養娃太貴，房價太高，再加上疫情導致的經濟不景氣等因素，韓國生育率已經連續第六年下降，如今再度刷新世界最低生育率記錄。除此以外，越來越多韓國女性不愿為了家庭犧牲自己的事業，這一切都導致韓國人口危機不斷加速。

South Korea has again recorded the world's lowest fertility rate with the number sinking to a new low.

韓國出生人口再創新低，又一次創下世界最低生育率紀錄。

The rate in the country first dropped lower than one child per woman in 2018.

2018年韓國生育率首次降到平均每名女性生育孩子數量不到一個的水平。

But on Wednesday, figures released by the government showed the figure had dropped to 0.81 - down from 0.84 the previous year, and a sixth consecutive decline.

然而8月24日韓國政府發布的數據表明，這一數據已經從一年前的0.84降到了0.81，連續第六年下降。

In comparison, the average rate across the world's most advanced economies is 1.6 children.

相比之下，世界最發達經濟體的平均生育率為每名女性生育1.6個孩子。

Countries need at least two children per couple - a 2.1 rate - to keep their population at the same size, without migration.

一個國家中每對夫婦需要生育至少2個孩子（2.1的生育率）才能在沒有移民的情況下維持原有的人口規模。

Fertility rates have "declined markedly" in the past six decades says the OECD - Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.

經濟合作與發展組織稱，過去60年來生育率已“顯著下降”。

But the trend has been particularly pronounced in South Korea, where family sizes have reduced in the span of a few generations. At the start of the 1970s women had four children on average.

但是這一趨勢在韓國尤為明顯，韓國的家庭規模在過去幾代不斷縮小。上世紀70年代初，平均每名韓國女性生育4個小孩。

A declining population can put a country under immense strain. Apart from increased pressure on public spending as demand for healthcare systems and pensions rise, a declining youth population also leads to labour shortages that impact the economy.

人口減少會讓一個國家承受重壓。隨著人們對醫療系統和養老金的需求增大，公共支出面臨的壓力與日俱增，除此之外，青年人口減少還會導致勞動力短缺，從而對經濟產生影響。

In 2020 there was widespread alarm in South Korea when it recorded more deaths than births for the first time.

2020年韓國登記的死亡人數首次超過出生人數，引發普遍的恐慌情緒。

In recent years, economic pressures and career factors have been key considerations for people deciding on children, experts say.

專家指出，近年來經濟壓力和事業方面的考慮一直是人們決定是否要小孩的關鍵因素。

For the 2021 figures, experts cited higher living costs, a spike in house prices and the impact of the Covid pandemic as factors discouraging them from having children.

專家稱，從2021年的數據來看，生活成本上漲、房價飆升和疫情影響都是阻礙人們生育的因素。

A crisis is brewing. If South Korea's population continues to shrink, there won't be enough people to grow its economy, look after its aging population, and conscript into its army.

一場危機正在醞釀當中。如果韓國人口繼續縮水，將不會有足夠的人口來發展經濟、照顧老齡化人口和征兵入伍。

Politicians have known for years this is coming but have been unable to fix it. They have thrown billions of dollars at trying to convince people to have children and are still scratching their heads as to why this hasn't worked.

多年以前，韓國政界人士就意識到這場危機即將來臨，但是卻一直無能為力。他們投入了數十億美元試圖鼓勵人們去生孩子，但是卻沒有奏效，他們也感到很費解。

Money of course is a factor. Raising children in South Korea is expensive, and many young people are sinking under astronomical housing costs. But this is also about opportunity.

缺錢肯定是影響生育的因素之一。在韓國養孩子很燒錢，許多年輕人都因高昂的房價而壓力山大。但是人們選擇不生育也和工作機遇有關。

Women in South Korea are highly educated, yet far from equal in the workplace. The country has the highest gender pay gap of any rich country. Most of the housework and childcare in South Korea still falls to women and it is common for women to stop work after having children or for their careers to stagnate.

韓國女性普遍受過高等教育，但是在職場上的地位卻遠遠不能和男性相提并論。韓國的性別收入差距在富國中是最大的。在韓國，家務和育兒重擔都落在女性肩上，女性在生完孩子后不再工作或事業陷入停滯的情況很常見。

Essentially, many women here are still forced to choose between having a career and having a family. Increasingly they are deciding they don't want to sacrifice their careers.

基本上，許多韓國女性仍被迫在事業和家庭之間做選擇。越來越多女性決定不犧牲自己的事業。

As one woman put it to me: "we are on a baby-making strike".

就像一位韓國女性說的那樣：“我們正在生育罷工?！?/p>

英文來源：BBC

翻譯&編輯：丹妮