文 / 王不留（微信公众号：考研英语笔记）
The World in 2022: why this will be the year of the worker
Lockdowns hit workers hard. In the pandemic’s first year, working hours declined globally by 9%. Some analysts worry that labourers will struggle to secure jobs or find themselves replaced by robots. Yet labour markets have recovered faster than expected, and three factors give further cause for optimism.
The first is the rise of working from home, boosting both happiness and productivity. Second, fears over automation may be exaggerated. Analysis by The Economist shows that jobs supposedly vulnerable to mechanisation are growing as quickly as other sorts. Finally, policymakers have prioritised reducing unemployment ahead of other recovery goals, such as cutting public debt. Workers now have more bargaining power than they have had in years, and employers are finding unattractive jobs hard to fill. After a decade in which bosses mostly had the upper hand, workers will look to ensure that 2022 is their year.
The World in 2022: why this will be the year of the worker
2022年的世界：为什么这是打工人之年？
Lockdowns hit workers hard. In the pandemic’s first year, working hours declined globally by 9%. Some analysts worry that labourers will struggle to secure jobs or find themselves replaced by robots. Yet labour markets have recovered faster than expected, and three factors give further cause for optimism.
（防疫采取的）封锁措施严重打击了工作者（的生存处境）。疫情开始第一年，全球工作时间减少了9%。有些分析人士担心，劳动者将难找工作，或发现已被机器人取代。然而，劳动力市场快速复苏超过预期，有三个因素让人更加乐观。
pandemic 流行病 ; 大流行病 ; 大流行的 ; 普遍的，全世界的
declined 减少 ; 下降 ; 衰弱 ; 衰退 ; 谢绝 ; 婉言拒绝 ; 变格，使发生词形变化 ; decline的过去分词和过去式
globally 全球地
labourers 体力劳动者，劳工，工人 ; labourer的复数
robots 机器人 ; 交通信号灯 ; robot的复数
labour markets 劳动力市场 ; labour market的复数
recovered 恢复健康 ; 康复 ; 痊愈 ; 复原 ; 恢复常态 ; 全额收回 ; 追回 ; recover的过去分词和过去式
optimism 乐观主义 ; 乐观
The first is the rise of working from home, boosting both happiness and productivity. Second, fears over automation may be exaggerated. Analysis by The Economist shows that jobs supposedly vulnerable to mechanisation are growing as quickly as other sorts. Finally, policymakers have prioritised reducing unemployment ahead of other recovery goals, such as cutting public debt. Workers now have more bargaining power than they have had in years, and employers are finding unattractive jobs hard to fill. After a decade in which bosses mostly had the upper hand, workers will look to ensure that 2022 is their year.
首先是居家办公方式的兴起，提升了幸福感和生产率。其次，对自动化的担忧可能被夸大。《经济学人》的分析表明，被认为易受机械化影响的工作与其它类型岗位的增加速度一样快。最后，政策制定者已将降低失业率置于削减公共债务等其它复苏目标之前。工作者现在的议价能力比过去几年都要强，雇主发现缺乏吸引力的工作难招到人。在老板们大多占上风的十年之后，工作者将努力确保2022年是他们作主之年。
boosting 使增长 ; 使兴旺 ; 偷窃 ; 提高；促进；推动；升 ; boost的现在分词
fears 害怕 ; 畏惧 ; 惧怕 ; 担心 ; 担忧 ; 恐怕 ; fear的第三人称单数
exaggerated 夸张的 ; 夸大的 ; 言过其实的 ; 故作姿态的 ; 矫揉造作的 ; 夸张 ; 夸大 ; 言过其实 ; exaggerate的过去分词和过去式
supposedly 据推测 ; 据说 ; 据信 ; 据传
vulnerable 脆弱的 ; 易受…伤害的
mechanisation 机械化；机理
sorts 种类 ; 类别 ; 品种 ; 某一种人 ; 分类 ; 排序 ; 整理 ; 把…分类 ; 妥善处理 ; 安排妥当 ; sort的第三人称单数和复数
ahead of 在…前面 ; 早于 ; 领先
such as 例如 ; 像 ; 象…这样 ; 诸如…之类
public debt 公债，国家债务
bargaining power 讨价还价的能力
they have 他们有 ; 他们刚点了吃的 ; 他们在家吃早餐
unattractive 不吸引人的 ; 难看的 ; 不悦目的 ; 不漂亮的 ; 不好的 ; 无趣的 ; 令人反感的
look to 寄望 ; 指望 ; 依靠 ; 考虑 ; 预想 ; 展望
王不留(wbliu85)注：
文章最后，让我们看看“有数青年观察局”近期制作的一份关于打工人的调查报告。
今天的经济学人全英文早报请看 ->> “The Economist Espresso 20211230” 。
