A village in northern Austria, worried by its shrinking population, is offering free land to all who promise to start a family in a decade, the Kurier newspaper reported.
Plots of 800 and 900 square meters are available at Rappottenstein, near the Czech border, to both singles and married couples who promise to have at least one child in the next 10 years.
Singles also have to get married. Other conditions say that the new owners have to build a house on the plot in three years. If the conditions are not fulfilled, the owners will have to pay 12,000 euros (NT$528,400).
The village is home to only 1,760 people.(STAFF WRITER, WITH AFP)
奧地利《信使報》報導，該國北部一個小村莊憂心村內人口減少，決定免費贈送土地給承諾十年內在當地成家的民眾。
鄰近捷克邊界的雷波登斯坦村允諾，無論是單身人士或已婚夫婦，只要同意未來十年內在當地至少生育一個孩子，就可獲贈八百至九百平方公尺的土地。
單身者必須成婚。另一項條件是新地主三年內必須在獲贈的土地上蓋一棟房子。若未能達成這些條件，他們將得付一萬兩千歐元（新台幣五十二萬八千四百元）。
該村莊人口只有一千七百六十人。
（法新社╱翻譯：袁星塵）
1. shrink v.i./v.t.
縮減 (suo1 jian3)
例: My savings have been shrinking since last year.
(我的存款從去年起就逐漸變少。)
2. decade n.
十年 (shi2 nian2)
例: The fans voted for their favorite song of the decade.
(歌迷票選這十年來他們最愛的歌曲。)
3. condition v.i./v.t.
條件 (tiao2 jian4)
例: We were allowed to borrow the car on condition that we didn't damage it.
(我們可以借車，但書是車子不能有任何損壞。)
4. euro n.
歐元 (ou1 yuan2)
例: The room cost us 10 euros per night.
(我們住的那間房每晚十歐元。)
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