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BEC中級(jí)閱讀材料：世界經(jīng)濟(jì)論壇公布全球競(jìng)爭(zhēng)力排名

世界經(jīng)濟(jì)論壇公布全球競(jìng)爭(zhēng)力排名

在近日發(fā)布的一份備受關(guān)注的經(jīng)濟(jì)競(jìng)爭(zhēng)力排行榜中，美國(guó)躍居榜首，理由是美國(guó)經(jīng)濟(jì)因其市場(chǎng)效率和創(chuàng)新能力而受到好評(píng)。

The US rose to top spot in a closely watched economic league table yesterday, as its economy was praised for its market efficiency and ability to innovate.

總部位于瑞士的智庫(kù)世界經(jīng)濟(jì)論壇(World Economic Forum)昨日發(fā)布了其一年一度的全球競(jìng)爭(zhēng)力報(bào)告。該機(jī)構(gòu)在報(bào)告中表示，美國(guó)經(jīng)濟(jì)失衡對(duì)其生產(chǎn)率和全球經(jīng)濟(jì)構(gòu)成了威脅，但結(jié)論是，美國(guó)的經(jīng)濟(jì)成就超過了這些風(fēng)險(xiǎn)。 In its annual report on global competitiveness, the World Economic Forum, the Swiss-based think-tank, said US economic imbalances posed a threat to its productivity and the global economy but concluded that its achievements outweighed these risks.

除美國(guó)以外，排在前10位的包括7個(gè)歐洲經(jīng)濟(jì)體——瑞士、丹麥、瑞典、德國(guó)、芬蘭、英國(guó)和荷蘭——以及新加坡和日本。

Also appearing in the top 10 were seven European economies – Switzerland, Denmark, Sweden, Germany, Finland, the UK and the Netherlands – as well as Singapore and Japan.

世界經(jīng)濟(jì)論壇自1979年開始發(fā)布這一排名。許多國(guó)家要么用它贊揚(yáng)一國(guó)政府的成就，要么用它批評(píng)其失敗。但今年這樣做的難度要比往年大，因?yàn)槭澜缃?jīng)濟(jì)論壇調(diào)整了其評(píng)估模型，這對(duì)各國(guó)的排名產(chǎn)生了很大影響。

The rankings, which have been produced by the WEF since 1979, are used by many countries either to shower praise on a government’s achievements or to criticise its failings. But this will prove harder than usual this year as the WEF has adjusted its model, with large effects on countries’ places in the league table.

世界經(jīng)濟(jì)論壇還根據(jù)其新排名方法，發(fā)布了一份去年排行榜的修正版本。曾高居榜首多年的芬蘭跌至第六位。世界經(jīng)濟(jì)論壇在去年發(fā)布的報(bào)告中將芬蘭排在第二，但昨日在修正后的報(bào)告中指出，芬蘭應(yīng)一直排在第六位。

The WEF also released a revised league table for last year, based on its new methodology. Finland, which topped the league for many years, has dropped to sixth. The WEF gave it the second spot in last year’s published report but yesterday’s revisions suggest it should always have been sixth.

美國(guó)顯然從世界經(jīng)濟(jì)論壇排名方法的變化中獲益。去年，世界經(jīng)濟(jì)論壇報(bào)告將美國(guó)這個(gè)全球經(jīng)濟(jì)體排在第六位，但昨日修正后的報(bào)告將其排在首位。

The US has clearly benefited from the change in the WEF’s calculations. Last year, the report ranked the world’s largest economy sixth but the revised table puts it top.

人們常常認(rèn)為中國(guó)和印度是世界上有競(jìng)爭(zhēng)力的經(jīng)濟(jì)體——其低成本制造業(yè)和服務(wù)業(yè)對(duì)發(fā)達(dá)經(jīng)濟(jì)體構(gòu)成了威脅，但其巨大的市場(chǎng)和合計(jì)超過20億的人口，也為發(fā)達(dá)經(jīng)濟(jì)體提供了機(jī)遇。

China and India are often believed to be the most competitive economies in the world – a threat to advanced economies with low-cost manufacturing and services, but also an opportunity with huge markets and combined populations of more than 2bn.

盡管中國(guó)和印度的經(jīng)濟(jì)成就令人敬畏，但在世界經(jīng)濟(jì)論壇的全球競(jìng)爭(zhēng)力指數(shù)中，兩國(guó)分別排在第34位和第48位。它們較低的排名表明，要想與發(fā)達(dá)經(jīng)濟(jì)體相提并論，它們市場(chǎng)中的許多方面尚有待改進(jìn)，并需要提高居民的平均生活水平。

For all the awe that their economies create, China and India rank 34th and 48th respectively in the World Economic Forum’s global competitiveness index. Their low ranking reflects the need for these economies to improve many aspects of their markets and average living standards before they can be compared with advanced economies.

中國(guó)需要改善其高等教育、金融市場(chǎng)和培訓(xùn)領(lǐng)域，而印度則受到宏觀經(jīng)濟(jì)不穩(wěn)、健康和教育體系落后以及勞動(dòng)力市場(chǎng)效率低下的困擾。印度今年的排名略有下滑。

China needs to improve its higher education, financial markets and training, while India, falling slightly down this year’s league, is plagued by macroeconomic instability, poor health and education systems and low labour market efficiency.

但在分類指數(shù)中，中國(guó)在國(guó)內(nèi)市場(chǎng)規(guī)模和外國(guó)市場(chǎng)準(zhǔn)入方面分別排在第二位和位，而印度則在創(chuàng)新方面排在第四位。

But in the sub-indices, the size of China’s domestic market and its access to foreign markets are ranked 2nd and 1st respectively, while India ranks 4th on innovation.

BEC中級(jí)閱讀材料：英國(guó)工資減少工資差別

英國(guó)工資減少工資差別

牛津大學(xué)(Oxford University)的一份報(bào)告顯示，引入工資已導(dǎo)致薪資級(jí)別受到擠壓，這“在消除工資差別，同時(shí)在影響對(duì)高技能的獎(jiǎng)賞和激勵(lì)?！?/p>

The introduction of the minimum wage has led to pay levels being compressed, “destroying differentials and removing rewards and incentives for improving skills”, according to a report by Oxford University.

英國(guó)零售商協(xié)會(huì)(British Retail Consortium)委托進(jìn)行的這項(xiàng)研究顯示，接待行業(yè)96%的員工以及零售和批發(fā)行業(yè)75%的員工拿到的都是工資，今年10月，英國(guó)工資將升至?xí)r薪5.35英鎊至5.52英鎊。

The study, commissioned by the British Retail Consortium, found that 96 per cent of workers in the hospitality industry and 75 per cent of retail and wholesale workers earned the minimum wage, which is due to rise from ￡5.35 to ￡5.52 an hour in October.

自1999年實(shí)行工資標(biāo)準(zhǔn)以來，英國(guó)工資已提高46%，為逾100萬員工提供了經(jīng)濟(jì)安全保障。歐盟(EU)統(tǒng)計(jì)機(jī)構(gòu)歐盟統(tǒng)計(jì)局(Eurostat)的一份報(bào)告顯示，在20個(gè)歐盟成員國(guó)中，英國(guó)工資水平排名第三，幾乎是美國(guó)聯(lián)邦標(biāo)準(zhǔn)的兩倍。

Britain’s minimum wage, which has risen by 46 per cent since it was introduced in 1999, provides a financial safety net for more than 1m workers. It is the third highest out of 20 European Union nations and almost twice the US federal level according to a report from Eurostat, the EU’s statistical arm.

英國(guó)零售商協(xié)會(huì)表示，低收入委員會(huì)(Low Pay Commission)確定工資水平的方法，應(yīng)考慮到一個(gè)事實(shí)：即工資已成為數(shù)十萬員工的工資標(biāo)準(zhǔn)，而非基本工資基數(shù)。

The BRC says the way rates are set by the Low Pay Commission should take into the account the fact that the minimum wage has become the norm rather than a basic pay floor for hundreds of thousands of workers.

英國(guó)零售商協(xié)會(huì)會(huì)長(zhǎng)凱文?霍金斯(Kevin Hawkins)表示，遏制通脹因素的工資漲幅已開始影響到雇主創(chuàng)造新就業(yè)崗位的能力。英國(guó)零售商協(xié)會(huì)表示，低收入委員會(huì)不應(yīng)“試圖成為雇主和工會(huì)不同出價(jià)之間的裁判”，而是應(yīng)以各行業(yè)薪資中值和生產(chǎn)率的變化為指引。

Inflation-busting rises have begun to undermine the ability of employers to create new jobs, says Kevin Hawkins, BRC director-general. The Low Pay Commission instead of “trying to act as a referee between conflicting bids from employers and unions” should be guided by movements in median wages and productivity in individual sectors, says BRC.

英國(guó)零售商協(xié)會(huì)警告稱：“許多雇主，特別是那些在零售業(yè)等競(jìng)爭(zhēng)激烈、普遍處于通縮市場(chǎng)上經(jīng)營(yíng)的雇主，發(fā)現(xiàn)他們的薪資結(jié)構(gòu)受到了擠壓。因此，那些出錢培訓(xùn)員工、支持員工再教育、并希望能夠認(rèn)可并獎(jiǎng)勵(lì)員工新增技能和技能提高的企業(yè)，無力做到這些?！?/p>

It warns: “Many employers, particularly those who operate in fiercely competitive and generally deflationary markets such as retailing, have seen their pay structures compressed. As a result, those who invest in training their staff and supporting further education and who want to be able to recognise and reward new and enhanced skills are un-able to do so.”

薪資福利專業(yè)機(jī)構(gòu)IDS 2005年年底進(jìn)行的一項(xiàng)研究顯示，在引入工資制后，超市已削減了薪資等級(jí)的數(shù)量，在一家超市，已“引入了單一的副主管薪資等級(jí)”。

A study at the end of 2005 by IDS, the pay and benefits specialists, reported that supermarkets had reduced the number of pay grades and in one case had “introduced a single sub-supervisor grade” following the introduction of the minimum wage.

英國(guó)零售商協(xié)會(huì)表示：“如果工資繼續(xù)以近來的平均速度增長(zhǎng)，那么就業(yè)率將下降，雇主也會(huì)發(fā)現(xiàn)自己無力獎(jiǎng)勵(lì)技能高超的員工、保持薪資差距并提供寶貴的非薪資福利。包括零售業(yè)在內(nèi)的多個(gè)行業(yè)已感受到這些影響。”

The BRC said: “If the minimum wage continues to grow at its recent average rate, employment will fall and employers will find themselves unable to reward skills, preserve wage differentials and provide valued non-wage benefits. These effects are already being felt in several sectors, including retail.”

然而，英國(guó)職工大會(huì)(TUC)秘書長(zhǎng)弗朗西斯?奧格拉迪(Frances O’Grady)表示：“工資標(biāo)準(zhǔn)已發(fā)揮了作用，因?yàn)檫@個(gè)標(biāo)準(zhǔn)由低收入委員會(huì)確定，該委員會(huì)將雇主和工會(huì)代表組織在一起，討論對(duì)英國(guó)經(jīng)濟(jì)為有利的政策。用機(jī)械的指數(shù)來替代這一成功的合作過程，將是愚蠢的。”