听说日本要收“单身税”?为什么受伤的总是单身狗?
In fact, this is not the first time that Japanese government officials have proposed a bachelor tax. In 2004, a member of the Liberal Democratic Party suggested taxing single people to promote marriage, but the proposal ended up with nothing definite. 为何日本政府对单身如此不友好? 2010年,日本NHK电视台播出的纪录片《“无缘社会”——32000人无缘死的冲击》给出了其中的答案。 NHK's documentary highlights the dilemma facing Japan's economy due to the number of childless couples and an aging population. In Japanese society, more and more young people choose to live alone. These young people not only have no life partners, but also reject the idea of engaging in normal social life. With a higher unemployment rate and lower pensions, these young people are facing the threat of dying alone. According to NHK's report, every year 32,000 Japanese people die alone. Japan's "Choose the Future Committee" estimates that if this situation continues, within 100 years the Japanese population will be less than half of what it is today. 在日本,单身与否与国家的经济有着密切联系。日本首相安倍晋三为振兴日本经济提出的“三支箭”经济发展目标中,将与国民结婚、生育息息相关的“构筑梦想的育儿支援”作为其第二支箭,国民婚育率与国家经济发展挂钩。 Is "being single" a factor that effects the economy? For Japan, the answer may be yes. But there is another voice saying that the increasing single group stimulates the development of emerging industries like the Internet, entertainment, film and television. The term "single economy" was created due to this phenomena. Alibaba released a report on "Empty Nester Youth in China" on May 3. The report shows that China has more than 50 million single "empty nester" young people. This group consists of singles from 20 to 39 years old. They enjoy shopping online, eating take-away food and ordering on-site services. They watch movies and travel alone. "The singles usually have more disposable income and tend to focus more on self spending." According to the report "Marketing the single consumers - China 2017", released by British market consulting firm Mintel, 61% of the single consumers are interested in movies and TV shows, followed by travel (56%) and fitness (48%). "16% of China’s urban population now lives alone, according to the Boston Consulting Group. The trend has been accompanied by a profound change in people’s perceptions of remaining single: the concept is no longer stigmatized, singles “dine, travel and pursue activities by themselves". 事实上,单身问题也并非现代社会的产物,从公元前的西汉王朝到古罗马,政府和国家就为国民“找对象“的问题操碎了心。从古至今,各个国家都想了哪些办法解决单身问题呢? 古罗马 The Lex Papia Poppaea was introduced in 9 AD to encourage marriage. Penalties were imposed on those who were celibate and married people who had no children. 中国 古代中国的法令法规里,对老百姓的终身大事一样有规定: 《汉书•惠帝纪》记载,公元前189年,刘盈下令:“女子年十五以上至三十不嫁,五算。”(Unmarried women from 15 to 30 need to pay taxes five times higher than married ones.) 意思是大龄剩女(15-30岁)们需要多交常人5倍的税赋;南北朝时期的《宋书•周朗传》中也说到: “女子十五不嫁,家人坐之。”(Families members of the women who do not marry after 15 years old have to be imprisoned.) 意味15岁还不能嫁人的女孩,家里人也要跟着坐牢。 In 1695, the English parliament passed The Marriage Duty Act or Registration Tax, which imposed a tax on childless couples, widowers and bachelors over the age of 25. It was primarily used as a revenue-raising mechanism for the war on France. 新加坡:男女约会政府买单 新加坡是世界上人口出生率(birth rate)最低的国家,新加坡政府公开招标并表示,希望通过企业策划特别优惠活动,并由政府为速配成功男女提供约会开销。 韩国:政府组织全国相亲大会 在韩国,全国相亲大会(blind date)也是由韩政府这个最不像媒人的媒人组织,政府对单身潮的焦虑可见一斑。2010韩国保健福祉部年开始推广全国相亲大会,场面非常壮观。 而我国的单身大军更是惊动了“团中央”,今年5月,团中央发话了: “共青团将通过媒体和各组织开展教育,帮助青年树立正确婚恋观、家庭观;联合社会青年组织多开展便于青年交往的活动,为他们结交朋友创造更多的机会和条件;协调和推动司法部门来规范婚介服务,打击虚假欺骗行为,帮助青年人找到合适伴侣。” 所以,单身的朋友们,团中央都在给我们撑腰呢,你还担心啥? |