The International Monetary Fund has highlighted the threat posed to the global economy by growing income inequality as the world’s business and political leaders prepare to head off to the World Economic Forum in Davos this week.
在世界商界和政界领袖本周前往达沃斯参加世界经济论坛(WEF)之际,国际货币基金组织(IMF)强调称,收入分配不公的不断扩大已对世界经济构成威胁。
Christine Lagarde, managing director of the IMF, is concerned that the fruits of economic activity in many countries are not being widely shared.
IMF总裁克里斯蒂娜•拉加德(Christine Lagarde)担心,经济活动的果实在许多国家并未得到广泛的分享。
“Business and political leaders at the World Economic Forum should remember that in far too many countries the benefits of growth are being enjoyed by far too few people. This is not a recipe for stability and sustainability,” she told the Financial Times.
她对英国《金融时报》表示:“出席世界经济论坛的商界和政界领袖应当铭记,在太多国家,增长带来的好处只被太少的人分享。这不利于世界的稳定和可持续发展。”
The World Economic Forum has identified the gap between the rich and poor as an important theme for this year’s gathering.
世界经济论坛已将贫富差距问题列为今年会议的一项重要主题。
The message is hitting home. Shinzo Abe, Japan’s prime minister, is coming to Switzerland with the message that Japanese companies must raise wages, while the government of David Cameron, his UK counterpart who is also attending the forum, called for a large inflation-busting rise in the British minimum wage last week.
这一信息正引发回应。日本首相安倍晋三(Shinzo Abe)将在瑞士表示:日本企业必须给员工涨薪。同样将出席论坛的英国首相戴维•卡梅伦(David Cameron)上周则呼吁,英国应以超出通胀的幅度大幅提高最低工资标准。
Tony Abbott, the Australian prime minister, will outline his country’s ambitions as chair of the Group of 20 leading economies this year in Davos. Ensuring progress is made on tackling multinational corporation tax avoidance is high in Australia’s priorities.
作为20国集团(G20)轮值主席国澳大利亚的总理,托尼•阿博特(Tony Abbott)将在达沃斯阐述该国的雄心。确保在解决跨国公司避税问题上取得进展,将是澳大利亚的一项优先议程。
The change in sentiment comes as campaigners argue that the world’s population has rarely had such unequal access to wealth and power. In a report published today, Oxfam, the charity, used the Forbes rich list to calculate that the $1.7tn in wealth owned by the world’s richest 85 people equals that shared between the bottom half of the world’s population.
就在舆论风向改变之际,活动人士认为,世界人口的财富和权力分配从未像现在这样不公平。慈善机构乐施会(Oxfam)今天发布了一份报告,利用福布斯(Forbes)富豪榜计算出,世界最富有的85个人拥有的1.7万亿美元财富,相当于世界收入较低的一半人口拥有的财富之和。
Winnie Byanyima, Oxfam executive director, who will attend the Davos meetings, said: “It is staggering that in the 21st century, half of the world’s population – that’s three and a half billion people – own no more than a tiny elite whose numbers could all fit comfortably on a double-decker bus.”
即将参加达沃斯会议的乐施会执行董事维尼•比扬依玛(Winnie Byanyima)表示:“时值21世纪,占世界一半人口的35亿人拥有的财富居然仍不比一小撮富得流油的精英人士拥有的多,这简直令人难以置信。”
As well as discussing geopolitics, economics and business in Davos, the audience has poverty and inequality on the agenda and can leave the conference hall to study an interactive experience of a day in the life of Syrian refugees.
在达沃斯论坛上,除讨论地缘政治、经济和商业问题之外,与会者还要讨论贫困和不平等问题,并可能离开会议室、去对叙利亚难民一天的生活做一番互动式体验。