Inequality · 不平等
| English | 中文 | Pinyin · 拼音 |
|---|---|---|
| Lorenz curve/ˈlɒrənts kɜːv/ | 洛伦兹曲线 | luò lún zī qū xiàn |
| income inequality/ˈɪŋkʌm ɪniːˈkwɒlɪti/ | 收入不平等 | shōu rù bù píng děng |
| wealth inequality/welθ ɪniːˈkwɒlɪti/ | 财富不平等 | cái fù bù píng děng |
| Gini coefficient/ˈdʒiːni ˌkəʊɪˈfɪʃənt/ | 基尼系数 | jī ní xì shù |
| human capital/ˈhjuːmən ˈkæpɪtl/ | 人力资本 | rén lì zī běn |
| progressive/prəˈɡresɪv/ | 累进 | lèi jìn |
| proportional/prəˈpɔːʃənl/ | 比例 | bǐ lì |
| regressive/rɪˈɡresɪv/ | 累退 | lèi tuì |
Efficient, but is it fair?
- A market can reach the efficient quantity and still leave some people far richer than others.
- Efficiency is about the size of the pie; fairness is about how it's sliced.
- Economists measure that slicing carefully, without judging it.
- The starting point is the gap between two ideas of inequality.
有效率,但公平吗?
- 市场可以达到有效率的数量,却仍然让一些人比另一些人富得多。
- 效率关乎蛋糕的大小;公平关乎它怎么切。
- 经济学家仔细衡量这种切法,却不对它做评判。
- 起点是两种不平等概念之间的差别。
Income, wealth, and the Lorenz curve
- Income inequality 收入不平等 is differences in what people earn each year.
- Wealth inequality 财富不平等 is differences in the total assets people own — usually far more unequal than income.
- The Lorenz curve 洛伦兹曲线 plots the cumulative share of income against the cumulative share of people, poorest first.
收入、财富与洛伦兹曲线
- 收入不平等(income inequality)是人们每年所赚的差别。
- 财富不平等(wealth inequality)是人们拥有的总资产的差别——通常比收入不平等得多。
- 洛伦兹曲线(Lorenz curve)把累计收入份额相对于累计人口份额画出来,从最穷的开始。
Draw the Lorenz curve · 画出洛伦兹曲线
The Lorenz curve plots the cumulative income share against the population share. The more it sags below the 45° line, the higher the Gini coefficient. · 洛伦兹曲线把累计收入份额相对于人口份额画出来。它越往 45° 线之下沉,基尼系数越高。
Which is usually more unequal? · 通常哪一种更不平等?
Wealth (accumulated assets) is typically distributed far more unequally than yearly income. · 财富(积累的资产)的分布通常比每年的收入不平等得多。
The Lorenz curve plots the cumulative share of income against: · 洛伦兹曲线把累计收入份额相对于什么画出来:
It runs from poorest to richest, comparing income share with population share. · 它从最穷到最富,比较收入份额与人口份额。
The poorest 50% of people earn 20% of all income. As a decimal, what is the income share (y-value) at population share 0.5? · 最穷的 50% 的人赚得全部收入的 20%。在人口份额 0.5 处,收入份额(y 值)以小数表示是多少?
The Lorenz curve passes through (0.5, 0.2) — well below the equal-share point (0.5, 0.5). · 洛伦兹曲线经过 (0.5, 0.2)——远低于平等份额点 (0.5, 0.5)。
The Gini coefficient
- The Gini coefficient 基尼系数 summarises the gap in one number: $\text{Gini} = \dfrac{A}{A + B}$.
- Here $A$ is the area between the equality line and the Lorenz curve, and $B$ is the area under the curve.
- It runs from 0 (perfect equality) to 1 (one person has everything) — bigger means more unequal.
基尼系数
- 基尼系数(Gini coefficient)用一个数字概括这个差距:$\text{Gini} = \dfrac{A}{A + B}$。
- 这里 $A$ 是平等线与洛伦兹曲线之间的面积,$B$ 是曲线下方的面积。
- 它从 0(完全平等)到 1(一个人拥有一切)——越大越不平等。
A Gini coefficient of 0 means: · 基尼系数为 0 意味着:
Gini runs 0 (perfect equality) to 1 (one person has all income). · 基尼系数从 0(完全平等)到 1(一人拥有全部收入)。
Sources and the tax response
- Inequality comes from differences in human capital 人力资本 (skills and education), discrimination, and inherited wealth.
- A progressive 累进 tax takes a higher percentage from higher incomes (it reduces inequality).
- A proportional 比例 tax takes the same percentage from everyone.
- A regressive 累退 tax takes a higher percentage from lower incomes (it widens inequality).
来源与税收应对
- 不平等来自人力资本(human capital,技能和教育)、歧视,以及继承的财富的差别。
- 累进(progressive)税从更高收入中拿走更高的百分比(它减少不平等)。
- 比例(proportional)税从每个人身上拿走相同的百分比。
- 累退(regressive)税从更低收入中拿走更高的百分比(它加大不平等)。
A tax that takes a higher percentage from higher incomes is called a ______ tax. · 从更高收入中拿走更高百分比的税,叫做______税。
A progressive tax reduces inequality; a regressive tax widens it. · 累进税减少不平等;累退税加大它。
Match each tax type to how it treats incomes. · 把每种税与它对收入的处理方式配对。
Progressive narrows inequality, proportional is flat, regressive widens it. · 累进缩小不平等,比例是平的,累退加大它。
Income and wealth inequality are pictured by the Lorenz curve and summarised by the Gini coefficient (0 = equal, 1 = one person has all). Inequality flows from human capital, discrimination, and inheritance; a progressive tax narrows it, a regressive tax widens it.
收入与财富不平等由洛伦兹曲线描绘,由基尼系数概括(0 = 平等,1 = 一人拥有全部)。不平等源于人力资本、歧视和继承;累进税缩小它,累退税加大它。