Birth rates are falling in developed countries, including Japan, South Korea, Singapore, the US, and Britain. They are pulling out all the stops to encourage couples to have babies. To pull out all the stops means to do everything possible to make something successful. South Korea has described its low birth rate as a national emergency and will create a special government department to encourage births. The Singapore government gives couples the equivalent of about HK$64,000 for their first and second child and even more for additional children.

The main reasons for declining birth rates are high cost of living, cost of raising a child, and women choosing to work instead of raising a family. According to the World Bank, Hong Kong has replaced South Korea with the lowest birth rate globally. Hong Kong couples, like couples elsewhere, don’t want children for similar reasons. Aside from high living costs, Hong Kong couples also worry about the education system and politics. The government gives a one-off allowance of HK$20,000 to couples whose babies are born between last October and October 2026.

That is just peanuts compared with what Singapore pays. If something is just peanuts, it means it is a very small amount of money. Legislator Bill Tang Ka-piu has proposed the loopy idea of covering the walls of government offices with baby photos to encourage births. The word “loopy” has several meanings but a loopy idea means a silly or unusual idea. Seeing baby photos will not make couples jump in bed to make babies. Maybe Ocean Park should consider covering the panda area with baby panda photos to encourage births for a real panda economy!

在已發展國家，包括日本、南韓、新加坡、美國和英國，出生率一直在下降。他們都在pulling out all the stops 去鼓勵夫婦生育。To pull out all the stops是指使出渾身解數，用盡一切可能的辦法去令某事成功。南韓形容其低出生率為國家緊急事務，計劃創建特別政府部門去鼓勵生育。新加坡政府則給予生育第一名和第二名子女的夫婦相當於六萬四千港元的金額，再有子女的則另外發放更多。

出生率下降的主要原因，是生活成本高昂、養育小孩的成本，以及女性情願工作而非撫養一個家庭。根據世界銀行的資料，香港已取代南韓成為全球出生率最低的地方。就如其他地方的夫婦一樣，香港夫婦亦因為類似的原因不想要小孩。除了高昂的生活成本，香港夫婦亦會擔心教育制度以及政治。子女於上年十月至二零二六年十月期間出生的父母，政府會發放一次性二萬港元的補貼。

但相較新加坡發放的金額，香港的是 just peanuts——若某事是 just peanuts，意即非常細額的錢。立法會議員鄧家彪提出一個愚蠢的想法（loopy idea），就是在政府辦公室的牆上貼滿嬰兒相，去鼓勵生育。Loopy一字有好些意思，但a loopy idea則指愚蠢、奇特的想法。看着嬰兒照並不會令夫婦跳上床去生小孩。或許海洋公園應該考慮在熊貓區鋪滿幼熊貓的照片鼓勵牠們生育，以創造真正的熊貓經濟吧！ 

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Michael Chugani褚簡寧
中譯：七刻