2021年经济学人 资本退位,打工人的黄金时代正在到来(4)

Productivity can also be unleashed¹ by broadening access to opportunities. Many rich-world labour markets are divided between the high- and low-skilled. That is tolerable so long as anyone can climb the ladder. Governments have a responsibility to ensure meritocratic access to education and sufficient opportunities for retraining. They should tear down barriers to entry such as needless occupational licensing² rules—the legal and medical professions, for example, should not be allowed to pull up the drawbridge to outsiders. It should be easy to experiment with new digital and cross-border business models.

拓宽机会也可以释放生产力。许多发达国家的劳动力市场分为高技能劳动力市场和低技能劳动力市场。只要有人能爬上职业阶梯，那这种划分就是可以忍受的。政府有责任确保精英获得教育和充足的再培训机会。政府也应该打破不必要的职业许可证规则等准入壁垒，例如，法律和医疗行业不应该将没有资格证的人拒之门外。政府还应让数字化和跨境商业模式方面的新尝试变得轻而易举。

But helping³ workers by boosting productivity must not be confused with self-defeating attempts to protect them—as happened the last time they had the upper hand, in the 1970s. Repatriating⁴ supply chains, as Mr Biden would, will inhibit⁵ competition and grind down living standards. Cranking up corporate⁶ taxes too far will reduce the incentive⁷ for firms to invest. For central banks to lose their inflation-fighting credibility would be a disaster. Just ask the workers who bore the brunt of efforts to tame prices in the 1980s.

但是，通过提高生产力来帮助工人，决不能与妄想保护工人却弄巧成拙的尝试混为一谈——上世纪70年代工人们占据主导地位时就发生过这样的情况。类似拜登将供应链撤返回国的行为将抑制竞争，降低生活水平。过度提高企业税会降低企业投资的积极性。对于央行来说，失去抗通胀的信誉将是一场灾难。问问那些在上世纪80年代平抑物价的努力中首当其冲的工人就知道了。

People tend to be sentimental⁸ about how wonderful work used to be, grumpy about how it is and fearful of what it will become. In fact, working life has improved over the ages—and the promise today is as bright as it ever was. Time to get on the ride.

人们往往会感伤于过往工作的美妙，暴躁于当前工作的现状，又担忧着未来工作的情况。事实上，工作生活会随着时间推移而改善，如今的前景也一如既往的光明。是时候该打工人们春风得意了。

1 unleashed   

v.把（感情、力量等）释放出来，发泄( unleash的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The government's proposals unleashed a storm of protest in the press. 政府的提案引发了新闻界的抗议浪潮。
• The full force of his rage was unleashed against me. 他把所有的怒气都发泄在我身上。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 licensing   

v.批准，许可，颁发执照( license的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• A large part of state regulation consists of occupational licensing. 大部分州的管理涉及行业的特许批准。 来自英汉非文学 - 行政法
• That licensing procedures for projects would move faster. 这样的工程批准程序一定会加快。 来自辞典例句

3 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

4 repatriating   

v.把（某人）遣送回国，遣返( repatriate的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Since banks are reducing overall lending, that means repatriating cash. 由于银行总的借贷额在下降，这就意味着资金必然国内回流。 来自互联网
• US immigration officials have again delayed moves start repatriating six-year-old Cuban shipwreck survivor Elian Gonzalez. 六岁的古巴海难幸存儿童埃利安非常幸运，美国移民局官员已将原本要遣返他的时间再次拖延。 来自互联网

5 inhibit   

vt.阻止，妨碍，抑制

参考例句：

• Don't let ego and greed inhibit clear thinking and hard work.不要让自我和贪婪妨碍清晰的思维和刻苦的工作。
• They passed a law to inhibit people from parking in the street.他们通过一项法令以阻止人们在街上停车。

6 corporate   

adj.共同的，全体的；公司的，企业的

参考例句：

• This is our corporate responsibility.这是我们共同的责任。
• His corporate's life will be as short as a rabbit's tail.他的公司的寿命是兔子尾巴长不了。

7 incentive   

n.刺激；动力；鼓励；诱因；动机

参考例句：

• Money is still a major incentive in most occupations.在许多职业中，钱仍是主要的鼓励因素。
• He hasn't much incentive to work hard.他没有努力工作的动机。

8 sentimental   

adj.多愁善感的，感伤的

参考例句：

• She's a sentimental woman who believes marriage comes by destiny.她是多愁善感的人，她相信姻缘命中注定。
• We were deeply touched by the sentimental movie.我们深深被那感伤的电影所感动。