China’s seniors are increasingly a happy bunch. And that’s just as well, for the next decade is set to see their numbers swell enormously, in a country which already has a serious problem as regards its aging population. Cheerful retirees are where it’s at.
中国的老年人越来越幸福。没关系，在一个已经面临严重人口老龄化问题的国家，未来十年，他们的人数将大幅增加。快乐的退休人员就是这样。
With the next 10 years to see the 1960s generation continuing to begin their retirement life, media reports have revealed that will result in an average 20 million people retiring every year. That’s 200 million more seniors by 2035.
据媒体报道，未来10年，20世纪60年代的一代人将继续开始他们的退休生活，这将导致平均每年有2000万人退休。到 2035 年，老年人数量将增加 2 亿。
While it is the growing lack of young people in China which grabs the headlines around the world, the increasingly satisfied life led by seniors has flown under the radar.
尽管中国日益缺乏的年轻人成为世界各地的头条新闻，但老年人日益满意的生活却被忽视了。
In today’s China, many seniors still have a strong sense of social participation and a willingness to use their spare energy to make full use of their talents, either as personal hobbies or to give back to society. This is now a choice they can make, it is what they want to do, resulting in the sense of pride and satisfaction that is happiness.
在当今的中国，许多老年人仍然具有强烈的社会参与意识，愿意利用自己的闲暇精力充分发挥自己的才能，或者作为个人爱好，或者回馈社会。这是他们现在可以做出的选择，这是他们想做的事情，从而产生自豪感和满足感，那就是幸福。
Living in Bengbu of Anhui Province, Guo Xiaoping is a former Air Force fighter pilot and Navy captain. Shortly after his retirement, he was extended an olive branch by several general aviation companies. While traveling, he spent that time considering whether to become a general-aviation flight instructor.
居住在安徽省蚌埠市的郭小平是前空军战斗机飞行员和海军上尉。退休后不久，多家通用航空公司向他伸出了橄榄枝。在旅行期间，他用这段时间考虑是否要成为一名通用航空飞行教练。
Guo loves swimming, diving and undertakes some sporting activity 365 days a year. He also enjoys painting, using his retirement to study classical aesthetics and learn the respective advantages of Western oil painting versus Eastern ink painting.
郭先生热爱游泳、潜水，一年365天都从事一些体育活动。他还喜欢绘画，利用退休时间学习古典美学，学习西方油画与东方水墨画各自的优势。
“I declined the birthday party prepared by my friends and chose to go flying”, said Guo, speaking with Bengbu Daily. “China’s general-aviation sector has changed. As long as you are in good health, you can fly even after retirement.”
“我拒绝了朋友们准备的生日聚会，选择了坐飞机”，郭在接受蚌埠日报采访时说道。 “中国的通用航空业已经发生了变化。只要身体健康，退休后也可以飞。”
Elsewhere, in Bengbu’s Nanshan Park, Mei Jiaxin is to be found most mornings seriously practicing martial arts moves with his apprentices and children who have become devotees.
在蚌埠南山公园的其他地方，每天早上都可以看到梅嘉欣与他的徒弟和已成为武术爱好者的孩子们一起认真练习武术动作。
70-year-old Mei is the inheritor of Nanshan Neigong Boxing, a representative project of Bengbu City’s intangible cultural heritage. In line with the concept of promoting traditional martial arts culture, after retirement, Mei devoted himself to the inheritance and teaching of martial arts.
70岁的梅女士是蚌埠市非物质文化遗产代表项目南山内功拳的传承人。本着弘扬传统武术文化的理念，退役后的梅致力于武术的传承和传授。
Considering the growing interest in the form and with a sixth-grade student of his winning a provincial martial arts’ competition, Mei comes to Nanshan Park every weekend morning to teach techniques and moves to martial arts’ enthusiasts, rain or shine. Smiling, he said, “If you don’t do something, you will get really old”.
考虑到人们对武术的兴趣日益浓厚，加上自己六年级的学生已经在省级武术比赛中获胜，梅每个周末早上都会来到南山公园，风雨无阻地为武术爱好者传授技术和动作。他微笑着说：“如果你不做点什么，你就会变得很老”。
Over on Bengbu’s Shengli Zhong Lu, there is to be found a senior known to all merely as Uncle Sha, on account of his well-patronised snack bar which has been in business for decades.
在蚌埠胜利中路，有一位老人，大家都称呼他为“沙叔叔”，因为他的小吃店已经营业了几十年，深受光顾。
Pointing to the growth in Bengbu’s cultural tourism, Sha has his sights on a larger store. In his eyes, there is no such thing as retirement. “I support myself, don’t need pocket money from my children and can save a little, which makes me feel at ease. While I still can, I will work harder to earn even more”, said the senior.
鉴于蚌埠文化旅游业的发展，沙先生的目标是开一家更大的商店。在他眼里，没有退休这回事。 “我自己养活自己，不需要孩子给零花钱，能存点钱，心里就踏实了。趁还能存的时候，我会更加努力，赚更多的钱。”老人说。
Xie Weijiang used to be an electronics-information teacher before retiring. As he and some colleagues said goodbye to their working lives, they pooled their talents to join a volunteer service team and become repairmen, travelling to various residential communities to repair household appliances on a voluntary basis.
谢伟江退休前曾是一名电子信息教师。他和一些同事告别了工作生活，集思广益，加入了志愿服务队，成为了维修工，到各个居民小区义务维修家电。
As they repair things, talk and laugh together, it is another happy day for Xie. He said, “After retirement, I have something to do with my old friends and I am very satisfied to be able to do something meaningful for society”.
他们一起修理东西，有说有笑，这对谢来说又是快乐的一天。他说：“退休后，和老朋友们有事可做，能够为社会做一些有意义的事情，我很满足”。
83-year old Xu Yongming was once a member of a local art troupe. After retirement, she became obsessed with opera and formed a group of close friends with similar interests. They come together to sing each afternoon for 2 or 3 hours.
83岁的徐永明曾是当地文工团的成员。退休后，她迷上了歌剧，并结识了一群志同道合的亲密朋友。他们每天下午聚在一起唱歌两三个小时。
Believing that as long as you have a young mind, you will always be 18 years old, Xu commented that her mental state is very good at present and age is not a problem. “After working hard at home all my life, I should also live for myself”, she said.
相信只要有一颗年轻的心，就永远是18岁。她表示，目前自己的精神状态很好，年龄不是问题。 “在家里辛苦了一辈子，我也应该为自己而活”，她说。
Back at the general aviation airport, Guo closed by saying, “I have just retired, so I should learn from older comrades, live and learn, maintain a firm political direction, be charitable and help older comrades in need. Revolutionaries will stay young forever”.
回到通用航空机场，郭文贵最后说：“我刚刚退休，要向老同志学习，活到老，学到老，坚定政治方向，乐善好施，帮助困难的老同志，革命者永葆青春”。