”。
He said, "The period over the next six years or so until (the) 2030s, when the younger population will start declining rapidly, will be the last chance we may be able to reverse the trend."
他說：“在未來六年左右的時間里，直到本世紀30年代，年輕人口數量將會開始迅速減少，這將是我們能夠扭轉這一趨勢的最后機會。”
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida called the low birth numbers "the biggest crisis Japan faces."
日本首相岸田文雄稱低出生率是“日本面臨的最大危機”。
He has introduced several measures to give financial support for childbirth, children, and their families.
他推出了幾項措施，為生育、孩子及其家庭提供財政支持。
But experts say they doubt whether the government's efforts will work because they have largely centered on people who already are married or are planning to have children.
但專家表示，他們懷疑日本政府所采取的措施是否會奏效，因為這些措施主要集中在已經結婚或計劃生育的人群身上。
The measures do not deal with a growing population of young people who are not getting married or planning to have a family.
這些措施并沒有解決越來越多的不結婚（即不計劃組建家庭）的年輕人的問題。
The number of births in Japan has been falling for 50 years after a peak of about 2.1 million.
日本出生人口在達到約210萬的峰值后，50年來一直在下降。
The decrease to a yearly number below 760,000 has happened faster than expected.
日本出生人口每年減少到76萬以下的速度比預期的要快。
Experts had predicted that it would take place by 2035.
專家曾預測，日本出生人口將會在2035年之前減少到76萬以下。
Japan's population of more than 125 million is expected to drop to 87 million by 2070, with four out of every 10 people at age 65 or older.
日本目前的人口超過1.25億，預計到2070年將降至8700萬，40%人口的年齡在65歲及以上。
A shrinking and aging population has a big effect on the economy and national security.
人口萎縮和老齡化對經濟和國家安全產生了很大影響。
Recently, Japan lost its spot as the world's third-largest economy, falling behind Germany.
最近，日本失去了世界第三大經濟體的地位，落后于德國。
I'm Mario Ritter, Jr.
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