年齡18，虛歲20！韓國議員提議摒棄虛歲傳統

出生當天就算一歲，過了新年再大一歲，這種虛歲計算法恐怕很多中國人都不陌生。在韓國也是如此，虛歲往往比周歲大兩歲。如今，一名韓國議員試圖摒棄這一傳統，理由是這種年齡算法造成了很多混亂和不便。

A South Korean lawmaker wants to abolish the country's highly unusual age calculation system.

一位韓國立法者想摒棄韓國非常特殊的年齡計算制度。

Under the system, babies are already one year old the day they are born, and automatically turn a year older every January 1. That means that children delivered on New Year's Eve are two years old the next day.

按照這種制度，寶寶在出生當天就被計算爲一歲，到了每年的1月1日就自動再增一歲。這意味着除夕夜出生的孩子第二天就算兩歲。

This is the system most South Koreans use in their everyday life, though they use the international system for most legal matters, according to cnn.

據cnn報道，這是多數韓國人日常生活中採用的年齡計算制度，不過在處理大部分法律事務時韓國人採用的是國際制度。

Hwang Ju-hong, a member of the country's National Assembly, believes Korean ages are antiquated and inefficient, cnn reported. Earlier this year, he introduced a bill that makes the international way mandatory across all spheres.

cnn報道稱，韓國國會議員黃舉宏（音譯）認爲，韓國的年齡計算法過時又低效。今年早些時候，他提出了一個法案，要求在各個領域強制使用國際上通用的年齡計算法。

"The difference in the age calculation methods used in legal and everyday life had various adverse effects such as: wasting unnecessary administrative costs, creating confusion in information exchange due to its difference with other countries and conflict due to fostering a culture of hierarchy based on age and avoiding certain months for childbirth," his bill said, according to cnn.

他的法案中寫道：“法務和日常生活中採用的年齡計算法不同會產生多種負面效應，比如：增加不必要的行政開支，由於和其他國家在這方面的差異而造成信息交流上的混亂，助長基於年齡的等級文化所造成的衝突，驅使人們生孩子避開特定月份。”

adverse[ædˈvɚs, ˈædˌvɚs]: adj. 不利的；相反的；敵對的

hierarchy['haɪərɑrki]: n. 層級；等級制度

The Korean age system can also be hard for parents who have their babies late in the year.

對於那些孩子在年末出生的父母，韓國年齡計算制度的影響也比較大。

Some worry their children will fall behind other kids born earlier in the year at school because they have the same Korean age, even though they are months apart, according to The Associated Press (AP).

美聯社報道稱，有些父母擔心孩子在學校會落後於出生月份靠前的其他孩子，雖然他們相差了好幾個月，但他們的韓國年齡是一樣的。

A father named Ahn Chang-gun told the AP he felt "empty" when his son turned two on January 1, 2013 — about two weeks after he was born.

一位名叫安長根（音譯）的父親告訴美聯社說，當他兩週大的兒子在2013年1月1日被計算爲兩歲時，他感到“無語”。

"He was this precious baby that we finally had, but I felt that all of a sudden two years had just gone by and yet I hadn't done anything for my baby," said Ahn.

安長根說：“我們終於有了這個寶貝孩子，但我感覺兩年怎麼突然間就過去了，而我還沒有給寶貝做過任何事情呢。”

For Lee Dong-kil, whose daughter was born on December 31, it was slightly jarring to have people call him to congratulate him on her second birthday so shortly after her birth.

李東吉（音譯）的女兒是在12月31日出生的，女兒纔剛出生就有人打電話祝賀孩子兩歲生日，對他來說這些祝賀聲有點刺耳。

jarring['dʒɑrɪŋ]: adj. 不和諧的；刺耳的

"I thought: 'Ah, right. She's now two years old, though it's been only two hours since she was born. What the heck!'" he told the AP.

他告訴美聯社說：“我想：‘啊，好吧。她現在兩歲了，雖然出生才兩個小時。這是什麼鬼？’”

It's not clear how the exactly unusual age system came about.

這種非常不尋常的年齡計算制度是怎麼產生的，人們並不清楚。

Some believe it has roots in the traditional Chinese numerical system, which starts counting at one instead of zero, according to cnn. Korean culture has been heavily influenced by China for centuries.

據cnn報道，有些人認爲這源於中國傳統數字系統，一般從1開始計數，而不是從0開始。幾個世紀以來，韓國文化一直受到中國的極大影響。

South Korea introduced the international age system in the 1960s when Western culture started having a greater influence, the AP reported. But it did not push for the change as hard as other Asian countries did, and people continued using the local system in their everyday lives.

據美聯社報道，20世紀60年代，由於西方文化的影響力增強，韓國開始引進國際年齡計算制度。不過韓國沒有像其他亞洲國家一樣強力推行國際制度，於是韓國人就繼續在日常生活中使用本地的年齡計算制度。

Some South Koreans are happy juggling the dual aging system.

一些韓國人很願意同時使用兩種年齡計算制度。

juggle['dʒʌɡl]: v. 儘量兼顧

"If we use international age, things could get more complicated because it's a society that cares so much about which year you were born," said Lim Kyoung-jae, the head of a travel agency, told the AP.

一位旅行社社長林慶傑（音譯）告訴美聯社說：“如果我們使用國際年齡計算制度，事情會變得更復雜，因爲韓國社會很關注出生年份。”

In the east Asian nation, a person's birth year is important to determine social standing, according to the AP. For example, it could help people decide what honorific to use.

美聯社報道稱，在韓國，一個人的出生年份可以決定社會地位。例如，出生年份可以幫助人們決定使用什麼敬語。

honorific['ɑnə'rɪfɪk]: n. 敬語

Hwang said his bill to move away from the Korean system has widespread support from other politicians, cnn reported.

據cnn報道，黃舉宏說，他這個摒棄韓國年齡計算制度的法案得到了其他政界人士的廣泛支持。

But the National Assembly is currently at an impasse over election bills, which means that Hwang may have to re-introduce his legislation again next year.

但是韓國國會目前因選舉法案而陷入了僵持狀態，這意味着黃舉宏的法案今年應該沒戲，得等來年再議了。