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Thailand is encouraging its people to have more babies to stop a decrease in the national birth rate.
泰国正在鼓励国民多生孩子，以阻止全国出生率下降。
The Southeast Asian country plans to open more fertility centers and offer childcare services to parents.
这个东南亚国家计划开设更多的生育中心，并为父母提供托儿服务。
It also plans to use social media influencers to spread the message about the joys of family life.
它还计划利用在社交媒体上有影响力的人来传播有关家庭生活乐趣的信息。
The number of births in Thailand has dropped nearly one third since 2013.
自2013年以来，泰国的新生儿人数下降了近三分之一。
Last year there were 544,000 births.
去年有54.4万名新生儿出生。
That represents the lowest birth rate in at least 60 years.
这是至少60年来最低的出生率。
Coronavirus-related deaths added to the total of 563,000 deaths.
与疫情有关的死亡人数增加到56.3万人。
Thailand's decreasing population is similar to other Asian countries like Japan or Singapore.
泰国人口数量的减少情况与日本或新加坡等其他亚洲国家相似。
But the nation is still developing.
但这个国家仍是发展中国家。
That means the effects of a falling birth rate are an even bigger problem.
这意味着出生率下降的影响是一个更大的问题。
Teera Sindecharak is an expert on demography, or changes in population numbers, at Thammasat University in Bangkok.
蒂拉·辛德哈拉克是泰国国立法政大学的人口统计学专家，该大学位于曼谷。
He said the numbers show "a population crisis…where the mindset towards having children has changed."
他说，这些数据反映了“一场人口危机……人们对生育孩子的心态发生了转变。”
Senior health official Suwannachai Wattanayingcharoenchai told Reuters the government recognized a need to intervene.
泰国高级卫生官员素万纳猜告诉路透社，泰国政府认为有必要对出生率进行干预。
He commented on the government's plans to introduce policies so that newborns get the full support of the state.
泰国政府计划出台政策以使新生儿得到国家的全力支持，他对此发表了评论。
He said it is trying to slow down the reduction in births by getting families that are ready to have children faster.
他说，泰国政府正试图通过让家庭乐意更快地要孩子，从而减缓出生率降低的趋势。
Officials said the plans include opening fertility centers all over the country and also using social media influencers to support bigger families.
官员们表示，这些计划包括在全国各地开设生育中心，并利用社交媒体上有影响力的人来支持更大的家庭。
Such policies came too late for some.
这样的政策对一些人来说来得太晚了。
Chinthathip Nantavong, 44, decided with her partner of 14 years not to have children.
44岁的钦塔提已和相处14年的伴侣决定不生孩子。
"Raising one child costs a lot," she said.
她说：“养育一个孩子要花费很多钱。”
She added that several months of care for a young child "is already 50,000 to 60,000 baht ($1,520 to $1,850) and then it reaches millions later."
她还说，照顾一个小孩几个月的费用“就要五六万泰铢（约合1520美元到1850美元），之后就会达到数百万泰铢。”
She said that other countries have better care centers and social support policies.
她说，其他国家有更好的护理中心和社会支持政策。
Sindecharak said Thailand is heading towards becoming a "super-aged society" where the number of people over 60 is more than one fifth of the population.
辛德哈拉克说，泰国正走向“超龄社会”，60岁以上的人口占总人口的五分之一以上。
About 18 percent of Thailand's population is now over 60.
泰国目前约有18%的人口超过60岁。
Last year, there were 3.4 working-aged people for every retired person.
去年，劳动年龄人口与退休人口的比例为3.4：1。
But officials predict that number could fall to 1.7 by 2040.
但官员们预测，到2040年，这一数字可能会降至1.7。
Danucha Pichayanan is the head of the state-planning agency.
长达努沙是泰国国家规划机构的负责人。
He said the productivity of manufacturing will decrease.
他说，制造业的生产率将会下降。
He also said a decreasing growth rate could weaken government finances.
他还说，下降的增长率可能会削弱泰国政府财政。
Experts have said government retirement payments already are not considered enough.
专家们表示，他们认为泰国政府的退休金不够了。
"It's become more difficult in deciding to have children," said Sindecharak.
辛德哈拉克说：“决定生不生孩子变得更加困难。”
He said, in the last 10 years, the economy has slowed.
他说，在过去的10年里，经济发展已经放缓。
At the same time, living costs increased but income growth slowed.
与此同时，生活成本上升，但收入增长放缓。
Political division, rising debt and education costs were also major influences in people's opinions about having children.
政治分歧、不断上升的债务和教育成本也是影响人们对生育孩子的看法的主要因素。
Experts say short-term fixes may not be enough.
专家表示，短期的解决措施可能是不够的。
Information from the Bank of Thailand shows that household debt has grown to nearly 90 percent of the country's GDP.
来自泰国银行的信息显示，家庭债务已经增长到该国国内生产总值的近90%。
That is a measure used for the size of a country's economy.
这是衡量一个国家经济规模的指标。
Debt was 59 percent of GDP in 2010.
2010年，债务占国内生产总值的59%。
But for many like Nantavong, who has chosen to not have children, costs are the biggest problem.
但对于许多像钦塔提这样选择不生孩子的人来说，成本是最大的问题。
"The middle class, office workers or people that are trying make ends meet think the same way," she said.
她说：“中产阶级、上班族或那些努力维持收支平衡的人都有同样的想法。”
"Right now we have a cat and it's not as costly as a child," she said.
她说：“现在我们有一只猫，养猫不如养孩子花费高”。
I'm Gregory Stachel.
格雷戈里·施塔赫尔为您播报。
译文为可可英语翻译，未经授权请勿转载！
