日本將下調成年年齡至18歲 女性法定結婚年齡上調
Children in Japan will be considered adults when they are 18 as opposed to 20, under a new proposal that is supported by the government.
根據日本政府出臺的一項新提案，日本法定成年年齡將由之前的20歲下調至18歲。
If the change is approved, 18-year-olds will be able to get married, sign contracts and take out loans without the consent of their parents.
如果提案通過，18歲的日本人將無需得到父母同意就能結婚、簽合同和貸款。
But teenagers will still be banned from smoking, drinking alcohol and gambling until they are 20. If parliament votes in favour of the bill it will take effect in 2024.
但是日本青少年在20歲前仍將被禁止吸煙、喝酒和賭博。如果日本國會投票通過這一提案，該法令將于2024年生效。
It would be the first change to the law that defines adulthood since it was set in 1876.
這將是日本自1876年立法以來，首次調整成年年齡。
Under the existing law, people under 20 can only get married with the consent of their parents. Men can do so at 18 and women at 16.
按照現行法律，20歲以下的日本人只有得到父母同意才能結婚。日本男性的法定結婚年齡是18歲，女性是16歲。
But this amendment will raise the age that women can get married so that all 18-year-olds will be able to do so without parental consent.
但這一修正案將提高女性的法定結婚年齡，這樣所有年滿18歲的人都無需得到父母同意就能結婚。
The government decided to make the age of marriage the same for both sexes because there was no justifiable reason for the difference, according to Japan's Kyodo news service.
日本共同社報道說，日本政府決定統一男女法定結婚年齡，因為這一男女差異的存在并沒有正當理由。
Separately, the bill will allow 18 and 19-year-olds to sign contracts for mobile phones and credit cards.
此外，該法案還將分別允許18歲和19歲的人自主簽訂手機和信用卡合同。
This has led to fears that some businesses may use sales tactics that target and exploit vulnerable young people.
新提案讓人們擔心一些企業會用營銷策略來忽悠容易上當的年輕人。
The bill includes clauses that are designed to protect against this problem. For example, young people will be able to cancel a contract if they believe salespeople have manipulated or pressured them into signing it.
針對這一問題，法案當中的一些條款做出了保護性規定。例如，如果年輕人認為自己是被銷售人員操控或施壓才簽訂了合同，他們可以取消合同。
The Education and Justice Ministries have also said they will educate teenagers about the responsibilities that would come with the change.
日本教育和司法部還表示，他們會就伴隨成年而來的責任對青少年進行教育。
最后來看看一些主要國家的法定結婚年齡：
1. 中國：大陸地區男子22歲，女子20歲；香港和澳門是16歲；臺灣是20歲，父母同意下男18歲，女16歲。
2. 美國：各州自行規定。多數州規定法定結婚年齡男子為21歲，女子為18歲。愛達荷、密西西比、新澤西和華盛頓等州允許年滿14歲的男孩、年滿12歲的女孩結婚。
3. 韓國：男子和女子均是18歲。如果沒滿20歲結婚要經過父母同意，而且女性在離婚后的六個月內是不能再婚的。
4. 俄羅斯：男子和女子均是18歲。但特殊情況（已懷孕或已生子）下最低可以是14歲。
5. 伊朗：男子15歲，女子13歲
6. 德國：男子和女子均是18歲
7. 荷蘭：男子18歲，女子16歲，父母同意下最低可以是12歲。
8. 澳大利亞：男子和女子均是18歲，經父母同意可16歲結婚。
9. 英國：男子和女子均是16歲。
10. 法國：男子18歲，女子15歲
Children in Japan will be considered adults when they are 18 as opposed to 20, under a new proposal that is supported by the government.
根據日本政府出臺的一項新提案，日本法定成年年齡將由之前的20歲下調至18歲。
If the change is approved, 18-year-olds will be able to get married, sign contracts and take out loans without the consent of their parents.
如果提案通過，18歲的日本人將無需得到父母同意就能結婚、簽合同和貸款。
But teenagers will still be banned from smoking, drinking alcohol and gambling until they are 20. If parliament votes in favour of the bill it will take effect in 2024.
但是日本青少年在20歲前仍將被禁止吸煙、喝酒和賭博。如果日本國會投票通過這一提案，該法令將于2024年生效。
It would be the first change to the law that defines adulthood since it was set in 1876.
這將是日本自1876年立法以來，首次調整成年年齡。
Under the existing law, people under 20 can only get married with the consent of their parents. Men can do so at 18 and women at 16.
按照現行法律，20歲以下的日本人只有得到父母同意才能結婚。日本男性的法定結婚年齡是18歲，女性是16歲。
But this amendment will raise the age that women can get married so that all 18-year-olds will be able to do so without parental consent.
但這一修正案將提高女性的法定結婚年齡，這樣所有年滿18歲的人都無需得到父母同意就能結婚。
The government decided to make the age of marriage the same for both sexes because there was no justifiable reason for the difference, according to Japan's Kyodo news service.
日本共同社報道說，日本政府決定統一男女法定結婚年齡，因為這一男女差異的存在并沒有正當理由。
Separately, the bill will allow 18 and 19-year-olds to sign contracts for mobile phones and credit cards.
此外，該法案還將分別允許18歲和19歲的人自主簽訂手機和信用卡合同。
This has led to fears that some businesses may use sales tactics that target and exploit vulnerable young people.
新提案讓人們擔心一些企業會用營銷策略來忽悠容易上當的年輕人。
The bill includes clauses that are designed to protect against this problem. For example, young people will be able to cancel a contract if they believe salespeople have manipulated or pressured them into signing it.
針對這一問題，法案當中的一些條款做出了保護性規定。例如，如果年輕人認為自己是被銷售人員操控或施壓才簽訂了合同，他們可以取消合同。
The Education and Justice Ministries have also said they will educate teenagers about the responsibilities that would come with the change.
日本教育和司法部還表示，他們會就伴隨成年而來的責任對青少年進行教育。
最后來看看一些主要國家的法定結婚年齡：
1. 中國：大陸地區男子22歲，女子20歲；香港和澳門是16歲；臺灣是20歲，父母同意下男18歲，女16歲。
2. 美國：各州自行規定。多數州規定法定結婚年齡男子為21歲，女子為18歲。愛達荷、密西西比、新澤西和華盛頓等州允許年滿14歲的男孩、年滿12歲的女孩結婚。
3. 韓國：男子和女子均是18歲。如果沒滿20歲結婚要經過父母同意，而且女性在離婚后的六個月內是不能再婚的。
4. 俄羅斯：男子和女子均是18歲。但特殊情況（已懷孕或已生子）下最低可以是14歲。
5. 伊朗：男子15歲，女子13歲
6. 德國：男子和女子均是18歲
7. 荷蘭：男子18歲，女子16歲，父母同意下最低可以是12歲。
8. 澳大利亞：男子和女子均是18歲，經父母同意可16歲結婚。
9. 英國：男子和女子均是16歲。
10. 法國：男子18歲，女子15歲
