未来的零花钱 The future of pocket money丨随身英语
5
2-2020
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零花钱的未来是什么？随着父母的理财习惯和方式的改变，孩子们获取零花钱的方式也在发生变化。虽然目前仍是 “现金为王”，但科技将如何影响未来的支付方式？在未来，家长将如何给孩子发零花钱？年轻人需要了解传统财务交易的意义吗？请听 “随身英语”。
There are many things we remember from our childhood — the games we played, the music we listened to; but what about earning pocket money? This was our first ever wage for completing tasks such as tidying our bedroom or sorting the laundry. Our reward was a handful of coins that we safely stashed away. But now, it seems, parents' attitude to handing out cash is changing.
There was a time when cash was king — it was the main currency for financial transactions. These days, though, using credit or debit cards, or making contactless payments, are the most convenient ways of paying. So where does that leave handing over pocket money? Research has found that 84 percent of British parents currently give notes and coins to their children — typically an allowance, including some discretionary spending, of £7 a week.
But banks predict that by 2028 only one in ten transactions will be with cash, and that is something today's children will have to deal with. One particular issue is that children may not understand the value of cash because they never see it. Parents face a dilemma too — finding a new way to transfer pocket money, or maybe not bothering to pay it at all.
Giving children lessons about finance at school is important, and the UK's Money and Pensions Service advises parents to get children started with money as young as possible. Sarah Porretta from the service told the BBC that for parents who no longer carry cash "the trick is to go and get some coins, just so your children have the opportunity to interact with them. Talk about what you are doing with money. If you are paying with a card or with a phone talk to children about that and link it back to those coins they have handled."
But, of course, many of the goods that young people want to buy — such as add-ons for a computer game — only allow digital transactions. This has led to a number of apps being set up that allow children to track and spend their hard-earned pocket money and parents to transfer money electronically and monitor their child's spending. Banks also suggest setting up accounts for older children which gives them a cash card to use. But whatever method a parent chooses to adopt, they need to teach their kids that money doesn't grow on trees!
词汇表
earn
赚取，挣得
wage
工钱，工资
reward
奖赏
stash away
存起来
cash
现金
cash was king
“现金为王”
currency
货币
financial transaction
财务交易，金融业务
contactless payment
非接触支付
hand over
交给……，支付
note
纸币
coin
硬币
allowance
零用钱
discretionary spending
任个人支配的开支
value
意义
transfer
把（钱）转到另一个账户
digital transaction
数字交易
hard-earned
来之不易的，辛苦挣得的
account
账户
money doesn't grow on trees
“钱可不是从树上长出来的”，钱来之不易
*本文章由BBC英语教学授权，任何媒体禁止转载。点击这里获取更多BBC英语文章