2018英语一真题 Text1分析

Posted 2021-03-17 yc-l

原文

Text 1
Among the annoying challenges facing the middle class is one that will probably go unmentioned in the next presidential campaign: What happens when the robots come for their jobs?

Don‘t dismiss that possibility entirely. About half of U.S. jobs are at high risk of being automated, according to a University of Oxford study, with the middle class disproportionately squeezed. Lower-income jobs like gardening or day care don‘t appeal to robots. But many middle-class occupations-trucking, financial advice, software engineering—have aroused their interest, or soon will. The rich own the robots, so they will be fine.

This isn‘t to be alarmist. Optimists point out that technological upheaval has benefited workers in the past. The Industrial Revolution didn‘t go so well for Luddites whose jobs were displaced by mechanized looms, but it eventually raised living standards and created more jobs than it destroyed. Likewise, automation should eventually boost productivity, stimulate demand by driving down prices, and free workers from hard, boring work. But in the medium term, middle-class workers may need a lot of help adjusting.

The first step, as Erik Brynjolfsson and Andrew McAfee argue in The Second Machine Age, should be rethinking education and job training. Curriculums—from grammar school to college—should evolve to focus less on memorizing facts and more on creativity and complex communication. Vocational schools should do a better job of fostering problem-solving skills and helping students work alongside robots. Online education can supplement the traditional kind. It could make extra training and instruction affordable. Professionals trying to acquire new skills will be able to do so without going into debt.

The challenge of coping with automation underlines the need for the U.S. to revive its fading business dynamism: Starting new companies must be made easier. In previous eras of drastic technological change, entrepreneurs smoothed the transition by dreaming up ways to combine labor and machines. The best uses of 3D printers and virtual reality haven‘t been invented yet. The U.S. needs the new companies that will invent them.

Finally, because automation threatens to widen the gap between capital income and labor income, taxes and the safety net will have to be rethought. Taxes on low-wage labor need to be cut, and wage subsidies such as the earned income tax credit should be expanded: This would boost incomes, encourage work, reward companies for job creation, and reduce inequality.

Technology will improve society in ways big and small over the next few years, yet this will be little comfort to those who find their lives and careers upended by automation. Destroying the machines that are coming for our jobs would be nuts. But policies to help workers adapt will be indispensable.

分析

Among the annoying challenges facing the middle class is one that will probably go unmentioned in the next presidential campaign: What happens when the robots come for their jobs?

在有争议的中产阶级的挑战之一，可能在下一次的总统选举中不被提及：如果机器人取代它们的工作会发生什么

Don‘t dismiss that possibility entirely.

不要完全忽略这个东西的可能性

About half of U.S. jobs are at high risk of being automated, according to a University of Oxford study, with the middle class disproportionately squeezed.

在美国，大约有一半的工作都有很高的可能性被自动化，根据牛津大学的一个研究，伴随着中产阶级不成比例地被挤压

Lower-income jobs like gardening or day care don‘t appeal to robots.

像园林或者家政这样的低收入的工作看起来不会被机器人期待

But many middle-class occupations-trucking, financial advice, software engineering—have aroused their interest, or soon will.

但是许多像中产阶级的卡车运输，财务建议，软件工程，已经，或在不久的将来引起了它们的兴趣

The rich own the robots, so they will be fine.

富商拥有这些机器人，所以他们无所谓

This isn‘t to be alarmist.

 

这不是危言耸听

Optimists point out that technological upheaval has benefited workers in the past.

乐观派指出在过去科技上的巨变使得工人受益匪浅

The Industrial Revolution didn‘t go so well for Luddites whose jobs were displaced by mechanized looms, but it eventually raised living standards and created more jobs than it destroyed.

对路德派来说，那些工作被机械放置所替代的人，工业革命路子走得并不顺利，但它最终提高了生活品质并创造了比消失的工作数量更多的工作

Likewise, automation should eventually boost productivity, stimulate demand by driving down prices, and free workers from hard, boring work.

同样地，自动化最终会提高生产效率，通过压低价格刺激需求，从困难、枯燥地工作中解放工人

But in the medium term, middle-class workers may need a lot of help adjusting.

但是在中期，中间阶级地工人可能需要大量地调整

The first step, as Erik Brynjolfsson and Andrew McAfee argue in The Second Machine Age, should be rethinking education and job training.

第一步，正如Erik Brynjolfsson 和 Andrew McAfee 在第二次机器时代讨论的一样，应该重新思考教育和工作培训

Curriculums—from grammar school to college—should evolve to focus less on memorizing facts and more on creativity and complex communication.

从语法学校到大学的课程，应该逐步减少对事实记忆的侧重，更多地关注放在创造力和复杂综合的沟通上面。

Vocational schools should do a better job of fostering problem-solving skills and helping students work alongside robots.

职业学校做好培养促进解决问题的技能的工作，并帮助学生和机器人一同工作

Online education can supplement the traditional kind. It could make extra training and instruction affordable. Professionals trying to acquire new skills will be able to do so without going into debt.

网上教育能够弥补传统种类。它能使人们负担得起额外的培训和教学。想要获得新技能的专业人士将能够在不欠债的情况下做到这一点

The challenge of coping with automation underlines the need for the U.S. to revive its fading business dynamism: Starting new companies must be made easier.

应对处理自动化的挑战凸显了美国对恢复逐渐消失的商业活力的需求：开新的公司一定更简单

In previous eras of drastic technological change, entrepreneurs smoothed the transition by dreaming up ways to combine labor and machines.

在上一个世纪，剧烈的技术变革，企业家想方设法通过结合劳动者和机器，来平稳过渡

The best uses of 3D printers and virtual reality haven‘t been invented yet. The U.S. needs the new companies that will invent them.

3D打印机和虚拟现实的最佳用途还没有被发明出来。美国需要新的公司去做这个事情

Finally, because automation threatens to widen the gap between capital income and labor income, taxes and the safety net will have to be rethought.

最后，由于自动化威胁并扩大了资本收入和劳动收入的差距，需要重新考虑税收和安全结点

Taxes on low-wage labor need to be cut, and wage subsidies such as the earned income tax credit should be expanded: This would boost incomes, encourage work, reward companies for job creation, and reduce inequality.

需要减少低工资的劳动者的缴税量，扩大所得税抵免等工资补贴：这么做可以增加收入，鼓励工作，奖励提供工作岗位的公司，并减少不公平

Technology will improve society in ways big and small over the next few years, yet this will be little comfort to those who find their lives and careers upended by automation.

在下去几年科技会从不同程度和多种方式上提高社会水平，当然了，对那些被自动化颠覆了生活和事业的人来说是非常不爽的

Destroying the machines that are coming for our jobs would be nuts. But policies to help workers adapt will be indispensable.

破坏将要替代我们工作的机器是很疯狂的。但是帮助工人们适应环境变化的政策是不可或缺的