题目内容：
A．Twentyyearsagotherewasadebateaboutwhethertherewerespecific"Asianvalues".Mostattentionfocusedonthedoubtfulclaimsthatdemocracywasnotamongthem.Butamoreinteresting,iflessnoticed,argumentwasthattraditionalfamilyvalueswerestrongerinAsiathaninAmericaandEurope,andthatthispartlyaccountedforAsia'seconomicsuccess.InthewordsofLeeKuanYew,formerprimeministerofSingaporeandakeenadvocateofAsianvalues,theChinesefamilyencouraged"scholarshipandhardworkandthriftanddeferment(推迟)ofpresentenjoymentforfuturegain".
B．Onthefaceofithisclaimappearspersuasivestill.InmostofAsia,marriageiswidespreadandillegitimacy(私生)almostunknown.Incontrast,halfofmarriagesinsomeWesterncountriesendindivorce,andhalfofallchildrenarebornoutsidewedlock(已婚状况).TherecentriotsacrossBritain,whoseoriginsmanybelievelieinanabsenceofeitherparentalguidanceorfilial(子女的)respect,seemtounderlineaprofounddifferencebetweenEastandWest.
C．YetmarriageischangingfastinEast,South-EastandSouthAsia,eventhougheachregionhasdifferenttraditions.ThechangesaredifferentfromthosethattookplaceintheWestinthesecondhalfofthe20thcentury.Divorce,thoughrisinginsomecountries,remainscomparativelyrare.What'shappeninginAsiaisaflightfrommarriage.
D．Marriageratesarefallingpartlybecausepeoplearepostponinggettingmarried.Marriageageshaverisenallovertheworld,buttheincreaseisparticularlymarkedinAsia.PeopletherenowmarryevenlaterthantheydointheWest.Themeanageofmarriageintherichestplaces--Japan,TaiwanChina,SouthKoreaandHongKongChina--hasrisensharplyinthepastfewdecades,toreach29-30forwomenand31-33formen.
E．AlotofAsiansarenotmarryinglater.Theyarenotmarryingatall.AlmostathirdofJapanesewomenintheirearly30sareunmarried;probablyhalfofthosewillalwaysbe.Overone-fifthofTaiwanesewomenintheirlate30saresingle;mostwillnevermarry.Insomeplaces,ratesofnon-marriageareespeciallystriking:inBangkok,20%of40-44-yearoldwomenarenotmarried;inTokyo,21%;amonguniversitygraduatesofthatageinSingapore,27%.
F．Sofar,thetrendhasnotaffectedAsia'stwogiants,ChinaandIndia.Butitislikelyto,astheeconomicfactorsthathavedrivenitelsewhereinAsiasweepthroughthosetwocountriesaswell;anditsconsequenceswillbeexacerbated(加剧)bythesex-selectiveabortionpractisedforagenerationthere.By2050,therewillbe60mmoremenofmarriageableagethanwomeninChinaandIndia.
(G．Womenareretreatingfrommarriageastheygointotheworkplace.That'spartlybecause,forawoman,beingbothemployedandmarriedistoughinAsia.Womentherearetheprimarycaregiversforhusbands,childrenand,often,forageingparents;andevenwheninfull-timeemployment,theyareexpectedtocontinuetoplaythisrole.Thisistrueelsewhereintheworld,buttheburdenthatAsianwomencarryisparticularlyheavy.Japanesewomen,whotypicallywork40hoursaweekintheoffice,thendo,onaverage,another30hoursofhousework.Theirhusbands,onaverage,dothreehours.AndAsianwomenwhogiveupworktolookafterchildrenfindithardtoreturnwhenthechildrenaregrown.
H．Notsurprisingly,Asianwomenhaveanunusuallypessimisticviewofmarriage.Accordingtoasurveycarriedoutin2011,manyfewerJapanesewomenfeltpositiveabouttheirmarriagethandidJapanesemen,orAmericanwomenormen.
I．Atthesametimeasemploymentmakesmarriagetougherforwomen,itoffersthemanalternative.Morewomenarefinanciallyindependent,somoreofthemcanpursueasinglelifethatmayappealmorethanthehardandboringtraditionalmarriage.Moreeducationhasalsocontributedtothedeclineofmarriage,becauseAsianwomenwiththemosteducationhavealwaysbeenthemostreluctanttowed--andtherearenowmanymorehighlyeducatedwomen.
J．TheflightfrommarriageinAsiaisthustheresultofthegreaterfreedomthatwomenenjoythesedays,whichistobecelebrated.Butitisalsocreatingsocialproblems.ComparedwiththeWest,Asiancountrieshaveinvestedlessinpensionsandotherformsofsocialprotection,ontheassumptionthatthefamilywilllookafterageingorillrelatives.Thatcannolongerbetakenforgranted.
K．Thedeclineofmarriageisalsocontributingtothecollapseinthebirthrate.FertilityinEastAsiahasfallenfrom5.3childrenperwomaninthelate1960sto1.6now.Incountrieswiththelowestmarriagerates,thefertilityrateisnearer1.0.Thatisbeginningtocausehugedemographic(入口统计学的)problems,aspopulationsagewithstartlingspeed.Andthereareother,lessobviousissues.
L．CanmarriageberevivedinAsia?Maybe,ifexpectationsofthoserolesofbothsexeschange;butshiftingtraditionalattitudesishard.Governmentscannotmakelawstoabolishpopularprejudices.Theycan,though,encouragechange.Relaxingdivorcelawsmightboostmarriage.Womenwhonowsteerclearofwedlockmightbemorewillingtotietheknotiftheyknowitcanbeuntied--notjustbecausetheycangetoutofthemarriageifitdoesn'twork,butalsobecausetheirfreedomtoleavemightkeeptheirhusbandsontheirtoes.Familylawshouldgivedivorcedwomenamoregenerousshareofthecouple'sassets.Governmentsshouldalsolegislatetogetemployerstoofferbothmaternalandpaternalleave,andprovideorsubsidise(资助)childcare.Iftakingonsuchexpenseshelpedpromotefamilylife,itmightreducetheburdenonthestateoflookingaftertheold.
M．AsiangovernmentshavelongtakentheviewthatthesuperiorityoftheirfamilylifewasoneoftheirbigadvantagesovertheWest.Thatconfidence
isnolongerwarranted.Theyneedtowakeuptothehugesocialchangeshappeningintheircountriesandthinkabouthowtocopewiththeconsequences.
Theincreaseofmarriageagesisoneofthereasonsforfallingmarriagerates.
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