ECONOMICS REPORT - Allowance Helps Children Learn About Money
Thu, 15 Nov 2007
This is the VOA Special English Economics Report.
经济报道――零用钱助儿童知钱。
2007年11月15日，星期四。
这是VOA特别英语的经济报道。
Many children first learn the value of money by receiving an allowance. The purpose is to let children learn from experience at an age when financial mistakes are not very costly.
The amount of money that parents give to their children to spend as they wish differs from family to family. Timing is another consideration. Some children get a weekly allowance. Others get a monthly allowance.
许多儿童从收到零用钱才学会金钱的价值。其目的是使儿童在犯理财错误代价不大的年纪获知经验。
父母给儿童随意花费的金钱，其数量因家庭而异。时机是另一考虑因素；有些儿童每周收到，而有些则每月收到（零用钱）。
In any case, parents should make clear what, if anything, the child is expected to pay for with the money.
At first, young children may spend all of their allowance soon after they receive it. If they do this, they will learn the hard way that spending must be done within a budget. Parents are usually advised not to offer more money until the next allowance.
但是，在任何情况下，父母必须交待清楚，儿童该怎么花。
首先，年幼的儿童在收到钱后会马上花完。如果这样，他们会发现在预算范围内开支会非常困难。在下次零用钱之前，父母一般不该给钱。
The object is to show young people that a budget demands choices between spending and saving. Older children may be responsible enough to save money for larger costs, like clothing or electronics.
Many people who have written on the subject of allowances say it is not a good idea to pay your child for work around the home. These jobs are a normal part of family life.
其目的是告诉年轻人，预算要求在花掉与存钱之间有个取舍。年长的儿童会更负责些，会存钱买大件，如衣服或电子产品等。
零用钱方面的作者说，家务活付钱不是一个好点子。这些活计本来就是家庭生活的一部分。
Paying children to do extra work around the house, however, can be useful. It can even provide an understanding of how a business works.
Allowances give children a chance to experience the three things they can do with money. They can share it in the form of gifts or giving to a good cause. They can spend it by buying things they want. Or they can save it.
但是，做额外家务活（付钱）却不错，甚至可有助于理解公司的运营。
零用钱使儿童有机会体验花钱的三种途径：他们可以买礼物或做善事；买他们想要的东西；或储蓄。
Saving helps children understand that costly goals require sacrifice: you have to cut costs and plan for the future.
Requiring children to save part of their allowance can also open the door to future saving and investing. Many banks offer services to help children and teenagers learn about personal finance.
储蓄有助于儿童理解昂贵目标需要牺牲：必须节约开支，计划未来。
要求儿童节省零用钱也打开了未来储蓄与投资之道。许多银行提供服务，以帮助儿童和年轻人学会个人理财。
A savings account is an excellent way to learn about the power of compound interest.
Compounding works by paying interest on interest. So, for example, one dollar invested at two percent interest for two years will earn two cents in the first year. The second year, the money will earn two percent of one dollar and two cents, and so on.
储蓄帐户是学会复利魔力的极佳途径。
复利是利滚利。例如，一美元以2%利率投资二年，第一年会赚2美分；第二年，会赚1美元2美分的2%，如此等等。
That may not seem like a lot. But over time it adds up.
And that's the VOA Special English Economics Report, written by Mario Ritter. You can learn more about economics, and download MP3 files and transcripts of our weekly reports, at www.unsv.com. I'm Bob Doughty.
似乎不多，但积少成多。
这是由Mario Ritter编写的VOA特别英语的经济报道。欲知经济、下载MP3文档以及本周报道的文稿，请访问www.unsv.com。我是Bob Doughty。