A Debate on Universal Basic Income

A universal basic income would provide a safety net that is both simple and dignified.

全民基本收入將提供一張既簡單又有尊嚴的安全網。

Simple, perhaps, but the fiscal implications would be nothing short of staggering.

簡單或許是簡單，但其財政影響將是驚人的。

Not necessarily, since it would replace a labyrinth of overlapping welfare schemes.

未必，因為它將取代一座由彼此重疊的福利方案構成的迷宮。

Even so, I'm unconvinced that a flat payment addresses the diverse needs of vulnerable people.

即便如此，我仍不相信統一發放的金額能夠滿足弱勢族群的多元需求。

Pilot studies have found little evidence that recipients withdraw from the labour market.

試辦研究幾乎沒有發現受助者退出勞動市場的證據。

Those pilots were short-lived and small-scale, so extrapolating from them is precarious.

那些試辦計畫期間短、規模小，因此據此推論是不牢靠的。

Granted, but automation may soon render our current arrangements untenable anyway.

確實如此，但無論如何，自動化可能很快就會讓我們目前的安排難以為繼。

Then let's invest in retraining people, rather than resigning ourselves to their redundancy.

那就讓我們投資於人們的再培訓，而不是聽任他們淪為冗員。