经济学人:零工经济:随时摇滚(1)

 Special Report 特别报道

A special report on the economics longevity¹. 一篇有关经济寿命的特别报道

Rock around the clock 随时摇滚

The other gig economy. 另一种零工经济。

Rockers are no different from the rest of us: they, too, need to work for longer to maintain a decent standard of living in retirement². 摇滚明星和我们普通人并无不同，他们同样要工作久点，来维持退休后有不错的生活水平。

Previous generations could rely on record sales and royalties³ to fund their pensions, but digital disruption has largely closed off such revenues,  前几代的摇滚前辈们可以依靠唱片发行和版税积攒养老金，但是数据化的扰乱已使得这种收入大大受损，

so the performers have to get back on the road. 所以这些表演者不得不回到原来的路上。

That involves new financial risks. 这还牵涉到新的金融危机。

Rock stars have always been risky⁴ assets; one study suggests that they are 1.7 times as likely to die as others of the same age. 摇滚明星们总是处于资产危机之中；一项研究表明，他们可能死亡的概率是同龄人的1.7倍。

Now that revenues from concerts have become so much more important, the potential losses to tour organisers have ballooned. 因为来自音乐会的收入现在变得尤为重要，这些使得巡回演出的主办方的潜在损失激增。

That applies all the more if the performers are a bunch of 70-year-olds who may not always have treated their bodies as temples. 如果演出者更是一群七老八十岁的、身板儿经不起折腾的老演员的话，这些损失将会更大。

This is where financiers come in. 这也是投机者钻空子的地方。

Concert organisers and others who depend on mature rockers for their income are more likely to insure against the risk that their performers might not show up,  演唱会的组织者和其他依靠年长的摇滚歌手来获得收益的人，更有可能投保其表演者可能不会出现的风险，

says Jonathan Thomas, a Lloyd's underwriter. Lloyd公司的保险商Jonathan Thomas说道。

He has seen this market for “non-appearance products” grow as musicians get older. 他也看到了“最终未出席”市场随着音乐人年龄渐长增长。

Film studios take out similar cover for mature stars. 电影制片场亦在那些年迈的电影明星身上效仿此举。

Disney must have been relieved to have done so for Carrie Fisher,  迪士尼定会因其已为影星凯莉·费雪投保，而松了口气。

who died at the age of 60 last year before completing filming on all the “Star Wars” films she was contracted for, triggering a claim which could go up to $50m. 凯莉·费雪于去年逝世，享年60岁，生前尚未拍摄完所签约的星球大战系列电影，故迪士尼可获理赔达5000万。

 

1 longevity   

n.长命；长寿

参考例句：

• Good habits promote longevity.良好的习惯能增长寿命。
• Human longevity runs in families.人类的长寿具有家族遗传性。

2 retirement   

n.退休，退职

参考例句：

• She wanted to enjoy her retirement without being beset by financial worries.她想享受退休生活而不必为金钱担忧。
• I have to put everything away for my retirement.我必须把一切都积蓄起来以便退休后用。

3 royalties   

特许权使用费

参考例句：

• I lived on about £3,000 a year from the royalties on my book. 我靠着写书得来的每年约3，000英镑的版税生活。 来自辞典例句
• Payments shall generally be made in the form of royalties. 一般应采取提成方式支付。 来自经济法规部分

4 risky   

adj.有风险的，冒险的

参考例句：

• It may be risky but we will chance it anyhow.这可能有危险，但我们无论如何要冒一冒险。
• He is well aware how risky this investment is.他心里对这项投资的风险十分清楚。