coddle
中国の高齢化社会の事情を綴った記事です。中国は人類史上最も急速に高齢化が進んだ社会のようです。しかし，社会インフラが高齢者への対応についていけておりません。従来，中国の一般家庭では，親の面倒は子どもがみるという文化が存在したようですが，現在は必ずしもこれに当てはまらないケースも増えてきているようです。
記事の中で気になった単語は"coddle"です。『Wisdom英和辞典第三版』（三省堂）によると「〘非難して〙（必要以上に）＜人など＞を大事に扱う, 甘やかす，＜卵など＞をとろ火でゆでる」などという意味がありました。ODには"Treat (someone) in an indulgent or overprotective way"と定義されております。"pamper"は"Indulge with every attention, comfort, and kindness; spoil"とあり，似た意味であると感じました。（Ume）
Who will take care of China's elderly people?
The temple runs on a strict schedule, starting at 4am every morning. All the residents are expected to rise in order to study Buddhist texts. An hour-long chanting ceremony follows before breakfast is served. The same pattern continues throughout the day: reading, chanting, eating, resting, until everyone sleeps shortly after dark.
"We all watch out for each other," Neng Qing says. "I used to wake up twice a night to change the heating pads under the bed covers for the residents, but now they help each other. The 80-year-olds help the 100-year-olds."
The entire place is so clean and orderly that it's easy to forget that many of the residents have escaped from a nightmare.
Two tiny sisters who share a room on the ground floor are a perfect example. Shi YuPing is 92 and Shi Guazi is 86. Both have white hair pinned neatly behind their ears. Guazi coddles her older sister, combing her hair and fixing the pins.
