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The government should also cut stamp duty, a land tax levied on property transactions.
政府還應該削減印花稅，即房產交易征收的土地稅。
Over the long term the burden has risen, which is one reason why the rate of transactions has slumped.
從長期來看，這一負擔增加了，這也是為什么交易量下降的原因之一。
Abolishing or replacing stamp duty would help more young families live in decent homes.
廢除或取代印花稅將幫助更多的年輕家庭住上體面的房屋。
Oldies could downsize at less cost, freeing up more of Britain's 25m or so empty bedrooms.
老年人可以以更低的成本縮減開支，騰出更多的英國2500萬左右的空臥室。
And Westminster needs to do away with the perverse incentives arising from local-government taxation, in particular the out-of-date system of council tax, which is levied on housing.
威斯敏斯特需要從政府稅收中去除不當誘因的增長，尤其是那些征收房屋稅的過時的政府稅收體系。
Councils miss out on much of the extra local tax revenue from new houses, because it is hoovered up and redistributed by central government.
由于房產稅收收入被中央政府吸收和重新分配，地方議會失去了許多額外的地方房產稅收收入。
But they are lumbered with the cost of providing local services for newcomers.
但他們卻因為為新來者提供本地服務的成本而步履維艱。
That should change.
這應該改變。
Councils should be allowed to charge taxes that reflect the true values of properties—and keep the proceeds.
地方議會應被允許收取反映房產真實價值的稅收，并保留收益。
Economically straightforward is not the same as politically easy.
經濟上的易行并不等同于政治上的易行。
Even so, Theresa May, the prime minister, has so far failed to show any mettle over housing.
即便如此，英國首相特里莎梅梅迄今為止仍未能在住房問題上表現出任何勇氣。
Her government has proposed nothing more than tweaks to a broken system.
她的政府除了對一個支離破碎的系統進行微調之外，什么也沒有提出。
This lack of leadership feeds a crisis that is entirely unnecessary.
這種領導力的缺失助長了一場完全沒有必要的危機。
譯文來源考研英語時事閱讀
