背景知识 2011年,一股寒流曾袭击美国得州并造成大停电。但得州政府明知严寒会威胁电力系统,却任由各私人电力公司决定是否改造设备,致使多数公司出于成本考虑并未进行改造。
私人资本与逐利属性是美国电网发展的基因。这样的私人电力公司,自然不会为偶发的极端气候而多花钱升级电网设备,更不会主动并入其他地区的电网,丢掉自己独享的“肥肉”。毕竟,真遇到缺电时,电价可以临时涨价。与实实在在的利润相比,民众的挨饿受冻又算什么呢? 正文阅读 usutilitiesshut offpower to millions amidrecordcorporate profits 美国公用事业公司在创纪录的利润中关闭了数百万人的电力供应 点击查看翻译some of america’s largest utilities cut power to millions ofstrugglingcustomers in recent years even as they spent billions of dollars onstock buybacks,dividendpayments toshareholdersand executive salaries, a new analysis of industry data has found. the report also reveals that companies could use justatinyfraction oftheir investor and executive spending toforgivedebt at all households where power was cut. the shutoffsdisproportionatelyaffect low-income customers and those from communities of color, and the “harrowing” situation is driven by corporateprofiteering, said selah goodson bell, a study co-author and energy justicecampaignerwith the center for biological diversity. 一项对行业数据的新分析发现,近年来,美国一些最大的公用事业公司在回购股票、向股东支付股息和支付高管薪酬方面花费了数十亿美元,但却为数百万陷入困境的客户切断了电力供应。报告还显示,公司只需用投资者和高管支出的一小部分,就可以免除所有断电家庭的债务。该研究的合著者、生物多样性中心的能源正义活动家塞拉·古德森·贝尔说,停电对低收入客户和有色人种社区的影响尤为严重,这种“令人痛苦”的局面是由企业追逐暴利推动的。 点击查看翻译losing power has an oftendevastatingimpact on a household, includingin terms ofhealth and safety. “shutoffs allow corporate utilities to punish customers’ economicprecaritywhileguaranteeingrecord profits and massive payouts for themselves and their investors,” the authors wrote in the report. it wascompiledwith the utility industry analyst energy and policy institute andbailoutwatch. 停电往往会对家庭造成毁灭性的影响,包括对健康和安全方面的影响。报告的作者们在报告中写道:“停电让公用事业公司得以惩罚客户的经济不稳定,同时为自己和投资者保证创纪录的利润和巨额支出。”该报告由公用事业行业分析机构——能源与政策研究协会和紧急财政援助观察联合编制。 点击查看翻译in the 30 states where shutoff data was available, utilities cut s ervice 1.5m times during the first 10 months of 2022, and an estimated 4.2m timesnationwide. the report also reveals the issue is worsening: the number of electric shutoffsjumpedby nearly one-third and gas shutoffsspikedby 76% between 2021 and the first 10 months of 2022. 在有停电数据的30个州,公用事业公司在2022年的前10个月切断了150万次服务,全国范围内估计为420万次。报告还显示,这一问题正在恶化:从2021年到2022年的前10个月,电力关停的数量增加了近三分之一,而天然气关停的数量则增加了76%。 点击查看翻译今日单词 utility/ju??t?l?ti/ n. 公用事业;
shut off 关掉;
record/?rek?rd/ adj. 创纪录的;
struggling/?str?ɡl??/ adj. 艰难奋斗的,苦苦挣扎的;
stock buybacks 股票回购;
dividend/?d?v?dend/ n. 红利,股息;
shareholder/??erho?ld?r/ n. 股东,股票持有者;
a fraction of 小部分;少量;一点儿;
forgive/f?r?ɡ?v/ vt. 免除(债务);
disproportionately /?d?spr??p??r??n?tli/ adv. 不成比例地;
harrowing /?h?ro???/ adj. 令人肠断的;使人十分难过的;恐怖的;折磨人的;
profiteering /?prɑ?f??t?r??/ n. 牟取暴利;投机倒把;
campaigner /k?m?pe?n?r/ n.(尤指政治或社会变革的)运动领导者,运动参加者;
devastating /?dev?ste?t??/ adj. 破坏性极大的;毁灭性的;
in terms of 按照;在……方面;
precarity/pr??k??r?ti/ n. 不稳定(收入、工作);动荡;
guarantee/?ɡ?r?n?ti?/ vt. 确保,保证;担保,为……作保;
compile/k?m?pa?l/ vt. 编写(书、列表、报告等);编纂;
bailout/?be?la?t/ n. 紧急财政援助;
nationwide /?ne??n?wa?d/ adv. 在全国;
jump /d??mp/ vi. 突升;猛涨;激增;
spike /spa?k/ vi. 迅速升值;急剧增值; 素材来源 文本选自:the guardian(卫报)
作者:tom perkins
原文发布时间:30 jan. 2023 每日美句 variety is the spice of life. 变化是生活的调味品。 点击下方“阅读原文”查看最新2024考研专业课纸质版全套资料↓↓点击“在看”的小伙伴都能上岸!