Venezuelan minimum wage hits rock bottom: $2 a month

　　委内瑞拉最低工资降至谷底：每月2美元

　　This Friday for the first time, millions of Venezuelans were paid $1 for their half-monthly wages or pensions, as the unprecedented crisis lowered the monthly minimum wage to $2 and has most citizens living in misery with no sign the situation will improve anytime soon.

　　上周五，一场前所未有的危机使得委内瑞拉每月的最低工资降至了2美元，数百万委内瑞拉人第一次只领到1美元的半月工资或养老金，大部份人民都生活在痛苦之中，并且没有迹象表明情况会很快好转。

　　With the US dollar worth around 20,000 bolivars, the minimum wage of 40,000 bolivars set by the government is worth $2 a month, not enough to buy a kilo (2 pounds) of meat or a carton of eggs.

　　由于1美元相当于2万玻利瓦尔，因此政府设定的每月4万玻利瓦尔的工资仅相当于2美元，不足以买一公斤肉或一盒鸡蛋。

　　Between retirees and working employees there are almost 10 million people who were paid the equivalent of 1 dollar this Friday, according to the official quote of the Banco Central (BCV), because on the parallel market, which governs all economic activity, the local currency is even more devalued.

　　根据中央银行（BCV）的官方数据，在退休人员和在职员工的范围内，有近1000万人在本周五领取了相当于1美元的工资，并且由于平行市场管理着所有的经济活动，当地货币的贬值幅度更大。

　　Being optimistic and with a little luck, any Venezuelans who earn that amount monthly can buy a pack of corn flour and a kilo (2 lbs.) of sugar. Once those products are used up in two or three days, they’ll have to wait until the next payday to replenish their larders.

　　乐观一点，再加上一点运气，任何一个月收入达到这个数字的委内瑞拉人都可以买一包玉米粉和一公斤（2磅）糖。一旦在两三天内吃完了，他们将不得不等到下一个发薪日来填补他们的储食柜。

　　Over the last 30 days, the local currency - the bolivar - was devalued 50 percent against the dollar, which now costs double the amount it did at the end of July, all within a hyperinflation that boosts the prices of goods and services several times a day.

　　在过去的30天里，当地货币玻利瓦尔对美元贬值了50%，现在美元的价格是7月底的两倍，这一切都是在恶性通货膨胀的影响下产生的，这种恶性通货膨胀每天会数次推高商品和服务的价格。

　　However, the government does deposit bonuses almost monthly to some 10 million Venezuelans for different reasons, but never more than 100,000 bolivars, or $5, which will buy 2 kilos (4 lbs.) of detergent.

　　虽然政府几乎每个月都会以不同的理由向近1000万委内瑞拉人发放津贴，但数额从来没有超过10万玻利瓦尔（约合5美元），这点钱只能购买2公斤（4磅）的洗涤剂。

　　Meanwhile, some companies pay their employees bonuses in dollars so they won’t quit, while more than a million families receive remittances from the approximately five million Venezuelans who fled the country over the last six years to escape the crisis.

　　同时，一些公司以美元向员工发放津贴，以此留住他们，在过去6年间，大约有500万委内瑞拉人为躲避危机逃离了自己的国家，他们外出打工以供养国内的100多万个家庭。

　　(全文共312个词)

　　重难点词汇：

　　misery  n. 痛苦，悲惨；不幸；苦恼；穷困

　　devalue  vt. 使贬值；降低…的价值 vi. 贬值

　　hyperinflation  n. 恶性通货膨胀

　　detergent  n. 清洁剂；去垢剂

　　remittance ] n. 汇款；汇寄之款；汇款额