The Finnish government is currently drawing up plans to introduce a national basic income. A final proposal won’t be presented until November 2023, but if all goes to schedule, Finland will scrap all existing benefits and instead hand out €800 ($870) per month—to everyone.

芬蘭政府目前正在計(jì)劃推出一項(xiàng)國家基本收入計(jì)劃。該計(jì)劃最早可能從2023年11月開始實(shí)施，如果一切順利的話，芬蘭將取消現(xiàn)有的一切福利制度，每月發(fā)800歐元（870美元）給公民。

It sounds far-fetched, but it’s looking likely that Finland will carry through with the idea. Whereas several Dutch cities will introduce basic income next year and Switzerland is holding a referendum on the subject, there is strongest political and public support for the idea in Finland.

這聽起來就像是天方夜譚，但芬蘭似乎想要實(shí)現(xiàn)這一計(jì)劃。而荷蘭的幾個(gè)城市將在明年實(shí)施基本收入計(jì)劃，瑞士正對(duì)這一問題舉行全民投票，因此芬蘭實(shí)現(xiàn)這一計(jì)劃有強(qiáng)大的政治和公共的支持。

A poll commissioned by the government agency planning the proposal, the Finnish Social Insurance Institution or KELA, showed that 69% support (link in Finnish) a basic income plan. Prime minister Juha Sipil? is in favor of the idea and he’s backed by most of the major political parties. “For me, a basic income means simplifying the social security system,” he says.

制定該計(jì)劃的政府機(jī)構(gòu)——芬蘭社會(huì)保險(xiǎn)機(jī)構(gòu)委托的一項(xiàng)民意調(diào)查顯示，69％的民眾支持基本收入計(jì)劃。芬蘭總理Juha Sipil?支持這一計(jì)劃，他得到了多數(shù)主要黨派的支持。他說：“對(duì)我而言，基本收入計(jì)劃意味著社會(huì)保障體系簡(jiǎn)化。”

But for those outside Finland, the plan raises two obvious questions: Why is this a good idea, and how will it work?

但對(duì)局外人來說，這項(xiàng)計(jì)劃引發(fā)兩個(gè)明顯的問題：這為什么是一個(gè)好主意，它怎么實(shí)施呢？

It may sound counterintuitive, but the proposal is meant to tackle unemployment. Finland’s unemployment rate is at a 15-year high, at 9.53% and a basic income would allow people to take on low-paying jobs without personal cost. At the moment, a temporary job results in lower welfare benefits, which can lead to an overall drop in income.

該提案旨在解決失業(yè)問題，雖然這聽起來可能有點(diǎn)違反直覺。芬蘭的失業(yè)率創(chuàng)15年來新高，達(dá)到9.53%。基本收入可以讓人們接受底薪工作。而現(xiàn)在，一份臨時(shí)工作將導(dǎo)致低福利待遇，從而收入全面下降。

Previous experiments have shown that universal basic income can have a positive effect. Everyone in the Canadian town of Dauphin was given a stipend from 1974 to 1979, and though there was a drop in working hours, this was mainly because men spent more time in school and women took longer maternity leaves. Meanwhile, when thousands of unemployed people in Uganda were given unsupervised grants of twice their monthly income, working hours increased by 17% and earnings increased by 38%.

先前的實(shí)驗(yàn)表明，全民基本收入起到了積極的效果。從1974年到1979年，加拿大王儲(chǔ)鎮(zhèn)的每位公民都有津貼，盡管工作時(shí)間減少了，但這是因?yàn)槟行曰ㄙM(fèi)更多時(shí)間在學(xué)校學(xué)習(xí)，而婦女需要更長(zhǎng)的產(chǎn)假。與此同時(shí)，烏干達(dá)成千上萬的失業(yè)者每月有兩次無人監(jiān)督的贈(zèng)款，工作時(shí)間增加了17%，收入增長(zhǎng)38%。

One of the major downsides, of course, is the cost of handing out money to so many people. Liisa Hyss?l?, director general of KELA, has said that the plan will save the government millions. But, as Bloomberg calculated, giving €800 of basic income to the population of 5.4 million every month would cost €52.2 billion a year. Finland only plans to give the basic income to adults, not every citizen, but with around 4.9 million adults in Finland, this would still cost €46.7 billion per year. The government expects to have €49.1 billion in revenue in 2023.

當(dāng)然，一大缺點(diǎn)是要花費(fèi)很多錢。芬蘭社會(huì)保險(xiǎn)機(jī)構(gòu)局長(zhǎng)Liisa Hyss?l?說該計(jì)劃將為政府節(jié)省上百萬歐元。但根據(jù)彭博社估算，給540萬人口每人每月800歐元，一年要花費(fèi)522億歐元。芬蘭只計(jì)劃給成年公民，不是每一位公民，那么芬蘭有大約490萬成年人，每年仍將花費(fèi)467億歐元。2023年芬蘭政府預(yù)計(jì)的收入是491億歐元。

Another serious consideration is that some people may be worse off under the plan. As the proposal hasn’t been published yet, it’s not yet known exactly who will lose out. But those who currently receive housing support or disability benefits could conceivably end up with less under national basic income, since the plan calls for scrapping existing benefits. And as national basic income would only give a monthly allowance to adults, a single mother of three could struggle to support herself compared to, for example, a neighbor with the same government support but no children and a part-time job.

另一個(gè)很重要的問題是，有一些人可能會(huì)因?yàn)樵撚?jì)劃變得更糟糕。目前該計(jì)劃還沒有發(fā)布，所以還不能準(zhǔn)確的知道誰會(huì)吃虧。但目前對(duì)那些仍接受住房保障和傷殘津貼的人來說，他們的錢會(huì)比國家基本收入還要少，因?yàn)樵撚?jì)劃是建立在廢除現(xiàn)有福利的基礎(chǔ)上。另外國家基本收入只會(huì)給成年人每月津貼，那么舉例來說，一位有三個(gè)孩子的單身媽媽將會(huì)比鄰居沒有孩子卻又有兼職工作的人要生活更艱難。

Finally, the proposal raises the question of whether it’s really fair to give a relatively better off individual the same amount of welfare as someone who’s truly struggling. Finland’s constitution insists that all citizens must be equal, though, of course, equality can be interpreted in many different ways. So far, there’s no definitive answer as to whether national basic income will create a more or less equal society.

最后，該提案引發(fā)了給每個(gè)個(gè)體同樣的福利待遇是否真的公平這一問題，因?yàn)橛幸恍┤舜_實(shí)生活的很艱難。盡管芬蘭憲法堅(jiān)持認(rèn)為所有公民必須平等，但平等可以從許多不同方面來解釋。目前為止，對(duì)于國家基本收入計(jì)劃能否建立一個(gè)更平等的社會(huì)，我們還沒有明確的答案。

Vocabulary

counterintuitive: 違反直覺的

The Finnish government is currently drawing up plans to introduce a national basic income. A final proposal won’t be presented until November 2023, but if all goes to schedule, Finland will scrap all existing benefits and instead hand out €800 ($870) per month—to everyone.

芬蘭政府目前正在計(jì)劃推出一項(xiàng)國家基本收入計(jì)劃。該計(jì)劃最早可能從2023年11月開始實(shí)施，如果一切順利的話，芬蘭將取消現(xiàn)有的一切福利制度，每月發(fā)800歐元（870美元）給公民。

It sounds far-fetched, but it’s looking likely that Finland will carry through with the idea. Whereas several Dutch cities will introduce basic income next year and Switzerland is holding a referendum on the subject, there is strongest political and public support for the idea in Finland.

這聽起來就像是天方夜譚，但芬蘭似乎想要實(shí)現(xiàn)這一計(jì)劃。而荷蘭的幾個(gè)城市將在明年實(shí)施基本收入計(jì)劃，瑞士正對(duì)這一問題舉行全民投票，因此芬蘭實(shí)現(xiàn)這一計(jì)劃有強(qiáng)大的政治和公共的支持。

A poll commissioned by the government agency planning the proposal, the Finnish Social Insurance Institution or KELA, showed that 69% support (link in Finnish) a basic income plan. Prime minister Juha Sipil? is in favor of the idea and he’s backed by most of the major political parties. “For me, a basic income means simplifying the social security system,” he says.

制定該計(jì)劃的政府機(jī)構(gòu)——芬蘭社會(huì)保險(xiǎn)機(jī)構(gòu)委托的一項(xiàng)民意調(diào)查顯示，69％的民眾支持基本收入計(jì)劃。芬蘭總理Juha Sipil?支持這一計(jì)劃，他得到了多數(shù)主要黨派的支持。他說：“對(duì)我而言，基本收入計(jì)劃意味著社會(huì)保障體系簡(jiǎn)化。”

But for those outside Finland, the plan raises two obvious questions: Why is this a good idea, and how will it work?

但對(duì)局外人來說，這項(xiàng)計(jì)劃引發(fā)兩個(gè)明顯的問題：這為什么是一個(gè)好主意，它怎么實(shí)施呢？

It may sound counterintuitive, but the proposal is meant to tackle unemployment. Finland’s unemployment rate is at a 15-year high, at 9.53% and a basic income would allow people to take on low-paying jobs without personal cost. At the moment, a temporary job results in lower welfare benefits, which can lead to an overall drop in income.

該提案旨在解決失業(yè)問題，雖然這聽起來可能有點(diǎn)違反直覺。芬蘭的失業(yè)率創(chuàng)15年來新高，達(dá)到9.53%。基本收入可以讓人們接受底薪工作。而現(xiàn)在，一份臨時(shí)工作將導(dǎo)致低福利待遇，從而收入全面下降。

Previous experiments have shown that universal basic income can have a positive effect. Everyone in the Canadian town of Dauphin was given a stipend from 1974 to 1979, and though there was a drop in working hours, this was mainly because men spent more time in school and women took longer maternity leaves. Meanwhile, when thousands of unemployed people in Uganda were given unsupervised grants of twice their monthly income, working hours increased by 17% and earnings increased by 38%.

先前的實(shí)驗(yàn)表明，全民基本收入起到了積極的效果。從1974年到1979年，加拿大王儲(chǔ)鎮(zhèn)的每位公民都有津貼，盡管工作時(shí)間減少了，但這是因?yàn)槟行曰ㄙM(fèi)更多時(shí)間在學(xué)校學(xué)習(xí)，而婦女需要更長(zhǎng)的產(chǎn)假。與此同時(shí)，烏干達(dá)成千上萬的失業(yè)者每月有兩次無人監(jiān)督的贈(zèng)款，工作時(shí)間增加了17%，收入增長(zhǎng)38%。

One of the major downsides, of course, is the cost of handing out money to so many people. Liisa Hyss?l?, director general of KELA, has said that the plan will save the government millions. But, as Bloomberg calculated, giving €800 of basic income to the population of 5.4 million every month would cost €52.2 billion a year. Finland only plans to give the basic income to adults, not every citizen, but with around 4.9 million adults in Finland, this would still cost €46.7 billion per year. The government expects to have €49.1 billion in revenue in 2023.

當(dāng)然，一大缺點(diǎn)是要花費(fèi)很多錢。芬蘭社會(huì)保險(xiǎn)機(jī)構(gòu)局長(zhǎng)Liisa Hyss?l?說該計(jì)劃將為政府節(jié)省上百萬歐元。但根據(jù)彭博社估算，給540萬人口每人每月800歐元，一年要花費(fèi)522億歐元。芬蘭只計(jì)劃給成年公民，不是每一位公民，那么芬蘭有大約490萬成年人，每年仍將花費(fèi)467億歐元。2023年芬蘭政府預(yù)計(jì)的收入是491億歐元。

Another serious consideration is that some people may be worse off under the plan. As the proposal hasn’t been published yet, it’s not yet known exactly who will lose out. But those who currently receive housing support or disability benefits could conceivably end up with less under national basic income, since the plan calls for scrapping existing benefits. And as national basic income would only give a monthly allowance to adults, a single mother of three could struggle to support herself compared to, for example, a neighbor with the same government support but no children and a part-time job.

另一個(gè)很重要的問題是，有一些人可能會(huì)因?yàn)樵撚?jì)劃變得更糟糕。目前該計(jì)劃還沒有發(fā)布，所以還不能準(zhǔn)確的知道誰會(huì)吃虧。但目前對(duì)那些仍接受住房保障和傷殘津貼的人來說，他們的錢會(huì)比國家基本收入還要少，因?yàn)樵撚?jì)劃是建立在廢除現(xiàn)有福利的基礎(chǔ)上。另外國家基本收入只會(huì)給成年人每月津貼，那么舉例來說，一位有三個(gè)孩子的單身媽媽將會(huì)比鄰居沒有孩子卻又有兼職工作的人要生活更艱難。

Finally, the proposal raises the question of whether it’s really fair to give a relatively better off individual the same amount of welfare as someone who’s truly struggling. Finland’s constitution insists that all citizens must be equal, though, of course, equality can be interpreted in many different ways. So far, there’s no definitive answer as to whether national basic income will create a more or less equal society.

最后，該提案引發(fā)了給每個(gè)個(gè)體同樣的福利待遇是否真的公平這一問題，因?yàn)橛幸恍┤舜_實(shí)生活的很艱難。盡管芬蘭憲法堅(jiān)持認(rèn)為所有公民必須平等，但平等可以從許多不同方面來解釋。目前為止，對(duì)于國家基本收入計(jì)劃能否建立一個(gè)更平等的社會(huì)，我們還沒有明確的答案。

Vocabulary

counterintuitive: 違反直覺的