考研英語時文賞讀（136）：委內(nèi)瑞拉最低工資降至谷底，每月僅2美元

　　Venezuelan minimum wage hits rock bottom: $2 a month

　　委內(nèi)瑞拉最低工資降至谷底：每月2美元

　　This Friday for the first time, millions of Venezuelans were paid $1 for their half-monthly wages or pensions, as the unprecedented crisis lowered the monthly minimum wage to $2 and has most citizens living in misery with no sign the situation will improve anytime soon.

　　上周五，一場前所未有的危機使得委內(nèi)瑞拉每月的最低工資降至了2美元，數(shù)百萬委內(nèi)瑞拉人第一次只領(lǐng)到1美元的半月工資或養(yǎng)老金，大部份人民都生活在痛苦之中，并且沒有跡象表明情況會很快好轉(zhuǎn)。

　　With the US dollar worth around 20,000 bolivars, the minimum wage of 40,000 bolivars set by the government is worth $2 a month, not enough to buy a kilo (2 pounds) of meat or a carton of eggs.

　　由于1美元相當于2萬玻利瓦爾，因此政府設定的每月4萬玻利瓦爾的工資僅相當于2美元，不足以買一公斤肉或一盒雞蛋。

　　Between retirees and working employees there are almost 10 million people who were paid the equivalent of 1 dollar this Friday, according to the official quote of the Banco Central (BCV), because on the parallel market, which governs all economic activity, the local currency is even more devalued.

　　根據(jù)中央銀行（BCV）的官方數(shù)據(jù)，在退休人員和在職員工的范圍內(nèi)，有近1000萬人在本周五領(lǐng)取了相當于1美元的工資，并且由于平行市場管理著所有的經(jīng)濟活動，當?shù)刎泿诺馁H值幅度更大。

　　Being optimistic and with a little luck, any Venezuelans who earn that amount monthly can buy a pack of corn flour and a kilo (2 lbs.) of sugar. Once those products are used up in two or three days, they’ll have to wait until the next payday to replenish their larders.

　　樂觀一點，再加上一點運氣，任何一個月收入達到這個數(shù)字的委內(nèi)瑞拉人都可以買一包玉米粉和一公斤（2磅）糖。一旦在兩三天內(nèi)吃完了，他們將不得不等到下一個發(fā)薪日來填補他們的儲食柜。

　　Over the last 30 days, the local currency - the bolivar - was devalued 50 percent against the dollar, which now costs double the amount it did at the end of July, all within a hyperinflation that boosts the prices of goods and services several times a day.

　　在過去的30天里，當?shù)刎泿挪＠郀枌γ涝H值了50%，現(xiàn)在美元的價格是7月底的兩倍，這一切都是在惡性通貨膨脹的影響下產(chǎn)生的，這種惡性通貨膨脹每天會數(shù)次推高商品和服務的價格。

　　However, the government does deposit bonuses almost monthly to some 10 million Venezuelans for different reasons, but never more than 100,000 bolivars, or $5, which will buy 2 kilos (4 lbs.) of detergent.

　　雖然政府幾乎每個月都會以不同的理由向近1000萬委內(nèi)瑞拉人發(fā)放津貼，但數(shù)額從來沒有超過10萬玻利瓦爾（約合5美元），這點錢只能購買2公斤（4磅）的洗滌劑。

　　Meanwhile, some companies pay their employees bonuses in dollars so they won’t quit, while more than a million families receive remittances from the approximately five million Venezuelans who fled the country over the last six years to escape the crisis.

　　同時，一些公司以美元向員工發(fā)放津貼，以此留住他們，在過去6年間，大約有500萬委內(nèi)瑞拉人為躲避危機逃離了自己的國家，他們外出打工以供養(yǎng)國內(nèi)的100多萬個家庭。

　　(全文共312個詞)

　　重難點詞匯：

　　misery  n. 痛苦，悲慘；不幸；苦惱；窮困

　　devalue  vt. 使貶值；降低…的價值 vi. 貶值

　　hyperinflation  n. 惡性通貨膨脹

　　detergent  n. 清潔劑；去垢劑

　　remittance ] n. 匯款；匯寄之款；匯款額