2018年经济学人 六大经济学原理:失业的自然比率(2)

 

If people cannot find jobs because they have outdated¹ skills—think hand weavers² after the invention of the loom—they might become “structurally” unemployed³.

如果人们是因为具有过时的技能而不能找到工作——想想织布机发明之后的手工织布工——他们可能变得“结构性地”失业(structurally unemployed).

But it is the trade-off between unemployment and inflation that most preoccupies⁴ central bankers.

但是，最让央行银行家劳心费神的是失业和通胀之间的那种取舍。

John Maynard Keynes, the great British economist⁵, took a first step towards the natural-rate hypothesis when he focused minds on “involuntary” unemployment.

伟大的英国经济学家凯恩斯在关注“非自愿性”失业(involuntary unemployment)时，迈出了通往自然比率假设的第一步。

In his book “The General Theory”, published in 1936 in the aftermath of the Depression, Keynes noted⁶ that many people could not find jobs at the going wage, even if they had comparable skills to those in work.

在他的那本在大萧条之后的1936年出版的《通论》一书中，凯恩斯指出，许多人哪怕是拥有与在职之人不相上下的技能，也不可能以现有的工资找到工作。

Classical economics blamed artificially high wages, perhaps caused by trade unions.

古典经济学将其归咎于人为的高工资，这种高工资可能是由工会造成的。

But Keynes pointed⁷ to lacklustre economy-wide spending.

但是，凯恩斯直指死气沉沉的整个经济体的开支。

Even if wages fell, he reasoned, workers would have less to spend, making the demand deficiency worse.

他分析道，尽管工资降了，但是，工人可以花钱的地方也会减少，令需求不足更加严重。他

The answer, he thought, was for governments to manage aggregate⁸ demand in order to keep employment “full”.

认为，对政府来说，答案是管理总需求，以保持就业是“完全的”(full)。

Keynes was not the father of all that is now thought of as “Keynesian”.

凯恩斯不是现在被认为是“凯恩斯学派”的全部内容之父。

Inflation, for instance, barely entered his analysis of unemployment.

例如，通胀几乎没有进入他的失业分析。

But by the late 1960s Keynesianism had become associated with the idea that when managing aggregate demand, policymakers are not just choosing a rate of unemployment.

但是，到上世纪60年代，凯恩斯主义已经与决策者在管理总需求时不单单是在选择一种失业率的思想变得密不可分了。

They are simultaneously⁹ choosing how fast prices rise.

他们同时还在选择物价涨得有多快。

1 outdated   

adj.旧式的，落伍的，过时的；v.使过时

参考例句：

• That list of addresses is outdated,many have changed.那个通讯录已经没用了，许多地址已经改了。
• Many of us conform to the outdated customs laid down by our forebears.我们许多人都遵循祖先立下的过时习俗。

2 weavers   

织工，编织者( weaver的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The Navajo are noted as stockbreeders and skilled weavers, potters, and silversmiths. 纳瓦霍人以豢养家禽，技术熟练的纺织者，制陶者和银匠而著名。
• They made out they were weavers. 他们假装是织布工人。

3 unemployed   

adj.失业的，没有工作的；未动用的，闲置的

参考例句：

• There are now over four million unemployed workers in this country.这个国家现有四百万失业人员。
• The unemployed hunger for jobs.失业者渴望得到工作。

4 preoccupies   

v.占据（某人）思想，使对…全神贯注，使专心于( preoccupy的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

5 economist   

n.经济学家，经济专家，节俭的人

参考例句：

• He cast a professional economist's eyes on the problem.他以经济学行家的眼光审视这个问题。
• He's an economist who thinks he knows all the answers.他是个经济学家，自以为什么都懂。

6 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

7 pointed   

adj.尖的，直截了当的

参考例句：

• He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
• She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。

8 aggregate   

adj.总计的，集合的；n.总数；v.合计；集合

参考例句：

• The football team had a low goal aggregate last season.这支足球队上个赛季的进球总数很少。
• The money collected will aggregate a thousand dollars.进帐总额将达一千美元。

9 simultaneously   

adv.同时发生地，同时进行地

参考例句：

• The radar beam can track a number of targets almost simultaneously.雷达波几乎可以同时追着多个目标。
• The Windows allow a computer user to execute multiple programs simultaneously.Windows允许计算机用户同时运行多个程序。