英國(guó)學(xué)者:一些英國(guó)人正面臨“取暖還是吃飯的抉擇” Some UK households face "heat or eat" dilemma, says scholar
中國(guó)日?qǐng)?bào)網(wǎng) 2022-12-23 08:00
據(jù)新華社12月22日?qǐng)?bào)道,格拉斯哥卡利多尼安大學(xué)研究人員基思·貝克博士表示,面對(duì)寒冷天氣和物價(jià)上漲,英國(guó)各地一些家庭不得不平衡取暖和購(gòu)買食物的開(kāi)支。簡(jiǎn)單地說(shuō),他們被迫在取暖和吃飯之間取舍。
Facing the combined effects of sub-zero temperatures and increasing prices, some families across the United Kingdom (UK) have to juggle their incomes between staying warm or buying food, a Glasgow Caledonian University research fellow told Xinhua. Simply put, their choice is between heat or eat.
格拉斯哥卡利多尼安大學(xué)的一位研究人員在接受新華社采訪時(shí)表示,面對(duì)寒冷天氣和物價(jià)上漲,英國(guó)各地的一些家庭不得不平衡取暖和購(gòu)買食物的開(kāi)支。簡(jiǎn)單地說(shuō),他們被迫在取暖和吃飯之間取舍。
Many in the country had already been in a rather tight financial position before the cold weather set in, Dr. Keith Baker said.
基思·貝克博士表示,在寒冬到來(lái)之前,許多英國(guó)人的財(cái)務(wù)狀況已經(jīng)相當(dāng)緊張。
Last week was a particularly cold one across the UK, with snow, ice and fog warnings in several places. Dec. 12 was the coldest day in the UK since December 2010, the Met Office said.
上周,冷空氣席卷英國(guó),多地發(fā)布大雪、結(jié)冰和大霧天氣警報(bào)。英國(guó)氣象局表示,12月12日是自2010年12月以來(lái)英國(guó)最冷的一天。
As a scholar, Baker has worked with groups seeking to help people faced with the dual problem of a cost-of-living crisis and high energy bills. "People really are on the line between just and only just about surviving and being pushed into really quite deplorable situations."
作為一名學(xué)者,貝克曾與一些組織合作,幫助陷入生活成本和高能源支出雙重危機(jī)的人。“人們?yōu)榱松娑嗫鄴暝?,被推入非??杀木车?。?/p>
Inflation has been running high in the UK since last winter, reaching successive new records. In November, the UK's consumer price index (CPI) rose by 10.7 percent. Food and non-alcoholic beverage prices increased by 16.5 percent in that month.
自去年冬天以來(lái),英國(guó)的通貨膨脹率居高不下,連續(xù)創(chuàng)下新高。11月,英國(guó)消費(fèi)者價(jià)格指數(shù)(CPI)上漲10.7%。當(dāng)月,食品和非酒精飲料價(jià)格上漲16.5%。
"We don't know how high some food prices are going to rise. Barely a day goes by before you see that the price of one type of food is going up, next day the price of another type of food is going up," Baker said, adding that this level of uncertainty is detrimental to mental health.
貝克說(shuō):“我們不知道某些食品的價(jià)格會(huì)漲到多高。幾乎每天都會(huì)看到一種食品的漲價(jià),而第二天又會(huì)看到另一種食品價(jià)格上漲。”貝克說(shuō),這種不確定性讓人們惶惶不安。
Inflation is being driven mainly by soaring energy prices. In October, UK households paid 88.9 percent more on average for electricity, gas and other fuels than a year ago, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said. Domestic gas prices in October were more than double that a year earlier.
能源價(jià)格飆升是通脹高企的主要原因。英國(guó)國(guó)家統(tǒng)計(jì)局?jǐn)?shù)據(jù)顯示,10月,英國(guó)家庭在電力、天然氣和其他燃料上的支出較去年平均增長(zhǎng)了88.9%。10月,英國(guó)天然氣價(jià)格是去年同期的兩倍多。
People have suffered substantially with their bills going up, Baker said. "Energy bills will go up to about 2,600 British pounds (3,146 U.S. dollars) on average, and I stress that's average, rising again to 3,000 pounds as of April."
貝克說(shuō),隨著能源支出增加,人們?cè)馐芰司薮蟮慕?jīng)濟(jì)損失?!澳茉促~單平均將升至2600英鎊左右,我強(qiáng)調(diào)這是平均水平,到明年4月份將再次升至3000英鎊?!?/p>
"We've now got to the point where charities are trying to get out warm clothing to people."
“在英國(guó),現(xiàn)在已經(jīng)到了慈善機(jī)構(gòu)向人們發(fā)放保暖衣物的地步?!?/p>
Public libraries and community centers across the UK have thrown open their doors to people eager to escape the cold in their homes, offering warm drinks and hot soup.
英國(guó)各地的公共圖書館和社區(qū)中心向避寒取暖的人們敞開(kāi)大門,提供熱飲和熱湯。
Acknowledging that the government support offered by newly installed Chancellor Jeremy Hunt may go some way to help families on welfare benefits, Baker has called for more.
貝克承認(rèn),英國(guó)財(cái)政大臣杰里米·亨特提出的政策可能會(huì)在一定程度上幫助那些依靠政府福利的家庭,因此他呼吁政府提供更多支持。
"A lot of households are already in the position of no heat and less to eat, and I really wish politicians would get it through their heads that some householders are really in a dire situation."
“許多家庭已經(jīng)停暖,節(jié)省食物開(kāi)銷,我真的希望政客們能明白,一些家庭的處境真的很糟糕?!?/p>
來(lái)源:新華社
編輯:董靜