日本明仁天皇称因身体原因做好退位准备

日本时间8月8日下午3时，82岁的明仁天皇向国民发表了罕见的电视讲话。天皇在讲话中表明，考虑到自己的年龄，已经准备好随时可能到来的退位。上个月，日本放送协会曾报道称明仁天皇有意在未来几年退位。天皇提前退位在日本现代历史上从未发生过。

Japan's Emperor Akihito has strongly indicated he wants to step down, saying he fears his age will make it difficult to fulfill his duties.
日本明仁天皇强烈暗示希望退位，称担心自己年事已高，难以履行职责。

The revered 82-year-old emperor's comments came in only his second-ever televised address to the public.
现年82岁的天皇备受尊崇，在其第二次面向公众的电视讲话中，他流露了自己的意向。

Emperor Akihito did not explicitly say he wanted to abdicate as he is barred from making political statements.
由于不能发布政治声明，明仁天皇并未明确表示希望退位。

PM Shinzo Abe said the government would take the remarks "seriously" and discuss what could be done.
日本首相安倍晋三称，政府会“严肃”对待天皇的讲话并商讨可行措施。

"Upon reflecting how he handles his official duty and so on, his age and the current situation of how he works, I do respect the heavy responsibility the emperor must be feeling and I believe we need to think hard about what we can do," he said.
他说：“考虑到天皇处理公务和其他事务的问题，以及他的年纪和当前的工作状况，我非常尊重天皇面临的沉重职责，同时我们需要认真思考能做些什么。”

Akihito, who has had heart surgery and was treated for prostate cancer, has been on the throne in Japan since the death of his father, Hirohito, in 1989.
明仁在其父裕仁天皇1989年去世后成为日本天皇，曾接受心脏手术和前列腺癌的治疗。

In his 10-minute pre-recorded message, he said he had "started to reflect" on his years as emperor, and contemplate his position in the years to come.
在预先录制好的10分钟讲话里，他说自己“开始反思”作为天皇的时光，并考虑自己将来的位置。

Why can't the emperor abdicate?
为什么天皇不能退位？

Abdication is not mentioned under Japan's existing laws, so they would need to be changed for the emperor to be able to stand down. The changes would also have to be approved by parliament.
日本现行法律中并未提及退位事宜，因此天皇退位需要修改法律。而法律的修改需要在议会通过。

What do the public think?
民众怎么看？

Most support the emperor's desire to step down - a recent survey by the Kyodo news agency found more than 85% saying abdication should be legalised. But the move is opposed by some more conservative sections of Japanese society.
日本共同社近期一项调查显示，大多数人支持天皇退位的意向。超过85%的人表示退位应当合法化，但日本社会中一些更为保守的人士对此表示反对。

Is this the first time a revision of the law has been discussed?
这是第一次讨论修改法律吗？

A debate about whether or not a woman would be able to ascend the throne was triggered in 2006 when the emperor had no grandsons, but was postponed after a boy was born to the imperial family.
2006年，因天皇没有孙子而展开了关于女性能否继承皇位的争论。皇室有男孩降生后，争论得以搁置。

What does the emperor do?
天皇做些什么？

The emperor has no political powers but has several official duties, such as greeting foreign dignitaries. Japan's monarchy is entwined in the Shinto religion and the emperor still performs religious ceremonies. He also plants and harvests a small rice paddy inside the palace while the empress raises silkworms.
天皇没有政治权力，但需要承担一些公务，比如接待外国的重要来宾。日本的君主制与神道教密切相关，天皇还要参与宗教仪式。他还在宫内的一小块稻田里种植和收割庄稼，而皇后则养蚕。

If he were to abdicate, it would be the first time a Japanese emperor has stepped down since Emperor Kokaku in 1817.
如果明仁天皇退位，这将是1817年光格天皇退位之后，首次有日本天皇退位。