实战口语情景对话 第814期:Minimum Wage 最低工资

Todd: So Greg, we're talking about controversial issues and one of the issues in your book is income disparity. So, what do you think about minimum wage?
托德：格雷格，我们来谈谈备受争议的问题，你书中提到的其中一个问题是收入差距。你怎么看最低工资？

Greg: Minimum wage. Minimum wage I think is very important to have otherwise employers are going to take advantage of people; pay them too little. The society, society itself must decide what is the proper minimum wage and that in itself is an issue. What should it be?
格雷格：最低工资。我认为制定最低工资标准非常重要，否则雇主就会占雇员的便宜；支付雇员过少的薪水。社会必须决定适当的最低工资标准，这是社会问题。应该怎么做？

Todd: You know, actually I disagree. I am actually against a minimum wage. I think that you know, basically all markets find equilibrium and that the wage goes too low people just won't do the job, and so basically, if you don't have a minimum wage eventually the society will come to a wage where people fell comfortable doing that work. That basically things will work out.
托德：我并不同意你的观点。我反对制定最低工资。我认为所有市场都在寻找平衡，如果工资太低，那人们就不会去做那份工作，基本上来说，如果没有最低工资标准，那最终工资会达到人们满意的水平。基本上来说事情会顺利解决的。

Greg: In theory maybe you're right, but in reality you're really wrong. I mean take a look at some of these countries around the world where there are sweat shops, where you have children, cause there are no rules regulating labor, and you have children who have never been educated, spend their entire lives working almost like slaves in unhealthy conditions. That's what happens when there are no rules to protect workers.
格雷格：从理论上说，你是对的，不过实际上，你的想法是错的。看看世界上那些有血汗工厂、雇童工的国家，因为这些国家没有规范劳动力的规定，一些孩子从来没有接受过教育，他们一直像奴隶一样在不健康的环境下工作。因为没有保护工人的规定，情况就会演变成这样。

Todd: But I think that's somewhat true but you said the key word that they're not educated. I think the problem there is that people aren't educated and that's what leads the abject poverty that they might do a job like that. So don't you think that if people were educated more, they would not be willing to work such meaningless jobs, such jobs that pay so little.
托德：从某种程度上来说可能是这样，不过你刚才的关键词是没有受过教育。我认为问题是这些人没有接受过教育，这是导致赤贫境地的原因，因为这样他们才会去做那种工作。你不认为如果人们受教育程度更高，他们是不会愿意去做那种没有意义、工资那么少的工作的。

Greg: Many of those people, those children, who are working like slaves, don't have a chance for an education and often maybe they're being exploited, not always but sometimes, by people who've had good education.
格雷格：这些人、这些儿童中的很多人，他们像奴隶一样工作是因为他们没有机会接受教育，虽然不是通常情况，不过一般来说剥削他们的是受过良好教育的人。

Todd: Right.
托德：对。

Greg: Take a child in some very poor country has to work just to find food.
格雷格：一些极度贫穷国家的孩子只有工作，才有吃的东西。

Todd: So basically, you're saying they should have a living wage. That they should make enough money that they can have a decent standard of living.
托德：你的意思是他们应该有生活保障。他们要挣足够的钱，这样他们才能维持像样的生活标准。

Greg: Everybody should have a decent standard of living I believe.
格雷格：我认为所有人都应该有像样的生活标准。

Todd: I just think that it's really hard to arbitrarily set a price. I mean that number is always going to go up and down. That even a minimum wage is somewhat skews the reality that if you just let markets take their natural course eventually people won't be willing to work.
托德：我只是觉得很难去随意设定价格水平。因为价格经常上下波动。甚至最低工资可能会扭曲现实，如果让市场顺其自然地发展，那最终人们就不愿意去工作了。

Greg: It doesn't work that way because when you just have a complete free market, you have corrupt people who take advantage of other people.
格雷格：事态不会这么发展，因为当自由市场完备时，会有腐败的人去利用其他人。

Todd: Well, you know, that actually I do agree with but I think ... I do believe in a free markets but one thing that is true is that free markets cannot work where's there's corruption. I do agree with that. So we agree about something.
托德：我同意这个观点，我相信自由市场，不过我认为如果存在腐败，那自由市场就无法运作。我同意这个观点。我们终于达成一致观点了。

Greg: Yes. Good thing.
格雷格：对。这是好事。