[영읽요 | 영어기사 읽고 요약하기] 2일차

Around 42,000 adults over age 65 are earning less than a dollar per hour by collecting used paper on the streets, the Health Ministry said Thursday.

헬스 미니스트리는 목요일에 65세 이상의 약 42,000 명의 어른들이 길거리에서 사용된 종이를 수거하여 시급 1달러 미만을 벌고 있다고 밝혔다.

 

"It is estimated that there are approximately 42,000 older adults collecting waste paper nationwide, whose average age is 76 years old," Lee Ki-il, vice health minister, told the press on Thursday.

"전국적으로 약 42,000 명의 노인이 폐지를 수거하는 것으로 추정되며, 이들의 평균 연령은 76세입니다,"라고 이기일 부보건장관이 목요일 언론에 말했다.

The report was the first of its kind by the Korean government detailing the state of this older adult population, often seen collecting waste papers on the streets early in the mornings or late evenings.

이 보고서는 종이를 자주 아침이나 저녁 늦게 길거리에서 수거하는 이 노인 인구의 상태를 세세하게 기술한 대한민국 정부의 첫 보고서였다.

Korea is one of the world's fastest-growing countries but has a high rate of poverty among older adults.

한국은 세계에서 가장 빠르게 성장하고 있는 국가 중 하나이지만, 노인들 사이에서는 높은 빈곤율을 겪고 있다.

 

Koreans over 65 are expected to take up 20 percent of the country's population by 2025. They number around 9.5 million as of this year and account for 18.4 percent of the country's population, according to Statistics Korea data released in September.

2025년까지 65세 이상인 한국인들이 전체 인구의 20%를 차지할 것으로 예상되며, 현재 약 950만 명이 이 연령대에 속하며 전체 인구의 18.4%를 차지하고 있다(2021년 9월 통계청 자료).

 

On average, in Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development member countries, 14.1 percent of adults over 65 live in relative income poverty or have an income below half the national median equivalized household disposable income.

OECD 회원국 평균으로는 65세 이상 성인 중 상대적 소득 빈곤이나 국가 중위 가구총처분가구소득의 절반 미만 소득을 가진 자의 비율이 14.1%이다.

 

The rate in Korea was 37.6 percent in 2021.

2021년에는 한국의 이 비율이 37.6%에 달한다.

 

The ministry said the 42,000 is an estimate it came up with after speaking with 105 of the country's 4,282 scrap shops.

보건부는 이 42,000 명은 전국의 4,282개 스크랩 상점 중 105개와 대화한 후 추정한 것이라고 말했다.

 

At least 80 percent of these older adults were estimated to be collecting the waste papers and bringing them to scrap shops for economic reasons, ranging from main incomes to pocket money, the ministry said.

적어도 이 노인들 중 80%는 주로 소득을 얻기 위해 폐지를 수거하고 경제적 이유로 이를 스크랩 상점에 가져 갔다고 보고되었다.

 

They were collecting scrap papers, including used boxes, for an average of 5.4 hours a day, six days a week, and earning an income of about 159,000 won per month — or 1,226 won ($0.95) hourly, only 12.7 percent of the minimum wage of 9,620 won.

이들은 주간에 5.4시간, 주 6일 동안 사용된 상자를 포함한 스크랩지를 수거하며 월평균 159,000원을 벌었으며, 시급은 9,620원의 최저임금의 12.7%에 불과했다.

 

Those surveyed by the ministry said that the biggest challenge about collecting waste papers was the drastic drop in the price of waste papers.

조사대상자들은 폐지 수거의 가장 큰 도전은 폐지 가격의 급격한 하락이라고 밝혔다.

 

They used to earn 144 won per kilogram (2.2 pounds) of waste papers collected when they sold them to scrap shops in 2017. The prices dropped to 74 won this year, according to the ministry.

그들은 2017년에 스크랩 상점에 판매할 때 킬로그램당 144원을 벌었었으나, 이번 연도에는 74원으로 가격이 하락했다고 보고되었다.

 

The ministry also found that a majority of these older adults collecting waste papers on the streets — 93.2 percent — were relying on government stipends for low-income families.

보건부는 또한 길거리에서 폐지를 수거하는 이 노인들 중 대다수인 93.2%가 저소득 가구를 위한 정부 지원금에 의존하고 있다고 밝혔다.

 

The government stipend covered up to 49.9 percent of their income and selling scraps of waste papers 16 percent, it said.

정부 지원금은 그들의 소득의 최대 49.9%를 상환하며, 폐지 판매는 16%를 차지한다고 말했다.

The ministry added it will be working with local district offices and scrap shops to find out how many older adults are engaged in this activity and whether they can be persuaded to take on other jobs for older adults.

 

보건부는 지역 구청 및 스크랩 상점과 협력하여 이 활동에 참여하는 노인이 얼마나 많은지, 그리고 다른 노인 일자리를 수용할 수 있는지 조사할 계획이라고 덧붙였다.

"Around 30.4 percent of those collecting scrap papers in the streets are aged over 80," Lee said. "We want to offer jobs to them that may not be as rigorous."

"길거리에서 폐지를 수거하는 이들 중 약 30.4%가 80세 이상입니다,"라고 이 부처장은 말했다. "우리는 그들에게 덜 힘들 수 있는 직종을 제공하고 싶습니다."

Of those surveyed, as many as 7,000 voiced interest in continuing to collect waste papers.

조사된 사람들 중 최대 7,000명이 폐지 수거를 계속하려고 했다.

"We will start to get in touch with them and offer them positions that would guarantee them an income of at least 380,000 won per month," Lee said, adding that these salaries should fall under the cap required by law for the recipients of low-income subsidy to continue receiving the subsidy while working. 

"우리는 그들과 연락하여 최소한 월 380,000원의 수입을 보장할 직종을 제공하기 시작할 것입니다,"라고 이 부처장은 덧붙였다. 그는 이러한 급여가 법에 따른 최저소득 보조금 수령자가 일하더라도 보조금을 계속받을 수 있는 한도 이내에 있어야 한다고 덧붙였다.

 

 

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내 의견:  나는 정부가 고령 인구가 폐지줍는 일을 선택할 수밖에 없었던 원천적인 문제를 해결해야 한다고 생각한다. 그렇지 않으면 이러한 현상이 더 심각해질 것이 분명하다. 한국의 현재 인구 추이는 매우 비정상적이다. 고령인구는 날이 갈수록 많아질 것이며 폐지를 주워 돈을 버는 노인들은 더더욱 많아질 것이다.

 

I suggested that the government must eliminate the source of the problem that over 65 people choose to pick up the waste box, which is only 12% of minimum  wage. currently, Korea's population is very extraordinary. the more incresing odler people is , the more incresing people who are collecting waste box

 

 

문장의 일부분에 문법상의 오류는 보이지 않습니다만, 몇 가지 표현을 자연스럽게 개선할 수 있습니다. 다음은 수정된 버전입니다:

"I suggested that the government must address the root cause of the issue where individuals over the age of 65 are compelled to collect waste boxes, earning only 12% of the minimum wage. Currently, Korea's demographic situation is highly unusual. As the elderly population continues to increase, the number of individuals engaging in waste collection is also expected to rise."

 

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단어	뜻
ranging	범위가 ~에 이르는
stipends	봉급, 급료
rigorous	철저한, 엄격한
cap	모자 덮다 한도를 정하다
subsidy	(국가·기관이 제공하는) 보조금[장려금