考研英語(yǔ)閱讀:香港啟用最低工資標(biāo)準(zhǔn)是好是壞?

Minimum Wage for Hong Kong, Good or Bad?

香港啟用最低工資標(biāo)準(zhǔn)是好是壞？

Hong Kong is about to enact its first minimum wage, which will likely be around 28 Hong Kong dollars, or US$3.61, per hour.

香港即將制定首個(gè)最低工資標(biāo)準(zhǔn)，有可能為每小時(shí)28 港元左右，也就是約3.61 美元。

Legislation to enact a minimum wage was passed in July and is part of the government’s efforts to address Hong Kong’s worsening wealth gap.

香港政府7月份通過最低工資法案，這是政府為解決香港日益嚴(yán)重的貧富不均現(xiàn)象所采取的一個(gè)措施。

But opinion is pided on whether setting a wage floor will help or harm workers as well as the overall economy.

制定最低工資標(biāo)準(zhǔn)究竟會(huì)對(duì)工人及整體經(jīng)濟(jì)產(chǎn)生何種影響，各界人士對(duì)此意見不一。

Professor Francis Lui, who teaches economics at the Hong Kong University of Science & Technology, and Lee Cheuk-yan, general secretary of the Hong Kong Confederation of Trade Unions, face off on the issue.

香港科技大學(xué)經(jīng)濟(jì)學(xué)教授雷鼎鳴及香港工會(huì)聯(lián)盟秘書長(zhǎng)李卓人就此展開了辯論。

“Having a minimum wage simply means there is a transfer of income from people at the bottom of the wage scale to people who are slightly above them.

經(jīng)濟(jì)學(xué)教授雷鼎鳴說，“制定最低工資標(biāo)準(zhǔn)只能將最底層人群的工資水平稍稍上漲一點(diǎn)。

Only if Hong Kong’s total economic output increases and social mobility improves can more people share the pie.

只有香港經(jīng)濟(jì)總量提高，社會(huì)流動(dòng)性有所改善，才能使更多的人分享財(cái)富。

Unless Hong Kong can manage the huge flows of low-cost and low-skilled workers coming across the border each day, there will continuously be a segment of the population which lives in poverty.” Professor Francis Lui, Hong Kong University of Science Technology, said.

除非香港能夠管理每天流入境內(nèi)的大量低成本和低技能工人，否則總會(huì)有那么一部分人生活在貧困中。”

But Lee Cheuk-yan disagreed with him. He said“Once minimum wage is implemented, there will be an immediate knock-on effect when people’s take-home pay goes up.

但是李卓人并不同意他的觀點(diǎn)，“一旦實(shí)施最低工資標(biāo)準(zhǔn)，人們的稅后實(shí)得工資就會(huì)增加，這會(huì)立即帶來一系列的連鎖效應(yīng)。

Plus, the business decision to lay off workers isn’t only due to minimum wage. It was already triggered by high rents-it’s the root of all evil.”

另外，公司做出裁員決定并非僅僅因?yàn)樽畹凸べY標(biāo)準(zhǔn)，實(shí)際上高租金已經(jīng)導(dǎo)致了裁員，這才是根本原因。”

 

 

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