 The woman believed to be the world's oldest person celebrated her 116th birthday on September 16.
Kamato Hongo, who lives on the island of Tokunoshima in southern Japan, slept through most of the celebrations to mark her extraordinary achievement. Her grandson Tsuyoshi Karauchi, who lives with her, said that sleeping was a favourite pastime. "She will sleep two days in a row. She'll wake up for a while, then back to more sleep. We even feed her in her sleep." Tokunoshima island was also home to a man who reached the age of 120 - the greatest age ever recorded - and there are now more than 20,000 people over the age of 100 in Japan. The reasons for their unusual longevity could be a diet rich in sea food and low in fat, or Japan's strong welfare system and family support networks. Mr Karauchi said his grandmother, like a lot of other elderly people, ate miso soup, rice and vegetables. Asked about the secret of her longevity, he said: "She was brought up in a good environment, ate healthy local food. She survived the war but apart from that it's been a peaceful happy life." She has never smoked, he said, "but she did start drinking about 20 years ago in her 90s". "She enjoys a glass of sake when she's awake now. Almost every day," he said. Mrs Hongo, who is part of a five-generation family, is sociable despite her age. "When guests come round she always offers them a cup of tea. She likes having people in the house," he said. But there is a downside in Japan to this otherwise rosy picture of health. Japan is an aging society with a shrinking workforce, which is supporting more and more retired people. Economists are predicting a crisis in the state pension system within a few years, because the benefits being paid out far exceed payments being made into it. On the other hand, Japan's elderly are generally fitter and more active than in other countries. (Agencies) | 9月16日，被認為世界上最長壽的老人慶祝了她的116周歲生日。 本鄉門真生活在日本南部德之島。在慶祝她非凡成就的盛典上，她大部分時間都在睡覺。 和她生活的一起的孫子唐牛津吉說睡覺是她最喜愛的消遣方式。 “她會連續睡兩天，醒來一段時間后接著再睡。我們甚至在她睡覺的時候喂她吃東西。” 德之島也是另一位長壽老人的家鄉，他活到120歲，是有史以來最長壽的老人。目前日本百歲以上的老人超過2萬人。 他們特別長壽可能是因為他們的飲食中海鮮含量高而脂肪含量很低，也可能是因為日本優越的福利保障系制度和家庭贍養網絡。 唐牛先生說他祖母和其它許多長壽的老人一樣，喝豆面醬湯，吃米飯和蔬菜。 當被問及本鄉門真老人的長壽秘訣時，唐牛先生說：“她在一個良好的環境中長大，吃健康的當地食品。她在戰爭中幸存下來，除此之外，她過著平靜愉快的生活。” 她從不抽煙，他說：“但是她從90多歲開始喝酒，已經有20年了。” “她醒著的時候，幾乎每天都會喝一杯米酒。” 本鄉老人家中五世同堂，盡管她年事已高，還是很喜歡和大家在一起。 “當有客人來時，她總是給他們沏茶，她喜歡屋子里有人。”他說。 但是要維持這種健康的景象，日本面臨著不利因素。 日本已步入老齡化社會，越來越多的退休老人需要贍養，而勞動力在不斷減少。 經濟學家們預測日本政府養老金制度在幾年之中將面臨危機，因為支出的養老金遠遠超過收入。 另一方面，日本的老人總體上來說比其它國家的老人更健康、更有活力。 （中國日報網站譯） |
Updated: 2003-09-19 01:00
