Despite a sluggish economy, charitable giving by American people and companies rose more than 6.5 percent last year from 2009.
虽然经济仍不景气，但是一项新的调查发现，2010年，美国人和美国公司的慈善捐款比2009年增加了6.5%还多。
A study, by the research group Atlas of Giving, suggests the growth in giving was fueled primarily by a robust stock-market performance and greater awareness of people facing tough times because of the economy.
一个叫作“捐赠总汇”的组织所做的调查显示，慈善捐款增加的主要原因是股市强劲回升，以及人们更多地意识到经济给很多人带来的经济困境。
Increased donations
Each week an Arlington, Virginia food bank delivers donated goods to a senior citizens residential building. Without the the items such as canned food, dairy products and frozen meats, many on fixed incomes would be forced to go without or sacrifice other things.
每个星期，维吉尼亚州阿灵顿的一个食物银行都为一家养老院捐赠食物。如果没有这些罐头食品、奶制品以及冷冻肉，很多像玛丽·兰尼这样只有养老金收入的人，只好不吃这些东西，或者牺牲其它的东西来买这些食物。
"Well a lot of people have to pay for medicine and different small items, but with this here that helps them be able to keep a little more as far as carrying them through the month," says Mary Lanier, as she fills a bag with donated food.
兰尼说：“很多人得支付医药费以及其它一些零星费用。有了这些捐赠的食物，他们可以多留一点钱，至少能够支撑到月底。”
Without donations from individuals and corporations the Arlington Food Assistance Center would be unable to get food into the hands of about 3,000 people who need it. Despite the economic downturn, donations here grew 26 percent over 2009 and more than a million dollars was raised last year.
如果没有个人或者公司的捐赠，阿灵顿食品赞助中心就不可能为大约3千个人提供他们所需要的食物。虽然经济不景气，但是，阿灵顿食品赞助中心2010年收到的捐助物品比2009年增加了26%，还筹集到100多万美元的善款。
"Arlington County residents have traditionally been very generous with AFAC and I think they are coming out of this recession earlier than most, and are willing to give back to their fellow neighbor," says Charles Meng, executive director of the Arlington Food Assistance Center.
中心执行主任查尔斯·孟说：“阿灵顿郡的居民长期以来对我们中心非常慷慨。他们比美国大多数人更早走出经济衰退，他们也更愿意回馈给社区其他人。”
Donors like Alois Michalak are among those giving back to their fellow neighbor. "Over the past four years, my wife and I have donated more and more each and every year so I do expect that to continue to happen."
像阿罗斯·米夏尔克这样的捐赠者就很愿意在现在经济困难的时候帮助他人。他说：“过去4年来，我和太太每年都比前一年捐得更多，我想我们会持续这么做的。”
Feeling the pinch
However, some charities in the Washington D.C. area are still feeling the squeeze.
While nationwide donations to the Salvation Army rose two percent to $142 million last year, its largest fundraising drive in the Washington area, the Red Kettle campaign, fell 25 percent below its goal during the Christmas giving season.
2010年，慈善组织“救世军”在全美收到的捐款增加了2%，达到1亿4千200万美元。但是在华盛顿特区，救世军组织一年中最大规模的“红水壶”圣诞节筹款行动，却比预设目标低了25%。
"With the amount of people out of work and losing their homes to foreclosures our donors have begun to get hit by that," says Steve Morris, head of The Salvation Army's Washington-area operations. "So we not only saw a decrease in the amount of gifts, but a decrease in the gifts themselves."
救世军组织华盛顿特区分部负责人史蒂夫·莫里斯说：“人们失业了，他们的房子因为付不起房贷被银行没收了，很多原来的捐助人受到打击，所以不仅捐赠数量减少了，每笔捐赠额也小了。”
During the past several years the organization has also seen a decline in donations from corporations and local businesses. As a result, Morris says The Salvation Army is re-evaluating its resources to avoid possible cuts to programs in Washington and about 3,000 other U.S. communities.
过去几年来，救世军从全国性公司和本地公司得到的捐赠也有所下滑。莫里斯表示，出于这个原因，救世军组织正在重新评估自己的资源，以避免裁减在华盛顿以及全国各地大约3千个社区的项目。
"We are going to have to tighten our belts some in the coming months, frankly," says Morris. "Our commitment is not to diminish services. In fact in this economy we need to be increasing the amount of services we can provide so that is the challenge that we find locally, and I think nationally as well."
莫里斯说：“说实话，我们今后几个月要勒紧裤腰带。我们的承诺是不减少服务。事实上，在目前的经济状况下，我们需要增加所能提供的服务。这不仅是我们本地面临的挑战，同时也是全国面临的挑战。”
Empty shelves
The Salvation Army's thrift store is another place that saw fewer donations last year. The store sells donated items to raise money for charity work, but there are now less items for shoppers.
去年，华盛顿特区救世军组织的二手货商店接收到的物品也少于往年。这些商店接受捐赠物品，然后用销售所得做慈善工作，但是现在商店里的物品日渐减少。
"The easiest way to tell that our donations are down is by our (sales) floor," says store manager Lonnie Hamilton. "You can look around and see we have a lot of space on the floor."
商店经理罗尼·汉密尔顿说：“要看捐赠物是否减少，最简单的办法就是看看我们的商店，你四处看一下，就能发现有好多空地方。”
In the store's warehouse, areas that were once filled with furniture and clothes are now empty. Salvation Army officials say during hard times people tend to hang on to old items longer.
商店的仓库里那些原本用来存放家具和衣服的地方也都空了。救世军组织的官员表示，在经济不景气的时候，人们通常不会轻易把旧东西送出去。
In order for things to improve the store needs more donors like Dawson Williams, who arrives to drop off some items.
为了改善这种状况，救世军二手商店需要更多人像多森·威廉姆斯特那样来捐赠东西。
"We have a bad recession and there are plenty of people that need items, and we are fortunate that the childrens' clothes we have are lightly used, and hopefully there is another family that has young children that can put them to good use," says Williams.
威廉姆斯特说：“我们正经历着一次非常糟糕的经济衰退，很多人都需要旧东西。很幸运，我们有一些没怎么穿过的儿童服装，希望有孩子的家庭能够把它们派上用场。”
Some charitable organizations say they are optimistic donations will pick back up this year. Officials say if not they will make do, and maybe scale back programs that help people in need.
一些慈善组织对今年捐款捐物回升持乐观态度。但是，如果情况不好转的话，他们就可能被迫缩小或减少帮助有需求者的相关项目了。 |