led global economy has produced an enormous

在全球經濟主導下，產生了巨大的

improvement in human welfare.

改善人類福祉。

Since 1981, the proportion of the world's

自 1981 年以來，世界人口的比例在不斷上升。

population living in extreme poverty on less than

生活在極端貧困中的人口

a $1.90

a $1.90

per day has fallen from 42 percent ,to 10 percent.

從 42% 下降到 10%。

But in countries with advanced economies,

但在經濟發達的國家、

inequality of income and wealth has surged.

收入和財富不平等現象激增。

And nowhere has it surged more than in the U.S.

而這一趨勢在美國最為迅猛。

where reliance on free market forces has been

在依賴自由市場力量的地方

strongest. That magnifies rewards for those at

最強。這就放大了那些處於

the top and leaves most others behind.

而把其他大多數人甩在後面。

The trend helps those with higher levels of

這種趨勢有助於那些具有較高

education and hurts the less educated.

教育，傷害了受教育程度較低的人。

It lifts residents of major cities while leaving

它在提升大城市居民生活水準的同時

those in small towns behind.

小城鎮的人們則落在後面。

For growing numbers of Americans it's just harder

對越來越多的美國人來說，這只是更難了

to get ahead.

出人頭地。

Why is this happened and what are the

為什麼會出現這種情況？

consequences? Here are five causes.

後果是什麼？以下是五個原因。

The digital revolution creates enormous wealth for

數字革命為

those with the skills and preparation to take

有技能和準備的人

advantage. But it eliminates what economists call

優勢。但它消除了經濟學家所說的

"middle-skill jobs."

"中等技能工作"。

Computer software and industrial machines now

計算機軟件和工業機械

fill roles from clerical tasks to routine

從文書工作到日常工作

manufacturing that once produced middle class

曾經生產中產階級的製造業

incomes for workers without college degrees.

沒有大學文憑的工人的收入。

One of those forces is technological progress that

其中一種力量是技術進步，它

has increased the value of an abstract problem

提高了抽象問題的價值

solving, interpersonal communication or

解決問題、人際溝通或

organizational skills.

組織能力。

Things that highly educated workers tend to be

受過高等教育的工人往往會

very capable of and has simultaneously devalued a

同時也貶低了一個人的價值。

lot of cognitively intensive but repetitive tasks

大量認知密集但重複的工作

in offices and production lines and so kind of

辦公室和生產線等

hollowed out the set of job activities available

空洞化的工作活動

to non-college workers and sort of pushed them

非大學生工人，並把他們推向

arguably downward into personal services, food

可以說，個人服務、食品

services, cleaning, security, transportation,

服務、清潔、安保、交通、

repair where their skills are more

他們的技能更適合維修

interchangeable with other workers and where

可與其他工人互換，以及

there is less of a return to experience over the

對經驗的迴歸較少。

lifecycle.

生命週期。

And so that has contributed downward pressure and

是以，這造成了下行壓力和

wage pressure and economic insecurity for the

工資壓力和經濟不穩定

less educated.

教育程度較低。

So it's really kind of created a great world for

是以，它為

the highly educated and a much less economically

教育程度高的人和經濟地位低得多的人

secure and inviting world for people who don't

為那些不會

have high levels of education.

教育水準高。

Competition from emerging economies like China's

來自中國等新興經濟體的競爭

combined with reduced trade barriers have further

貿易壁壘的減少進一步

reduced prospects for workers without advanced

沒有高級技能的工人的前景黯淡

skills. That's had devastating consequences in

技能。這在以下方面造成了破壞性後果

sectors such as textiles and furniture and

紡織和傢俱等行業

leather goods.

皮革製品。

The biggest economic story of really of the

世界上最大的經濟事件

century and certainly of the last 50 years has

一個世紀，當然還有過去的 50 年

been China's rise.

是中國的崛起。

China going from a poor and backward country in

中國從一個貧窮落後的國家

perpetual political and economic crisis to a

長期的政治和經濟危機

frontier manufacturer with pretty well-educated,

受過良好教育的邊疆製造商、

highly available skilled labor using modern

使用現代技術的高技能勞動力

technology. So China marched up the productivity

技術。是以，中國的生產力

technology frontier between 1980 and the present

1980 年至今的技術前沿

at a rate almost unseen in history and because it

幾乎達到了歷史上從未有過的速度，因為它

was so vast, because it had so many people, so

它是如此廣闊，因為它有如此多的人，如此

many resources, so much land, it could become you

這麼多的資源，這麼多的土地，它可以成為你

know a manufacturer for now at this point more

更多

than 20 percent of all world manufacturing value

佔世界製造業總產值的 20

added. And that's not just a function.

又補充了一句。這不僅僅是一種功能。

That's not a function of trade deals.

這與貿易協議無關。

That's primarily a function of internal

這主要是內部

developments in China.

中國的發展。

The decision to allow free mobility of labour to

決定允許勞動力自由流動到

adopt Western technology and foreign direct

採用西方技術和外國直接投資

investment and to start trading with the world.

投資，並開始與世界貿易。

And that had a big effect on United States even

這對美國產生了很大影響，甚至

in the 90s.

在 90 年代。

But when China joined in 2001 that further opened

但是，2001 年中國加入後，進一步開放了

the floodgates.

閘門。

And that had a dramatic accelerant effect on the

而這對

rate at which competition entered the U.S.

競爭進入美國的速度

market for manufactured goods.

製成品市場。

And the rate of decline of U.S.

而美國的衰退速度也在不斷加快。

manufacturing employment as a result of that.

製造業的就業是以而減少。

Over the course of just seven years about 20

在短短七年時間裡，約有 20

percent of all U.S.

佔美國

manufacturing jobs disappeared.

製造業的工作崗位消失了。

And then they fell it fell by another cumulative

然後，他們又以另一種累積的方式倒下了

eleven percentage points during the Great

在 "大革命 "期間，這一數字增長了 11 個百分點。

Recession. So effectively one-in-three

經濟衰退。是以，實際上三分之一的

manufacturing jobs no longer existed that had

製造業的工作崗位已不復存在

existed around 2000.

2000 年左右存在。

Breakthrough firms such as Apple and Amazon now

蘋果和亞馬遜等突破性企業現在

attract revenue across the world, which produces

吸引世界各地的收入，從而產生

immense jackpots for the executives who lead

為上司幹部帶來巨大的財富

them. And for the American cities they call home.

他們。還有他們稱之為家的美國城市。

You create the innovation and you have the global

你創造了創新，你就擁有了全球

product market.

產品市場。

You're going to have much larger earnings than in

你的收入將比

a previous generation.

上一代人。

There is increasingly divergence and economic

分歧越來越大，經濟

growth and economic outcomes across

增長和經濟成果

places in the U.S..

美國的一些地方。

And so there are just you know along with these

是以，你知道，隨著這些

superstar workers and these superstar firms when

超級明星工人和這些超級明星公司時

you have superstar cities in our increasingly

我們的超級明星城市越來越多

winner take all economy.

贏家通吃經濟

Meanwhile, the share of workers represented by

與此同時，由下列機構代表的工人所佔比例有所下降

labor unions has dropped by half, shrinking their

工會的數量減少了一半，使他們的

power. The lowest paid workers have seen the

權力。工資最低的工人看到了

buying power of the minimum wage drop as the

最低工資的購買力下降，因為

government has not increased it to keep pace with

政府沒有增加撥款，以跟上

inflation.

通貨膨脹。

Fewer than 70 percent of men with a high school

只有不到 70% 的男性擁有高中學歷。

degree or less are working.

學位或低於學位的人都在工作。

The eroded value of the minimum wage in many

在許多國家，最低工資的價值受到侵蝕

cases, the decline in unionization, things that

案件、工會組織的減少，這些都是

have otherwise sort of hurt workers bargaining

否則就會損害工人的談判權

power in ways that amplified their weakened

權力的方式放大了他們被削弱的

bargaining power are just coming from these

議價能力只是來自這些

external forces where they were already competing

外部力量的競爭

with technology or workers from lower wage

技術或低工資工人

countries for example.

例如

The shifting power balance has rewarded the

不斷變化的權力平衡使

wealthiest even more through policies in

通過以下方面的政策，使最富有的人更加富裕

government and private institutions.

政府和私營機構。

From tax changes that increased their income to

從稅收變化增加了他們的收入，到

college admissions procedures that opened doors

打開大門的大學錄取程序

for their children above others.

他們的子女比其他人更重要。

Actresses Felicity Huffman and Lori Loughlin are

女演員 Felicity Huffman 和 Lori Loughlin 是

headed from the red carpet to federal court.

從紅地毯走向聯邦法院。

13 parents and one coach who have pled pleaded

13 名家長和 1 名教練認罪

guilty.

有罪。

The market incentives inequality creates for hard

不平等現象造成的市場激勵機制

work and risk taking helps make America's economy

工作和承擔風險有助於使美國的經濟

dynamic but it also imposes costs.

但它也會帶來成本。

You need some inequality.

你需要一些不平等。

The problem is when that dynamism at a point in

問題在於，當這種活力在某一時刻

time gives rise to dynasticism such that the

時間的推移導致了朝代的更替。

next generation doesn't get an equal footing. Such

下一代得不到平等的地位。這樣的

that kids of affluent parents even if there are

父母富裕的孩子，即使有

mediocre talent get to go to the best schools and

平庸的人才能進入最好的學校，而

get access to the you know the most after school

在課餘時間接觸你最熟悉的人

investment, the most training and so on.

投資、最多的培訓等等。

And you know talented kids from less affluent

要知道，來自不富裕地區的天才兒童

families don't get to go to these schools.

這些家庭沒有機會上這些學校。

They don't get invested in in the same way.

他們不會以同樣的方式投入。

And that's a loss for all of us.

這是我們所有人的損失。

That's not just a loss for them.

這不僅僅是他們的損失。

That means our society will be less productive.

這意味著我們社會的生產力將降低。

And it fuels the nonstop turmoil in American

它助長了美國的動盪不安

politics. Voters have thrown out the party in

政治選民們在

control of the White House or one chamber of

控制白宮或參眾兩院

Congress in six of the past seven national

在過去七屆國會中的六屆

elections.

選舉。

2020 promises to be just as contentious.

2020 年也將是充滿爭議的一年。

I think we're seeing that loud and clearly in the

我認為，我們可以從以下方面清楚地看到這一點

sort of politics of the past few years.

過去幾年中的那種政治。

People are increasingly likely to report that

人們越來越傾向於報告

they believe the system is rigged against them.

他們認為制度對他們不利。

This is damaging both for the functioning of our

這既損害了我們的

democracy. But I actually think also for the

民主。但實際上，我也認為

functioning of our economy.

我們的經濟運行。

We're going to see people in increasing numbers

我們將看到越來越多的人

sort of dropping out of our mainstream climb to

從我們的主流攀升到

economic success and so we've got this economic

經濟上的成功，是以我們的經濟

malaise. And now we have this social malaise

萎靡不振。現在，我們有了這種社會弊病

going along with it.

我也是這麼想的。

And and it's leaving the political I mean large,

而且，它離開了政治，我的意思是大、

loud political cries for completely, I think,

我認為，這完全是一種政治吶喊、

upending our capitalist system.

顛覆我們的資本主義制度