VOA慢速英语2019 调查显示大多数美国人支持对富豪征税财富税

The idea of setting up a wealth tax to target the richest Americans has created a lot of debate in the United States.

设立一种针对美国最富有人群的财富税的想法在美国引发了大量争论。

President Donald Trump¹ calls it socialism. But Senators Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders have expressed support for the idea. Both senators are seeking the Democratic Party's presidential nomination².

川普总统称其为社会主义。但是参议员伊丽莎白·沃伦和伯尼·桑德斯对比表示支持。这两位参议员都在寻求民主党内总统提名。

And many Americans seem to agree with calls for a wealth tax. A new survey found that nearly two-thirds of those questioned said the very rich should pay more.

许多美国人都同意征收财富税。一项新调查发现，近2/3的受访者表示，非常富有的人士应该支付更多税收。

Researchers questioned over 4,400 people. Nearly 64 percent agreed with the statement that "the very rich should contribute an extra share of their total wealth each year to support public programs."

研究人员调查了超过4400人。近64%的被调查者同意以下说法：“非常富有的人士每年应该贡献其总财富的额外份额以支持公共项目。”

Support for the idea among people who identified themselves as Democrats³ was strong, at 77 percent. A majority of those allied⁴ with Trump's Republican Party, 53 percent, also agreed with the idea.

自称民主党人的人士对这种想法的支持率很高，达到了77%。大多数与川普所属共和党有密切关系的人士也支持这种想法，比例达到了53%。

A wealth tax is based on how much money an individual has as well as shares of stock, bonds and other investments, including land. It is separate from an income tax, which taxes wages, as well as interest and dividends⁵ from investments.

财富税是基于个人拥有的资金、股票、债券以及包括土地在内的其它投资来计算的。它区别于所得税，后者是根据工资以及投资所得进行征税。

In the Reuters/Ipsos poll, people were asked if "the very rich should be allowed to keep the money they have, even if that means increasing inequality." More than half of those questioned, 54 percent of people, disagreed with that statement.

据路透社/益普索的民意调查显示，人们被问到“是否应该允许非常富有的人士保留他们的财富，即使那意味着不平等程度提升。”超过半数（54%）的受访者不同意这种说法。

"Rich people have a right to (spend) their money...worldwide cruises or whatever," said Esin Zimmerman of Madison, Minnesota. She is a lifelong member of the Republican party who wants higher taxes for the wealthy. "That money could be used in other ways that help people," she noted⁶.

明尼苏达州麦迪逊市的伊辛·齐默尔曼表示：“富人有权把钱花在环游世界或者无论什么事情上。”她是共和党的终生党员，她希望提高富人的税收。她说：“这些钱可以以其它方式来帮助人们。”

Zimmerman said she would support a wealth tax that would help pay for government programs for former armed forces members, or help single parents with young children.

齐默尔曼表示，她支持出台一种财富税，该税种将有助于支付退伍军人政府项目的费用，或是帮助抚养幼儿的单亲父母。

The poll results may show how the economic changes of the past 20 years, from globalization to the financial crisis, have shaped ideas about economic policy.

该调查结果可能表明了过去20年从全球化到金融危机的经济变化如何塑造了人们对经济政策的理念。

Another poll showed that worries about the rich paying too little decreased through the 1990s and early 2000s when the country was doing well economically.

另一项民意调查显示，20世纪90年代和21世纪初期美国经济状况良好h时，人们对富人纳税太少的担忧有所减轻。

But since the crisis years of 2007 to 2009, worries about uncontrolled wealth have risen from 55 percent to more than 60 percent.

但是从2007年到2009年的经济危机以来，人们对无序财富的担忧已经从55%上升到60%。

The Reuters/Ipsos poll results show there may be an even stronger support for a yearly tax on total wealth, not just income. Senators Warren and Sanders have spoken up for the idea as a way to help pay for large social programs. They also believe it is a way to end the continued rise in the amount of wealth held by the richest Americans.

路透社/益普索的民意调查结果显示，人们可能更加支持对年度总财富而不是对收入进行征税。参议员沃伦和桑德斯都表示支持这种想法，用以支付大型社会项目的费用。他们还认为，这是结束美国最富有人士财富持续增长的一种方式。

The poll also points to changing ideas about "keeping what you earn."

该民意调查还指出了人们对“保留你所赚的”这种观念的变化。

That idea got a lot of criticism. About 35 percent of Republicans disagreed with the statement, as did 71 percent of Democrats. About 56 percent of Republicans agreed that the very rich should keep what they earn without considering inequality.

这种观念引起了很多批评。大约35%的共和党人不同意这种说法，而民主党人有71%不同意这种说法。大约56%的共和党人认为非常富有的人士应该保留他们赚的钱，不用考虑收入不平等。

Reporters working for Reuters contacted some of the Republicans who answered questions. They said they did not think a wealth tax conflicted with their party beliefs or their support for President Trump.

路透社记者联系了一些接受调查的共和党人。他们表示，他们认为财富税和他们的党派信仰或是他们对川普总统的支持并不矛盾。

Kathy Herron is a Republican who lives in Santa Rosa, California. She said she supports Trump for his policies on illegal immigration. She believes he should support higher taxes on rich Americans. "We are taxed from one end to the other, and it just seems the rich don't pay their share," she said.

凯西·赫伦是一位居住在加州圣罗莎的共和党人。她说，她支持川普总统的非法移民政策。她认为川普总统应该支持提高对美国富人的税收。她说：“我们从头到尾都被征税，而富人们看起来没有支付他们的份额。”

1 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。

2 nomination   

n.提名，任命，提名权

参考例句：

• John is favourite to get the nomination for club president.约翰最有希望被提名为俱乐部主席。
• Few people pronounced for his nomination.很少人表示赞成他的提名。

3 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》

4 allied   

adj.协约国的；同盟国的

参考例句：

• Britain was allied with the United States many times in history.历史上英国曾多次与美国结盟。
• Allied forces sustained heavy losses in the first few weeks of the campaign.同盟国在最初几周内遭受了巨大的损失。

5 dividends   

红利( dividend的名词复数 )； 股息； 被除数； （足球彩票的）彩金

参考例句：

• Nothing pays richer dividends than magnanimity. 没有什么比宽宏大量更能得到厚报。
• Their decision five years ago to computerise the company is now paying dividends. 五年前他们作出的使公司电脑化的决定现在正产生出效益。

6 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。