背景: 近日,新西兰发布了 2019 年财政预算案,这份预算案有一个引人注目的名字——“福祉预算”。按照预算的内容,政府不再只以 GDP 作为发展目标,而是将社会福祉作为制定财政预算的依据。新西兰政府每年将投入数十亿资金帮助弱势群体,包括有心理疾病的人、贫困儿童和受家庭暴力侵害的人群等。新西兰也因此成为全球首个制定“福祉预算”的国家。“福祉预算案”究竟是怎么回事?该预算案会对人们的生活产生哪些影响?一起来看《纽约时报》的报道。(本篇课程首发于 2019 年 6 月 9 日,选自 The New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/22/world/asia/new-zealand-wellbeing-budget.html 作者: Charlotte Graham-McLay 文本难度:★★★★☆ 话题难度:★★★★☆ ) New Zealand’s Next Liberal Milestone: A Budget Guided by ‘ Well-Being ’ 新西兰自由开放的又一里程碑:“福祉”预算案 1 It’s being called the next big move by a New Zealand government seen by progressives around the world as a beacon in increasingly populist times: a national budget whose spending is dictated by what best encourages the “ well-being ” of citizens. 在民粹主义日渐盛行的当今时代,新西兰政府被全球进步人士视为一座灯塔。最近,新西兰通过了一项旨在改善居民“福祉”的国家预算案,此举被称为该国政府的又一重大举措。 2 That means that as the center-left government of Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern sets its priorities in the budget unveiled on May 30, it is moving away from more traditional bottom-line measures like productivity and economic growth and instead focusing on goals like community and cultural connection and equity in well-being across generations. 随着总理杰辛达·阿德恩所领导的中间偏左政府在 5 月 30 日公布的预算案中列出其执政的优先事项,这意味着新西兰将放弃生产力和经济增长等传统的务实型衡量标准,转而关注社区与文化交融、代际间的福祉公平等目标。 3 New Zealand is not the only country that is starting to rethink whether blunt economic measurements like GDP are the best gauge of a nation’s success. But there has been no other major country that has so explicitly adopted well-being as its objective, said Richard Layard, a professor at the London School of Economics. 国内生产总值等直截了当的经济指标是不是衡量一个国家成功与否的最佳标准?新西兰并非唯一一个重新考虑这一问题的国家。但据伦敦政治经济学院教授理查德·莱亚德称,至今还没有其它主流国家如此旗帜鲜明地将人们的福祉列为执政目标。 4 Under New Zealand ’ s revised policy, all new spending must advance one of five government priorities: improving mental health, reducing child poverty, addressing the inequalities faced by indigenous Maori and Pacific islands people, thriving in a digital age, and transitioning to a low-emission, sustainable economy. 根据新西兰修订后的政策,所有新的政府开支必须推进以下五个政府优先任务之一:提高人民的心理健康水平;减少儿童贫困;解决土著毛利人和太平洋岛屿居民所面临的社会不公问题;在数字化时代蓬勃发展;以及向低排放、可持续发展型经济转型。 5 While the country may be facing some economic headwinds, New Zealanders have been among the most contented people on the planet, according to the World Happiness Report, which is produced by the United Nations. 尽管该国可能正面临些许经济波动,但据联合国世界福祉报告,新西兰人一直位居全球最幸福的人民之列。 此测试篇选自友邻阅读,旨在了解大家的词汇量。请在阅读原文后填词(配音标作提示,部分词语配例句): Ø 1. __________ /ˈmaɪlstəʊn/ n. 里程碑;(某个发展进程中的)重大事件 Huawei’s 5G technology is a technical ~. 华为的 5G 技术是科技领域的里程 Ø 2. __________ /ˈbʌdʒɪt/ n. 预算案;预算 Ø 3. __________ /ˌwelˈbiːɪŋ/ n. 福祉,福利;健康、幸福的生活状态( the state of feeling happy and healthy ) a patient's ~ 病人良好的身体状态 mental ~ 精神的富足 Ø 4. ________ /muːv/ n. 举措;措施 the next big ~ 下一步重大举措 Ø 5. __________ /ˈbiːkən/ n. 灯塔,烽火;指路明灯 She was a ~ of hope in the troubled times. 在动荡的年代,她是人们的希望之灯。 Ø 6.( 词组 )_______ 确定优先级 To deal with multiple works efficiently, you have to ~~. 想要有效率多线程工作,你必须决定好工作的优先级。 Ø 7. ________ /blʌnt/ adj. 直截了当的 Ø 8.________ /əˈdres/ vt. 应对;处理( deal with ) ~ a problem 解决一个问题 Ø 9.________ /θraɪv/ vi. 蓬勃发展( grow rapidly ) Ø 10. _______ /ˈhedwɪnd/ n. 前行道的阻力;顶风,逆风 When I want to study, social media applications are always strong ~s. 当我想学习的时候,社交媒体转件总是强大的阻力。