VOA常速英语2105--美国工人要求增加最低工资

 

美国工人要求增加最低工资

LOS ANGELES—Los Angeles is about to become the largest American city to raise its minimum wage to $15 an hour, an increase to be phased in over five years. The wage is more than twice the current minimum rate required by U.S. law, and its approval will be the latest victory in a national drive by labor¹ unions and low-income workers.

Some business groups, however, say such increases will cost jobs.

Protesters demanding a higher minimum wage have been rallying around the country, from New York to Phoenix². Minimum-wage workers went to Los Angeles City Hall last week as council members considered the wage increase. It was given preliminary approval Wednesday and is expected to pass a final vote June 10.

要求增加最低工资的抗议者们在从纽约到凤凰城在内的全国各地举行集会，持最低工资的工人们上周来到洛杉矶市政厅，市政厅成员正考虑加薪，于是周三得到初步批准，有望在6月10日举行最终投票。

The measure will raise the minimum wage in increments³ starting next year, to reach $15 an hour by 2020. Workers for small businesses and nonprofit organizations will reach the $15 mark the following year.

该措施将使得最低工资从明年开始增加，到2020年达到时薪15美元。小企业和非盈利组织的员工们将在第二年达到15美元。

McDonald's worker Edgar Gonzalez, a young father, said it would make a difference.

麦当劳员工埃德加·冈萨雷兹是一位年轻的父亲，他说这将给自己带来好处。

"It will mean a lot," he said. "It will help me out with rent. It will help me out with diapers. It will help me out with having a better life.”

“这件事意义重大，可以帮我付房租，让我能买得起尿布，帮我过上更好的生活。”

Former Wal-Mart worker Evelyn Cruz said the new wage would keep her from having to make unreasonable⁴ choices, such as "if I am going to pay for the roof over my head or food on the table.”

沃玛特前员工伊芙琳·克鲁兹说新工资将让她免于做不合理的选择，比如“必须支付从房顶到餐桌上的食物在内的东西”。

The U.S. Chamber⁵ of Commerce and some other business groups said that the measure would cost small businesses and could mean layoff⁶ instead of pay raises. But the Los Angeles County Federation⁷ of Labor, a trade union coalition⁸, said the measure would boost the economy and help workers.

美国商务部和其他商业组织称该措施可能对小企业不利，可能还会导致裁员而不是加薪。但贸易商会联盟洛杉矶郡劳工联合会称该措施将促进经济并帮助工人。

Federation official Rusty⁹ Hicks said U.S. cities are stepping in where the federal government has not. “That is why you are seeing L.A., San Francisco, Oakland, New York and others step forward and try to address this issue on their own,” he said.

联邦官员希克斯说美国各城市正在联邦政府未能做到的地方努力，“因此你能看到洛杉矶、旧金山、奥克兰、纽约等城市在加大力度，努力自主解决这一问题。”

Business analyst¹⁰ Shon Hiatt of the University of Southern California said companies like McDonald's face stiff competition and slumping¹¹ sales, and are starting to cut costs, and potentially cut jobs, through automation.

商业分析家南加州大学的希亚特说，像麦当劳这样面临激烈竞争和下滑销量的公司正开始削减成本，并且可能会通过采用自动化来实现裁员。

“McDonald's and other fast-food restaurants are moving in this direction," he said. "You will see the emergence¹² of these touchscreens where individuals can order their food without even having to talk with an employee.”

“麦当劳和其他快餐都在朝这个方向努力，你能看到有这些触屏设备出现，顾客无需和雇员讲话就能实现点餐。”

The drive to raise the minimum wage is spreading. Laphonza Butler of the Service Employees International Union said the goal of $15 an hour might be tailored to local economies and be lower in some cities and higher in others.

要求增加最低工资的活动在蔓延，服务业雇员国际工会的巴特勒说15美元时薪的目标是根据当地经济而定的，在一些城市会低些，在其他城市会高些。

“The number is an aspiration¹³ and a symbol as much as anything," Butler said. "The real goal here is to shift the values of our country back to rewarding hard work.”

“这个数字是一种激励，也是一种象征，真正的目标是将我们国家的价值转向回馈给努力的工作。”

 

As workers savor¹⁴ their victory in Los Angeles, they say the drive to raise the minimum wage across the United States has gained momentum¹⁵.

就在洛杉矶工人们品味胜利的喜悦时，他们说美国各地要求增加最低工资的浪潮势头正足。

1 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。

2 phoenix   

n.凤凰，长生(不死)鸟；引申为重生

参考例句：

• The airline rose like a phoenix from the ashes.这家航空公司又起死回生了。
• The phoenix worship of China is fetish worship not totem adoration.中国凤崇拜是灵物崇拜而非图腾崇拜。

3 increments   

n.增长( increment的名词复数 )；增量；增额；定期的加薪

参考例句：

• These increments were mixed and looked into the 5.56mm catridge case. 将各种药粒进行混和，装在5．56毫米的弹壳中。 来自辞典例句
• The Rankine scale has scale increments equal to the FahrenheIt'scale. 兰氏温标的温度间距与华氏温标的相同。 来自辞典例句

4 unreasonable   

adj.不讲道理的，不合情理的，过度的

参考例句：

• I know that they made the most unreasonable demands on you.我知道他们对你提出了最不合理的要求。
• They spend an unreasonable amount of money on clothes.他们花在衣服上的钱太多了。

5 chamber   

n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所

参考例句：

• For many,the dentist's surgery remains a torture chamber.对许多人来说，牙医的治疗室一直是间受刑室。
• The chamber was ablaze with light.会议厅里灯火辉煌。

6 layoff   

n.临时解雇，操作停止，活动停止期间，失业期

参考例句：

• Finally, prepare an explanation about what led to your layoff.最后，要准备好一套说辞来解释你被解雇的原因。
• Workers were re-employed after the layoff.在暂时解雇不久后工人们又被再度雇用了。

7 federation   

n.同盟，联邦，联合，联盟，联合会

参考例句：

• It is a federation of 10 regional unions.它是由十个地方工会结合成的联合会。
• Mr.Putin was inaugurated as the President of the Russian Federation.普京正式就任俄罗斯联邦总统。

8 coalition   

n.结合体，同盟，结合，联合

参考例句：

• The several parties formed a coalition.这几个政党组成了政治联盟。
• Coalition forces take great care to avoid civilian casualties.联盟军队竭尽全力避免造成平民伤亡。

9 rusty   

adj.生锈的；锈色的；荒废了的

参考例句：

• The lock on the door is rusty and won't open.门上的锁锈住了。
• I haven't practiced my French for months and it's getting rusty.几个月不用，我的法语又荒疏了。

10 analyst   

n.分析家，化验员；心理分析学家

参考例句：

• What can you contribute to the position of a market analyst?你有什么技能可有助于市场分析员的职务？
• The analyst is required to interpolate values between standards.分析人员需要在这些标准中插入一些值。

11 slumping   

大幅度下降，暴跌( slump的现在分词 )； 沉重或突然地落下[倒下]

参考例句：

• Hong Kong's slumping economy also caused a rise in bankruptcy applications. 香港经济低迷，破产申请个案随之上升。
• And as with slumping, over-arching can also be a simple postural habit. 就像弯腰驼背，过度挺直也可能只是一种习惯性姿势。

12 emergence   

n.浮现，显现，出现，（植物）突出体

参考例句：

• The last decade saw the emergence of a dynamic economy.最近10年见证了经济增长的姿态。
• Language emerges and develops with the emergence and development of society.语言是随着社会的产生而产生，随着社会的发展而发展的。

13 aspiration   

n.志向，志趣抱负；渴望；(语)送气音；吸出

参考例句：

• Man's aspiration should be as lofty as the stars.人的志气应当象天上的星星那么高。
• Young Addison had a strong aspiration to be an inventor.年幼的爱迪生渴望成为一名发明家。

14 savor   

vt.品尝，欣赏；n.味道，风味；情趣，趣味

参考例句：

• The soup has a savor of onion.这汤有洋葱味。
• His humorous remarks added a savor to our conversation.他幽默的话语给谈话增添了风趣。

15 momentum   

n.动力，冲力，势头；动量

参考例句：

• We exploit the energy and momentum conservation laws in this way.我们就是这样利用能量和动量守恒定律的。
• The law of momentum conservation could supplant Newton's third law.动量守恒定律可以取代牛顿第三定律。