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Special report: (A special report on Singapore) The rich are always with us Inequality. But we don't like them that much.
特別報道：（一份新加坡的特別報道）雖然富人總與我們同在，但是我們并不喜歡他們
Measured by its Gini coefficient, Singapore is among the world's most unequal countries.
如果根據基尼系數來衡量，新加坡是世界上最不平等的國家之一。
The comparison is unfair: Singapore is also a city, and Hong Kong, New York and London all have higher Gini coefficients than it does.
這種比較方法是不公平的：新加坡是一個城市，而同為城市的香港、紐約和倫敦的基尼系數都比它高。
But Singapore measures its coefficient rather differently, excluding shorter-term foreign workers and non-working families.
不過新加坡測量基尼系數的方法與眾不同，不包括短期的外籍勞工和非工作家庭。
And, understandably, it includes employers' CPF contributions as income.
而且可以理解的是該計算方法將勞工的公積金上繳額包含在收入內。
Since these are capped for higher-paid workers, that narrows the income gap.
因為這些措施限制了高薪者的收入，縮小了貧富差距。
Egalitarians are troubled by Singapore's reliance on several hundred thousand low-paid foreigners.
新加坡對于數十萬低收入外籍勞工的依賴困擾著平等主義者。
They are ubiquitous on building sites.
建筑工地隨處可見他們的身影。
Many live in crowded dormitories or worse.
許多人住在擁擠的宿舍或者更糟的地方。
The frustrations some suffer were exposed by a riot in December 2013 after an Indian construction worker, on his Sunday off, was run over and killed by a bus.
2013年12月，一名印度籍建筑工人星期日休假時被一輛公共汽車碾死，一些人的挫折感在這次事件中暴露無遺。
But such events are highly unusual.
但這樣的事件是極不尋常的。
Lee Hsien Loong thinks Singapore should not fret overly about its inequality rankings.
李顯龍認為新加坡不應過度擔心不平等排名。
“If I can get another ten billionaires to move to Singapore,” he said in 2013, “my Gini coefficient will get worse but I think Singaporeans will be better off, because they will bring in business, bring in opportunities, open new doors and create new jobs.”
2013年他說，“如果我能讓另外十大億萬富豪搬到新加坡，我國的基尼系數將變得更糟。但我認為新加坡人將過更好的，因為他們將帶來生意、機會，開啟新的大門、創造新的工作?！?/div>
A generation ago people at all levels of society believed that a rising tide would lift all ships: they were better off than their parents, and knew their children would be better off still.
建國一代的社會各層人民一致認為，水漲船高，惠澤眾生——他們過得比父母們好，而他們的孩子將會更好。
But that may no longer be true.
但這種理論可能再也站不住腳。
In April, in one of a stimulating series of lectures to mark SG50, Ho Kwon Ping, a successful businessman, discussed waning faith in meritocracy.
4月份，在一場紀念新加坡建國50周年激動人心的系列演講中，功成名就的商人何光平討論了對精英體制衰落的信心。
He warned that “the original social leveller”, the education system, may now “perpetuate intergenerational class stratification”.
他警告說，“原先的社會平衡器”——教育系統，現在反而固化了代際的階層分化。
Only 40% of the children in the most prestigious primary schools live in HDB flats, home to about 80% of all children.
全國生活在政府組屋的兒童達80%，其中只有40%就讀于最負盛名小學。
Singapore's government, unlike New York's or London's, is its citizens' overall tax authority, and its tax system is regressive.
與紐約或倫敦的政府不同，新加坡政府是公民的總體稅務機關，并且是遞減的征稅體制。
It has no capital-gains or inheritance taxes, and income tax is low: even after a recent rise, the top rate is 22%.
沒有資本收益稅和遺產稅，所得稅很低——即使最近漲了，所得稅最高稅率才22%。
In future elections it will face growing pressure to redistribute wealth more actively.
在未來的選舉中，新加坡政府在更加積極分配社會財富方面將面臨日漸增長的壓力。
At every stage it will balk, wary of the “slippery slope” towards effete welfarism. But it has the resources.
在每個階段，它都拒絕并且擔心滑向無能的福利主義。但是它還有很多資源可以利用。
譯文編自AuroraW
