冯敏（大连外国语学院应用英语学院教师）

An analysis of new census figures has shown that Australia is suffering from an unprecedented “man drought”.

The statistics have revealed that there are almost 100,000 more females than males in Australia. The problem is worse in the coastal cities, where women have moved seeking better jobs and lifestyles, while many men have gone overseas.

Thirty years ago Australia was with flush with men thanks to immigration policies that favoured males. That position has been reversed because thousands of Australian men in their 20s and early 30s have gone overseas. It has caused a gender imbalance that is having far-reaching implications.

Major cities in Australia now have concentrated groups of unattached women, along with dwindling numbers of the opposite sex. Demographer Bernard Salt says the exodus of young men to foreign countries is leaving its mark. “If you go into the United Arab Emirates census you’ll find there is around 12,000 Australians living in Dubai, mostly male, mostly in the 25 to 34-year age group.”

But the situation outside of the larger town sand cities is very different. Vast numbers of women have abandoned the countryside seeking better jobs or education in metropolitan areas. They have left behind communities overloaded with younger males.

澳大利亚闹“男人荒”

一项新的人口普查结果显示，澳大利亚正在经历一场前所未有的人口比例失调危机。

统计数据显示，在澳大利亚男性人口比女性人口少了将近10万。在沿海城市这个问题更为严重，很多女性为了寻求更好的工作和生活纷纷移居到那里，而与此同时，那里的男性则选择到国外去寻找更好的发展。

30年前的澳大利亚推行的是有利于男性的移民政策，因此当时男性公民与女性公民数量持平。而如今大量20-30岁年龄段的男性移居外国，引发人口比例失调，对澳大利亚的社会发展造成了深远影响。

澳大利亚的多数大城市中都出现单身女性人数激增，而单身男性的人数却持续减少的现象。人口统计专家伯纳德·索特（Bernard Salt）认为，这种年轻男性“走出潮”必然会对澳大利亚产生长远影响。他说：“你如果看了阿联酋的人口统计就会发现，在杜拜如今至少有12000名澳大利亚人，其中大多数是25-34岁年龄段的男性。”

然而，在大城市以外的乡村情况却恰恰相反。大量年轻女性为了寻找更好的工作或接受更好的教育，纷纷移居大城市，使得不少乡村小镇单身男性人口显得过剩。