China’s canteens for seniors are shutting down from lack of demand
中国的老年人食堂因需求不足而停业
The subsidised cafeterias are part of Beijing’s ambitious community welfare plan, but they have failed to attract as many elderly diners as hoped.
补贴食堂是声势浩大的社区福利计划的一部分，但它们未能像希望的那样吸引到那么多的老年食客。
Of the more than 2,000 community canteens set up in the eastern city of Suzhou in recent years, only about 900 are still in operation, state broadcaster CCTV reported last week. It said half of the surviving canteens were operating at a loss.
据中央电视台上周报道，近年来在东部城市苏州设立的2000多个社区食堂中，只有约900个仍在运营。幸存的食堂中有一半处于亏损状态。
The main reason for the losses is that far fewer elderly residents were patronising the canteens than expected.
造成损失的主要原因是光顾食堂的老年居民比预期的要少得多。
