2. 听译下列英语短文（英译汉）：

World Population

With its two giants, China and India, Asia is the home of the majority of the world’s 6 billion human inhabitants，and Africa the second most popular continent. The UN population fund said in its 1998 report on population growth, Asia counts 3.5 billion people. Its most populous countries are China, with 1.2 billion plus another 6.3 million in Hong Kong and India with 975.8 million, followed far behind by Indonesia with 125.9 million and Bangladesh with 124 million.

India, which has continued to hold the record for a higher birth rate than China, is expected to grow in the year 2025 to 1.3 billion residents.

The projected population for all of Asia in the year 2025 is 4.7 billion.

In Africa, the UN Population Fund reported counted 778.5 million residents, with 1.4 billion anticipated in 2025.

Nigeria is Africa’s most populous country with 121.8 million residents. Egypt is next with 65.7 million, followed by Ethiopia with 62.1 million, the Democratic Republic of Congo with 49.2 million, and South Africa with 44.3 million.

Nigeria, the DRC and Ethiopia are expected to double their population in one generation by the year 2025.

The European continent counts 729.4 million residents, with Russia still the most populous country at 147.2 million, though its population growth is declining. Germany is next with 82.4 million.

Europe, according to the UN report is the sole continent whose population is expected to decline, dropping to 701.1 million residents in the year 2025.

North America, with the United States and its 273.8 million residents counts 304.1 million people, though the number is expected to rise to 369 million in 2025.