There is a growing number of economists who believe today’s brutally tough l

游客2023-12-24  9

问题     There is a growing number of economists who believe today’s brutally tough labor market is not a temporary American oddity. Falling wages, reduced benefits and rising job insecurity seem to be increasingly entrenched features of the job scene across most of Western Europe, the United States and other parts of the developed world. The number of insecure freelance positions is rising (as are working hours) while stable jobs with good benefits are being cut. Laid-off workers are much less likely to be rehired by their old companies and have to find new jobs or turn to self-employment. Those who still have jobs are working longer hours with little prospect of meaningful raises. The new labor market is shaped by growing global competition, spurred by the rise of cheap manufacturers in China, India and Eastern Europe, and the price-chopping effect of both the Internet and giant retailers led by Wal-Mart. These forces compel Western companies to exercise a growing restraint on prices and labor cost. One thing globalization clearly does is to exert a leveling effect on wages.

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答案 越来越多的经济学家认为当今美国劳动力市场竞争异常残酷激烈,这不只是一时的怪现状。在大多数的西欧国家、美国及其他发达国家,降薪、福利削减、工作稳定性下降似乎已经成为就业市场越来越难以改变的痼疾。不稳定的自由职业岗位增多(工作时间同样延长),而稳定福利好的工作机会减少。一旦失业,人们很难被原单位再次聘用,所以不得不找份新工作或者自己创业。而那些尚留在工作岗位上的人员工作时间加长,然而他们加薪前景微乎其微。由于中国、印度、东欧廉价劳动力的出现以及互联网和零售巨头 (比如沃尔玛)把商品价格大幅度下降,使得全球竞争日益激烈,进而深刻地改变了新兴的劳动力市场。结果,西方国家各家公司既要压低商品的价格,又要尽量削减成本。很明显,全球化让全世界的提薪之日遥遥无期。

解析 1. There is a growing number of economists who believe today’s brutally tough labor market is not a temporary American oddity.
    译文:越来越多的经济学家认为当今美国劳动力市场竞争异常残酷激烈,这不只是一时的怪现状。
    本句是一个带有定语从句的there be句型,其中定语从句中today’s brutally tough labor market is not a temporary American oddity又是定语从句谓语动词believe的宾语。本句采用定语从句的融合翻译法翻译,融合翻译就是将定语从句所修饰的名词与定语从句的谓语结构溶合在一起构成一个独立的主谓结构,然后把它翻译成一个独立的句子。如本句翻译为:越来越多的经济学家认为当今美国劳动力市场竞争异常残酷激烈,这不只是一时的怪现状。相信很多人很容易会译成:a growing number of economists believe today’s brutally tough labor market is not a temporary American oddity。融合翻译法通常用于与主句关系紧密的限制性定语从句中,尤其是there be句型中,译出的句子结构紧凑,表达语意更加简洁明了。
2.Falling wages, reduced benefits and rising job insecurity seem to be increasingly entrenched features of the job scene across most of Western Europe, the United States and other parts of the developed world.
    译文:在大多数的西欧国家、美国及其他发达国家,降薪、福利削减、工作稳定性下降似乎已经成为就业市场越来越难以改变的痼疾。
    entrench vt. 1.用壕沟围住 2.挖掘 3.确立,在本句中选择“确立”释义。本句是被动语态结构,采用逆序的翻译方法,省略被动语态,翻译成主动语态形式。首先翻译后面的地点状语across most of Western Europe, the United States and other parts of the developed world,然后再从句子主语falling wages, reduced benefits and rising job insecurity几个短语翻译,将谓语的被动结构翻译成主动态。
3.Laid-off workers are much less likely to be rehired by their old companies and have to find new jobs or turn to self-employment.
    译文:一旦失业,人们很难被原单位再次聘用,所以不得不找份新工作或者自己创业。
    本句结构比较繁杂,有两个并列谓语结构,但两者间是因果逻辑关系,are much less likely to be rehired by their old companies为第一个谓语结构,have to find new jobs or turn to self-employment为第二个谓语结构,两者是由于前者的发生,而导致后面的结果。laid-off workers名词性短语“进行词类转换”翻译成动词性短语“一旦失业”更为恰当一点。old companies译成:原单位,不可直译成:旧公司。创业也可以用:start business,通常讲的“白手起家创业”可以译成:start business from scratch。
4.The new labor market is shaped by growing global competition, spurred by the rise of cheap manufacturers in China, India and Eastern Europe, and the price-chopping effect of both the Internet and giant retailers led by Wal-Mart.
    译文:由于中国、印度、东欧廉价劳动力的出现以及互联网和零售巨头(比如沃尔玛)把商品价格大幅度降,使得全球竞争日益激烈,改变了新兴的劳动力市场。
    本句中谓语结构采用被动语态结构,带由过去分词短语引导的原因状语结构。将句中的被动语态谓语结构“is shaped by growing global competition”省略,翻译成主动态:“这就使得全球竞争日益严重”。添加“由于”连词,突出其因果关系。
5.These forces compel Western companies to exercise a growing restraint On prices and labor cost. One thing globalization clearly does is to exert a leveling effect on wages.
    译文:结果,西方国家各家公司既要压低商品的价格,又要尽量削减成本。很明显,全球化让全世界的提薪之日遥遥无期。
    本句中a growing restraint名词性短语,在翻译时应进行词类转换,翻译成动词:压低,削减,one thing globalization clearly does是第二个分句中的主语从句,谓语中a leveling effect on wages,leveling n.意思为整平,使成水平,测量高低。而在本句中,按照上下文的语义环境,需要理解为:给薪水是加了一个使其变得很平缓或者高低差不多的作用,进而引申为:使提薪的可能变得更加渺茫。
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