News of China’s rapidly-aging population will not have escaped The Nanjinger’s alert readers. That’s right folks, people aren’t making enough babies.
《南京人》的警惕读者不会错过中国人口迅速老龄化的消息。 没错，伙计们，人们没有生足够的孩子。
The problem of course, is the herd effect. And given China is an aspirational society driven by the concept of face, from a population standpoint, that’s a recipe for disaster.
当然，问题是群效应。 鉴于中国是一个由面子概念驱动的有抱负的社会，从人口的角度来看，这是灾难的秘诀。
For the little ones simply have to be given everything, in order to achieve everything. Then, and only then, can they make it into the one of the world’s top universities, if only to make their parents look good.
因为小家伙们只需要得到一切，才能实现一切。 只有这样，他们才能成为世界顶尖的大学之一，如果只是为了让他们的父母看起来不错的话。
As the website, chinaeducationaltours.com, points out, “A degree from any of these types of universities not only practically guarantees success in life, but also stands as a shiny, golden reflection upon the parents themselves”.
正如网站chinaeducationaltours.com所指出的，“这些类型的大学中的任何一个学位不仅实际上保证了人生的成功，而且也是父母本身的闪亮、金色的反映”。
Whether knowingly or unknowingly, the parents have been snared by the trap known as “Keeping up with the Jones’”. And it’s a deep trap from which in China there is no way out.
无论是明知故犯还是不知情，父母都被被称为“跟上琼斯家族”的陷阱所困。 在中国，这是一个深深的陷阱，无法摆脱它。
The Chinese phrase “不行” means “not allowed”, “won’t do”, “out of the question”. It’s common everyday parlance, but especially among parents and grandparents when discussing a child’s behaviour or education and particularly the after-school activities/classes in which they participate.
中文短语“不行”的意思是“不允许”、“不会做”、“不可能”。 这是日常常用的用语，但尤其是父母和祖父母在讨论孩子的行为或教育，特别是他们参加的课后活动/课程。
The commonly-accepted standard is the child must excel, no matter the cost. And yes, it is all about nothing but money.
普遍接受的标准是，无论付出代价如何，孩子都必须表现出色。 是的，这一切都与钱有关。
Therefore, a child need walk a well-trodden road, one overshadowed by the unwritten rules of parenting.
因此，一个孩子需要走一条被未成文的育儿规则所掩盖的道路。
And it starts from a young age. “回家, 吃饭, 洗澡, 睡觉” (go home, have dinner, have shower, go sleep) is the ritual which starts them out on this highway of hope.
它从小就开始了。 “回家，吃饭，洗澡，睡觉”（回家，吃晚饭，洗澡，睡觉）是让他们在这条希望的高速公路上开始的仪式。
China Daily puts some numbers on this phenomenon. “More than 60 percent of Chinese children are taking extracurricular classes and 85 percent of parents pay attention to children’s after-school activities, according to a recent survey”, that publication reported in 2019.
《中国日报》对这一现象提出了一些数字。 该出版物在2019年报道说：“根据最近的一项调查，超过60%的中国儿童正在上课外课程，85%的父母关注孩子的课后活动。”
Research institution, the China National Children’s Centre, was responsible for said survey, which reportedly involved 14,874 children aged between 3 and 15. Respondents were scattered across urban and rural areas in 10 cities, far and wide across China.
研究机构中国国家儿童中心负责上述调查，据报道，该调查涉及14,874名3至15岁的儿童。 受访者分布在中国各地10个城市的城市和农村地区。
The Chinese are well aware of the shortcomings in their education system, which is why they accept that the only way to give their child a leg up is by forking out.
中国人深知他们教育体系的缺点，这就是为什么他们接受让孩子获得支持的唯一方法就是付出。
But the cash is running out, fast. And in many cases it already has. If a child cannot be given that which society has decreed to be the only option, is it any wonder so few want to have any more children, especially given what else is happening in our world?
但现金很快就用完了。 在许多情况下，它已经有了。 如果不能给孩子提供社会规定的唯一选择，那么难怪很少有人想生更多孩子，特别是考虑到我们世界上正在发生的事情？
A greater change of view is going to be essential. Without it, we’re going to start running out of Chinese people.
更大的观点改变是必不可少的。 没有它，我们就会开始没有中国人了。
Many would do well to consider that while their child is going to her piano lessons, there are girls in China’s remote rural areas who walk miles to school every day, up a mountain. The windows on that school are possibly sheet plastic, the girls’ parents barely able to afford the tuition.
许多人最好认为，当他们的孩子去上钢琴课时，中国偏远农村地区有一些女孩每天步行数英里上山上学。 那所学校的窗户可能是塑料板，女孩们的父母几乎付不起学费。
But they do grow up, and many of them go on to excel at what they choose to do. It’s just not (usually) playing piano.
但他们确实长大了，他们中的许多人继续擅长他们选择做的事情。 只是（通常）不是弹钢琴。
Mindful of this, perhaps some Chinese parents may just feel motivated enough to bring another baby or two into the world. Before it’s too late.
考虑到这一点，也许一些中国父母可能只是觉得有足够的动力再生一两个孩子。 在为时已晚之前。
