- 引領公眾輿論的那些美文（環球時代美文讀本）
- 吳中東 宮玉波
- 2191字
- 2020-08-20 09:56:26
06 Work Harder to Make Less Money付出與回報的反比關系
導讀
本文的語篇模式為揭示問題并分析問題，或者說是現象解釋型，符合英語中先結論后原因的思維模式。本文將從經濟風險和新的現實情況兩個角度展開論述。文章的主題是美國經濟政策變化對中產階級家庭帶來的新的經濟上的威脅。開篇就提到美國中產階級家庭經濟正面臨著巨大的風險，隨后分析出現這種風險的兩大原因，最后指明了這些經濟上的風險很可能會招致政治上的影響。
During the past generation, the American middle-class family that once could count on hard work and fair play to keep itself financially secure had been transformed by economic risk and new realties. Now a pink slip, a bad diagnosis, or a disappearing spouse can reduce a family from solidly middle class to newly poor in a few months.
In just one generation, millions of mothers have gone to work, transforming basic family economics. Scholars, policymakers, and critics of all stripes have debated the social implications of these changes, but few have looked at the side effect: family risk has risen as well. Today's families have budgeted to the limits of their new two-paycheck status.As a result, they have lost the parachute they once had in times of financial setback—a back-up earner（usually Mom）who could go into the workforce if the primary earner got laid off or fell sick. This “added-worker effect” could support the safety net offered by unemployment insurance or disability insurance to help families weather bad times. But today, a disruption to family fortunes can no longer be made up with extra income from an otherwise-stay-at-home partner.
During the same period, families have been asked to absorb much more risk in their retirement income. Steelworkers, airline employees, and now those in the auto industry are joining millions of families who must worry about interest rates, stock market fluctuation, and the harsh reality that they may outlive their retirement money. For much of the past year, President Bush campaigned to move Social Security to a saving-account model, with retirees trading much or all of their guaranteed payments for payments depending on investment returns. For younger families the picture is not any better. Both the absolute cost of healthcare and the share of it borne by families have risen—and newly fashionable health-saving plans are spreading from legislative halls to Wal-Mart workers, with much higher deductibles and a large new dose of investment risk for families' future healthcare. Even demographics are working against the middle class family, as the odds of having a weak elderly parent—and all the attendant need for physical and financial assistance—have jumped eightfold in just one generation.
From the middle-class family perspective, much of this, understandably, looks far less like an opportunity to exercise more financial responsibility, and a good deal more like a frightening acceleration of the wholesale shift of financial risk onto their already overburdened shoulders. The financial fallout has begun, and the political fallout may not be far behind.
在上一代人中，美國中產階級家庭依靠努力工作和公平競爭就能保持穩定的經濟狀況，而如今經濟風險和新的現實狀況使這一切發生了改變。現在，一份解雇通知書、一個不利的診斷結果或者一個配偶的去世都可能在幾個月之內將一個家庭從穩定的中產階層家庭降格成一個新貧困家庭。
就在十幾年里，數百萬母親都要出去工作，改變了根本的家庭經濟狀況。學者、決策者以及各類批評人士對這些變化的社會意義爭論不休，但是，很少有人關注這些變化的副作用——家庭的風險也增加了。如今的家庭根據其新的雙收入限度安排開支。因此，它們失去了它們在經濟蕭條時期曾經有過的緩解舉措——一個后備掙錢者（通常是媽媽），如果家庭的主要掙錢者失業了或者病倒了，她可以出去工作。這種“額外工人效應”可以維護失業保險或殘疾保險提供的安全網，以便幫助家庭渡過難關。但現在，家庭財產的損失再也不可能通過待在家里的其他伴侶的額外收入彌補了。
在同一時期，家庭被要求在其退休收入中承擔更多風險。鋼鐵廠的工人、航空公司的職員以及汽車產業的員工成為數百萬不得不擔心利率、股市波動以及可能比其退休收入存在時間更長的嚴酷現實的家庭。在去年的大多數時間里，布什總統一直致力于將社會保險體制轉變成一種儲蓄存款賬戶模式——要求退休人員將其大多數或所有保障報酬用來交換依靠投資回報所得的報酬。對于更年輕的家庭來說，前景并不是更樂觀。衛生保健和家庭承擔份額的絕對成本都上漲了——最近實施的健康儲蓄計劃正在從立法機關擴展到沃爾瑪的員工，其可減免稅高得多，并且給家庭未來的衛生保健帶來許多新投資風險。甚至人口統計狀況也對中產階層家庭不利，因為有一個體弱、年邁的父（母）親——以及由此而產生的所有物資和經濟援助——的可能性就在十幾年內增長了8倍。
從中產階層家庭的角度來看，大多數情況是可以理解的，這根本不像一種發揮更多支付能力的機會，而是像令人恐懼地加速將經濟風險大規模轉向那些已經負擔過重的家庭。經濟副作用已經開始，政治副作用可能也將開始。
Cloze
完形填空
It is this failure of the heart — Forster calls it elsewhere “the undeveloped heart” —which lies 1 the root, which makes human relations impossible, which stands in the 2 of the Beloved Republic.The whole drama of A Passage to India is played 3 an oppressive, inescapable background of brutal sunlight, gathering in strength as the hot season descends. The sun is both a character and a symbol, the symbol of power without beauty and intellect without love, a master from 4 dominion there is no escape. In this atmosphere human relationships, even within the closed group of the ruling race, wither and are formalized, while real friendship between Indians and English becomes 5 impossible. Even the friendship between Fielding and Aziz, valuable and important as it is, is kept alive 6 by constant ef fort and fails in the 7 of full flowering.
Key
1. at 2. way 3. before 4. whose 5. almost 6. only 7. end
Translation Practices
翻譯練習
（1）Textual Translation（篇章翻譯）
很高興我深得女人青睞，但謝天謝地，我絕非好色之徒。盡管已婚女人有意于我時——這是常事——我會感動，但多責不在我。我從不鼓勵這樣的一時沖動，還會盡量讓她們恢復平靜，以便保持與她們的夫君——如果認識的話——的友誼，或者與她們本人的適度關系。不過，這種事比你想象的要少，因為每次我到已婚朋友的府上做客，都刻意攜一位靚女同行。這些女孩各行各業都有：模特啦、舞女啦、新星啦、演員啦、職業網球手啦、歌手啦、富家女啦什么的，還有自由世界許多國家外交官的女兒們，真的是形形色色。
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（2）Sentence Translation（句子翻譯）
①有子曰：“信近于義，言可復也；恭近于禮，遠恥辱也；因不失其親，亦可宗也。”
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②子曰：“君子食無求飽，居無求安，敏于事而慎于言，就有道而正焉，可謂好學也已。”
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參考譯文
(1) I am pleased that I am attractive to women but grateful I'm no bounder. Though I'm touched when married women fall in love with me, as frequently as they do, I am rarely to blame. I never encourage these fits and do my best to get them over their derangements so as not to lose the friendships of their husbands when they are known to me, or the neutral friendship of the ladies themselves. This happens less than you might think, however, for whenever I am a houseguest of a married friend I usually make it a point to bring along a girl. These girls are from all walks of life—models, show girls, starlets, actresses, tennis professionals, singers, heiresses and the daughters of the diplomats of many nations of the free world. All walks.
(2) ①You Zi said, “You should keep honest in line with righteousness. Only by doing so can you carry out your words. Respectfulness must agree with standards of morality. Only this can help you avoid shame. Make sure that all people whom you rely on are reliable. This point is well worth learning.”
②Confucius said, “Gentlemen seek neither sufficient food nor comfortable lives, but they are nimble in action and cautious in words and go to noble-minded people so as to perfect themselves day by day. If they do like this, then they can be thought perfect in learning.”