什么是铸造在伯克希尔县:发现就是用当地货币做奖励

 　　JUDY WOODRUFF: Now trading in Ben Franklins for Norman Rockwells.

　　Economics correspondent Paul Solman visits one New England county that prints its own money.

　　It's part of his ongoing¹ reporting Making Sense of financial news.

　　PAUL SOLMAN: The Berkshire Mountains of Western Massachusetts, home to the historic Red Lion Inn in Stockbridge, operating continuously since 1773, back when the tab might have been settled with newly minted so-called Continentals², revolutionary currency; 240 years later, I can pay by United States dollar, of course, or credit card.Paul Solman. What's my bill?

　　WOMAN: Right now, you have an outstanding balance of $148.10.

　　MAKING SENSE: The Art of Local Currency: Keeping Small Beautiful

　　PAUL SOLMAN: One-forty-eight-10?

　　WOMAN: Yes.

　　PAUL SOLMAN: But the inn offers another option.

　　But I'm going to get BerkShares to pay with.

　　WOMAN: Oh, perfect.

　　PAUL SOLMAN: That's OK?

　　WOMAN: Absolutely.

　　PAUL SOLMAN: BerkShares, an alternative, small-is-beautiful local currency born in 2006 and now accepted by some 400 businesses in Berkshire County.

　　The process begins at five area banks, one conveniently right next door to the Red Lion Inn.

　　Among them, the banks have about a million BerkShares in their vaults³, circulated only when someone like me steps up to the window.

　　Can I trade dollars for BerkShares here, just no questions asked?

　　No fuss, no muss, and you buy BerkShares at a 5 percent discount, getting 105 BerkShares for every $100.

　　Seven hundred.

　　For my $700, to cover our crew costs for several nights at the inn, 735 BerkShares.

　　I'm back.

　　WOMAN: Hi.

　　PAUL SOLMAN: Hey, with BerkShares.And, thus, you get a discount at every place that accepts the local currency, because at the bank, it takes 105 BerkShares to buy back $100.

　　The main purpose, then:

　　BRIAN BUTTERWORTH, Red Lion Inn: BerkShares is just a way to keep money within the community.

　　PAUL SOLMAN: Brian Butterworth is the Red Lion Inn's director of sales.

　　BRIAN BUTTERWORTH: We don't make money off of it or lose money off of it.

　　PAUL SOLMAN: But wait a second. I just got a 5 percent discount. That's not good for the Red Lion Inn, isit?

　　BRIAN BUTTERWORTH: We take your BerkShares at the same value as U.S. dollars, and we spend them as U.S. dollars.

　　And it stays in our community, because there's a geographical⁴ limit to where you can redeem⁵ BerkShares.

　　PAUL SOLMAN: And in keeping with the small-is-beautiful philosophy, the limit is about 10 miles outside Berkshire County's borders.

　　ALICE MAGGIO, Schumacher Center for New Economics: But we don't enforce who can take BerkShares and who can't.

　　PAUL SOLMAN: Alice Maggio runs the BerkShares program out of the Schumacher Center for New Economics in Great Barrington.

　　E.f. Schumacher was the author of small is beautiful. But Maggio admits small can also be parochial.

　　ALICE MAGGIO: You can see local currencies as isolationist and secessionist.

　　PAUL SOLMAN: Protectionist?

　　ALICE MAGGIO: Or protectionist.

　　PAUL SOLMAN: But she hardly thinks BerkShares represent a threat to global trade.

　　ALICE MAGGIO: We used to have this system in this country. We used to have local currencies everywhere.

　　PAUL SOLMAN: Yes.

　　ALICE MAGGIO: That's what we’d like to see again, is this regional currencies that work for their region and then a national currency. Why not?

　　PAUL SOLMAN: In a remarkably⁶ apt application of the phrase think globally, act locally, there's a mini-boom in local currencies worldwide, especially in Europe, the Chiemgauer in Southern Germany, in France, theBasque Eusko, and Toulouse Sol-Violette, the Bristol Pound and the Brixton Pound in the U.K.

　　But, while thinking globally, we too were acting⁷ locally, and thus more interested in the currency of Berkshire county. So, Alice Maggio took us for a tour of our options, first stop, The Magic Fluke, a local ukulele manufacturer.

　　ALICE MAGGIO: Hello.

　　PHYLLIS WEBB, The Magic Fluke Company: We make a great solid-body ukulele, where we actually took thetrees down and kiln-dried the wood.

　　PAUL SOLMAN: Co-owner Phyllis Webb, a woman some might describe as from an earlier era.

　　PHYLLIS WEBB: Right here in Sheffield, we have been able to find some wood for our fretboard, and in ournew violin, we will be using an injection molder right here in Pittsfield, so not far away.

　　PAUL SOLMAN: Ideally, The Magic Fluke pays in BerkShares for the parts to make its instruments.

　　PHYLLIS WEBB: We do sell all over the world, but we hire local people. It's good for our country to keepmanufacturing here. It's about community support.

　　It's about shopping local. It's about sustainability right here where we live and where we work.

　　PAUL SOLMAN: Now, the Berkshires are known for a certain kind of lifestyle, which attracts what you mightcall cosmopolitan⁸ locals.

　　JEAN FRANCOIS BIZALION, Bizalion's Fine Food: I came on a July 4 weekend 25 years ago and fell in love with the area. And it took me 10 years to move here full-time⁹.

　　This is Francois. How are you?

　　PAUL SOLMAN: Jean Francois Bizalion, a native of Arles in the South of France, used to be a fashion editor, now runs his own gourmet¹⁰ shop in Great Barrington.

　　JEAN FRANCOIS BIZALION: We take BerkShares from our customers when they purchase food or items off the shelf, and we also pay some of the vendors¹¹ locally with our BerkShares.

　　PAUL SOLMAN: So, is it more a political act on your part or a self-interested act, in the sense that you will get more business if there are more people circulating or owning BerkShares?

　　JEAN FRANCOIS BIZALION: It's a bit of both. We're trying to encourage local industries and possibly put a stop to big formula stores who might be coming in and not having the same effects when they do business here as a small enterprise would.

　　So, in that sense, it is political.

　　PAUL SOLMAN: I assume you mean liberal political, or sort of left-wing political. That fair?

　　JEAN FRANCOIS BIZALION: Yes, it is fair. Left-wing, maybe, liberal, yes.

　　PAUL SOLMAN: And so it went everywhere we visited, at establishments that have been doing business with BerkShares since day one and with recent converts that Alice Maggio was just signing up.

　　ARI ZORN, Zorn Core Fitness: My name is Ari Zorn of Zorn Core Fitness. I signed up for BerkShares today. And I think it's a beautiful thing.

　　PAUL SOLMAN: A locavore latte lover's liberal dream come true? This isn't partisan¹², says Brian Butterworth, a Republican.

　　BRIAN BUTTERWORTH: It -- also a conservative appeal as well, because of some concerns with the money system as it is right now in the United States.

　　PAUL SOLMAN: Tom's Toys also fails to fit the stereotype¹³.

　　Anything that's made locally?

　　TOM LEVIN, Tom's Toys: Local New England local or USA, but not in Great Barrington or Berkshire County, no.

　　PAUL SOLMAN: In fact, most of the toys Tom Levin showed me for my grandkids, like most toys everywhere, were, yes, made in China.

　　Still, Levin sees himself as doing his part to save Main Street for tourists and locals alike.

　　Is BerkShares the answer to the threat to retail¹⁴ from the Internet and chain stores?

　　TOM LEVIN: I would say it's part of the answer.

　　The answer is also to create awareness¹⁵ among people that, if they shop online, 100 percent of what they spend goes into the same cyberspace¹⁶ that they're sending their order.

　　If they shop at a big box store, 65 percent of what they spend leaves the community.

　　PAUL SOLMAN: But, in the end, do consumers really care? Legend has it the very first BerkShare transactiontook place across this counter at Rubi's Coffee shop.

　　Owner Matt Rubiner says the BerkShare movement was something of a fad¹⁷ at first. Then:

　　MATT RUBINER, Rubi's Coffee & Sandwiches: It went through kind of a fallow time, but now we're beginning to see more and more.

　　PAUL SOLMAN: And Alice Maggio is working hard to add even more businesses, is eying a scheme to issue moreBerkShares as so-called productive loans to local businesses by fronting them the currency to start up orexpand.

　　Ultimately, she also hopes to untie¹⁸ BerkShares from the U.S. dollar.

　　ALICE MAGGIO: That is our goal, is to create a currency that holds its value, as opposed to a currency like the dollar that's inflating¹⁹ constantly.

　　So, and at that point, people will want to use BerkShares.

　　PAUL SOLMAN: And for folks in places like Berkshire Country, under the cloud of both de-industrialization and globalization for decades now, the hope is that here comes the sun once more.

1 ongoing   

adj.进行中的，前进的

参考例句：

• The problem is ongoing.这个问题尚未解决。
• The issues raised in the report relate directly to Age Concern's ongoing work in this area.报告中提出的问题与“关心老人”组织在这方面正在做的工作有直接的关系。

2 continentals   

n.（欧洲）大陆人( continental的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The English and the Continentals were already at odds. 英国人与大陆的伙伴已经不和。 来自辞典例句
• There is a big future for these crops once the Continentals resolve their farm strucure problem. 一旦大陆国家解决了他们的农场结构问题，这些作物有远大前途。 来自辞典例句

3 vaults   

n.拱顶( vault的名词复数 )；地下室；撑物跳高；墓穴

参考例句：

• It was deposited in the vaults of a bank. 它存在一家银行的保险库里。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• They think of viruses that infect an organization from the outside.They envision hackers breaking into their information vaults. 他们考虑来自外部的感染公司的病毒，他们设想黑客侵入到信息宝库中。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 geographical   

adj.地理的；地区(性)的

参考例句：

• The current survey will have a wider geographical spread.当前的调查将在更广泛的地域范围內进行。
• These birds have a wide geographical distribution.这些鸟的地理分布很广。

5 redeem   

v.买回，赎回，挽回，恢复，履行（诺言等）

参考例句：

• He had no way to redeem his furniture out of pawn.他无法赎回典当的家具。
• The eyes redeem the face from ugliness.这双眼睛弥补了他其貌不扬之缺陷。

6 remarkably   

ad.不同寻常地，相当地

参考例句：

• I thought she was remarkably restrained in the circumstances. 我认为她在那种情况下非常克制。
• He made a remarkably swift recovery. 他康复得相当快。

7 acting   

n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的

参考例句：

• Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她，她只是假装的。
• During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代，她的表演生涯黯然失色。

8 cosmopolitan   

adj.世界性的，全世界的，四海为家的，全球的

参考例句：

• New York is a highly cosmopolitan city.纽约是一个高度世界性的城市。
• She has a very cosmopolitan outlook on life.她有四海一家的人生观。

9 full-time   

adj.满工作日的或工作周的，全时间的

参考例句：

• A full-time job may be too much for her.全天工作她恐怕吃不消。
• I don't know how she copes with looking after her family and doing a full-time job.既要照顾家庭又要全天工作，我不知道她是如何对付的。

10 gourmet   

n.食物品尝家；adj.出于美食家之手的

参考例句：

• What does a gourmet writer do? 美食评论家做什么？
• A gourmet like him always eats in expensive restaurants.像他这样的美食家总是到豪华的餐馆用餐。

11 vendors   

n.摊贩( vendor的名词复数 )；小贩；（房屋等的）卖主；卖方

参考例句：

• The vendors were gazundered at the last minute. 卖主在最后一刻被要求降低房价。
• At the same time, interface standards also benefIt'software vendors. 同时，界面标准也有利于软件开发商。 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓

12 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。

13 stereotype   

n.固定的形象，陈规，老套，旧框框

参考例句：

• He's my stereotype of a schoolteacher.他是我心目中的典型教师。
• There's always been a stereotype about successful businessmen.人们对于成功商人一直都有一种固定印象。

14 retail   

v./n.零售；adv.以零售价格

参考例句：

• In this shop they retail tobacco and sweets.这家铺子零售香烟和糖果。
• These shoes retail at 10 yuan a pair.这些鞋子零卖10元一双。

15 awareness   

n.意识，觉悟，懂事，明智

参考例句：

• There is a general awareness that smoking is harmful.人们普遍认识到吸烟有害健康。
• Environmental awareness has increased over the years.这些年来人们的环境意识增强了。

16 cyberspace   

n.虚拟信息空间，网络空间，计算机化世界

参考例句：

• She travels in cyberspace by sending messages to friends around the world.她利用电子空间给世界各地的朋友们发送信件。
• The teens spend more time in cyberspace than in the real world of friends and family.青少年花费在电脑上的时间比他们和真正的朋友及家人在一起的时间要多。

17 fad   

n.时尚；一时流行的狂热；一时的爱好

参考例句：

• His interest in photography is only a passing fad.他对摄影的兴趣只是一时的爱好罢了。
• A hot business opportunity is based on a long-term trend not a short-lived fad.一个热门的商机指的是长期的趋势而非一时的流行。

18 untie   

vt.解开，松开；解放

参考例句：

• It's just impossible to untie the knot.It's too tight.这个结根本解不开。太紧了。
• Will you please untie the knot for me?请你替我解开这个结头，好吗？

19 inflating   

v.使充气（于轮胎、气球等）( inflate的现在分词 )；（使）膨胀；（使）通货膨胀；物价上涨

参考例句：

• I felt myself inflating slowly with rage, like a tyre. 我感到自己体内的怒气正慢慢膨胀，像一只轮胎那样。 来自互联网
• Many are already overheating, with prices rising and asset bubbles inflating. 随着物价日益上涨、资产泡沫膨胀，很多新兴国家经济已经过热。 来自互联网