美国国家公共电台 NPR--Americans are paying more and getting less as inflation hits home

Americans are paying more and getting less as inflation hits home

Transcript¹

Susan Morrison knew something was wrong when she bought a new tub of cottage cheese.

"I had an old one in the refrigerator," Morrison recalls. "I went to put the new one in and it was like, 'Wait a minute. This is two-thirds of the size. There's a third missing.' "

Many people feel as though something is missing in the U.S. economy, finding they're paying more and getting less.

Despite a strong job market and near record-low unemployment, 37% of Americans say their personal finances have gotten worse in the last year, according to a new NPR/PBS Newshour/Marist poll. That's an 8-point jump since February. Twice as many people now say their economic situation has worsened as say it has improved.

Most blame the worst inflation the United States has seen in four decades. Consumer prices across the board rose 8.3% in August from a year earlier, according to government data released this week. Price increases in some areas were even steeper.

Thanks inflation: almost everyone says they're cutting back and staying in

For Morrison, who lives in Thousand Oaks, Calif., the curdling² of confidence goes beyond cottage cheese. She and her husband are both retired³. They've watched a falling stock market erode⁴ their savings⁵, while prices at the supermarket have jumped more than 13% in the last 12 months.

"We're seniors. It's not like we're eating huge meals," Morrison says. "But we have noticed that our grocery bill over just the last two years, we've watched it go up and up and up."

Nearly three out of four people surveyed say they've cut back on spending in the last six months in response to economic conditions. More than a quarter say they'd had to rely on savings in order to make ends meet.

Morrison used to volunteer weekly with at a senior center in Simi Valley, but now goes only every other week to save on gasoline. She and her husband have also cut back on travel.

"We love to vacation in our motor home," Morrison says. "But we have not gone anywhere in our motor home at all this year because of the cost of diesel⁶."

Both diesel and gasoline prices have dropped sharply, since hitting record highs in June. But fuel remains⁷ significantly more expensive than it was a year ago. The average price of diesel is still nearly $5 a gallon.

As with many issues, people's attitudes about the economy are shaped in part by partisan⁸ politics. Republicans, like Morrison, are almost four times as likely as Democrats⁹ to say their financial situation has worsened in the last year, just as Democrats were more likely to grumble¹⁰ when President Trump¹¹ was in office.

Even among Democrats, though, attitudes have deteriorated¹² somewhat. Fifteen percent of Democrats now say their family finances have worsened in the last year — up from 12% who said so in February.

One of the biggest complaints is high inflation.

"I mean, when you try to buy a steak, for Chrissakes," says Craig Barnes, an energy broker¹³ in Plano, Texas. "It has a big impact, especially in my business. When I'm taking people out and stuff like that, we're not going to steakhouses any more. We're dialing it back big time."

More than half the people surveyed say they're eating out less now than they were six months ago. Four in 10 say they're driving less or carpooling in order to save on gas.

Some of the reported spending cuts may be exaggerated. According to the Commerce Department, for example, actual spending at restaurants is up nearly 7% over the last six months.

Lavender Justice, who works as a pizza delivery driver in suburban¹⁴ Atlanta, suffered a drop in income earlier this summer when gas prices soared. Although gas prices have since fallen, the delivery business hasn't fully¹⁵ recovered. Fewer people are ordering pizza some nights. And even when it's busy, tips are down.

"People are struggling. It's kind of tragic," Justice says. "Even on Fridays and Saturdays, I've been making only 75% of what I was a year ago."

As a result, Justice has scaled back spending on favorite hobbies, such as costumed camping trips.

"A lot of my friends are either having to cut down on activities that they enjoy, " Justice says, or "pick up more hours, [or] figure out second jobs."

Skipping doctor visits and other signs of economic distress¹⁶

Just over a third of those surveyed say they canceled or scaled back vacations over the last six months, while 18% say they skipped a doctor's visit or a purchase of prescription¹⁷ drugs. In general, families making less than $50,000 a year were more likely to say they'd cut spending than those with higher incomes.

Missing a rent or mortgage payment can be a sign of more serious economic distress. Less than 10% of those surveyed said they'd skipped or delayed such a payment in the last six months.

But missed housing payments were more than twice as common among families making less than $25,000 a year.

"I had to be late on rent this month, and probably going to have to figure something out for this coming payment as well," says Connor Slaten, who works at a KFC in Kansas City, Mo.

Slaten was recently promoted to shift manager, and his wages climbed to $14 an hour. Still, he says, that's not keeping pace with the rising cost of living.

"I don't think there's anywhere in America where $14 an hour can adequately pay for a one-bedroom apartment and everything else that you need," he says.

Some of those surveyed are pessimistic that economic fortunes will improve any time soon. Others have their sights set on a political change in Washington. And some are banking¹⁸ on growing sense of empowerment among workers.

"There's more people quitting jobs that aren't treating them well," says Justice, the pizza delivery driver. "That gives me a lot of hope. Because if enough people quit jobs that aren't treating them well, they'll have to start treating people better and have to start paying people what they're worth."

Justice hopes to start a new job — working with a wilderness¹⁹ therapy program — this fall.

1 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

2 curdling   

n.凝化v.（使）凝结( curdle的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Curdling occurs when milk turns sour and forms solid2 chunks. 凝结时牛奶变酸并且结成2大块固体。 来自互联网
• The sluggish cream wound curdling spirals through her tea. 黏糊糊的奶油在她的红茶里弯弯曲曲地凝结成螺旋形。 来自互联网

3 retired   

adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的

参考例句：

• The old man retired to the country for rest.这位老人下乡休息去了。
• Many retired people take up gardening as a hobby.许多退休的人都以从事园艺为嗜好。

4 erode   

v.侵蚀，腐蚀，使...减少、减弱或消失

参考例句：

• Once exposed,soil is quickly eroded by wind and rain.一旦暴露在外，土壤很快就会被风雨侵蚀。
• Competition in the financial marketplace has eroded profits.金融市场的竞争降低了利润。

5 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。

6 diesel   

n.柴油发动机，内燃机

参考例句：

• We experimented with diesel engines to drive the pumps.我们试着用柴油机来带动水泵。
• My tractor operates on diesel oil.我的那台拖拉机用柴油开动。

7 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

8 partisan   

adj.党派性的；游击队的；n.游击队员；党徒

参考例句：

• In their anger they forget all the partisan quarrels.愤怒之中，他们忘掉一切党派之争。
• The numerous newly created partisan detachments began working slowly towards that region.许多新建的游击队都开始慢慢地向那里移动。

9 democrats   

n.民主主义者，民主人士( democrat的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The Democrats held a pep rally on Capitol Hill yesterday. 民主党昨天在国会山召开了竞选誓师大会。
• The democrats organize a filibuster in the senate. 民主党党员组织了阻挠议事。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 grumble   

vi.抱怨；咕哝；n.抱怨，牢骚；咕哝，隆隆声

参考例句：

• I don't want to hear another grumble from you.我不愿再听到你的抱怨。
• He could do nothing but grumble over the situation.他除了埋怨局势之外别无他法。

11 trump   

n.王牌，法宝；v.打出王牌，吹喇叭

参考例句：

• He was never able to trump up the courage to have a showdown.他始终鼓不起勇气摊牌。
• The coach saved his star player for a trump card.教练保留他的明星选手，作为他的王牌。

12 deteriorated   

恶化，变坏( deteriorate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Her health deteriorated rapidly, and she died shortly afterwards. 她的健康状况急剧恶化，不久便去世了。
• His condition steadily deteriorated. 他的病情恶化，日甚一日。

13 broker   

n.中间人，经纪人；v.作为中间人来安排

参考例句：

• He baited the broker by promises of higher commissions.他答应给更高的佣金来引诱那位经纪人。
• I'm a real estate broker.我是不动产经纪人。

14 suburban   

adj.城郊的，在郊区的

参考例句：

• Suburban shopping centers were springing up all over America. 效区的商业中心在美国如雨后春笋般地兴起。
• There's a lot of good things about suburban living.郊区生活是有许多优点。

15 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

16 distress   

n.苦恼，痛苦，不舒适；不幸；vt.使悲痛

参考例句：

• Nothing could alleviate his distress.什么都不能减轻他的痛苦。
• Please don't distress yourself.请你不要忧愁了。

17 prescription   

n.处方，开药；指示，规定

参考例句：

• The physician made a prescription against sea- sickness for him.医生给他开了个治晕船的药方。
• The drug is available on prescription only.这种药只能凭处方购买。

18 banking   

n.银行业，银行学，金融业

参考例句：

• John is launching his son on a career in banking.约翰打算让儿子在银行界谋一个新职位。
• He possesses an extensive knowledge of banking.他具有广博的银行业务知识。

19 wilderness   

n.杳无人烟的一片陆地、水等，荒漠

参考例句：

• She drove the herd of cattle through the wilderness.她赶着牛群穿过荒野。
• Education in the wilderness is not a matter of monetary means.荒凉地区的教育不是钱财问题。