> Travel agency employees offered 1b yuan in 'baby bonuses'
攜程將投入10億元鼓勵員工生育 每生一孩補貼5萬

China's leading online travel agency Trip.com Group announced on Friday that it plans to provide 1 billion yuan ($137.74 million) in subsidies to support employees who have more children.
中國領先的在線旅行社攜程集團6月30日宣布，計劃投入10億元來補貼生育多孩的員工。

As the first Chinese company to introduce such a policy, which conforms with national efforts to encourage childbirth, it has sparked heated discussion among the public about the cost of raising children and the impact on women's careers.
攜程是國內第一家推出這種生育補貼政策的公司，這與當前國家鼓勵生育的舉措是一致的。攜程此舉引發了公眾關于育兒成本以及生孩子對婦女事業影響的激烈討論。

Starting on July 1, both male and female employees who have worked at the company for three years or more will be eligible to receive an annual cash bonus of 10,000 yuan ($1,377) per year for each newborn until the child reaches the age of 5, the company said.
攜程宣布，從7月1日開始，入職滿3年的攜程員工，無論性別，每新生育一個孩子都將獲得每年1萬元的現金補貼，發放至孩子滿5周歲后終止。

"Employees are the greatest asset of the company, and we are committed to creating a better and more supportive working environment for them," said James Liang, executive chairman of the board at Trip. com.
攜程集團的董事局主席梁建章表示，員工是企業最寶貴的財富，我們致力于為員工創造一個更好的工作環境，為員工提供更大的支持。

"Through the introduction of this new child care benefit, we aim to provide financial support that will encourage our employees to start or grow their families without compromising on their professional goals and achievements," said Liang, who is also a demographic economist.
作為人口經濟學家，梁建章還指出，通過推出新育兒福利，旨在為員工生育提供經濟支持，讓他們不會因生育而犧牲自己的職業目標與成就。

In 2022, China recorded 9.56 million newborns, and the birthrate was 0.68 percent.
國家統計局數據顯示，2022年，中國出生人口數量為956萬，出生率為6.8‰。

It was the first time since 1950 that the annual population of newborns dropped below 10 million, and the third consecutive year the birthrate had dropped below 1 percent, according to the National Bureau of Statistics.
這是1950年以來，年出生人口首次跌破1000萬，也是連續第三年出生率跌破1%。

The high cost of raising a child has become an important factor affecting fertility rates.
育兒成本高已經成為影響生育率的一個重要因素。

In China, the average cost of raising a child to the age of 18 is 485,000 yuan, equivalent to 6.9 times the annual per capita GDP, according to YuWa Population Research, a public welfare institution dedicated to population and related public policy research in China.
育媧人口研究智庫的數據顯示，在中國，把孩子養到18歲的平均成本是48.5萬元，相當于全年人均國內生產總值的6.9倍。育媧人口研究智庫是致力于中國人口和相關公共政策研究的公益機構。

The cost of raising a child in China is higher than in some developed Western countries, the institution said, adding the population of newborns in China declined for six consecutive years, from 2017 to 2022.
該機構稱，中國的育兒成本高于某些西方發達國家的水平，并指出中國出生人口數量從2017年到2022年已連續下跌6年。

Liang believes that family welfare policies such as inclusive child care services, equal maternity leave for men and women, protection of the rights of single-parent families, and open access to assisted reproductive technologies, can effectively help working women reduce the time and cost of parenting and achieve a win-win situation for both the family and employers.
梁建章認為，包括托幼一體化服務、男女平等產假制度、保障單親家庭權益、開放輔助生育技術在內的家庭福利政策能有效幫助職場女性減少育兒時間和成本，讓家庭和雇主達到共贏。

The baby bonuses have sparked an intense online debate.
攜程的生育補貼引發了網上的激烈討論。

Many women said that getting pregnant affects their opportunities to get promoted and advance their careers.
許多女性表示，懷孕讓她們失去了晉升和職業發展的機會。

Some companies prefer that female employees don't get pregnant, as it shortens their working time.
有些公司更希望女員工不要懷孕，因為這樣會縮短她們的工作時長。

Other netizens said the subsidies fall well short of covering the huge cost of bearing and raising a child.
其他網友表示，攜程的補貼金額相比巨大的生育成本只是杯水車薪。

Over the past few years, Trip.com has implemented a number of pro-family policies.
過去幾年來，攜程已經推出了一系列對家庭友好的政策。

A hybrid-working plan has been introduced, which allows employees to opt to work remotely on certain days of the week.
攜程的混合辦公制度允許員工在每周的某幾天遠程辦公。

The policy has been applied in 14 countries and regions.
這一政策已在14個國家和地區的攜程辦事處實行。

> Young man forms fusion band of rock and Kunqu Opera
“泰褲辣”！95后“昆曲小伙”組搖滾樂隊：“我們這代人就是要干這個事”

In early June, Wang Pushi, a young man from Beijing with a background in Kunqu Opera and also the lead singer of a rock band, captivated his audience with a performance at "Youth π Plan," a music competition show produced by Hunan Satellite TV and Mango TV. He sang a fusion of rock and Kunqu Opera elements in his song titled "Ming Song."
6月初，昆曲科班出身、同時也是一支搖滾樂隊主唱的95后北京小伙王蒲實在由湖南衛視、芒果TV制作的音樂競演節目《青年π計劃》的舞臺上演唱了一首融合搖滾與昆劇元素的歌曲《明歌》，給觀眾留下了深刻印象。

With its invigorating rhythm and beat, the combination of ancient and modern vocal styles and melodies, and poetic yet bold lyrics, Wang's performance skillfully blended the power of rock with the elegance and charm of Kunqu Opera.
振奮人心的節奏與鼓點、古今結合的唱腔與旋律、既詩意又豪邁的歌詞，王蒲實的演唱將搖滾的力量感與昆曲唱腔的華麗婉轉巧妙結合。

Netizens praised his performance, exclaiming how "cool" and "refreshing" it was, and expressing their admiration for his ability to infuse rock into Kunqu Opera.
不少網友點贊直呼“太酷了” “耳目一新”“把昆曲唱出來搖滾味，太好聽了”。

Wang has been studying traditional Chinese opera since he was young and officially joined the Northern Kunqu Opera Theatre in 2012, accumulating 11 years of experience in Kunqu Opera.
王蒲實從小學習戲曲，2012年正式進入北方昆曲劇院學員班學習昆曲，到現在已有11年的昆曲底子。

Apart from Kunqu Opera, Wang has been interested in rock music from a young age. He said his favorite rock bands and musicians that have inspired him the most include David Bowie, Nirvana, Beyond, OneRepublic, and Caspian.
除了昆曲外，王蒲實兒時也接觸到搖滾樂并喜歡上搖滾，他告訴記者自己最喜歡且深受影響的搖滾樂隊及音樂人包括大衛?鮑伊、涅槃、Beyond、OneRepublic、和Caspian等樂隊。

In 2019, Wang formed a rock band called "Xian Ke" with two other students from the National Academy of Chinese Theatre Arts, Yao Jiahan and Wen Haoyuan, where he serves as the lead singer and guitarist.
2019年，王蒲實與中國戲曲學院另外兩名同學姚嘉涵、溫昊元一起組建了搖滾樂隊“鮮克”。
王蒲實擔任主唱兼吉他手。

He said the band's name was derived from a line in "The Book of Songs" that signifies persistence and dedication.
他介紹說，樂隊名取自《詩經?大雅?蕩》中“靡不有初，鮮克有終”。

So far, the band has created 25 songs, with one single reaching over a hundred million plays.
目前他們的樂隊已創作25首歌曲，單曲最高播放量破億。

Wang expressed his hope that through their music, more young people will become acquainted with and develop an affinity for Kunqu Opera.
王蒲實希望他們的音樂可以讓更多的年輕人了解昆曲，并感受到昆曲的美妙之處。

He hopes to promote their songs overseas and showcase more exceptional Kunqu Opera on international stages, thus challenging the stereotypes associated with Chinese traditional music.
與此同時，他也希望能將樂隊的歌曲推廣到海外，并有機會把更多優秀昆曲劇目搬上海外的舞臺，打破大家對中國國風音樂的刻板印象。

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