日本政治家建議給新婚夫婦發放刺穿的避孕套
A provincial Japanese politician has landed himself in hot water after suggesting that deliberately punctured condoms be distributed to married couples to counter the country's dwindling birth rate, local media reported on Friday.
一位日本地方政治家建議給新婚夫婦發放故意刺穿的避孕套以應對日本不斷下降的出生率，該建議令他陷入麻煩，當地媒體週五報道。Municipal assembly member Tomonaga Osada received a stern warning and was forced to apologise after making the bizarre proposal, which triggered a flurry of phone calls from enraged locals.
在提出這個奇怪的建議後，地方議員Tomonaga Osada被嚴厲警告，並被要求做出道歉，好多當市民都非常憤怒，並打電話投訴。"I cannot deny my comments were disgraceful," a contrite Osada told the Mainichi Shimbun newspaper. "I'm sorry."
“我的這個建議確實是可恥的，”後悔的他對《每日新聞》說。“我感到抱歉。”
Osada's controversial remarks were made at a regular assembly meeting last month, when he also reportedly suggested handing out locally grown Japanese yams -- said to boost sexual stamina.
他的這番有爭議的言論作於上個月的地方議會定期會議上，據報道，他還提議發放當地產的日本山藥——據說可以提高性耐力。"I suggested the idea because I thought it would make people feel this city hall was a nice and friendly place," added Osada, talking to Japanese broadcaster NTV.
“我之所以提出這個建議，是因爲我以爲這會讓人們覺得這個市政廳是個美好和友好的地方，”他對日本電視臺說。"I had no intention to criticise or disrespect people who cannot have a baby."
“我並不是爲了要批評或者羞辱那些無法生孩子的人。”The incident comes after sexist heckling by governing party members aimed at a Tokyo assemblywoman during a debate about raising children made headline news last month and provoked widespread condemnation.
而就在上個月，執政黨的官員在有關孩子撫養的辯論上對東京的一名女議員展開了性別歧視性的責問，成了新聞頭條，引發了人們廣泛的譴責。Ayaka Shiomura was reduced to tears after being repeatedly taunted by city administration members, who jeered at her: "Aren't you able to have a baby?"
在市政官員的不斷奚落下，這名叫做Ayaka Shiomura的女議員禁不住哭了起來，他們嘲笑她說；“你不是不能生孩子嗎？”Osada, 49, is currently serving his third term as a member of the assembly in Shinshiro, a city with a population of around 49,000.
今年49歲的Osada已經連續當了三年新城市的議員，新城市擁有大約49000人。Assembly chairman Shogo Natsume told reporters the comments "lacked dignity" in issuing his reprimand, adding that the remarks would be deleted from the record of the June 18 meeting.
該市的議長對記者說他的建議“缺乏尊嚴”並稱他的發言將從6月18號的會議記錄中刪除。Japan has one of the world's lowest birth rates and Tokyo is struggling to contain the spiralling social welfare costs of a rapidly ageing society.
日本擁有世界上最低的生育率之一，而老齡化社會的到來，令日本不堪社會福利成本的重負。
