紐時賞析／大火頻發反遭大減薪 美聯邦消防員火大

Federal Firefighters Face Steep Pay Cuts

大火頻發反遭大減薪 美聯邦消防員火大

Thousands of federal firefighters could face substantial pay cuts in the coming weeks, potentially hampering the country’s ability to respond to wildfires as they have grown more severe.

成千上萬美國聯邦消防員未來幾周內恐面臨大幅減薪，在美國野火災害惡化之際，恐進一步阻礙美國因應火災的能力。

Federal wildland firefighters received a temporary boost to their paychecks last year, which was meant to help strained agencies offer more competitive wages to recruit and retain workers. But funding for the pay raises is set to run dry next month, and federal officials have warned that more firefighters will leave for higher-paying jobs if their salaries are slashed.

聯邦荒野消防員去年獲得暫時性加薪，這是為了協助人力吃緊的聯邦消防單位開出更具競爭力的薪資，留住消防員並招募新血。但用來加薪的資金預計下個月就會用罄，而聯邦官員已警告，如果薪水削減，將導致更多消防員離職，尋求薪水更優渥的工作。

In 2021, President Joe Biden raised the minimum wage for wildland firefighters to $15 an hour from $13. Congress then agreed to increase firefighter pay by either 50% of a worker’s base salary or $20,000 a year, whichever was lower.

2021年，美國總統拜登提高荒野消防員的最低薪資，時薪從13美元提高到15美元，國會後來同意提高消防員底薪50%，抑或每年加薪2萬美元，以較低者為準。

The typical base salary for an entry-level wildland firefighter is about $34,000 without the supplement, according to Agriculture Department data.

根據美國農業部資料，不計上述加薪的情況下，新進荒野消防員的標準底薪約3萬4000美元。

The temporary supplement was intended to serve as a “bridge for two years as the administration works with Congress on longer-term reforms,” according to a White House statement. While there is some bipartisan support for a permanent pay raise, it is unclear whether Congress will approve an increase.

根據白宮聲明，暫時性加薪旨在作為「政府與國會攜手進行長期改革的為期兩年的過渡方案」。雖然一項永久加薪法案獲得某些跨黨派支持，但仍不確定國會是否會批准加薪。

Republicans are pushing for deep spending cuts, and disagreements over funding levels nearly led to a government shutdown late last month. The removal of Rep. Kevin McCarthy as House speaker has also thrown that chamber into disarray, raising the chances of a shutdown next month.

共和黨人正推動大幅削減開支，而資金水平的分歧上月底差點導致政府關門。眾議院議長麥卡錫遭罷黜也讓眾院陷入混亂，提高下個月政府關門風險。

The pay cuts are looming at a moment when climate change has intensified the risk of wildfires, which have grown larger, spread faster and become more destructive in recent years. Warmer temperatures and drier conditions have also led to longer fire seasons, increasing the burden on federal firefighters who respond to both fires on federal land and assist state and local fire departments.

減薪問題籠罩之際，氣候變遷加劇野火災害風險，近年的野火規模更大、蔓延更快速並且更具有毀滅性。氣溫升高、環境變乾也導致野火季的時間拉長，加重聯邦消防員負擔，他們除了負責應對聯邦土地上的野火，還得支援各州與地方的消防單位。

The federal government has long struggled to hire firefighters, largely because wages have lagged behind some state and local counterparts. Many workers could also earn more money at less strenuous jobs.

聯邦政府長期以來難以招募消防員，主要是因為薪水不如某些州及地方消防單位。許多工人從事較不辛苦的工作還能賺更多。

The National Federation of Federal Employees, which represents about 10,000 wildland firefighters, has estimated that 30% to 50% of the workforce could resign if salary increases end.

代表大約1萬名荒野消防員的美國聯邦雇員全國聯合會預估，加薪一旦中止恐將會導致30%至50%的人力辭職。

文／Madeleine Ngo　譯／陳曉慈

說文解字看新聞

【陳曉慈】

美國近年來野火頻發，正需打火兄弟賣命的關鍵時刻，卻發生減薪的狀況，令人費解。標題的steep用作形容詞時，可指陡峭或劇烈變化(steep cuts in benefits)，也有價格貴到離譜之意(steep rents)。用作動詞時指浸透、沉浸，be steeped in history/tradition/politics指有濃厚的特定氣息：This city leaves a lasting legacy steeped in military history.

Throw something into disarray/fall into disarray都指陷入混亂狀態：Now that global capitalism is in disarray, it would make sense to support local businesses.

形容詞strenuous指繁重、艱苦之意。E. M. Forster的小說Howards End曾被改編為電影《此情可問天 》，有一段這樣描述書中人Tibby Schlegel：His was the leisure without sympathy--an attitude as fatal as the strenuous: a little cold culture may be raised on it, but no art.