- Published on
佛蒙特州成为美国老龄化社会前兆(中)
- Authors
赢家是劳动者。当劳动力稀缺时，雇主有动力扩大搜索范围--考虑那些受教育程度较低的人或残疾人--并为现有员工提供晋升机会。
双语精读
The winners are the workers. When workers are scarce, employers have an incentive to broaden their searches -- considering people with less formal education, or those with disabilities -- and to give existing employees opportunities for advancement.
赢家是劳动者。当劳动力稀缺时，雇主有动力扩大搜索范围--考虑那些受教育程度较低的人或残疾人--并为现有员工提供晋升机会。
At Central Vermont Medical Center, as at rural hospitals across the country, the pandemic compounded an existing nursing shortage. An aging population means that demand for health care will only grow.
在佛蒙特中部医疗中心，就像在全国各地的乡村医院一样，大流行加剧了现有的护工短缺。人口老龄化意味着对医疗保健的需求会只增不减。
So the medical center has teamed up with two local colleges on a program enabling hospital employees to train as nurses while working full time. The hospital built a classroom and simulation lab on site, and lent out its nurses to serve as faculty.
因此，该医疗中心与当地两所大学发起了一个合作项目，使医院员工能够在全职工作的同时接受护士培训。医院在院内建了一个教室和模拟实验室，并调来护士担任教员。
Students spend 12 of their paid working hours each week studying -- and if they stay on as nurses for three years after completing the program, their student debt is forgiven.
项目学员每周有12小时的带薪工作时间用于学习，如果在完成学习项目后继续当护士满三年，那么他们的学生贷款就会被免除。
Other businesses are finding their own ways to accommodate workers. Lake Champlain Chocolates, a high-end chocolate maker outside Burlington, has revamped its production schedule to reduce its reliance on seasonal help. It has also begun bringing former employees out of retirement, hiring them part time during the holiday season.
其他企业也在自己找办法适应劳动力情况。伯灵顿郊区的高端巧克力制造商尚普兰湖巧克力公司已经修改了生产时间安排，以减少对季节性外援的依赖。该公司还开始返聘退休的前员工，在假日季节雇他们做兼职。
Then there is the most straightforward way to attract workers: paying them more. Lake Champlain has raised starting wages for its factory and retail workers 20 to 35 percent over the past two years.
还有一个最直接的吸引工人的办法：给他们更高的工资。在过去的两年里，尚普兰湖已经将工厂工人和零售工人的起薪提高了20%到35%。
The labor challenge is evident at Cabot Creamery's packaging plant in the company's namesake town. Blocks of cheese weighing close to 700 pounds are fed into machines that cut them, for one product, into cracker-size slices.
在卡博特镇的卡博特乳品包装厂，人手不足的挑战显而易见。重量接近700磅的奶酪块被送入机器中，机器将它们切割成饼干大小的切片，变成一件产品。
Employees in gloves and hairnets then drop the slices into plastic pouches, which are sealed and packaged together. Many of the workers are in their 50s and 60s, and have been with Cabot for decades.
戴着手套和发网的员工然后把切片放进塑料袋里，塑料袋会被集中密封并包装。许多工人都是五六十岁的人，已经在卡博特工作了几十年。
Cabot is over an hour from Burlington, in a rural area where cellphone coverage is spotty and many roads are unpaved.
卡博特距离伯灵顿有一个多小时的车程，是一个农村地区，手机信号并未全面覆盖，许多道路都是土路。
The county has only about 700 unemployed people, according to the state's Labor Department, and while the company has raised pay and offers generous benefits -- a recent marketing campaign cites perks including a defined-benefit pension plan, tuition reimbursement and, of course, free cheese -- hiring remains difficult.
根据佛蒙特州劳工部的数据，该县只有大约700名失业人员，虽然卡博特公司已经提高了工资并提供了慷慨的福利--最近的营销广告列举了固定福利养老金计划、学费报销，当然还有免费奶酪--但仍然很难招到人。
Adding to the challenge is Vermont's housing shortage. Cabot has contracted with a local college to use unoccupied dormitories to house temporary workers brought in from other states and -- on guest-worker visas -- from other countries.
让招聘更难的是佛蒙特州的住房短缺。卡博特已经与当地一所大学签订了合同，使用空置的学校宿舍来为其他州的临时工以及持客工签证的外国临时工提供住处。
It is also investing in automation -- not just to require fewer workers but also to make jobs less taxing for its aging employee base. New equipment will package cheese slices automatically.
卡博特还在投资自动化设备，不仅是为了减少对工人的需求，也是为了让工作对老年员工来说不那么繁重。新设备将自动包装奶酪切片。
词汇预习
site [高考]
美[saɪt] | 英[saɪt]
n. 地点；位置；现场 vt. 使 ... 位于
formal [高考]
美[ˈfɔːrml] | 英[ˈfɔːml]
adj. 正式的；正规的；形式的；公开的；拘谨的；有条理的
automatically [高考]
美[ˌɔtəˈmætɪkli] | 英[ˌɔːtəˈmætɪkli]
adv. 自动地；机械地
county [高考]
美[ˈkaʊnti] | 英[ˈkaʊnti]
n. 郡；县 adj. 有郡中豪绅习气的
advancement [高考]
美[ədˈvænsmənt] | 英[ədˈvɑːnsmənt]
n. 前进；进步；晋升
retirement [高考]
美[rɪˈtaɪərmənt] | 英[rɪˈtaɪəmənt]
n. 退休；隐匿处
incentive [高考]
美[ɪnˈsentɪv] | 英[ɪnˈsentɪv]
adj. 刺激的；鼓励的 n. 刺激；鼓励；动机
scarce [高考]
美[skers] | 英[skeəs]
adj. 缺乏的；不足的；稀少的；罕见的 adv. 勉强
tuition [高考]
美[tuˈɪʃn] | 英[tjuˈɪʃn]
n. 学费；教诲；教学
unemployed [高考]
美[ˌʌnɪmˈplɔɪd] | 英[ˌʌnɪmˈplɔɪd]
adj. 失业的；未投资的 n. 失业者
reliance [高考]
美[rɪˈlaɪəns] | 英[rɪˈlaɪəns]
n. 信赖；所信赖的人或物
demand [高考]
美[dɪˈmænd] | 英[dɪˈmɑːnd]
n. 要求；需求 v. 要求；查问；需要
former [高考]
美[ˈfɔːrmər] | 英[ˈfɔːmə(r)]
adj. 前者的；前任的；以前的 n. 创造者；[英]学校某一年级的学生
temporary [高考]
美[ˈtempəreri] | 英[ˈtemprəri]
adj. 暂时的；临时的 n. 临时工
debt [高考]
美[det] | 英[det]
n. 债务；恩情；负债状态；义务；罪
evident [高考]
美[ˈevɪdənt] | 英[ˈevɪdənt]
adj. 明白的；明显的
pension [高考]
美[ˈpenʃn] | 英[ˈpenʃn]
n. 养老金；退休金；抚恤金；年金；（欧洲等地的）私人小旅店 v. 发退休金
straightforward [高考]
美[ˌstreɪtˈfɔːrwərd] | 英[ˌstreɪtˈfɔːwəd]
adj. 易懂的；笔直的；坦率的
serve as [高考]
美[sɚv æz] | 英[sə:v æz]
vt. 担任(充当； 起 ... 的作用)
demand for [高考]
美[dɪˈmænd fɔr] | 英[diˈmɑ:nd fɔ:]
对 ... 的要求； 对 ... 的需求
means [高考]
美[miːnz] | 英[miːnz]
n. 方法；手段；收入；财产 v. 意思是，意味（动词mean的第三人称单数）
finding [高考]
美[ˈfaɪndɪŋ] | 英[ˈfaɪndɪŋ]
n. 调查(或研究)的结果；[律] 裁决
housing [高考]
美[ˈhaʊzɪŋ] | 英[ˈhaʊzɪŋ]
n. 房屋；外壳；外套；外罩；住宅；卡箍；遮盖物；(芯片的)封装
coverage [高考]
美[ˈkʌvərɪdʒ] | 英[ˈkʌvərɪdʒ]
n. 新闻报道；覆盖范围；承保范围
accommodate [高考]
美[əˈkɑːmədeɪt] | 英[əˈkɒmədeɪt]
v. 容纳；顺应；提供住宿（或膳宿、座位等）；提供空间
remains [高考]
美[rɪˈmeɪnz] | 英[rɪˈmeɪnz]
n. 剩余物；遗迹；遗体
seasonal [高考]
美[ˈsiːzənl] | 英[ˈsiːzənl]
adj. 季节的；依照季节的；周期性的
where [高考]
美[wer] | 英[weə(r)]
adv. 在哪里；在那个地方 conj. 在 ... 地方
automation [四级]
美[ˌɔːtəˈmeɪʃn] | 英[ˌɔːtəˈmeɪʃn]
n. 自动化
faculty [四级]
美[ˈfæklti] | 英[ˈfæklti]
n.（大学的）系或院；全体教员；官能，能力
retail [四级]
美[ˈriːteɪl , rɪˈteɪl] | 英[ˈriːteɪl , rɪˈteɪl]
n. 零售 vt. 零售；传述 adv. 以零售形式
broaden [四级]
美[ˈbrɔːdn] | 英[ˈbrɔːdn]
v. 变宽；扩大；开阔
simulation [四级]
美[ˌsɪmjuˈleɪʃn] | 英[ˌsɪmjuˈleɪʃn]
n. 模拟；仿真；赝品
in the company [四级]
美 | 英
由……伴随着
reliance on [四级]
美 | 英
信任, 依靠
existing [四级]
美[ɪɡˈzɪstɪŋ] | 英[ɪɡˈzɪstɪŋ]
adj. 现存的；现有的
marketing [四级]
美[ˈmɑːrkɪtɪŋ] | 英[ˈmɑːkɪtɪŋ]
n. 市场营销；行销
considering [四级]
美[kənˈsɪdərɪŋ] | 英[kənˈsɪdərɪŋ]
prep. 鉴于； 考虑到 conj. 就 ... 而言
out of [六级]
美[aʊt ʌv] | 英[aut ɔv]
prep. 离…一段距离；从…里；离开 ...；出于
according [专四]
美[ə'kɔrdɪŋ] | 英[ə'kɔːdɪŋ]
adj. 相符的；相应的；一致的 v. 给予；符合，一致；正式协议（accord的现在分词）
namesake [专八]
美[ˈnemˌsek] | 英[ˈneɪmseɪk]
n. 相同姓名的人；同名物
重点讲解
The winners are the workers. When workers are scarce, employers have an incentive to broaden their searches -- considering people with less formal education, or those with disabilities -- and to give existing employees opportunities for advancement.
赢家是劳动者。当劳动力稀缺时，雇主有动力扩大搜索范围--考虑那些受教育程度较低的人或残疾人--并为现有员工提供晋升机会。
advancement n.
1. 发展；进展
【例】the advancement of science 科学的发展
【近义词】advance/progress n. 发展；进步
2. （工作、社会等级）晋升，提升
【例】his advancement to general manager
他被提拔为总经理
【近义词】promotion n. 晋升
At Central Vermont Medical Center, as at rural hospitals across the country, the pandemic compounded an existing nursing shortage. An aging population means that demand for health care will only grow.
在佛蒙特中部医疗中心，就像在全国各地的乡村医院一样，大流行加剧了现有的护工短缺。人口老龄化意味着对医疗保健的需求会只增不减。
compound n. & v.
1. 作名词：复合物；化合物
【例】Salt is a compound of sodium and chlorine.
食盐是钠和氯的化合物。
2. 作动词：使复杂化；使加重
【例】Severe drought has compounded food shortages in the region.
严重的干旱加剧了这个地区的粮食短缺问题。
【近义词】complicate v. 使复杂化；使恶化
train v. 训练；接受培训
【例】train dogs to sniff out drugs 训练警犬嗅出毒品
He trained as a teacher. 他接受了师资培训。
【拓展】western-trained adj. 接受西方教育的
So the medical center has teamed up with two local colleges on a program enabling hospital employees to train as nurses while working full time. The hospital built a classroom and simulation lab on site, and lent out its nurses to serve as faculty.
因此，该医疗中心与当地两所大学发起了一个合作项目，使医院员工能够在全职工作的同时接受护士培训。医院在院内建了一个教室和模拟实验室，并调来护士担任教员。
compound n. & v.
1. 作名词：复合物；化合物
【例】Salt is a compound of sodium and chlorine.
食盐是钠和氯的化合物。
2. 作动词：使复杂化；使加重
【例】Severe drought has compounded food shortages in the region.
严重的干旱加剧了这个地区的粮食短缺问题。
【近义词】complicate v. 使复杂化；使恶化
train v. 训练；接受培训
【例】train dogs to sniff out drugs 训练警犬嗅出毒品
He trained as a teacher. 他接受了师资培训。
【拓展】western-trained adj. 接受西方教育的
Students spend 12 of their paid working hours each week studying -- and if they stay on as nurses for three years after completing the program, their student debt is forgiven.
项目学员每周有12小时的带薪工作时间用于学习，如果在完成学习项目后继续当护士满三年，那么他们的学生贷款就会被免除。
forgive v. 免除（债务）
【例】The government has agreed to forgive a large part of the debt.
政府同意免除一大部分债务。
【近义词】exempt v. 免除；豁免
【例】exempt sb from the exam/paying the tax
让某人免试/免交税款
accommodate v.
1. 提供住宿；容纳
【例】The hotel can accommodate 500 guests.
这家酒店可以为500位客人提供住宿。
2. 适应需求；照顾某方面的需求
【例】To accommodate wheelchairs, all he had to do was widen the doorways.
为了方便轮椅进出，他只需要把门道加宽。
【搭配】accommodate sth to 使适应
【例】I needed to accommodate myself to the new schedule.
我需要适应新的时间表。
revamp v. 翻新；修改；改变
【例】to revamp the plan/report 修改计划/重写报告
【近义词】overhaul v. 大修；彻底革新
【例】to overhaul the sales department 彻底改革销售部
Other businesses are finding their own ways to accommodate workers. Lake Champlain Chocolates, a high-end chocolate maker outside Burlington, has revamped its production schedule to reduce its reliance on seasonal help. It has also begun bringing former employees out of retirement, hiring them part time during the holiday season.
其他企业也在自己找办法适应劳动力情况。伯灵顿郊区的高端巧克力制造商尚普兰湖巧克力公司已经修改了生产时间安排，以减少对季节性外援的依赖。该公司还开始返聘退休的前员工，在假日季节雇他们做兼职。
forgive v. 免除（债务）
【例】The government has agreed to forgive a large part of the debt.
政府同意免除一大部分债务。
【近义词】exempt v. 免除；豁免
【例】exempt sb from the exam/paying the tax
让某人免试/免交税款
accommodate v.
1. 提供住宿；容纳
【例】The hotel can accommodate 500 guests.
这家酒店可以为500位客人提供住宿。
2. 适应需求；照顾某方面的需求
【例】To accommodate wheelchairs, all he had to do was widen the doorways.
为了方便轮椅进出，他只需要把门道加宽。
【搭配】accommodate sth to 使适应
【例】I needed to accommodate myself to the new schedule.
我需要适应新的时间表。
revamp v. 翻新；修改；改变
【例】to revamp the plan/report 修改计划/重写报告
【近义词】overhaul v. 大修；彻底革新
【例】to overhaul the sales department 彻底改革销售部
Then there is the most straightforward way to attract workers: paying them more. Lake Champlain has raised starting wages for its factory and retail workers 20 to 35 percent over the past two years.
还有一个最直接的吸引工人的办法：给他们更高的工资。在过去的两年里，尚普兰湖已经将工厂工人和零售工人的起薪提高了20%到35%。
feed sth into
1. 把某物放进机器
【例】He fed coins into the meter.
他把硬币投入停车计时收费器。
2. 提供信息；灌输
【例】Social media feed consumerism to us.
社交媒体向我们灌输消费主义。
The labor challenge is evident at Cabot Creamery's packaging plant in the company's namesake town. Blocks of cheese weighing close to 700 pounds are fed into machines that cut them, for one product, into cracker-size slices.
在卡博特镇的卡博特乳品包装厂，人手不足的挑战显而易见。重量接近700磅的奶酪块被送入机器中，机器将它们切割成饼干大小的切片，变成一件产品。
feed sth into
1. 把某物放进机器
【例】He fed coins into the meter.
他把硬币投入停车计时收费器。
2. 提供信息；灌输
【例】Social media feed consumerism to us.
社交媒体向我们灌输消费主义。
Employees in gloves and hairnets then drop the slices into plastic pouches, which are sealed and packaged together. Many of the workers are in their 50s and 60s, and have been with Cabot for decades.
戴着手套和发网的员工然后把切片放进塑料袋里，塑料袋会被集中密封并包装。许多工人都是五六十岁的人，已经在卡博特工作了几十年。
feed sth into
1. 把某物放进机器
【例】He fed coins into the meter.
他把硬币投入停车计时收费器。
2. 提供信息；灌输
【例】Social media feed consumerism to us.
社交媒体向我们灌输消费主义。
Cabot is over an hour from Burlington, in a rural area where cellphone coverage is spotty and many roads are unpaved.
卡博特距离伯灵顿有一个多小时的车程，是一个农村地区，手机信号并未全面覆盖，许多道路都是土路。
spotty adj. 斑驳的；参差不齐的
【例】a spotty knowledge of Spanish/a spotty luck/a spotty education
对西班牙语一知半解/运气时好时坏/断断续续地接受教育
【近义词】patchy adj. 不均匀的；参差的
【拓展】spot n. 圆点；斑点
perk n. （工资之外的）福利，好处
【例】Free child care for preschool children of employees was a popular perk.
给员工的学龄前儿童提供免费的托儿服务是很受欢迎的福利。
【近义词】benefit/bonus n. 福利；补贴/津贴；奖金
【例】unemployment benefit/year-end bonus/Christmas bonus
失业补助金/年终奖/圣诞补贴
The county has only about 700 unemployed people, according to the state's Labor Department, and while the company has raised pay and offers generous benefits -- a recent marketing campaign cites perks including a defined-benefit pension plan, tuition reimbursement and, of course, free cheese -- hiring remains difficult.
根据佛蒙特州劳工部的数据，该县只有大约700名失业人员，虽然卡博特公司已经提高了工资并提供了慷慨的福利--最近的营销广告列举了固定福利养老金计划、学费报销，当然还有免费奶酪--但仍然很难招到人。
spotty adj. 斑驳的；参差不齐的
【例】a spotty knowledge of Spanish/a spotty luck/a spotty education
对西班牙语一知半解/运气时好时坏/断断续续地接受教育
【近义词】patchy adj. 不均匀的；参差的
【拓展】spot n. 圆点；斑点
perk n. （工资之外的）福利，好处
【例】Free child care for preschool children of employees was a popular perk.
给员工的学龄前儿童提供免费的托儿服务是很受欢迎的福利。
【近义词】benefit/bonus n. 福利；补贴/津贴；奖金
【例】unemployment benefit/year-end bonus/Christmas bonus
失业补助金/年终奖/圣诞补贴
Adding to the challenge is Vermont's housing shortage. Cabot has contracted with a local college to use unoccupied dormitories to house temporary workers brought in from other states and -- on guest-worker visas -- from other countries.
让招聘更难的是佛蒙特州的住房短缺。卡博特已经与当地一所大学签订了合同，使用空置的学校宿舍来为其他州的临时工以及持客工签证的外国临时工提供住处。
unoccupied adj. 未被占用的；空置的
【例】to sit at an unoccupied table 在一张空桌旁坐下
【近义词】empty/vacant adj. 空着的
【反义词】occupied/engaged adj. 被占用的
taxing adj. 繁重的；费劲的；伤脑筋的
【例】After the surgery, I couldn’t do anything too taxing for a while.
手术之后，我有段时间不能做任何重活。
It is also investing in automation -- not just to require fewer workers but also to make jobs less taxing for its aging employee base. New equipment will package cheese slices automatically.
卡博特还在投资自动化设备，不仅是为了减少对工人的需求，也是为了让工作对老年员工来说不那么繁重。新设备将自动包装奶酪切片。
unoccupied adj. 未被占用的；空置的
【例】to sit at an unoccupied table 在一张空桌旁坐下
【近义词】empty/vacant adj. 空着的
【反义词】occupied/engaged adj. 被占用的
taxing adj. 繁重的；费劲的；伤脑筋的
【例】After the surgery, I couldn’t do anything too taxing for a while.
手术之后，我有段时间不能做任何重活。
课后练习
To deal with the labor shortage, Central Vermont Medical Center ____.
A. has trained college students to be nurses
B. has upgraded its labs and facilities
C. has initiated a training program for its staff
D. has extended the nurses’ working hours
How does Lake Champlain Chocolates adapt to the labor shortage?
A. It is shrinking the scale of production.
B. It has adjusted it production plans.
C. It has hired more seasonal workers.
D. It is offering bonuses in the holiday season.
Cabot Creamery faces the challenge of ____.
A. insufficient labor supply in the town
B. inefficient packaging processes
C. the increase of labor costs
D. the investment in housing
The author’s approach to the labor shortage issue is ____.
A. analyzing the cause of the problem
B. proposing possible solutions
C. comparing pros and cons
D. describing different cases