数说评论丨新冠疫情令美国低收入者陷入经济困境
As Christmas approaches, people wait in snaking lines of cars for free meals from food banks across the United States. At one center in North Texas, 3.4 million meals were handed out in two weeks around Thanksgiving – a record number, according to volunteers.
圣诞节将近，在美国，却到处可见蜿蜒的车队。人们在排队等待从食品银行领取免费食物。一家位于得克萨斯州北部的食品银行，在感恩节前后的两周内发放了340万份餐食，志愿者透露，发放量已达历史之最。
This festive season, because of the economic fallout from COVID-19, hunger has become an even bigger concern among low-income families in the U.S.
今年的圣诞季，因疫情引起的经济下滑将让低收入家庭愈加忧心温饱问题。
In the last eight months, food sufficiency in the U.S. has dropped from 88.6 percent to 76.3 percent among surveyed Americans. The wealthy may have the means to shelter from some of the worst effects of the pandemic. The poor have been sucked into the center of what is, in effect, an economic tornado. And among them minorities are, once again, bearing the brunt of the suffering.
过去的八个月间，一项针对美国人的调查显示，食品充裕的美国人已经从88.6%下滑到了76.3%。富人也许有办法免遭疫情引发的哪怕是最糟糕的影响，但穷人已被困在了堪称经济龙卷风的风暴中心。而穷人中的少数族裔，毫无疑问，遭受的打击更大。
From April to November, the number of Americans without enough to eat rose among all racial groups. The percentage of white people in this group remained the lowest at 18.9 percent, which is roughly one in five.
从4月到11月，缺乏足够食物的美国人数量普遍有所上升。其中白人的比例，一直保持最低的18.9%，每五个白人中大约就有一名粮食不够吃。
The number among Blacks was 14.7 points higher, making it about one in three African Americans whose cupboards may be close to empty.
缺乏食物的黑人比例则比白人高出14.7个百分点，相当于大约每三个黑人中就有一个的食品柜可能是空的。
When it comes to access to adequate amounts of affordable food, Hispanics have actually felt the biggest impact from the pandemic.
在食物的充足性方面，拉丁裔群体遭受到的疫情冲击其实是最大的。
Data shows that similar proportions of Blacks and Whites have fallen into hunger – by around 10 points each in the eight months. Among Hispanics, the drop has been a huge 15.5 points.
数据显示，黑人和白人的情况十分相近。近八个月都新增了大概10个百分点的饥饿人群，但在拉丁裔中，这个比例剧增了15.5个百分点。
If securing enough food isn’t enough of a burden for low-income Americans, then what about housing expenses? Many have indeed struggled to keep up rental payments, with the disparities again rather glaring.
如果保证食物充足已经成为美国低收入者的一大负担，那么他们如何面对住房开支呢？很多人的确都难以继续支付房租，而其中的种族差距也愈发明显。
In April, 23.7 percent of Black adults had trouble making rent. Even though businesses had been reopening and gradually rehiring people, by November, that number had risen to 30.6 percent.
今年4月，23.7%的黑人成年人在交房租时有困难。即使部分企业已陆续复工并逐渐开始重新招人，到了11月，这个数字还是上升到了30.6%。
Among white and Hispanic populations, there was a less marked change. The number of people in these racial groups who’ve struggled to pay rent ticked up by a modest 0.4 and 0.6 points, respectively.
而白人和拉丁裔在交房租问题上的变化不大。他们之中交租难的人数分别小幅度上升了0.4和0.6个百分点。
On April 10, millions of people woke up to a new bank deposit of up to 1,200 U.S. dollars as the first wave of stimulus checks were rolled out. For those whose lives were hanging by a thread, they could finally take a breath and pay off some bills.
4月10日，数百万美国人在醒来后会发现银行里有一笔高达1200美金的存款，这是发放的第一波用来刺激经济的支票。对于那些生活悬于一线的人来说，他们终于可以喘一口气，支付一些账单。
However, more and more minorities are facing an increasing challenge to make ends meet. In November, nearly 70 percent of Black and Hispanic adults said covering their usual household expenses was proving to be difficult, of which more than 20 percent said it was very difficult.
尽管如此，越来越多的少数族裔面临着入不敷出的窘境。11月数据显示，有近70%的黑人和拉丁裔成年人承认支付日常开支显然已经变得困难，其中20%表示他们觉得日子变得极为困难。
Financial hardship can lead to emotional distress. Those who live from paycheck to paycheck can be caught in a vicious cycle of despair.
经济困境会导致情绪压力增大。那些月光族状态下的美国人可能会陷入绝望情绪的恶性循环里。
In July, according to Kaiser Family Foundation polling, 58 percent of people on lower incomes reported that negative feelings related to the pandemic have impacted their mental health. Nearly seven in 10 Black adults, and more than five in 10 Hispanics said they suffered major mental disruptions linked to financial stress.
七月，根据凯撒家庭基金会的调查报告，有58%的低收入者称因疫情引起的负面情绪影响到了他们的心理健康。近七成的黑人和超过五成的拉丁裔坦诚自己因为资金紧张而经历了巨大的心理波动。
From food to shelter and mental health, the economic recession resulting from COVID-19 has taken an outsized toll on low-income minorities. As the pandemic persists and more fall into poverty, fewer minorities will be able to reach an adequate standard of living that everyone, regardless of race and ethnicity, has the right to.
从温饱到住房和心理健康，疫情造成的经济衰退对低收入的少数族裔打击甚重。随着疫情的持续发酵以及更多人陷入贫困，少数族裔中能够得到基本生活保障的人可能会越来越少。但不论何种肤色，这些保障应该是每个人的基本权利。