日本政治家建议给新婚夫妇发放刺穿的避孕套
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议给新婚夫妇发放故意刺穿的避孕套以应对日本不断下降的出生率，该建议令他陷入麻烦，当地媒体周五报道。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.
在提出这个奇怪的建议后，地方议员Tomonaga Osada被严厉警告，并被要求做出道歉，好多当市民都非常愤怒，并打电话投诉。"I cannot deny my comments were disgraceful," a contrite Osada told the Mainichi Shimbun newspaper. "I'm sorry."
“我的这个建议确实是可耻的，”后悔的他对《每日新闻》说。“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.
他的这番有争议的言论作于上个月的地方议会定期会议上，据报道，他还提议发放当地产的日本山药——据说可以提高性耐力。"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.
“我之所以提出这个建议，是因为我以为这会让人们觉得这个市政厅是个美好和友好的地方，”他对日本电视台说。"I had no intention to criticise or disrespect people who cannot have a baby."
“我并不是为了要批评或者羞辱那些无法生孩子的人。”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.
而就在上个月，执政党的官员在有关孩子抚养的辩论上对东京的一名女议员展开了性别歧视性的责问，成了新闻头条，引发了人们广泛的谴责。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?"
在市政官员的不断奚落下，这名叫做Ayaka Shiomura的女议员禁不住哭了起来，他们嘲笑她说；“你不是不能生孩子吗？”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岁的Osada已经连续当了三年新城市的议员，新城市拥有大约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.
该市的议长对记者说他的建议“缺乏尊严”并称他的发言将从6月18号的会议记录中删除。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.
日本拥有世界上最低的生育率之一，而老龄化社会的到来，令日本不堪社会福利成本的重负。
