【新闻精讲】

Measured by its Gini coefficient, Singapore is among the world's most unequal countries.
如果根据基尼系数来衡量，新加坡是世界上最不平等的国家之一。
Measure
1. 测量
例：Measure the length and width of the gap.
测量一下这个裂口的长度和宽度。
2. 标准
例：That is a measure of how bad things have become at the bank.
那就是银行的局面已经糟糕到何种程度的衡量标准。
3. 措施
例：The government warned that police would take tougher measures to contain the trouble.
政府警告说警察将采取更为强硬的措施来制止这场动乱。
Gini coefficient
基尼系数，是1943年美国经济学家阿尔伯特•赫希曼根据劳伦茨曲线所定义的判断收入分配公平程度的指标。基尼系数是比例数值，在0和1之间，是国际上用来综合考察居民内部收入分配差异状况的一个重要分析指标。

The comparison is unfair: Singapore is also a city, and Hong Kong, New York and London all have higher Gini coefficients than it does.
这种比较方法是不公平的：新加坡是一个城市，而同为城市的香港、纽约和伦敦的基尼系数都比它高。
Compare
1. 比较
Our road safety record compares favourably with that of other countries.
我们的道路安全纪录比其他国家的好。
2. 认为…像…
例：Some commentators compared his work to that of James Joyce.
一些评论员认为他的作品像詹姆士•乔伊斯的作品。

But Singapore measures its coefficient rather differently, excluding shorter-term foreign workers and non-working families.
不过新加坡测量基尼系数的方法与众不同，不包括短期的外籍劳工和非工作家庭。
And, understandably, it includes employers' CPF contributions as income.
而且可以理解的是该计算方法将劳工的公积金上缴额包含在收入内。
Rather
1. 而不是
例：The problem was psychological rather than physiological.
这是个心理而不是生理问题。
2. 相当地
例：,I grew up in rather unusual circumstances.
我在相当不寻常的环境中长大。
Exclude # include

Since these are capped for higher-paid workers, that narrows the income gap.
因为这些措施限制了高薪者的收入，缩小了贫富差距。
Cap
1. 软扁帽; 便帽
a dark blue baseball cap.
…一顶深蓝色的棒球帽。
2. 限制
But once that target has been hit, production will be capped, with no plans for further expansion.
但由于没有进一步扩大的计划，一旦此目标达成，生产将受到限制。
income gap 收入差距
例句:The force of economic convergence depends on the income gap between developing and developed countries.
经济整合的力量取决于发展中国家和发达国家的收入差距。

Egalitarians are troubled by Singapore's reliance on several hundred thousand low-paid foreigners.
新加坡对于数十万低收入外籍劳工的依赖困扰着平等主义者。
Egalitarian
平等主义的
例：I still believe in the notion of an egalitarian society.
我仍然相信平等主义社会的理念。

They are ubiquitous on building sites.
建筑工地随处可见他们的身影。
Many live in crowded dormitories or worse.
许多人住在拥挤的宿舍或者更糟的地方。
Ubiquitous
无所不在的
例：Sugar is ubiquitous in the diet.
糖在饮食中到处可见。

The frustrations some suffer were exposed by a riot in December 2013 after an Indian construction worker, on his Sunday off, was run over and killed by a bus.
2013年12月，一名印度籍建筑工人星期日休假时被一辆公共汽车碾死，一些人的挫折感在这次事件中暴露无遗。
Frustration挫败
例：The government has deliberately frustrated his efforts to gain work permits for his foreign staff.
政府蓄意挫败了他为其外国员工取得工作许可证的努力。
Riot 暴乱
Twelve inmates have been killed during a riot at the prison.
十二名囚犯在该监狱里的一次暴乱中丧生。
run over 碾过；匆匆看
例句:He was run over by a train.
他被火车轧了

But such events are highly unusual.
但这样的事件是极不寻常的。
Lee Hsien Loong thinks Singapore should not fret overly about its inequality rankings.
李显龙认为新加坡不应过度担心不平等排名。
Fret
担心
例：I was working all hours and constantly fretting about everyone else's problems.
我一刻不停地工作着，还一直担心着其他人的问题。

“If I can get another ten billionaires to move to Singapore,” he said in 2013, “my Gini coefficient will get worse but I think Singaporeans will be better off, because they will bring in business, bring in opportunities, open new doors and create new jobs.”
2013年他说，“如果我能让另外十大亿万富豪搬到新加坡，我国的基尼系数将变得更糟。但我认为新加坡人将过更好的，因为他们将带来生意、机会，开启新的大门、创造新的工作。”
get worse 转坏；变糟糕的
例句:In fact, things could get worse in the short run.
事实上，事情在短期内可能会变得更加糟糕。
better off 富裕的；状况好的
例句:He's much better off than before.
他手头比过去宽多了。

A generation ago people at all levels of society believed that a rising tide would lift all ships: they were better off than their parents, and knew their children would be better off still.
建国一代的社会各层人民一致认为，水涨船高，惠泽众生——他们过得比父母们好，而他们的孩子将会更好。
Tide
1. 潮水
例：The tide was at its highest.
潮水那时正处于最高位。
2. (观点的) 一群
例：The tide of opinion seems overwhelmingly in his favour.
大部分人的观点似乎对他极为有利。

But that may no longer be true.
但这种理论可能再也站不住脚。
In April, in one of a stimulating series of lectures to mark SG50, Ho Kwon Ping, a successful businessman, discussed waning faith in meritocracy.
4月份，在一场纪念新加坡建国50周年激动人心的系列演讲中，功成名就的商人何光平讨论了对精英体制衰落的信心。
Stimulating 激励的
例：It is a complex yet stimulating book.
这是一本复杂却能引发兴趣的书。
Wane
减弱; 减少
例：While his interest in these sports began to wane, a passion for lacrosse developed.
他对这些运动项目的兴趣开始减退的同时，对长曲棍球的兴趣却浓厚起来。

He warned that “the original social leveller”, the education system, may now “perpetuate intergenerational class stratification”.
他警告说，“原先的社会平衡器”——教育系统，现在反而固化了代际的阶层分化。
Leveller 平衡器
Perpetuate 使继续 (尤指情形、体系或信仰)
例：We must not perpetuate the religious divisions of the past.
我们绝不能使过去的宗教分裂继续下去。
Stratification (社会的)阶层分化
例：She was concerned about the stratification of American society.
她以前很关注美国社会的阶层分化。

Only 40% of the children in the most prestigious primary schools live in HDB flats, home to about 80% of all children.
全国生活在政府组屋的儿童达80%，其中只有40%就读于最负盛名小学。
Prestigious
有声望的
例：It's one of the best equipped and most prestigious schools in the country.
它是该国设备最好、最有声望的学校之一。

Singapore's government, unlike New York's or London's, is its citizens' overall tax authority, and its tax system is regressive.
与纽约或伦敦的政府不同，新加坡政府是公民的总体税务机关，并且是递减的征税体制。
Regressive
1. 递减
2. 回归的，（数学）
比如 regressive curve 回归曲线
3. (行为、活动或过程)退化的; 倒退的
例：...some of the symptoms of regressive behaviours: thumb sucking, bed wetting, having problems sleeping.
...倒退行为的一些症状：吮姆指、尿床和睡眠不好。

It has no capital-gains or inheritance taxes, and income tax is low: even after a recent rise, the top rate is 22%.
没有资本收益税和遗产税，所得税很低——即使最近涨了，所得税最高税率才22%。
Top
1. 最高的; 最快的
The vehicles have a top speed of 80 miles per hour.
这些车的最高时速达80英里。
2. 排名前多少
TOP 5 前五名

In future elections it will face growing pressure to redistribute wealth more actively.
在未来的选举中，新加坡政府在更加积极分配社会财富方面将面临日渐增长的压力。
Wealth
1. 财富
例：Economic reform has brought relative wealth to peasant farmers.
经济改革使农民相对富裕起来。
2. 大量的
例：Their websites contain a wealth of information on the topic.
他们的网站上有大量与该主题相关的信息。

At every stage it will balk, wary of the “slippery slope” towards effete welfarism. But it has the resources.
在每个阶段，它都拒绝并且担心滑向无能的福利主义。但是它还有很多资源可以利用。
Balk 阻止; 反对
例：Even biology undergraduates may balk at animal experiments.
即使是生物专业的大学生都可能会反对动物实验。
Wary 小心的; 提防的
例：People did not teach their children to be wary of strangers.
人们以前没教过自己的孩子们要提防陌生人。
slippery slope
灾难性的急剧下滑