IMF敦促帮助穷人和中产阶级（在线收听）

International Lender Urges Gains for Poor, Middle Class IMF敦促帮助穷人和中产阶级

From VOA Learning English, this is the Economics Report.

这里是美国之音慢速英语经济报道。

A new report says income inequality is hurting the potential for growth around the world. It says the best way to deal with the inequality -- or lack of fairness -- is by helping poor people and the middle class.

一份最新报告称收入不平等损害了全世界各地的发展潜力，报告称解决这种不平等的最佳办法是帮助穷人和中产阶级。

The report is based on an International Monetary Fund study. It examined the issue of income inequality: the differences in wealth between the rich and everyone else.

这份报告基于国际货币基金组织的研究，调查了收入不平等问题，即富人和其他人之间的财富差异。

Opinions about income inequality are not hard to find. Many people are concerned about the issue. Kalpana Kochhar is Deputy Director of Strategy, Policy and Review Department at the IMF. On Monday, she said, “The gap between the rich and the poor is at the highest level in decades in advanced countries, and inequality is also rising in major emerging markets.”

有关收入不平等的观点不难找到，很多人都关心这个问题。卡尔帕纳·科赫哈是国际货币基金组织战略、政策和审查部副主任，周一她说，“发达国家富人和穷人之间的差距处于几十年来的最高水平，主要的新兴市场也出现了这种不平等。”

The new report is called “Causes and Consequences of Income Inequality: A Global Perspective.” Ms. Kochhar said, inequality trends have been mixed in emerging markets and developing countries. Some countries are experiencing falling inequality rates, with poor people and the middle class making gains. However, pervasive inequities in education, health care, and finance remain in areas such as Latin America, Middle East and Africa.

这份新报告名为“全球视角：收入不平等的原因和后果”。科赫哈说，不平等趋势在新兴市场和发展中国家存在差异。一些国家的不平等比率在下降，穷人和中产阶级在受益。然而，教育、医疗和金融方面的普遍不平等在拉美、中东和非洲等地区仍然存在。

The report suggested that policymakers direct their attention on the poor and middle class. That is because they are the major force for economic growth -- or an increase in a country’s gross domestic product, or GDP. The GDP is the value of all the finished goods and services produced within the country.

这份报告建议政策制定者将注意力转向穷人和中产阶级，这是因为他们是经济发展即一国国民生产总值(GDP)增长的主要动力。国民生产总值是指该国所有产品和服务的总价值。

The organizers of the study disputed the main idea of what has been called "trickle down" economic theory. The theory states that economic benefits provided to the wealthy will indirectly help everyone else. The idea is that money and other financial resources will "trickle down" to them.

这份研究的组织者对所谓“涓滴效应”经济理论的主要观点提出异议，该理论认为，提供给富人的经济利益会间接地帮助其他人，这种理论认为金钱和其他金融资源会对其他人产生“涓滴效应”。

The IMF study, however, shows the opposite is true. It found that a one percent increase in the earnings of the richest 20 percent of people led to a nearly one percent decrease in GDP growth over a five-year period. An increase in the income share of the poorest 20 percent, the study found, led to more than a one-third percent increase in GDP.

然而，国际货币基金组织的研究表明事实恰好相反，研究发现，最富有者的收益每增加1%，五年内国民生产总值的增长就会减少近1%。而且，研究还发现，最穷的20%的人的收入增加会使国民生产总值增加0.33%以上。

Kalpana Kochhar said this means that directing policy to the poor and middle class is good for growth. She said this means that ending poverty could also improve growth prospects for all. She said that is “a fairly powerful message” for policymakers and researchers around the world.

卡尔帕纳·科赫哈说，这意味着使政策有利于穷人和中产阶级对增长有利。她说这意味着结束贫困将改善所有人的增长前景，她说这对全世界的政策制定者和研究者来说是“相当有力的信息”。

The report said there is no single program that will succeed in all countries. It said the difference in income levels can have different reasons. The report urged governments to find ways to solve the problem that are specific to their own countries and institutions.

报告称没有能在所有国家都成功的单一项目，称收入水平的差异有着不同原因。报告敦促各国政府想办法解决本国所特有的问题。

And that’s the Economics Report. I’m Mario Ritter.

这就是经济报道，我是马里奥·利特。

Words in This Story

trend(s) – n. the general direction of change

pervasive – adj. existing throughout something, in every part

benefit(s) – n. good results or effects; payments or other extra things provided

prospects – n. possibilities or opportunities in the future;

specific – adj. well defined; not general