实习生该不该拿工资

As we head from spring into summer, many college students are planning their vacations while those looking to get their first taste of the working world are likely hunting for internships.
春去夏来，许多大学生正在计划自己的假期，而希望体验一下职场生活的大学生则会去寻找实习机会。

It is estimated that U.S. companies hire about 1.5 million interns each year, half of them on anunpaid basis. Working for free might not be a big deal for some who are just grateful to have their foot in the door, but a class-action lawsuit led by interns who worked on the set of the 2010 film, Black Swan, could change that mindset and have far-reaching implications. The plaintiffs want back pay for their work and seek to bar the film's producer, Fox Searchlight, from using unpaid interns in the future.
据估计，美国公司每年约聘用150万名实习生，其中一半没有工资。因为有机会一脚踏入职场，有人为此而心存感激，免费工作对他们来说没什么大不了的。但2010年电影《黑天鹅》（Black Swan）剧组工作的实习生提出的集体诉讼却改变了这种思维，而且产生了深远的影响。这些实习生要求剧组支付工作报酬，同时希望禁止电影公司福克斯探照灯（Fox Searchlight）在未来继续使用无薪实习生。

However the lawsuit goes, it could say a lot about how companies should value the work of interns and whether interns have a right to a paycheck like employees
不论诉讼结果如何，它都说明了很多问题：各家公司应该如何衡量实习生工作的价值？实习生是否有权利像正式员工一样获得工资？

It's perfectly reasonable for interns to be paid. Stipends for living expenses are only fair, especially for young people from low-income households, who may not otherwise be able to afford an unpaid internship. Paying interns also helps employers draw better talent, such as atGoogle (GOOG), which actively recruits interns and pays them handsomely for working on substantive projects.
实习生获得薪水是非常合理的事。向实习生提供薪水以支付生活开支是公平的做法，尤其是对于来自低收入家庭的年轻人而言，因为他们无力承担无薪实习生活。此外，向实习生支付薪水也可以帮助雇主吸引更优秀的人才。例如，谷歌（Google）积极招聘实习生，同时给实习生提供丰厚的薪水，安排他们参加实质性的项目。

Nevertheless, it would be wrong to elevate the fight over intern pay to the level of seriousness accorded to the ongoing debate over raising the federal minimum wage. For the most part, internships are training wheels, and the rules applied to them shouldn't be the same as a regular job. The decision to pay interns should really be at the discretion of employers -- not a matter of law.
然而，把是否应该向实习生支付薪水上升到国家最低工资辩论的高度却并不是正确的做法。实习在很大程度上是一种训练，适用于普通工作的规定却不一定适用于实习。是否要向实习生支付薪水，应该是雇主自行决定的事情，与法律无关。

This is simply because there are many benefits to internships, regardless of whether it's paid or not; and at times, interns get a lot more out of the internship than the companies they intern for. The biggest benefit is pure work experience. Interns often gain valuable insight into industries and careers that they're looking to pursue. Few start at the top; most successful people work their way up from humble tasks.
这是因为，不论是否有薪酬，实习都能带来很多好处；有时候，实习生从实习经历中获得的收益要超过他们服务的公司所获收益。最大的好处是纯粹的工作经历。实习生对于自己希望进入的行业或职业可以获得有价值的见解。很少有人一开始就高高在上；大多数人都是从底层做起，一步步走向成功。

Internships also teach work ethic, which young people don't necessarily pick up in school. Lessons such as humility, the acceptance that no task is beneath one's dignity, and recognition of the chain of command, are all important to learn before a young person is ready to enter a competitive workforce. True, some of those skills can also be acquired as a cashier at a fast-food restaurant but if a young person wants to become a fashion designer, for instance, work experience and a reference from a good fashion design house is a lot more relevant than one from McDonalds (MCD).
此外，实习还可以教给实习生良好的职业道德，这是在学校中学不到的东西。年轻人在进入竞争激烈的职场之前，必须学会谦逊，接受工作没有高低贵贱之分的这种观念，认可行政管理系统等。虽然在一家快餐店当收银员也能获得这些技能，但如果年轻人希望成为一名时装设计师，一家优秀时装设计公司的工作经验和推荐比在麦当劳（McDonalds）的工作会更有意义。