VOA慢速英语2012 Economics Report - How an Allowance Helps Children Learn About Money

 

Economics Report - How an Allowance Helps Children Learn About Money

经济报道 - 帮助孩子们学会理财

This is the VOA Special English Economics Report.

这里是美国之音慢速英语经济报道。

Many children first learn the value of money by receiving an allowance. The purpose is to let children learn from experience at an age when financial mistakes are not very costly¹.

许多孩子最初通过零花钱开始懂得金钱的价值。目的是让孩子在犯财务错误代价还不是太高的年龄从使用零花钱中学到经验。

The amount of money that parents give to their children to spend as they wish differs from family to family. Timing² is another consideration. Some children get a weekly allowance. Others get a monthly allowance.

父母给孩子自由支配的零花钱数额每个家庭都不同。时间选择是另一个需要考虑的问题。有些孩子每周得到零花钱，其他孩子每月得到零花钱。

In any case, parents should make clear what, if anything, the child is expected to pay for with the money.

任何情况下，家长都必须明确知道孩子们把钱准备花在什么地方。

At first, young children may spend all of their allowance soon after they receive it. If they do this, they will learn the hard way that spending must be done within a budget. Parents are usually advised not to offer more money until the next allowance.

起初，年幼的孩子可能会在拿到零花钱后很快花完。如果他们这样做了，他们就能历经艰辛领悟开支必须有预算。通常建议家长们在发放下期零花钱之前，不要再给孩子零花钱。

The object is to show young people that a budget demands choices between spending and saving. Older children may be responsible enough to save money for larger costs, like clothing or electronics.

这样做的目的是让孩子们知道，预算需要在支出和储蓄之间做出选择。年龄稍大一点的孩子可能已经懂得存钱来应付较大的开支，像衣服或电子产品。

Many people who have written on the subject of allowances say it is not a good idea to pay your child for work around the home. These jobs are a normal part of family life.

很多曾写过零花钱相关主题的人表示，付钱让孩子干家务并不是个好主意。家务是家庭生活的日常组成部分。

Paying children to do extra work around the house, however, can be useful. It can even provide an understanding of how a business works.

但付钱让孩子在屋子周围做额外工作则非常有用。它可以帮助孩子理解业务是如何运作的。

Allowances give children a chance to experience the things they can do with money. They can share it in the form of gifts or giving to a good cause. They can spend it by buying things they want. Or they can save and maybe even invest it.

零花钱给孩子提供一个机会来体验用钱可以做什么事情。他们可以把零花钱以礼物或物品的形式捐给慈善事业。也可以购买自己想要的东西。或者存起来，甚至可以投资。

Saving helps children understand that costly goals require sacrifice: you have to cut costs and plan for the future.

储蓄帮助孩子明白，昂贵的目标需要作出牺牲：人们必须削减开支为未来打算。

Requiring children to save part of their allowance can also open the door to future saving and investing. Many banks offer services to help children and teenagers learn about personal finance.

要求孩子将部分零花钱存起来还可以开启孩子们未来储蓄和投资的大门。许多银行提供服务，帮助儿童和青少年了解个人理财。

A savings³ account is an excellent way to learn about the power of compound interest.

储蓄账户是了解复利的一个很好的方式。

Compounding works by paying interest on interest. So, for example, one dollar invested at two percent interest for two years will earn two cents in the first year. The second year, the money will earn two percent of one dollar and two cents, and so on.

复利是指连本带息计算利息。例如，以2%的利息存入一美元，存期为两年。第一年你可以获得2美分的利息。第二年，你将获得1美元2美分的2%的利息，以此类推。

That may not seem like a lot. But over time it adds up.

这看上去似乎不多，但随着时间推移数额也不小。

1 costly   

adj.昂贵的，价值高的，豪华的

参考例句：

• It must be very costly to keep up a house like this.维修这么一幢房子一定很昂贵。
• This dictionary is very useful,only it is a bit costly.这本词典很有用，左不过贵了些。

2 timing   

n.时间安排，时间选择

参考例句：

• The timing of the meeting is not convenient.会议的时间安排不合适。
• The timing of our statement is very opportune.我们发表声明选择的时机很恰当。

3 savings   

n.存款，储蓄

参考例句：

• I can't afford the vacation,for it would eat up my savings.我度不起假，那样会把我的积蓄用光的。
• By this time he had used up all his savings.到这时，他的存款已全部用完。