终结一分硬币：英语精读讲义

The story of the penny starts in the first US Mint,

一美分硬币的故事始于第一家美国铸币局，

founded in 1792,

该局成立于1792年，

which produced these 1 cent pieces

它制造了这些1美分硬币，

along with other coins including

以及其他硬币，包括

the quarter, dime, half dime,

25美分、10美分、5美分，

and a mystery coin that we'll get back to later. 短語動詞

还有一种我们稍后会提到的神秘硬币。

These pennies of the new republic were born 習語

新共和国的这些一美分硬币

of 100% pure copper,

由100%纯铜制成，

but two forces conspired 習語

但两股力量交织，

to ensure this wouldn't remain the case for long. 短語搭配

使得这种情况没能持续多久。

The value of copper went up, 短語動詞

铜的价值上涨，

and because of inflation,

而且由于通货膨胀，

the buying power of the penny went down.

一美分的购买力下降了。

This caused the Mint to reduce the amount of copper in pennies, 語法

这使得铸币局不得不减少一美分中的含铜量，

first from 100% to 95%

首先从100%降至95%，

and then to only 5% copper and 95% zinc.

然后降至仅含5%的铜和95%的锌。

Despite this debasement in 2006,

尽管成色下降，但在2006年，

the value of the metal in older pennies rose above 1 cent,

旧一美分硬币中的金属价值涨到了1美分以上，

and suddenly they were worth more dead than alive, 習語

突然之间，它们毁掉后比原本更值钱了，

so people melted them to sell the raw copper for profit.

于是人们将其熔化，出售未加工的铜来牟利。

In a rational, efficient world,

在一个理性、高效的世界里，

the story of the penny would have ended here

一美分硬币的故事本该在这里结束，

with the government realizing that they weren't worth minting

政府意识到它们不值得被铸造，

and happy that its citizens were removing them from circulation. 短語搭配

并乐见公民将它们从流通中移除。

But instead, 表達脈絡

但相反，

the government made melting US coins illegal

政府规定熔化美国硬币是违法的，

and continues to manufacture 4 million pennies each year,

并继续每年制造400万枚一美分硬币，

which is idiotic as it costs the US Mint 語法

这种行为十分愚蠢，因为美国铸币局

about 1.8 cents to make each 1 cent penny.

制造一枚1美分的硬币大约要花1.8美分。

But even if pennies were minted from something 語法

但即使一美分是用某种

more representative of their true value,

更能代表其真实价值的东西来铸造，

like plastic or lint,

比如塑料或线头，

it wouldn't fix the fundamental problem

也无法解决这个根本问题：

that pennies are bad for people and the economy.

一美分对人们和经济都不利。

Here's why. 表達脈絡

理由如下。

The purpose of physical cash money

实体现金存在的目的

is to make it easy to transact 語法

是为了方便交易

the everyday business of buying stuff.

日常的购物活动。

A shopkeeper has stuff

店主有商品，

and you want that stuff.

而你想要那件商品。

Rather than bartering like savages for it, 語法

你们不需像野蛮人那样以物易物，

you use cash as a medium of exchange. 用詞

而是使用现金作为交换媒介。

To get the price just right,

为了使价格恰到好处，

the cash must be divisible into pieces

现金必须能被分割成小额，

so that you don't overpay. 語法

这样你才不会多付钱。

But it isn't divided forever

但它不能无限分割下去，

because at some point the value it represents

因为到了某个程度，它代表的价值

is too small to buy anything or the bother with,

会小到买不到任何东西，甚至不值得麻烦，

which brings us back to the penny. 表達脈絡

这就让我们回到了关于一美分的话题。

In the olden days,

在过去，

pennies could actually buy stuff,

一美分确实能买到东西，

but no more.

但现在不行了。

Now,

现在，

if you want to spend pennies,

如果你想花掉一美分，

you're going to have to put in some effort. 短語搭配

你必须要费一番功夫。

For example,

例如，

try to pay for 20 bucks worth of groceries

试着用一美分硬币去付20美元的杂货钱，

with 2,000 pennies weighing 11 pounds

也就是用重达11磅的2000枚一美分硬币，

and see how that works out. 語氣意圖

看看结果如何。

So you have to get rid of them using exact change. 短語動詞

所以你只能靠刚好凑足零钱来摆脱它们。

But because the United States doesn't include sales tax in prices, 文化背景

但是由于美国不像其他更文明的国家那样，

unlike more civilized countries, 語氣意圖

价格是不含消费税的，

and you can't multiply by 8.875% in your head,

而且你无法在脑子里迅速乘以8.875%，

you can't get your change ready before you reach the register

所以你无法在走到收银台前就把零钱准备好，

like a good Samaritan would. 文化背景

像个好心人那样。

The pennies you inevitably fiddle with 用詞

当你得知商品真实价格后，

after discovering the true cost of your goods

你不可避免地翻找一美分硬币的动作，

add 2 seconds to each cash transaction on average,

会使每笔现金交易平均增加2秒钟，

which is less than the value of your time

这个时间是不值得的，

and the time of everyone behind you,

也是对排在你后面的人时间的浪费，

which is why most normal people don't bother messing with change 語法

这就是为什么大多数正常人懒得去理会零钱，

and the usual penny-counting culprits

而那些平常数着一美分的罪魁祸首

are those with nothing better to occupy their day.

通常是那些一整天无所事事的人。

If you want to spend pennies

如果你想花掉一美分，

without being an inconsiderate jerk

又不想成为一个浪费别人时间的

who wastes other people's time,

不顾及他人的混蛋，

perhaps you can find a machine that will accept them.

也许你可以找台能接收它们的机器。

Good luck with that. 語氣意圖

祝你好运。

Vending machines won't take pennies,

自动售货机不收一美分，

neither laundry machines nor toll booths

洗衣机不收，收费站不收，

or parking meters or anything else,

停车咪表或其他任何机器也都不收，

because pennies aren't worth the time and effort to count, 語法

因为一美分不值得花时间和精力去清点、

store, and transport them.

存储和运输。

In fact,

事实上，

there's only one machine that takes pennies,

只有一种机器收一美分，

Coinstar,

那就是 Coinstar。

a leech on the economy that eats 10% of your money 習語

这个经济上的水蛭会吞掉你10%的钱，

while providing nothing in return

并且什么回报都不提供，

except the ability to spend cash that was already yours.

除了让你能花掉本就属于你的现金。

The difficulty of spending pennies

花掉一美分的难度

is why they end up in jars, 短語動詞

解释了为什么它们最终被闲置在罐子里，

dead to the economy after a short, useless life 習語

经历短暂无用的生命后对经济“死”去，

where they failed at their only job,

在这段生命中它们未能完成自己唯一的工作，

to facilitate exchange,

即促进交易，

and instead did the exact opposite

反而起了完全相反的作用，

by being a literal dead weight on every cash transaction.

在每一笔现金交易中成为了十足的“累赘”。

They must be eliminated.

它们必须被消灭。

But, you might think, 表達脈絡

但是，你可能会想，

won't prices rise and charities lose money without the penny?

如果没有了一美分，物价不会上涨，慈善机构不会损失金钱吗？

No.

不会。

New Zealand got rid of their 1 cent coin,

新西兰废除了他们的1分硬币，

as did Oz, 語法

澳大利亚也是，

Finland and the Netherlands ditched the 1 euro cent coin as well, 用詞

芬兰和荷兰同样抛弃了1欧分硬币，

though that might have been because of how absurdly small 語法

虽然那可能是因为1欧分硬币小得离谱，

and frustrating the 1 euro cent is.

用起来令人烦躁。

These countries round to the nearest 5 cents

这些国家在现金交易时

for cash transactions,

舍入到最接近的5分，

and none of them saw prices rise 語法

他们中没有哪个国家出现物价上涨

or charitable donations drop.

或者慈善捐款下降的情况。

And anyway,

无论如何，

the United States has already gone through this process before 短語動詞

美国以前也经历过这个过程，

without trouble.

并且没有遇到任何麻烦。

Remember the mystery coin from the beginning?

还记得开头的那个神秘硬币吗？

That was the half cent.

那是半美分。

Seen one lately? 語氣意圖

最近见过吗？

Of course, you haven't.

当然，你没见过。

It was discontinued in 1857

它在1857年停产了，

for being worth too little. 語法

因为面值太小了。

But when the half-cent coin met its fate, 習語

但当半美分硬币走向终结时，

it had more buying power than today's dime. 用詞

它的购买力比今天的10美分还要强。

So perhaps the list of modern coins to kill

所以也许需要废除的现代硬币清单

could be even larger.

可能还要更长。

There is one last irrational problem

在废除一美分硬币的问题上，还有一个

with getting rid of the penny.

非理性的问题。

Everybody loves Lincoln.

人人都爱林肯。

Well, almost everybody.

好吧，几乎是人人。

After booting off Lady Liberty and the Chief, 文化背景

在把自由女神和酋长踢出局之后，

the US sure has Lincolnified the penny 用詞

美国确实把一美分硬币“林肯化”得

within an inch of its life. 習語

无以复加。

But ditching the penny won't erase him from history.

但抛弃一美分硬币不会把他从历史中抹去。

Lincoln and his monument are still on the $5 bill,

林肯和林肯纪念堂仍然在5美元纸币上，

which isn't going away.

它可不会消失。

And even if you think it's unpatriotic

即使你认为淘汰带有总统头像的硬币

or disrespectful to retire presidential coinage,

是不爱国或不尊重的表现，

allow me to direct you to a little organization 語氣意圖

请允许我向你介绍一个小小组织，

known as the United States military,

叫做美国军队，

where in overseas bases,

在他们的海外基地，

they've already abolished the penny

他们早就废除了一美分，

by automatically rounding to the nearest 5 cents. 語法

采用自动舍入到最接近的5美分的做法。

Sooner or later,

迟早，

even the most ardent Lincoln lovers

即使是最狂热的林肯粉丝

will have to give up the penny.

也将不得不放弃一美分。

They cost more to make than they're worth, 語法

它们的制造成本高于其面值，

they waste people's time,

它们浪费人们的时间，

they don't work as money,

它们起不到钱的作用，

and because of inflation,

而且由于通货膨胀，

they're less valuable every year,

它们每年都在贬值，

making all the other problems worse. 語法

让所有其他问题变得更糟。

Sorry, Abe,

抱歉，亚伯（林肯），

but it's time to kill the penny. 語法

是时候终结一美分了。