2007年VOA标准英语-Report Details Anxiety Over 'American Dream'

By Ivana Kuhar
Washington
26 July 2007
 

American factory worker

A recent study (March 2007) entitled "Economic Anxiety and the American Dream", finds middle class Americans look at their economic future with a combination of optimism and anxiety.  The report by Lake Research Partners finds Americans are making more money than ever, but they are also working harder than ever to achieve their financial goals. For producer Ivana Kuhar, VOA's Jim Bertel has more on the economic life of the American middle class. 

In an era of record corporate¹ profits, a recent public opinion survey shows the American middle class is becoming increasingly anxious about their economic security.

E. J. Dionne

E.J. Dionne is a Washington Post columnist² and economics scholar. "In the Depression years, the song was: 'Brother, can you spare me a dime³?' Now, the song would go: 'Brother, can you spare me some health insurance' or 'Brother can you spare me from outsourcing?' "

According to a recent poll conducted by Lake Research Partners, only 18 percent of Americans believe they have achieved the coveted⁴ "American Dream". 

"The 'American Dream' is firmly rooted in work and in the workplace. It is tied to a job. It is not rooted in a Bahamas vacation, it is not rooted in winning the lottery," says Lake Research Partners President Celinda Lake. She adds Americans define the "American Dream" as basic economic security. "They said that the cornerstones were wages that support a family, affordable⁵ quality healthcare, opportunities for your children, respect for the work you do, and retirement⁶ security."

Yet, 31 percent of working Americans say they have incurred⁷ debt to pay for essential necessities. Meanwhile, American corporate profits are soaring. The Economic Policy Institute reports in 2005, the average CEO of America's 500 top companies earned 262 times the pay of the average worker.

Elisabeth Jacobs

Elisabeth Jacobs of the Brookings Institution says total U.S. wealth has increased over the past decade. But, she adds, the middle class is not getting its slice of the American economic pie. "The household incomes have risen, but Americans are working harder than ever in order to achieve those gains. Household income volatility⁸ has risen as well, suggesting that many families face unpredictable futures⁹."

Jacobs says major income losses are increasingly common, as more Americans lose their jobs to outsourcing or company downsizing.  Further, health care costs are rising dramatically, leaving an estimated 46 million Americans without health insurance.

Jim Kessler of the Third Way, a strategy center for progressive issues, says economic anxiety among working class Americans is a by-product¹⁰ of global economic changes. "We're in a once-in-a-century period of just vast, convoluting, unremitting economic change that is going on and that is making people uncertain. The middle class feels that the rules for economic success have changed and they are on their own to figure them out."

Kessler says the ongoing¹¹ global economic restructuring will not be stopped nor slowed.  He suggests the way to help American workers prepare for success in the new global economy is to make high quality education more affordable to all Americans. 

1 corporate   

adj.共同的，全体的；公司的，企业的

参考例句：

• This is our corporate responsibility.这是我们共同的责任。
• His corporate's life will be as short as a rabbit's tail.他的公司的寿命是兔子尾巴长不了。

2 columnist   

n.专栏作家

参考例句：

• The host was interviewing a local columnist.节目主持人正在同一位当地的专栏作家交谈。
• She's a columnist for USA Today.她是《今日美国报》的专栏作家。

3 dime   

n.（指美国、加拿大的钱币）一角

参考例句：

• A dime is a tenth of a dollar.一角银币是十分之一美元。
• The liberty torch is on the back of the dime.自由火炬在一角硬币的反面。

4 coveted   

adj.令人垂涎的；垂涎的，梦寐以求的v.贪求，觊觎(covet的过去分词)；垂涎；贪图

参考例句：

• He had long coveted the chance to work with a famous musician. 他一直渴望有机会与著名音乐家一起工作。
• Ther other boys coveted his new bat. 其他的男孩都想得到他的新球棒。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 affordable   

adj.支付得起的，不太昂贵的

参考例句：

• The rent for the four-roomed house is affordable.四居室房屋的房租付得起。
• There are few affordable apartments in big cities.在大城市中没有几所公寓是便宜的。

6 retirement   

n.退休，退职

参考例句：

• She wanted to enjoy her retirement without being beset by financial worries.她想享受退休生活而不必为金钱担忧。
• I have to put everything away for my retirement.我必须把一切都积蓄起来以便退休后用。

7 incurred   

[医]招致的，遭受的； incur的过去式

参考例句：

• She had incurred the wrath of her father by marrying without his consent 她未经父亲同意就结婚，使父亲震怒。
• We will reimburse any expenses incurred. 我们将付还所有相关费用。

8 volatility   

n.挥发性，挥发度，轻快，（性格）反复无常

参考例句：

• That was one reason why volatility was so low last year.这也是去年波动性如此低的原因之一。
• Yet because volatility remained low for so long,disaster myopia prevailed.然而，由于相当长的时间里波动性小，灾难短视就获胜了。

9 futures   

n.期货，期货交易

参考例句：

• He continued his operations in cotton futures.他继续进行棉花期货交易。
• Cotton futures are selling at high prices.棉花期货交易的卖价是很高的。

10 by-product   

n.副产品，附带产生的结果

参考例句：

• Freedom is the by-product of economic surplus.自由是经济盈余的副产品。
• The raw material for the tyre is a by-product of petrol refining.制造轮胎的原材料是提炼汽油时产生的一种副产品。

11 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。