年龄18，虚岁20！韩国议员提议摒弃虚岁传统

出生当天就算一岁，过了新年再大一岁，这种虚岁计算法恐怕很多中国人都不陌生。在韩国也是如此，虚岁往往比周岁大两岁。如今，一名韩国议员试图摒弃这一传统，理由是这种年龄算法造成了很多混乱和不便。

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

一位韩国立法者想摒弃韩国非常特殊的年龄计算制度。

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.

按照这种制度，宝宝在出生当天就被计算为一岁，到了每年的1月1日就自动再增一岁。这意味着元旦前夜出生的孩子第二天就算两岁。

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.

据CNN报道，这是多数韩国人日常生活中采用的年龄计算制度，不过在处理大部分法律事务时韩国人采用的是国际制度。

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报道称，韩国国会议员黄举宏（音译）认为，韩国的年龄计算法过时又低效。今年早些时候，他提出了一个法案，要求在各个领域强制使用国际上通用的年龄计算法。

"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.

他的法案中写道：“法务和日常生活中采用的年龄计算法不同会产生多种负面效应，比如：增加不必要的行政开支，由于和其他国家在这方面的差异而造成信息交流上的混乱，助长基于年龄的等级文化所造成的冲突，驱使人们生孩子避开特定月份。”

adverse[ædˈvɚs, ˈædˌvɚs]: adj. 不利的；相反的；敌对的

hierarchy['haɪərɑrki]: n. 层级；等级制度

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

对于那些孩子在年末出生的父母，韩国年龄计算制度的影响也比较大。

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).

美联社报道称，有些父母担心孩子在学校会落后于出生月份靠前的其他孩子，虽然他们相差了好几个月，但他们的韩国年龄是一样的。

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.

一位名叫安长根（音译）的父亲告诉美联社说，当他两周大的儿子在2013年1月1日被计算为两岁时，他感到“无语”。

"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.

安长根说：“我们终于有了这个宝贝孩子，但我感觉两年怎么突然间就过去了，而我还没有给宝贝做过任何事情呢。”

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.

李东吉（音译）的女儿是在12月31日出生的，女儿才刚出生就有人打电话祝贺孩子两岁生日，对他来说这些祝贺声有点刺耳。

jarring['dʒɑrɪŋ]: adj. 不和谐的；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.

他告诉美联社说：“我想：‘啊，好吧。她现在两岁了，虽然出生才两个小时。这是什么鬼？’”

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

这种非常不寻常的年龄计算制度是怎么产生的，人们并不清楚。

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.

据CNN报道，有些人认为这源于中国传统数字系统，一般从1开始计数，而不是从0开始。几个世纪以来，韩国文化一直受到中国的极大影响。

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.

据美联社报道，20世纪60年代，由于西方文化的影响力增强，韩国开始引进国际年龄计算制度。不过韩国没有像其他亚洲国家一样强力推行国际制度，于是韩国人就继续在日常生活中使用本地的年龄计算制度。

Some South Koreans are happy juggling the dual aging system.

一些韩国人很愿意同时使用两种年龄计算制度。

juggle['dʒʌɡl]: v. 尽量兼顾

"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.

一位旅行社社长林庆杰（音译）告诉美联社说：“如果我们使用国际年龄计算制度，事情会变得更复杂，因为韩国社会很关注出生年份。”

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.

美联社报道称，在韩国，一个人的出生年份可以决定社会地位。例如，出生年份可以帮助人们决定使用什么敬语。

honorific['ɑnə'rɪfɪk]: n. 敬语

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

据CNN报道，黄举宏说，他这个摒弃韩国年龄计算制度的法案得到了其他政界人士的广泛支持。

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.

但是韩国国会目前因选举法案而陷入了僵持状态，这意味着黄举宏的法案今年应该没戏，得等来年再议了。