美國人不堪重負！一年內只工作不娛樂，罪魁禍首竟是特朗普？

All work and no play: Americans skip leisure activities because of cost, survey finds

只工作不娛樂：調查發現，美國人不參加休閑活動，因為成本問題

來源：NBC新聞翻譯：世界播

Fans leave Yankee Stadium in New York on Aug. 12, 2019. Frank Franklin II/AP

2019年8月12日，球迷們離開紐約洋基體育場。弗蘭克·富蘭克林二世/美聯社

Americans are passing up everything from ballgames to brunch, citing high prices and the burden of everyday bills.

美國人放棄了從球賽到聚餐等一切活動，理由是高昂的物價和日常賬單的負擔。

A new Bankrate.com survey found that roughly two-thirds of Americans say they』ve skipped out on a recreational activity such as an overnight trip, sporting event, concert or dining out within the past year because of how much it cost.

Bankrate.com網站的一項最新調查發現，大約三分之二的美國人表示，他們在過去一年裡沒有參加任何娛樂活動，比如通宵旅行、體育賽事、音樂會或外出就餐，原因是這些活動的花費太高。

「It underscores the struggle that many Americans are constantly dealing with, with respect to their personal finances,」 said Mark Hamrick, senior economic analyst at Bankrate.com.

Bankrate.com高級經濟分析師馬克?哈姆里克表示：「這突顯出許多美國人在個人財務方面經常面臨的困境。」

Among the survey respondents who said cost has impacted their leisure activities, more than 40 percent said they』ve decided not to take a vacation (defined in the survey as one or more nights away from home). About one-third said they』ve declined to attend a concert or play, and 28 percent said they』ve passed on an occasion to dine out. Roughly one in four said they』ve skipped sporting events, amusement parks, zoos, aquariums and even going to the movies. (Respondents could choose multiple answers.)

在認為花銷影響休閑活動的受訪者中，超過40%表示他們放棄了去度假（調查中定義為離開家一個或多個晚上）。約三分之一的人說他們拒絕去看音樂會或演出，28%的人說他們放棄了外出就餐的可能性。大約四分之一的人說，他們跳過了體育賽事、遊樂園、動物園、水族館，甚至去看電影。（受訪者可以選擇多個答案。）

Predictably, some demographics were hit harder than others: About three-quarters each of adults under the age of 35 and parents with kids under the age of 18 said they couldn』t afford a recreational activity over the past year.

可以預見的是，部分人受到的影響比其他人更嚴重：在35歲以下的成年人中，約有四分之三的人以及孩子年齡在18歲以下的父母表示，他們在過去一年裡負擔不起娛樂活動。

The roots of that unaffordability varied, and Hamrick said the responses are indicative of how we view our disposable income today. Half of respondents who said they didn』t participate in recreation because of the cost said it was because the activity was either too expensive or a poor value.

這種負擔不起的根源各不相同，哈姆里克說，這些結果反映了我們如何看待我們今天的可支配收入。一半的受訪者表示，他們不參加娛樂活動是因為費用太高，或者是因為娛樂活動的價值太低。

「To the extent that we have a sense that consumers have placed more of a priority on spending for experiences over the last decade… there is a downside in the increased interest in experiences,」 Hamrick said. 「They』re not like a good that one takes home and gets some enjoyment out of for a prolonged period of time.」

哈姆里克說：「從某種程度上說，我們認為消費者在過去10年里更重視體驗支出……對體驗興趣的增加也有負面影響。它們不像那種可以帶回家、長時間享受的東西。」

Other responses reveal how Americans are thinking about what they can afford now — and will be able to afford in the future. Bankrate found that 43 percent of respondents said they didn』t have enough money for leisure activities after paying everyday bills. Nearly as many — 41 percent — said they were trying to save money for something else. More than one in five said they were trying to pay off credit card bills, and 13 percent cited student loans.

其他的回答揭示了美國人是如何思考他們現在能負擔得起什麼，以及將來能負擔得起什麼。Bankrate網站發現，43%的受訪者表示，在支付了日常賬單後，他們沒有足夠的錢用於休閑活動。幾乎同樣多的人（41%）表示，他們正在努力為其他事情省錢。超過五分之一的人表示，他們正在努力還清信用卡賬單，13%的人提到了學生貸款。

Data indicates that high housing costs could be contributing to the crunch: According to ATTOM Data Solutions, median prices on single-family homes and condos rose nearly 11 percent from the first to the second quarter of 2019, hitting a record high of $266,000.

數據顯示，高房價可能是造成困境的原因之一：根據ATTOM Data Solutions的數據，從2019年第一季度到第二季度，單戶住宅和公寓的中間售價上漲了近11%，達到創紀錄的26.6萬美元。

Although housing is a top expense for most households, it』s not the only one that』s rising. The consumer price index rose 0.3 percent in July, higher than the 0.2 percent increase expected.

雖然對大多數家庭來說，住房是一項最高支出，但並不是唯一在上升的支出。7月消費者物價指數上升0.3%，高於預期的0.2%。

「Labor cost and tariff pressures are visible,」 Pantheon Macroeconomics chief economist Ian Shepherdson said in a client note on Tuesday. 「Some CPI components, hit by labor costs or tariffs or both, are now rising quite sharply.」

"勞動力成本和關稅壓力是顯而易見的，」潘森宏觀經濟首席分析師伊恩·謝潑德周二在一份客戶報告中稱，「受勞動力成本或關稅或兩者兼而有之的影響，一些CPI組成部分目前正大幅上漲。」

Trump announced earlier this week that he was delaying the looming Sept. 1 implementation of a 10 percent tariff on a wide range of consumer goods until mid-December, and exempting some items such as cell phones entirely.

特朗普本周早些時候宣布，他將把即將於9月1日實施的對多種消費品徵收10%關稅推遲到12月中旬，並完全免除手機等部分商品的關稅。

Americans are still paying the price, though: The New York Federal Reserve estimated that tariffs already in place cost the average American household $831 a year — an amount that roughly wipes out the average benefit of the 2017 tax cuts.

不過，美國人仍在為此付出代價：紐約聯邦儲備銀行估計，已經實施的關稅每年讓美國家庭平均支出831美元——這個數字大致抵消了2017年減稅的平均收益。

The looming worry is that higher costs on goods and household expenses will make Americans unwilling to spend, even if they still have the means.

迫在眉睫的擔憂是，商品和家庭支出成本的上升將使美國人不願消費，即使他們仍有能力消費。

「Aside from its direct impact on spending, the much more important issue is how much it lessens overall consumer confidence,」 Richard Curtin, chief economist for the University of Michigan』s Surveys of Consumers, wrote in the report accompanying the most recent survey.

密歇根大學消費者調查首席經濟學家理查德?科廷在與最新調查同時發布的報告中寫道：「除了對支出的直接影響，更重要的問題是，它在多大程度上削弱了整體消費者信心。」

「We know that business leaders are somewhat cautious about the outlook because of trade tensions,」 Hamrick said. 「If consumer confidence feeds into weakening spending, that would truly be cause for concern.」

哈姆里克說：「我們知道，由於貿易緊張局勢，商界領袖對前景有些謹慎。如果消費者信心助長消費疲軟，那確實值得擔憂。」

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