VOA慢速英语2020 人们会停止使用现金么？（在线收听）

Will People Stop Using Cash?

For centuries, people have kept large amounts of cash at home during difficult times.But in the coronavirus crisis, things are different.These metal coins and paper bills can be a source of worry rather than hope.

几个世纪以来，人们会在世道艰难时往家里存放大量现金。但是在冠状病毒危机期间，事情却变得不一样了。这些金属硬币和纸币可能会成为担忧的来源而不是希望。

The fear is that these objects, possibly touched by thousands of people, could be a way for the coronavirus to spread.Public officials and health experts have said that the risk is small.Still, some businesses refuse to accept them,and some countries have suggested that their citizens should stop using them altogether.

人们害怕这些很有可能被数千人接触过的现金可能成为冠状病毒的传播途径。公职官员和健康专家曾经说过现金传播风险很低。但是，一些商家拒绝接收现金，而且一些国家建议国民应该停止使用硬币和纸币。

Zachary Cohle is an economics professor at Quinnipiac University in Connecticut."In many areas, cash was already beginning to disappear due to the increased risk of robbery, the ease of internet ordering, and the ubiquity of cell phones," he said.The term ubiquity refers to something being seen everywhere.

扎卡里·科尔是康涅狄格州昆尼皮亚克大学的经济学教授。“在很多领域，现金已经开始消失，原因是抢劫的风险增加，网上购物的便捷和手机的普及。” 他说。ubiquity指某些东西到处都能看到。

Sweden, Finland, Norway, Canada and others have slowly reduced cash use to the point where using it in large amounts seems unusual.Britain and Australia are expected to become cashless countries.And in China, cash use has dropped as electronic payment services increased in popularity over the past ten years.

瑞典、芬兰、挪威、加拿大和其他国家已经慢慢开始减少使用现金，现在大量使用现金已经很少见了。英国和澳大利亚有望成为无现金国家。在中国，使用现金的情况也在减少因为电子支付服务在过去十年变得非常受欢迎。

"Cash ist Fesch" is a common saying in Austria and southern Germany.The words mean cash is beautiful.Since the virus outbreak, shops that have remained open, like grocery stores, have encouraged people to pay with cards.And Germanys central bank said 43 percent of Germans recently paid for goods and services with a card.

“Cash ist Fesch”是奥地利和德国南部的一句谚语。它的意思是现金是美好的。自从病毒爆发之后，还在营业的超市，像杂货店，都鼓励人们刷卡支付。德国中央银行表示最近有43%的德国人刷卡购买商品和服务。

The Bank of Japan estimates that cash makes up for 53 percent of household assets.But the threat of the coronavirus could move the country toward going cashless,said Hiroki Maruyama, head of the nonprofit Fintech Association of Japan.He added, "The culture is slowly changing."

日本银行估计现金构成了家庭资产的53%。但是冠状病毒的威胁可能推动国家的无现金化，日本非盈利组织金融科技协会会长丸山智己说道。他补充说：“国家文化正在慢慢改变。”

In Iran, there are no international bank cards, like Visa or Mastercard, because of U.S. sanctions.Yet new signs appeared at some gas stations in Tehran: "Service is only for those who will pay by debit cards."A debit card is a small plastic card that is used in place of cash to buy things.

由于美国的制裁，伊朗没有维萨和万事达这样的国际银行卡。然而，德黑兰的某些加油站竖起了新的告示：“仅支持借记卡支付。”借记卡是一个小的塑料卡片，可以代替现金购物。

However, cash use is still common in places like West and Central Africa where many cannot pay for the cost of banking services.

无论如何，使用现金在西非和中非还是很常见的，这些地方的人支付不起银行服务费用。 

Dorothy Harpool teaches at Wichita State Universitys W. Frank Barton School of Business.Harpool thought some people would rethink their use of cash during the crisis.But she said the world would not be cashless "until everyone and every country has reliable access to the internet."

多萝西·哈普在卫奇塔州立大学的弗兰克巴顿商学院任教。哈普认为一些人会重新考虑在疫情期间使用现金的情况。但是她说“直到每个人和每个国家都有可靠的方式使用电脑，”这个世界才会实现无现金化。

In Lebanon, as the economy worsened late last year, the central bank said people withdrew an estimated $3 billion and saved it at home.

在黎巴嫩，由于去年年底经济恶化，中央银行称大约30亿美金被取出存放在家里。 

"Corona is the last thing on peoples minds right now," Ihsan, a money changer in Beirut said."All theyre thinking about is how to handle this crisis and get money to live."

“现在病毒是人们最后考虑的事情，” 贝鲁特的货币兑换商伊赫桑说道。“他们现在满脑子想的都是如何处理这次危机，赚钱谋生。”

He said there are some things you just cannot do without cash."Like how else can you bribe a government employee to get your business done?With a credit card?"

他说有些事情没了现金就做不成。“比如除了现金还有其他什么方式能贿赂政府官员完成你的业务？ 用信用卡么？”

Im John Russell.

约翰·罗塞尔为您报道。