2023考研英語閱讀郵政局
The Post Office
郵政局
THE US Postal Service has an unofficial creed that harks back to Herodotus, who wasadmiring the Persian empires stalwart messengers. Its own history is impressive too, datingto a royal licence by William and Mary in 1692, and including Benjamin Franklin as a notablepostmaster, both for the crown and then for the newly independent country. Ever since, the post has existed to bind theNation together.
美國郵政服務有條非正式的信條。這一信條的出處要回溯到希羅多德,他對波斯國王忠實可靠的信使大為贊賞。美國郵政，歷史悠久，于1692年得到威廉國王和瑪利皇后的皇家許可，開始郵政服務。本杰明.弗蘭克林出任郵政總長更是值得一提：他曾先后為英國皇家和剛剛獨立的美國服務，出任此職。從此以后，郵政的存在象征著整個國家連在一起。
But as ever more Americans go online instead of sending paper, the volume of mail has beenplummeting . The decline is steeper than even pessimists expected a decadeago, says Patrick Donahoe, the current postmaster-general. Worse, because the post mustdeliver to every address in the countryabout 150m, with some 1.4m additions every yearcosts are simultaneously going up. As a result, the post has lost $20 billion in the last fouryears and expects to lose another $8 billion this fiscal year.
自從越來越多的美國人選用網絡而不是用郵政收寄信件,郵政的遞送量便直線開始下降。現任郵政總長，帕特里克.多納霍談到，十年前對郵政事業持悲觀態度的人都沒預料到衰退會如此之快。更要命的是，郵政服務必須送抵全國每一個郵政地址美國現有郵政地址約一億五千萬個，每年都會多增加一百四十多萬個這使得郵政支出同時增加。結果一目了然，郵政局在近四年損失合計二百億美元，本財政年度預計損失為八億美元。
And although the recession made everything worse,the internet is the main culprit. As Christmas cardshave gone online , so have bills. In2000, 5% of Americans paid utilities online. Last year55% did, and eventually everybody will, says MrDonahoe. Photos now go on Facebook, magazinescome on iPads. Already, at least for Americans undera certain age, the post delivers only bad news ornuisances, from jury summonses to junk mail.Pleasant deliveries probably arrive by a parcel servicesuch as UPS or FedEx.
盡管經濟衰退迫使百業凋零，但要指出，網絡才是罪魁禍首。人們上網寄送圣誕賀卡，連賬單也電子化了。在2000年,5%的美國人上網交水電煤氣費,而去年這一比例是55%。多納霍先生表示，到頭來，人人都將上網交水電煤氣費。照片分享用 facebook，雜志訂閱有ipad。至少對于某一年齡段的美國人來說，郵差送來的凈是法院傳票或垃圾郵件什么的，只會帶來壞消息或麻煩事。而讓人高興的郵件大概會用UPS或FedEx這樣的快遞公司送來。
Quasi-independent since 1970, the post gets no public money. And yet it is obliged to visit every mailbox, no matter how remote, six days a week. This hasdriven the average cost of each piece of mail up from 34 cents in 2006 to 41 cents. Yet thepost is not allowed to raise prices willy-nilly; a 2006 law set formulas forthat. So in effect, the post cannot control either its costs or its revenues.
1970年，郵政服務確定其半獨立的財務形式，從此，郵政局不再領取公共撥款。然而，無論距離有多遠，一周六天，郵差都要去所管轄的每一個郵箱中查收信件。這使得每封郵件的平均花費從2006年的34美分增加到了41美分。但不管郵政局愿意不愿意，都不能提高費用;2006年通過的一條法案對此做出了規定。所以實際上，郵政局既不能控制自己的支出，也無法保證自身的收入。
Nor can it buy companies as freely as postal services in Europe, Canada or Asia have been doingfor the past decade. Many European countries, as well as New Zealand and Japan, have alreadyprivatised or liberalised their postal services. Combined, foreign posts now get most of theirrevenue from new businesses such as retailing or banking for consumers, or warehousing andlogistics for companies.
在過去十年間，歐洲、加拿大和亞洲各國允許其郵政部門進行商業并購，但在美國，可沒有那么自由。在許多歐洲國家，以及新西蘭和日本，已經實現郵政服務私有化，或讓郵政部門享有自主權。通過兼并整合，當前外國郵政部門的主要收入來自于新設項目，如：零售，提供客戶銀行服務，和為公司提供貨存和物流服務。
So Americas post is looking for other solutions. It is planning to close post offices; up to3,653, out of about 32,000. This month it announced plans to lay off another 120,000workers by 2023, having already bidden adieu to some 110,000 over the past four years . It also wants to fiddle with its workers pensions and health care.
美國郵政局也正在尋找出路。計劃關閉部分郵政所，其數量從約三萬兩千所消減掉3653所。本月宣布計劃在過去四年間解雇十一萬人的基礎上，到2023年再下崗分流十二萬職工。還琢磨在員工的退休金和醫療保險上做文章，好進一步削減開支。
Ultimately, says Mr Donahoe, the post will have to stop delivering mail on Saturdays. Then perhaps on other days too. The post has survived new technologies before, he points out. In 1910, we owned the most horses, by 1920 we owned the most vehicles. But the internet just might send it the way of the pony express.
多納霍先生講到，最終，郵局不得不停止在周六遞送郵件。之后可能在某一工作日也會停止郵件遞送。面對新技術的沖擊，郵政局也曾得以保全。他提到：1910年，我們遞送郵件的運輸工具主要是馬匹。十年后，馬匹大部分都換成了汽車。但對于單槍匹馬遞送信件的郵差來說，網絡簡直就是三千里加急用的驛站快報,使之望塵莫及。
維基百科對美國郵政服務信條的解釋：
The United States Postal Service has no official creed or motto.Often falsely cited as such, Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds is an inscription on the James Farley Post Office in New York City, derived from a quote from Herodotus Histories , referring to the courier service of the ancient Persian Empire.
美國郵政局沒有正式的信條或格言。通常人們錯誤地引用刻在位于紐約市，詹姆斯.法利郵政中心這條銘文為美國郵政服務的信條。這條銘文為：鵝毛大雪，傾盆大雨，炎炎烈日,昏暗夜色都無法阻止郵差用飛快地速度完成他們所指定的任務。出自希羅多德編寫的《歷史》，引指古代波斯帝國的信使服務。
The Post Office
郵政局
THE US Postal Service has an unofficial creed that harks back to Herodotus, who wasadmiring the Persian empires stalwart messengers. Its own history is impressive too, datingto a royal licence by William and Mary in 1692, and including Benjamin Franklin as a notablepostmaster, both for the crown and then for the newly independent country. Ever since, the post has existed to bind theNation together.
美國郵政服務有條非正式的信條。這一信條的出處要回溯到希羅多德,他對波斯國王忠實可靠的信使大為贊賞。美國郵政，歷史悠久，于1692年得到威廉國王和瑪利皇后的皇家許可，開始郵政服務。本杰明.弗蘭克林出任郵政總長更是值得一提：他曾先后為英國皇家和剛剛獨立的美國服務，出任此職。從此以后，郵政的存在象征著整個國家連在一起。
But as ever more Americans go online instead of sending paper, the volume of mail has beenplummeting . The decline is steeper than even pessimists expected a decadeago, says Patrick Donahoe, the current postmaster-general. Worse, because the post mustdeliver to every address in the countryabout 150m, with some 1.4m additions every yearcosts are simultaneously going up. As a result, the post has lost $20 billion in the last fouryears and expects to lose another $8 billion this fiscal year.
自從越來越多的美國人選用網絡而不是用郵政收寄信件,郵政的遞送量便直線開始下降。現任郵政總長，帕特里克.多納霍談到，十年前對郵政事業持悲觀態度的人都沒預料到衰退會如此之快。更要命的是，郵政服務必須送抵全國每一個郵政地址美國現有郵政地址約一億五千萬個，每年都會多增加一百四十多萬個這使得郵政支出同時增加。結果一目了然，郵政局在近四年損失合計二百億美元，本財政年度預計損失為八億美元。
And although the recession made everything worse,the internet is the main culprit. As Christmas cardshave gone online , so have bills. In2000, 5% of Americans paid utilities online. Last year55% did, and eventually everybody will, says MrDonahoe. Photos now go on Facebook, magazinescome on iPads. Already, at least for Americans undera certain age, the post delivers only bad news ornuisances, from jury summonses to junk mail.Pleasant deliveries probably arrive by a parcel servicesuch as UPS or FedEx.
盡管經濟衰退迫使百業凋零，但要指出，網絡才是罪魁禍首。人們上網寄送圣誕賀卡，連賬單也電子化了。在2000年,5%的美國人上網交水電煤氣費,而去年這一比例是55%。多納霍先生表示，到頭來，人人都將上網交水電煤氣費。照片分享用 facebook，雜志訂閱有ipad。至少對于某一年齡段的美國人來說，郵差送來的凈是法院傳票或垃圾郵件什么的，只會帶來壞消息或麻煩事。而讓人高興的郵件大概會用UPS或FedEx這樣的快遞公司送來。
Quasi-independent since 1970, the post gets no public money. And yet it is obliged to visit every mailbox, no matter how remote, six days a week. This hasdriven the average cost of each piece of mail up from 34 cents in 2006 to 41 cents. Yet thepost is not allowed to raise prices willy-nilly; a 2006 law set formulas forthat. So in effect, the post cannot control either its costs or its revenues.
1970年，郵政服務確定其半獨立的財務形式，從此，郵政局不再領取公共撥款。然而，無論距離有多遠，一周六天，郵差都要去所管轄的每一個郵箱中查收信件。這使得每封郵件的平均花費從2006年的34美分增加到了41美分。但不管郵政局愿意不愿意，都不能提高費用;2006年通過的一條法案對此做出了規定。所以實際上，郵政局既不能控制自己的支出，也無法保證自身的收入。
Nor can it buy companies as freely as postal services in Europe, Canada or Asia have been doingfor the past decade. Many European countries, as well as New Zealand and Japan, have alreadyprivatised or liberalised their postal services. Combined, foreign posts now get most of theirrevenue from new businesses such as retailing or banking for consumers, or warehousing andlogistics for companies.
在過去十年間，歐洲、加拿大和亞洲各國允許其郵政部門進行商業并購，但在美國，可沒有那么自由。在許多歐洲國家，以及新西蘭和日本，已經實現郵政服務私有化，或讓郵政部門享有自主權。通過兼并整合，當前外國郵政部門的主要收入來自于新設項目，如：零售，提供客戶銀行服務，和為公司提供貨存和物流服務。
So Americas post is looking for other solutions. It is planning to close post offices; up to3,653, out of about 32,000. This month it announced plans to lay off another 120,000workers by 2023, having already bidden adieu to some 110,000 over the past four years . It also wants to fiddle with its workers pensions and health care.
美國郵政局也正在尋找出路。計劃關閉部分郵政所，其數量從約三萬兩千所消減掉3653所。本月宣布計劃在過去四年間解雇十一萬人的基礎上，到2023年再下崗分流十二萬職工。還琢磨在員工的退休金和醫療保險上做文章，好進一步削減開支。
Ultimately, says Mr Donahoe, the post will have to stop delivering mail on Saturdays. Then perhaps on other days too. The post has survived new technologies before, he points out. In 1910, we owned the most horses, by 1920 we owned the most vehicles. But the internet just might send it the way of the pony express.
多納霍先生講到，最終，郵局不得不停止在周六遞送郵件。之后可能在某一工作日也會停止郵件遞送。面對新技術的沖擊，郵政局也曾得以保全。他提到：1910年，我們遞送郵件的運輸工具主要是馬匹。十年后，馬匹大部分都換成了汽車。但對于單槍匹馬遞送信件的郵差來說，網絡簡直就是三千里加急用的驛站快報,使之望塵莫及。
維基百科對美國郵政服務信條的解釋：
The United States Postal Service has no official creed or motto.Often falsely cited as such, Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds is an inscription on the James Farley Post Office in New York City, derived from a quote from Herodotus Histories , referring to the courier service of the ancient Persian Empire.
美國郵政局沒有正式的信條或格言。通常人們錯誤地引用刻在位于紐約市，詹姆斯.法利郵政中心這條銘文為美國郵政服務的信條。這條銘文為：鵝毛大雪，傾盆大雨，炎炎烈日,昏暗夜色都無法阻止郵差用飛快地速度完成他們所指定的任務。出自希羅多德編寫的《歷史》，引指古代波斯帝國的信使服務。
