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佛蒙特州成为美国老龄化社会前兆(下)
- Authors
我们需要开始把移民视为一种战略资源，是经济中极具价值的部分。
双语精读
But ultimately, many economists say, Vermont - and the country as a whole - will simply need more workers.
但许多经济学家表示，佛蒙特州，乃至整个美国，最终需要的还是更多的工人。
Some could come from the existing population, through companies' efforts to tap into new labor pools and through government efforts to address larger issues like the opioid crisis, which has sidelined hundreds of thousands of working-age Americans.
其中一些工人可能来自现有人口，公司可以利用新的劳动力储备，政府也可以解决阿片类药物危机等更广泛的问题，阿片类药物滥用已使数十万劳动年龄的美国人退出了劳动力大军。
Not all economists think aging demographics are likely to drive a national labor shortage.
并不是所有的经济学家都认为人口老龄化可能会导致全国劳动力短缺。
The ranks of people in their prime working years was stagnant for years before the pandemic, but labor was often plentiful, said Adam Ozimek, the chief economist at Economic Innovation Group, a bipartisan public policy organization.
经济创新集团（一个两党都支持的公共政策组织）的首席经济学家亚当·奥齐梅克说，在疫情爆发之前的数年里，处于最佳工作年龄段的人群数量一直处于停滞状态，但劳动力往往很充足。
Increased immigration, he added, would add to the demand as well as supply. Still, many economists argue that immigrants will be an important part of the solution, especially in fields, like elder care, that are rapidly growing and hard to automate.
他补充说，移民增加不仅会增加供应，也会增加需求。尽管如此，许多经济学家认为，移民将是解决问题的重要一环，特别是在老人护理等领域，这些领域的需求增长迅速，而且很难实现自动化。
"We need to start looking at immigrants as a strategic resource, incredibly valuable parts of the economy," said Ron Hetrick, senior labor economist at Lightcast, a labor market data firm.
“我们需要开始把移民视为一种战略资源，是经济中极具价值的部分。”劳动力市场数据公司Lightcast的高级劳动力经济学家罗恩·赫特里克说。
Kevin Chu has spent the past several months traveling around Vermont speaking to local business groups, elected officials, nonprofit organizations and pretty much anyone else who would listen. His message: Vermont needs more people.
在过去的几个月里，凯文·朱一直在佛蒙特州四处游说，与当地商业团体、民选官员、非营利组织等几乎所有愿意倾听的人交谈。他传达的信息是佛蒙特州需要更多的人。
Mr. Chu is the executive director of the Vermont Futures Project, a nonprofit organization, backed by the Vermont Chamber of Commerce, that sees the worker shortage as an imminent, long-term threat to the state's economy.
朱是非营利性组织“佛蒙特未来项目”的执行董事，该组织由佛蒙特商会支持，认为劳动力短缺是该州经济面临的一个迫在眉睫的长期威胁。
Mr. Chu grew up in Vermont after his parents immigrated from China in the mid-1980s, part of a wave of immigrants - many of them refugees - who came to the state during that period.
朱在佛蒙特州长大，他的父母在20世纪80年代中期从中国移民到佛蒙特州，那段时期佛蒙特州出现了一股移民潮，其中许多人是难民。
He recalls attending Burlington High School at a time when it flew the flag of its students' home countries, dozens in all. "I feel like I got a glimpse of what Vermont could be," he said.
他回忆起上伯灵顿高中时的情景，当时学校里悬挂着学生们祖国的国旗，总共有几十个国家。“我感觉我从中瞥见了佛蒙特州未来可能的样子。”他说。
Mr. Chu's message has resonated with business leaders and state officials, but it has been a tougher sell with the population as a whole.
朱传达的信息在商界领袖和政府官员中引起了共鸣，但在全体民众中却更难被接受。
A recent poll found that a plurality - but not a majority - of Vermonters supported increasing the population. The Futures Project has set a goal of increasing the population to 802,000 by 2035, from fewer than 650,000 today.
最近的一项民意调查发现，多数--但不是过半数--佛蒙特州人支持增加人口。“未来项目”的目标是到2035年，将人口从目前的不到65万人增加到80.2万人。
That would also help bring down Vermont's median age to 40, from 42.7. The state has a long way to go: Vermont added just 92 people from 2021 to 2022.
这也有助于将佛蒙特州的年龄中值从42.7岁降至40岁。佛蒙特州还有很长的路要走：从2021年到2022年，佛蒙特州的新增人口只有92人。
词汇预习
economy [高考]
美[ɪˈkɑːnəmi] | 英[ɪˈkɒnəmi]
n. 经济；节约 adj. 经济的；廉价的
threat [高考]
美[θret] | 英[θret]
n. 威胁；恐吓；凶兆
executive [高考]
美[ɪɡˈzekjətɪv] | 英[ɪɡˈzekjətɪv]
adj. 行政的；决策的；经营的；[计算机]执行指令 n. 行政主管；行政部门；决策者
strategic [高考]
美[strəˈtiːdʒɪk] | 英[strəˈtiːdʒɪk]
adj. 战略的；重要的；基本的
poll [高考]
美[poʊl] | 英[pəʊl]
n. 民意测验；投票；票数 v. 做民意测验；获得 ... 票
plentiful [高考]
美[ˈplentɪfl] | 英[ˈplentɪfl]
adj. 丰富的；多的；充裕的
prime [高考]
美[praɪm] | 英[praɪm]
adj. 主要的; 基本的; 最好的; 首选的 n. 鼎盛时期 v. 事先指点; 事先准备
ultimately [高考]
美[ˈʌltɪmətli] | 英[ˈʌltɪmətli]
adv. 最后；最终
economist [高考]
美[ɪˈkɑnəmɪst] | 英[ɪˈkɒnəmɪst]
n. 经济学家；[古]节俭的人
demand [高考]
美[dɪˈmænd] | 英[dɪˈmɑːnd]
n. 要求；需求 v. 要求；查问；需要
data [高考]
美[ˈdeɪtə] | 英[ˈdeɪtə]
n. 数据；资料
majority [高考]
美[məˈdʒɔːrəti] | 英[məˈdʒɒrəti]
n. 大多数；大部分；多数票；（获胜的）票数
chief [高考]
美[tʃiːf] | 英[tʃiːf]
adj. 主要的；首要的 n. 首领
immigration [高考]
美[ˌɪmɪˈɡreɪʃn] | 英[ˌɪmɪˈɡreɪʃn]
n. 移居；移民
bring down [高考]
美[brɪŋ daʊn] | 英[brɪŋ daʊn]
使倒下； 减少
as a whole [高考]
美[æz ə hoʊl] | 英[æz ə həʊl]
整个来说； 总体上
would [高考]
美[wʊd , wəd] | 英[wʊd , wəd]
aux. 将；可能；大概；总会；愿意；will的过去式
glimpse [四级]
美[ɡlɪmps] | 英[ɡlɪmps]
n. 一瞥；一闪；略微；隐约感觉 v. 瞥见
automate [四级]
美[ˈɔːtəmeɪt] | 英[ˈɔːtəmeɪt]
v. 使自动化
long-term [四级]
美[ˌlɔːŋ ˈtɜːrm] | 英[ˌlɒŋ ˈtɜːm]
adj. 长期的
incredibly [四级]
美[ɪnˈkredəbli] | 英[ɪnˈkredəbli]
adv. 极其；难以置信地
median [四级]
美[ˈmidiən] | 英[ˈmi:diən]
adj. 中央的；中间的；正中的 n. 中动脉；中位数；中值
mid [四级]
美[mɪd] | 英[mɪd]
adj. 中间的； [语]央元音的 prep. 在 ... 的中间 abbr. 移动互联网设备 (=Mobile Internet Device)
existing [四级]
美[ɪɡˈzɪstɪŋ] | 英[ɪɡˈzɪstɪŋ]
adj. 现存的；现有的
nonprofit [六级]
美[nɑnˈprɑfɪt] | 英[ˌnɒn'prɒfɪt]
adj. 非赢利的 n. 非赢利组织
imminent [专四]
美[ˈɪmɪnənt] | 英[ˈɪmɪnənt]
adj. 逼近的；即将发生的
stagnant [专八]
美[ˈstæɡnənt] | 英[ˈstæɡnənt]
adj. 不流动的；停滞的；不景气的
重点讲解
But ultimately, many economists say, Vermont — and the country as a whole — will simply need more workers.
但许多经济学家表示，佛蒙特州，乃至整个美国，最终需要的还是更多的工人。
tap (into) 利用；开发（已有的资源）
【例】We need to tap (into) the expertise of the people we already have.
我们需要利用我们现有人员的专业知识。
【近义词】make use of 利用
sideline v.
1. 使退出比赛；使下场
【例】The player has been sidelined by a knee injury.
这名队员因膝部受伤而下场。
2. 使靠边；使不再参与
【例】The vice-president is increasingly being sidelined.
副总统被日益排挤到权力中心之外。
Some could come from the existing population, through companies’ efforts to tap into new labor pools and through government efforts to address larger issues like the opioid crisis, which has sidelined hundreds of thousands of working-age Americans.
其中一些工人可能来自现有人口，公司可以利用新的劳动力储备，政府也可以解决阿片类药物危机等更广泛的问题，阿片类药物滥用已使数十万劳动年龄的美国人退出了劳动力大军。
tap (into) 利用；开发（已有的资源）
【例】We need to tap (into) the expertise of the people we already have.
我们需要利用我们现有人员的专业知识。
【近义词】make use of 利用
sideline v.
1. 使退出比赛；使下场
【例】The player has been sidelined by a knee injury.
这名队员因膝部受伤而下场。
2. 使靠边；使不再参与
【例】The vice-president is increasingly being sidelined.
副总统被日益排挤到权力中心之外。
Not all economists think aging demographics are likely to drive a national labor shortage.
并不是所有的经济学家都认为人口老龄化可能会导致全国劳动力短缺。
rank n.
1. 等级；级别
【例】rise through the ranks/high-rank officials/a singer of the first rank
一级级地晋升/高级别官员/一流歌手
2. 一类人
【例】At 50, he was forced to join the ranks of the unemployed.
他50岁时被迫加入了失业行列。
plentiful adj. 大量的；丰富的
【例】a plentiful supply of food 充足的食物供应
Jobs were plentiful. 当时就业机会很多。
【近义词】abundant/a lot of 大量的
The ranks of people in their prime working years was stagnant for years before the pandemic, but labor was often plentiful, said Adam Ozimek, the chief economist at Economic Innovation Group, a bipartisan public policy organization.
经济创新集团（一个两党都支持的公共政策组织）的首席经济学家亚当·奥齐梅克说，在疫情爆发之前的数年里，处于最佳工作年龄段的人群数量一直处于停滞状态，但劳动力往往很充足。
rank n.
1. 等级；级别
【例】rise through the ranks/high-rank officials/a singer of the first rank
一级级地晋升/高级别官员/一流歌手
2. 一类人
【例】At 50, he was forced to join the ranks of the unemployed.
他50岁时被迫加入了失业行列。
plentiful adj. 大量的；丰富的
【例】a plentiful supply of food 充足的食物供应
Jobs were plentiful. 当时就业机会很多。
【近义词】abundant/a lot of 大量的
Increased immigration, he added, would add to the demand as well as supply. Still, many economists argue that immigrants will be an important part of the solution, especially in fields, like elder care, that are rapidly growing and hard to automate.
他补充说，移民增加不仅会增加供应，也会增加需求。尽管如此，许多经济学家认为，移民将是解决问题的重要一环，特别是在老人护理等领域，这些领域的需求增长迅速，而且很难实现自动化。
strategic adj. 战略性的；全局性的
【例】a strategic plan/decision 全局性规划/战略决策
【拓展】tactical adj. 战术上的
【例】a tactical retreat/a tactical error 战术性撤退/战术上的错误
“We need to start looking at immigrants as a strategic resource, incredibly valuable parts of the economy,” said Ron Hetrick, senior labor economist at Lightcast, a labor market data firm.
“我们需要开始把移民视为一种战略资源，是经济中极具价值的部分。”劳动力市场数据公司Lightcast的高级劳动力经济学家罗恩·赫特里克说。
strategic adj. 战略性的；全局性的
【例】a strategic plan/decision 全局性规划/战略决策
【拓展】tactical adj. 战术上的
【例】a tactical retreat/a tactical error 战术性撤退/战术上的错误
Kevin Chu has spent the past several months traveling around Vermont speaking to local business groups, elected officials, nonprofit organizations and pretty much anyone else who would listen. His message: Vermont needs more people.
在过去的几个月里，凯文·朱一直在佛蒙特州四处游说，与当地商业团体、民选官员、非营利组织等几乎所有愿意倾听的人交谈。他传达的信息是佛蒙特州需要更多的人。
imminent adj. 即将发生的；临近的
【例】The system is in imminent danger of collapse.
这个体制面临着即将发生崩溃的危险。
【辨析】immediate adj. 立刻的；当前的；接近的
【例】the immediate concern/the immediate future
当务之急/短期内
Mr. Chu is the executive director of the Vermont Futures Project, a nonprofit organization, backed by the Vermont Chamber of Commerce, that sees the worker shortage as an imminent, long-term threat to the state’s economy.
朱是非营利性组织“佛蒙特未来项目”的执行董事，该组织由佛蒙特商会支持，认为劳动力短缺是该州经济面临的一个迫在眉睫的长期威胁。
imminent adj. 即将发生的；临近的
【例】The system is in imminent danger of collapse.
这个体制面临着即将发生崩溃的危险。
【辨析】immediate adj. 立刻的；当前的；接近的
【例】the immediate concern/the immediate future
当务之急/短期内
Mr. Chu grew up in Vermont after his parents immigrated from China in the mid-1980s, part of a wave of immigrants — many of them refugees — who came to the state during that period.
朱在佛蒙特州长大，他的父母在20世纪80年代中期从中国移民到佛蒙特州，那段时期佛蒙特州出现了一股移民潮，其中许多人是难民。
imminent adj. 即将发生的；临近的
【例】The system is in imminent danger of collapse.
这个体制面临着即将发生崩溃的危险。
【辨析】immediate adj. 立刻的；当前的；接近的
【例】the immediate concern/the immediate future
当务之急/短期内
He recalls attending Burlington High School at a time when it flew the flag of its students’ home countries, dozens in all. “I feel like I got a glimpse of what Vermont could be,” he said.
他回忆起上伯灵顿高中时的情景，当时学校里悬挂着学生们祖国的国旗，总共有几十个国家。“我感觉我从中瞥见了佛蒙特州未来可能的样子。”他说。
imminent adj. 即将发生的；临近的
【例】The system is in imminent danger of collapse.
这个体制面临着即将发生崩溃的危险。
【辨析】immediate adj. 立刻的；当前的；接近的
【例】the immediate concern/the immediate future
当务之急/短期内
Mr. Chu’s message has resonated with business leaders and state officials, but it has been a tougher sell with the population as a whole.
朱传达的信息在商界领袖和政府官员中引起了共鸣，但在全体民众中却更难被接受。
resonate v.
1. 发出回音
【例】His laughter resonated among the hollow rocks.
他的笑声在空山间回响。
【近义词】echo v. 回响；回荡
2. 引起共鸣
【例】These issues resonated with the voters.
这些问题引起了投票者的共鸣。
hard/tough sell 强行推销；很难让人接受的事
【例】A job in teaching can be a hard sell to young people who want to earn money.
对于想挣钱的年轻人来说，教师这份工作可能很难让他们接受。
【拓展】buy into 相信
【例】She had never bought into the idea that to be attractive you have to be thin.
她从来不相信“要变得美，就要瘦”这种说法。
plurality n.
1. 众多；大量
【例】a plurality of influences 众多的影响
【拓展】plural/pluralism adj./n. 多样的；多元的/多元共存的
【例】a plural society/cultural pluralism 多元社会/文化多元性
2. （未超过半数的）最多数票
【例】They had a plurality in the election but were just short of a majority.
他们在选举中获得了多数票，但距离半数以上还差一点。
【拓展】(absolute) majority/minority n. 超过半数的多数票/少数票
A recent poll found that a plurality — but not a majority — of Vermonters supported increasing the population. The Futures Project has set a goal of increasing the population to 802,000 by 2035, from fewer than 650,000 today.
最近的一项民意调查发现，多数--但不是过半数--佛蒙特州人支持增加人口。“未来项目”的目标是到2035年，将人口从目前的不到65万人增加到80.2万人。
resonate v.
1. 发出回音
【例】His laughter resonated among the hollow rocks.
他的笑声在空山间回响。
【近义词】echo v. 回响；回荡
2. 引起共鸣
【例】These issues resonated with the voters.
这些问题引起了投票者的共鸣。
hard/tough sell 强行推销；很难让人接受的事
【例】A job in teaching can be a hard sell to young people who want to earn money.
对于想挣钱的年轻人来说，教师这份工作可能很难让他们接受。
【拓展】buy into 相信
【例】She had never bought into the idea that to be attractive you have to be thin.
她从来不相信“要变得美，就要瘦”这种说法。
plurality n.
1. 众多；大量
【例】a plurality of influences 众多的影响
【拓展】plural/pluralism adj./n. 多样的；多元的/多元共存的
【例】a plural society/cultural pluralism 多元社会/文化多元性
2. （未超过半数的）最多数票
【例】They had a plurality in the election but were just short of a majority.
他们在选举中获得了多数票，但距离半数以上还差一点。
【拓展】(absolute) majority/minority n. 超过半数的多数票/少数票
That would also help bring down Vermont’s median age to 40, from 42.7. The state has a long way to go: Vermont added just 92 people from 2021 to 2022.
这也有助于将佛蒙特州的年龄中值从42.7岁降至40岁。佛蒙特州还有很长的路要走：从2021年到2022年，佛蒙特州的新增人口只有92人。
median adj. 中位的；中间值的
【例】the median price 中位数价格
【拓展】medium/middle adj. 中等的/在中间的
【例】medium size/heat 中号/中火
middle age/child 中年/排行在中间的孩子；次子
课后练习
What did Adam Ozimek think about the labor shortage?
A. It could be solved by addressing the opioid crisis.
B. It was mainly caused by the aging population.
C. It was not related to the lack of working-age people.
D. It would be worsened by the increase of immigration.
Ron Hetrick and other economists consider ____ as a part of the solution.
A. higher birthrates
B. increasing immigration
C. elder care
D. investment in automation
Kevin Chu advocates the increase of immigration because ____.
A. the lack of labor poses a threat to Vermont’s economy
B. local business groups need to recruit foreign workers
C. the cultural diversity brought by immigrants has impressed him
D. he believes that Vermont’s businesses will go global in the future
It can be inferred from the text that ____.
A. the local residents welcome more immigrants
B. state officials are concerned about increasing immigration
C. the majority of Vermonters support increasing birthrates
D. it is challenging for Vermont to increase the population