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Finance and Economics
財經
Short Term Lending: Principles and Interests
短期借貸：原則與利率
America's Payday lending industry is been squeezed.
美國的發薪日貸款行業正在遭受擠壓。
In May 2013 Gloria James borrowed $200 from Loan Till Payday, a lender near her home in Wilmington, Delaware.
2013年5月，格洛麗亞詹姆斯向她家附近的Loill Till發薪日貸款處（紐約州特拉華州威爾明頓市的一名貸款處）借了200美元。
Rather than take out a one- or two-month loan for a $100 fee, as she had done several times before, she was offered a one-year loan that would set her back $1,620 in interest, equivalent to an annual rate of 838%.
然而不像她之前幾次借款一樣，借貸1個月或者2個月，支付100美元的費用，她這次貸款時間為期一年，得償還1620美元的利息，也就是說年利率為838%。
Ms James, a housekeeper making $12 an hour, agreed to the high-interest loan but quickly fell behind on her payments.
詹姆斯是一名管家，每小時可以掙12美元，她接受了高利貸，但她很快無法用自己的薪資償還貸款。
After filing a lawsuit in federal court, a Delaware judge ruled that the loan in question was not only illegal but “unconscionable”.
朝聯邦法院起訴后，特拉華州的一名法官宣判該筆有待商榷的貸款非法且不合理。
Her story is remarkably common.
她的故事非常普遍。
Americans who live pay cheque to pay cheque have few places to turn when they are in financial distress.
用以票養票的方式生活的美國人遇到經濟困難時，幾乎沒有回旋的余地。
Many rely on high-interest payday loans to stay afloat.
許多人依靠高利息發薪日貸款來維持生計。
But government efforts to crack down on the $40bn industry may be having an effect.
但政府正在著力打擊這個400億美元的產業，可能會對它產生影響。
Roughly 2.5m American households, about one in 50, use payday loans each year, according to government statistics.
根據官方統計，差不多250萬的美國家庭中，幾乎每50個中有一個每年都用發薪日貸款。
The typical loan is $350, lasts two weeks, and costs $15 for each $100 borrowed.
代表性貸款方式是350美元，持續兩周，每筆$ 100的借款費用為15美元。
Although payday loans are marketed as a source of short-term cash to be used in financial emergencies, they are often used to meet chronic budget shortfalls—in 2015 more borrowers in California took out ten payday loans than took out one.
雖然發薪日貸款作為短期現金來源被用作金融緊急情況，但它們常常用于應付長期預算短缺 - 在2015年，加利福尼亞州的更多借款人選擇10個工資日貸款，而不是1個工資日貸款。
Critics say the industry dupes its vulnerable customers into paying high fees and interest rates.
批評者們認為這個行業欺負其弱勢的客戶支付高額的費用和利息。
And yet surveys show its customers are mostly satisfied, because payday loans are easy and convenient.
而調查顯示，其客戶大多滿意，因為發薪日貸款方便快捷。
Regulation of payday lending in America has historically been the responsibility of states.
美國工資日貸款的管理歷來是國家負責的。
Over a dozen use interest-rate caps to, in effect, ban payday loans.
實際上，超過12個州利用利率上限來禁止發薪日貸款。
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