VOA慢速英語：美國年輕人不及父輩富有

Young Americans Are Less Wealthy Than Their Parents

美國年輕人不及父輩富有

The cost of living in the United States is going up, notes writer Alissa Quart. As reported in the New York Post, Quart points to "the costs of housing, education, health care and child care in particular."

作者艾麗莎·夸特(Alissa Quart)指出，美國的生活成本正在上漲。夸特在《紐約時報》的報道中指出“尤其是住房、教育、醫(yī)療和兒童保育費(fèi)用。”

At the same time, a new study found that half of Americans born in the 1980s are falling behind their parents economically. The study is a project of researchers at Stanford University, Harvard University, and the University of California, Berkeley. Their report is called "The Fading American Dream."

與此同時，一項新的研究發(fā)現(xiàn)，有一半的美國80后在經(jīng)濟(jì)上落后于他們的父母。該研究是斯坦福大學(xué)、哈佛大學(xué)和加州大學(xué)伯克利分校研究人員的一個項目。他們的報告名為《衰落的美國夢》。

Together, these findings show that many younger adults are experiencing "downward mobility." In other words, they are not doing as well, either socially or economically, as their parents were at the same age.

這些研究結(jié)果一同展現(xiàn)了很多年輕人正在經(jīng)歷“向下流動”。換句話說，他們在社會或經(jīng)濟(jì)方面不及同年齡階段的父母。

Will things always get better?

一切會好轉(zhuǎn)嗎?

The idea of downward mobility is especially troubling for Americans, writes Robert Samuelson in The Washington Post. He says most U.S. citizens believe that, over time, the amount of money they earn will rise and life will get easier.

羅伯特·薩繆爾森(Robert Samuelson)在《華盛頓郵報》上寫道，向下流動讓美國人尤為不安。他說，大多數(shù)美國公民認(rèn)為，隨著時間推移，他們的收入會越來越高，生活也會越來越好。

And for some, that belief has come true.

對一些人來說，這種信念已經(jīng)成為現(xiàn)實。

In the "Fading American Dream" study, researchers found that 90 percent of Americans born in the 1940s grew up to earn more than their parents. That percentage is so high, say the researchers, partly because of historical events. In the 1930s, the U.S. economy was in a severe depression, and most people's earnings went down. But in the 1950s, the economy expanded, and most people's incomes went up. As a result, almost all Americans born in the 1940s experienced upward mobility.

在《衰落的美國夢》這項研究中，研究人員發(fā)現(xiàn)，90%的40后長大后的收入超過了他們的父母。研究人員表示，這個比例如此之高，部分原因在于歷史性事件。在上世紀(jì)30年代，美國經(jīng)濟(jì)陷入嚴(yán)重蕭條，大多數(shù)人的收入下降。但是20世紀(jì)50年代經(jīng)濟(jì)增長，大多數(shù)人收入上漲。結(jié)果，幾乎所有的40后都經(jīng)歷了向上流動。

But among members of this generation, only about 60 percent of their children earned more money than they did. And only 50 percent of children born in the following 10 years were earning more than their parents at the same age.

但是在這一代人中，他們的孩子只有約60%的人的收入超過了他們。而接下來10年出生的孩子只有50%的人的收入超過了同年齡階段的父母。

In other words, Americans' ease of living is going down. In technical terms, the economists write, "Absolute mobility has fallen sharply" over the past 50 years.

換句話說，美國人的生活輕松度正在下降。經(jīng)濟(jì)學(xué)家寫道，從技術(shù)角度來看，過去50年來，“整個社會流動已經(jīng)大幅下滑。”

The middle class

中產(chǎn)階級

Alissa Quart wrote a book about the financial difficulties of everyday Americans. It is called Squeezed: Why Our Families Can't Afford America.

夸特寫了一本關(guān)于美國人日常經(jīng)濟(jì)困難的書。這本書名為《擠壓：為什么我們的家庭承擔(dān)不起美國》。

In her book, Quart tells about teachers who are struggling to pay for housing, child care and other regular costs. One high school teacher said he drives for ride sharing service Uber at night to earn more money. He corrects students' papers between riders.

夸特在書中講述了那些付不起住房、兒童保育和其它常規(guī)花銷的教師。一位高中老師說他晚上去跑優(yōu)步(Uber)賺錢。他在開車間隙批改學(xué)生的作業(yè)。

Another man, a college professor, only earns enough to pay for simple food, such as pasta and potatoes, for his children. A different college professor turned to government assistance to feed her child and pay for a doctor.

另一位大學(xué)教授的收入只夠給他的孩子買一些簡單的食物，例如意大利面和土豆。還有一位大學(xué)教授求助于政府援助來養(yǎng)育孩子以及看病。

Quart says even lawyers increasingly cannot earn an income that enables them to meet their needs. The problem of decreasing incomes in their field is made worse by debt they may have from law school.

夸特表示，甚至律師也越來越無法獲得能夠滿足他們需求的收入。他們上法學(xué)院時欠下的債務(wù)(學(xué)生貸款)使得他們專業(yè)領(lǐng)域收入下降的問題更加嚴(yán)重。

What caused these problems?

問題根源

Quart and the economists who studied these issues say many things have led to lower incomes and downward mobility.

夸特和研究這些問題的其他經(jīng)濟(jì)學(xué)家表示，很多原因?qū)е铝耸杖胂陆岛蜕鐣蛳铝鲃印?/p>

The economic recession of 2007 to 2009 is partly to blame, they say.

他們稱部分原因是由于2007年到2009年的經(jīng)濟(jì)衰退。

Modern technology also plays a part. Quart says robots threaten to reduce the earnings of health care workers, truckers, reporters, and people who work at supermarkets, drug stores and tax preparation services.

現(xiàn)代科技也是一個原因。夸特表示，機(jī)器人可能會降低醫(yī)療人員、卡車司機(jī)、記者以及超市、藥店和報稅公司從業(yè)人員的收入。

In The Washington Post, Robert Samuelson noted that poor schools, a weak housing industry and too many government rules also are to blame.

薩繆爾森在《華盛頓郵報》上指出，爛學(xué)校、弱勢房地產(chǎn)業(yè)以及政府監(jiān)管過多也是原因之一。

With all these things – and more – partly responsible, what is the solution? These experts say the answer is complex. But all point to one issue that needs to be examined: economic inequality. Quartz writes that while America is one of the richest countries in the world, it also has one of the biggest divides between the wealthy and the poor.

所有這些，以及其它一些因素都是部分原因。那有什么解決方案呢?這些專家表示解決辦法非常復(fù)雜。但是所有人都指出需要審視一個問題：經(jīng)濟(jì)不平等。夸特寫道，雖然美國是全球最富有的國家之一，但是貧富差距也是最大的。

The researchers in the "Fading American Dream" study make a similar observation. They say raising GDP -- the gross domestic product – will not significantly improve the economic situation of most Americans. A higher GDP may help only those who are already doing well.

《衰落的美國夢》這項研究中的研究人員發(fā)表了類似言論。他們表示，國內(nèi)生產(chǎn)總值不斷提高無法顯著改善大多數(shù)美國人的經(jīng)濟(jì)狀況。國內(nèi)生產(chǎn)總值提高可能只會幫助那些已經(jīng)做得很好的人。

Instead, the economists say, the United States could try to repeat something Americans born in the 1940s experienced. As those children grew up, they almost all benefited from a better economy.

經(jīng)濟(jì)學(xué)家表示，相反，美國可以嘗試重復(fù)40后的經(jīng)歷。隨著40后的孩子長大，他們幾乎都從經(jīng)濟(jì)改善中受益。

I'm Jonathan Evans.

喬納森·埃文斯報道。