《经济学人》双语：Z世代赚钱能力比前几代都强？（Part 2）

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原文标题：
Earning power
Generation Z is unprecedentedly rich
Millennials were poorer at this stage in their lives. So were baby-boomers
赚钱能力
Z世代空前富有
千禧一代在人生的这个阶段更穷，婴儿潮一代也是如此

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Strong wage growth boosts family incomes.

强劲的工资增长提高了家庭收入。

A new paper by Kevin Corinth of the American Enterprise Institute, a think-tank, and Jeff Larrimore of the Federal Reserve assesses Americans’ household income by generation, after accounting for taxes, government transfers and inflation (see chart 4).

美国企业研究所智库的凯文·科林斯和美联储的杰夫·拉里莫尔共同撰写了一篇新论文，在考虑了税收、政府转移支付和通货膨胀后，对各代美国人的家庭收入进行了评估（见图 4）。

Millennials were somewhat better off than Gen X—those born between 1965 and 1980—when they were the same age. Zoomers, however, are much better off than millennials were at the same age.

与X世代（1965-1980年出生）在相同年龄时相比，千禧一代的经济状况略好一些。然而，与千禧一代在相同年龄时相比，Z世代经济状况则要好得多。

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Gen Z’s economic power was on display at a recent concert by Ms Rodrigo in New York.

在近期罗德里戈的纽约演唱会上，Z世代的经济实力得到了展现。

The mostly female teenagers and 20-somethings in attendance had paid hundreds of dollars for a ticket.

到场的大多是十几二十岁的女生，她们花了几百美元买票。

Queues for merchandise stalls, selling $50 T-shirts, stretched around the arena.

售价50美元的T恤摊位前，排队的队伍绕遍了整个场馆。

That is in part because Gen Z-ers who have entered the workplace are earning good money throughout the rich world.

部分原因是，进入职场的Z世代在发达国家获得了可观的收入。

In 2007 the average net income of French people aged 16-24 was 87% of the overall average. Now it is equal to 92%.

2007年，法国16-24岁人群的平均净收入仅为整体平均水平的87%，现在已经攀升至92%。

In a few places, including Croatia and Slovenia, Gen Z-ers are now bringing in as much as the average.
在克罗地亚和斯洛文尼亚等地，Z世代的收入已经达到了平均水平。

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Some Gen Z-ers protest, claiming that higher incomes are a mirage because they do not account for the exploding cost of college and housing.

有些Z世代的人表示抗议，他们认为高收入只是假象，因为他们并没有考虑到大学和住房成本飙升的情况。

After all, global house prices are near all-time highs, and graduates have more debt than before.

毕竟，全球房价已接近历史最高点，而毕业生的债务也比以前更重。

In reality, though, Gen Z-ers are coping because they earn so much.

但事实上，Z世代的人之所以能够应对，是因为他们的收入颇丰。

In 2022 Americans under 25 spent 43% of their post-tax income on housing and education, including interest on debt from college—slightly below the average for under-25s from 1989 to 2019.

2022年，25岁以下的美国人将43%的税后收入用于住房和教育的开支，包括大学贷款利息——略低于1989-2019年25岁以下美国人的平均水平。

Bolstered by high incomes, American Zoomers’ home-ownership rates are higher than millennials’ at the same age (even if they are lower than previous generations’).
由于收入较高，美国Z世代在相同年龄段的自有住房率高于千禧一代（尽管低于前几代）。

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What does this wealth mean?

这个财富意味着什么？

It can seem as if millennials grew up thinking a job was a privilege, and acted accordingly. They are deferential to bosses and eager to please.

千禧一代似乎从小就认为工作是一种特权，并据此行事。他们对老板毕恭毕敬，竭力取悦老板。

Zoomers, by contrast, have grown up believing that a job is basically a right, meaning they have a different attitude to work.

而Z世代则不同，他们从小就认为拥有工作是一项基本权利，因此他们对工作的态度也有所不同。

Last year Gen Z-ers boasted about “quiet quitting”, where they put in just enough effort not to be fired. Others talk of “bare minimum Monday”.

去年，Z世代大谈“在职躺平”，即在工作中投入一点精力保住工作就行。其他人则谈论“极简化星期一”。

The “girlboss” archetype, who seeks to wrestle corporate control away from domineering men, appeals to millennial women.

那些试图从强势的男性手中夺回企业控制权的“女老板”形象，深受千禧一代女性的青睐。

Gen Z ones are more likely to discuss the idea of being “snail girls”, who take things slowly and prioritise self-care.
而Z世代的人则更倾向于做一个“蜗牛女孩”，她们做事不急不躁，优先自我关怀。

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The data support the memes.

数据支持了这些网络流行语。

In 2022 Americans aged between 15 and 24 spent 25% less time on “working and work-related activities” than in 2007.

2022年，15-24岁的美国人花在 “工作和工作相关活动 “上的时间比2007年减少了25%。

Not long ago young people wanted to work a lot more than older people. Now they want to work less.

不久前，年轻人比老年人更希望多工作。但现在他们希望少工作。

According to analysis by Jean Twenge of San Diego State University, the share of American 12th-graders (aged 17 or 18) who see work as a “central part of life” has dropped sharply.
根据圣地亚哥州立大学让·特温格的分析，将工作视为“生活核心”的美国12年级学生（17或18岁）的比例已大幅下降。

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Another consequence is that Gen Z-ers are less likely to be entrepreneurs.

另一个结果是， Z世代成为创业者的可能性较小。

We estimate that just 1.1% of 20-somethings in the EU run a business that employs someone else—and in recent years the share has drifted down.

据我们估计，在欧盟，只有1.1%的二十几岁的年轻人经营着雇佣其他员工的公司，而且近年来这一比例还在逐渐下降。

In the late 2000s more than 1% of the world’s billionaires, as measured by Forbes, a magazine, were millennials.

根据《福布斯》杂志的统计，2000 年代末，全球亿万富翁中有1%以上是千禧一代。

Back then pundits obsessed over ultra-young tech founders, such as Mark Zuckerberg (Facebook), Patrick Collison (Stripe) and Evan Spiegel (Snapchat).

那时，专家们热衷于讨论年轻的科技创始人，例如马克·扎克伯格（Facebook）、帕特里克·科里森（Stripe）和埃文·斯皮格尔（Snapchat）。

Today, by contrast, less than 0.5% on the Forbes list are Zoomers. Who can name a famous Gen Z startup founder?
相比之下，如今福布斯榜单上只有不到 0.5% 的人是Z世代。谁能说出一位著名的Z世代初创企业创始人的名字？

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Gen Z-ers are also producing fewer innovations.

Z世代在创新方面的产出也更少。

According to Russell Funk of the University of Minnesota, young people are less likely to file patents than they were in the recent past.

据明尼苏达大学的罗素·冯克所说，与过去相比，年轻人申请专利的可能性更低。

Or consider the Billboard Hot 100, measuring America’s most popular songs. In 2008, 42% of hits were sung by millennials; 15 years later only 29% were sung by Gen Z-ers.

以美国最受欢迎的歌曲榜单——公告牌百强单曲榜为例，2008年，千禧一代占据了42%的热门歌曲演唱者席位；而15年后，Z世代仅占据了29%的席位。

Taylor Swift, the world’s most popular singer-songwriter, titled her most famous album “1989”, after the year of her birth. The world is still waiting for someone to produce “2004”.
泰勒·斯威夫特是全球最受欢迎的歌手兼词曲作家，她以她的出生年份命名了她最著名的专辑《1989》。世界人民仍在期待有人能创作出《2004》。

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How long will Generation Z’s economic advantage last?

Z世代的经济优势能维持多久呢？

A recession would hit young people harder than others, as recessions always do.

经济衰退总是会对年轻人造成更大的打击。

Artificial intelligence could destabilise the global economy, even if youngsters may in time be better placed to benefit from the disruption.

尽管年轻人最终可能更容易从人工智能带来的经济动荡中获益，但人工智能本身也可能给全球经济带来不稳定因素。

For now, though, Generation Z has a lot to be happy about.

不过，就目前而言，Z世代有很多值得高兴的事情。

Olivia Rodrigo sits at the piano and counsels her fans to be thankful for all that they have. “Growing up is fucking awesome,” she says. “You have all the time to do all the things you want to do.” The time and the money.
奥利维亚·罗德里戈坐在钢琴前，劝说她的歌迷要感谢她们所拥有的一切。她说：“成长真是太棒了，你有足够的时间去做你想做的所有事情。” 有钱又有闲。

（恭喜读完，本篇英语词汇量811/1559左右）
原文出自：2024年4月20日《The Economist》Finance & economics版块

精读笔记来源于：自由英语之路
本文翻译整理: Irene
本文编辑校对: Irene
仅供个人英语学习交流使用。

【补充资料】（来自于网络）
奥利维亚·罗德里戈（Olivia Rodrigo），2003年出生于美国加利福尼亚，2015年出演电影《格蕾丝煽动成功》以演员身份正式出道，2018年参演《歌舞青春》而被大众熟知。当地时间2024年4月5日，美国纽约，“娅娅”奥利维亚·罗德里戈于麦迪逊广场花园举办“Sold-Out GUTS”演唱会。

北美流行这样的词汇：在职躺平（quiet quitting），懒女孩工作（lazy-girl jobs），极简化星期一（bare-­minimum Mondays）和周三放假日（weekend Wednesdays）。在职躺平：准时上班，在工作期间只做自己应该做的事情，工作时间到了就准时下班，不再为公司加班，放弃升职加薪的机会。懒女孩工作：一份安全、弹性上下班、能远距离工作、不需要加班、几乎没有上司监督、有闲暇时间可以发展副业，且收入尚属体面的工作。极简化星期一：每周一，尽量减少自己的工作量，只处理最简单不费力的项目，以对抗Monday Blue，让自己可以用最轻松的姿态展开新的一周。周三放假日：指把周末（周六、周日）改为周三、周日，人们声称可以调高工作效率。

很多加拿大的20多岁，30多岁的年轻人虽然没有产生这样的工作倦怠，他们愿意工作，但是他们也希望打破人们长期以来对于野心、金钱和财富的盲目追求，反而更希望“软生活”（soft life）——工作不是全部，工作是为了生活。他们不愿意将大部分醒着的时间交给老板或者工作，宁愿收入减少，也要有更多的时间和家人朋友在一起，投入到爱好和兴趣中，少一些职业责任，少一些压力、职场PUA和阴阳怪气，更快乐地生活。

【重点句子】（3个）
Millennials were somewhat better off than Gen X—those born between 1965 and 1980—when they were the same age. Zoomers, however, are much better off than millennials were at the same age.
与X世代（1965-1980年出生）在相同年龄时相比，千禧一代的经济状况略好一些。然而，与千禧一代在相同年龄时相比，Z世代经济状况则要好得多。

It can seem as if millennials grew up thinking a job was a privilege, and acted accordingly. They are deferential to bosses and eager to please.
千禧一代似乎从小就认为工作是一种特权，并据此行事。他们对老板毕恭毕敬，竭力取悦老板。

Gen Z-ers are less likely to be entrepreneurs.Gen Z-ers are also producing fewer innovations.
Z世代成为创业者的可能性较小。Z世代在创新方面的产出也更少。

自由英语之路