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It may not come as a surprise but the world as a whole is getting richer. Some people have more disposable income to spend on luxuries such as holidays, cars, TVs and smartphones. Recent data has shown that the number of people living inextreme poverty has halved in recent decades. So should we celebrate the fact that more of us now have a better standard of living?

这并不奇怪，但整个世界变得越来越富有。有些人将可支配收入都用在奢侈品上，例如假日、汽车、电视或者手机。最近的数据表明,虽然生活贫困的人数在近几十年来已减少一半。所以我们要因此庆祝我们现在有更好的生活条件吗？

Maybe not. Whilst the gap between rich and poor in some countries is narrowing, there is still a lot of inequality in other places - some people have a lot of money and opportunities and others don't. A recent report by Oxfam and Credit Suisse revealed how divided many of us are when it comes to wealth. A lot of the money in the world is in the hands of very few people. In fact, 48% of global wealth is owned by the richest 1% of the population.

也许不是。虽然在有些国家的贫富差距在缩小，但还是存在很多不平等收入的地方--有些人有很多钱和机遇，但有些人却没有。由乐施会和瑞士信贷(Credit Suisse)最近的一份报告显示如何划分人群，很多人都谈到财富。事实上，这个世界的金钱还是掌握在少数人手中。全球48%的财富是掌握在最富有的1%的人的手上。

But some countries are attempting to reduce this inequality and make the poor, less poor. According to David Bryer from Oxfam, Brazil has been taking "some really sensible measures - measures around having more progressive tax, around investing in a higher minimum wage [and] investing in central public services." Having a higher minimum wage, can help people eat better and seek a better education. And more people with more money buy more things - and factories can produce more. In turn, a factory which produces more will need more workers. So, more jobs are created.

但有些国家在试图缩小这个差距以及让穷人少点贫穷。根据大卫·布莱恩从乐施会了解,巴西一直采取“一些非常明智的措施--就是增加累进税，并用于增加最低工资和投资公共设施服务。有了最低工资保障，可以让人们吃的更好和接受好的教育。使更多的人有钱去买更多的东西--工厂就可以生产更多。反过来,一个工厂生产更需要更多的工人。所以,创造更多的就业机会。

Other wealthy individuals are doing their bit to help reduce inequality. Bill Gates, the founder of Microsoft, earned a lot of money from his company but when he retired, he and his wife Melinda, created a foundation to help the poor. He thinks that rich people should, of course, pay their taxes but he also advises that they should all "look at taking their wealth and being philanthropic, both in their own country and to help the global poorest."

其他富人也在贡献自己的力量来帮助穷人。比尔盖茨，微软的创始人，从他的公司赚了很多钱，但当他退休的时候，和妻子梅琳达，一起创建了一个基金会来帮助穷人。他认为富人不但要纳税还要多正确对待他们的财富和变得乐善好施，他在自己的国家甚至整个世界帮助了很多穷人。

Bill Gates feels that giving money to help poor people is "fulfilling". But if other super-rich people don't want to experience this fulfilment then, according to Oxfam, very soon the wealthiest 1% will soon own more money than the rest of the world's population. Do you think that is fair?

比尔盖茨认为把钱用来帮助穷人会让自己充实。但有些富豪们却不想体验这种成就，根据乐施会，很快这些最有钱的1%的人所拥有的钱会比这个世界的人口还要多。你认为这样公平吗？

Glossary 词汇表

richer 更加富有

disposable income 可支配收入

luxuries 奢侈品

extreme poverty 极度贫困

standard of living 生活标准

inequality 不平等

wealth 财富

measures 措施

progressive tax 累进税

minimum wage 最低工资

public services 公共服务

philanthropic 乐善好施的，慈善的

fulfilling 充实

Example 例句

1. Being a school teacher has been a very fulfilling career.

2. I like the little luxuries you get in hotels like having fresh flowers in the room.

3. My husband earns a lot of money so we have a very high standard of living.

4. The Police are going to have to take stronger measures if we're going to reduce crime.

5. I visited the city slums and saw people living in extreme poverty.

Quiz 小测验

1. How much global wealth is currently owned by 1% of the population?

48%

2. What is the government in Brazil doing to the minimum wage?

Increasing it; making it higher.

3. Why might a factory start employing more people?

If there is a higher minimum wage, people will buy more things, so the factory will need more workers to make more things.

4. What do Bill and Melinda Gates think very rich people should do with some of their money?

Give it to poorer people.

5. True or false? Soon more than 50% of the world's wealth will be owned by 1% of people.

True.