翻译硕士考研者,在暑期阶段需要看双语阅读文章,来提升阅读水平和翻译能力。下面,北京文都考研网为助力翻译硕士学子们在备考上一臂之力,整理了MTI双语阅读精选文章:网约车企业讨好司机,供考生参考。
2020考研MTI双语阅读精选:网约车企业讨好司机
IS THERE AN app for cognitive dissonance? Most consumers who have tried ride-hailing services find them cheap and convenient. But many worry that, because drivers are classified as independent contractors, they have fewer rights than normal employees. That treatment helps create the flexibility and low cost that consumers crave. However, it has also given the gig economy a slightly dubious reputation.
有专门用于认知失调的应用吗?大多数用过网约车的消费者发现它们便宜又方便。不过,有许多人也担心,由于司机归类为人体承包商,他们不具有正常员工的权利。这种雇佣方式对待有助于创造消费者渴望的灵活性和低费用双重需求。然而,它也给这种零工经济的名声似乎招带些质疑。
Now the ride-hailing companies are falling over themselves to proclaim that they treat their drivers well. Lyft, which launched the roadshow for its initial public offering (IPO) on March 18th, claimed in its prospectus that “we focus on providing drivers with a best-in-class experience”. It offers career coaches and “education resources” and is also paying a cash bonus to drivers who have undertaken more than 10,000 rides. Shares in the IPO have been put aside just for the drivers to invest in.现在,网约车企业都在争着说待司机很不错。Lyft于3月18日开始上市路演,在招股书中声称“我们专注于为司机提供一流体验”。它不仅提供职业教练和相关“教育资源”,并且还给接过10,000次以上网约车订单的司机现金奖励。上市股票里有一部分是专门让司机投资购买。
Uber’s rapid expansion has been dogged for years by legal battles over the employment status of its drivers. As The Economist went to press, the firm was expected to face yet another challenge in the British courts. A group of drivers argue that they have been denied access to data (despite a request under the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation) on issues such as their working time and performance ratings.多年来,优步的快速扩张一直伴随着司机的雇佣状况诉讼。本期《经济学人》出版之际,该公司预计会在英国法院面临另一场官司。有一群司机认为,他们查询不了工作时间和绩效评级等的数据(但符合欧盟通用数据保护法规的要求)。
Travis Kalanick, Uber’s founder, had an aggressive management style. But he was ousted in 2017. Dara Khosrowshahi, the cuddlier chief executive who replaced him, has been trying to show that the company’s culture has changed for the better. This seems timely given that Uber is also expected to launch an IPO this year.优步的创始人Travis Kalanick管理风格激进,却在2017年就遭罢黜。取代他的是和善的首席执行官达拉·科肖罗希(Dara Khosrowshahi),一直想要证明公司文化改善了。鉴于优步预计今年也将推出首次公开募股(IPO),这似乎也是一场及时雨。
Last year, in partnership with AXA, Uber created insurance policies for drivers across the EU, covering sickness, injury and payments for maternity and paternity benefits. Uber bore the cost. Similar programmes are available in Egypt, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and South Africa. Medical insurance in America is available, too, although this does require the drivers to pay a per-mile levy.去年,优步与AXA达成了战略合作,为欧盟各地的司机投保,险种涵盖疾病、受伤以及产假和陪产假福利金。优步承担成本。在埃及、巴基斯坦、沙特阿拉伯和南非等国和地区也有这样类似的计划。美国的医疗保险虽然也可以使用,但这实际上还是司机按里程支付保费。
Also in America, Uber drivers who have notched up more than 3,000 trips can take up the offer of an online degree at Arizona State University on the company’s dime. This benefit, which is dependent on their customer rating, can be transferred to a loved one or a dependant.同样,在美国,超过3000单的优步司机可以在亚利桑那州立大学获得在线学位的优步优惠价。这种根据的客户评级的福利能转移给亲人或受抚养人。
Being nice to the drivers makes sense for three reasons. First, there is competition in the ride-hailing market, not just between Lyft and Uber but from services like Ola and Gett. Drivers may use more than one platform and can switch to the service that treats them best. Second, brand reputation matters. At the height of Uber’s troubles in 2017, the hashtag “#deleteUber” was trending on Twitter.对司机保持友善态度是有意义的,原因有三。首先,网约车市场存在竞争,不只是Lyft和优步,同样有Ola和Gett等企业。网约车司机可以在多个平台上注册,并切到对他们最好的平台。其次,品牌声誉也至关重要。优步在2017年是麻烦最大的时候,当时有“#deleteUber”话题在推特上风靡一时。
Third, companies that list on the market have to convince institutional investors to buy their shares. Many asset managers nowadays pay more attention to social and governance issues, which might restrict their willingness to buy shares in companies that are perceived to have a rancorous relationship with their contractors.第三,上市企业必须说服机构投资者购买他们的股票。如今,许多资产管理者更加关注社会问题和企业治理问题,而这些也可能会阻碍他们购入被认为与承包人之间关系恶化公司股票的意愿。
All this makes Uber an interesting test case in brand management. Attempts to woo drivers carry long-term risks. The more benefits the ride-hailing apps offer, the more their drivers may start to resemble employees, rather than contractors, in the eyes of the courts.所有这一切使优步成为品牌管理领域里的一个有趣测试案例。吸引司机的各种想法会有长期的风险。打车应用提供的好处越多,在法庭看来,注册在籍的司机就越开始像是员工而不是承包者了。
Whatever the courts decide, it is hard to see Uber’s ride-hailing model disappearing for good. Many drivers prefer it to paying upfront (often a lot) for a traditional taxi licence.无论法院判决是什么,很难看到优步的乘车模式会消失殆尽。许多司机更愿意开网约车而不是提前花钱买传统的出租车执照(很多情况下都是如此)。
A study of drivers in London finds that they earn around £11 ($14.50) an hour (after costs), more than the living wage, and more than a third of them vary their working hours by more than 50% from week to week. These drivers report higher levels of life satisfaction than workers in general, probably reflecting their independence. But as with other freelancers, this independence leads to irregular incomes that make Uber drivers more anxious than those in regular work.一项对伦敦司机的研究发现,他们每小时(成本后)的收入约为11英镑(14.50美元),高于生活工资,而有超过三分之一的人的每周工作时间灵活变化概率超过了50% 。这些司机称生活满意度高于一般的员工,这也可能反映了他们工作的独立性。不过,与其他自由职业者一样,这种独立性会导致收入不正常,使得优步司机比其他正常的工作的人更为焦虑。
Ride-hailing apps present a classic version of a policy trade-off. Society can choose from three options—cheap services, employees’ flexibility and full workers’ rights—but it cannot have all three. Consumers and lawmakers will have to work out which to sacrifice.打车应用提供了政策权衡的经典案例。社会有三种选择——低成本服务、员工的灵活性抑或是全职工作权利——但它不能坐拥以上全部三种。消费者和立法者必须解决要牺牲哪些东西的问题。
以上是北京文都考研网给出的“2020考研MTI双语阅读精选文章:网约车企业讨好司机”,希望对翻译硕士考生有所帮助!祝2020考研金榜题名!
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