Why Is Everything So Expensive? Inflation Explained

Six dollars for a coffee? Are you serious?

一杯咖啡6美元？開什麼玩笑？

Ha! Welcome to the real world, kiddo.

哈！歡迎來到現實世界，孩子。

Ugh, it was four fifty last year, Grandpa!

唉，去年才4.5美元耶，爺爺！

Well, prices don't stay the same forever.

嗯，價格可不會永遠不變。

And look at this bread. It's gone up again!

還有你看這麵包，又漲價了！

That's inflation. Prices slowly rise over time.

這就是通貨膨脹。價格會隨著時間慢慢上漲。

Oh no. So my money just buys less?

天啊。那我的錢能買的東西就變少了？

Exactly. Ten dollars gets you a little less every year.

沒錯。10美元每年能買到的都會少一點。

When I was your age, a loaf of bread was thirty-five cents.

我像你這麼大的時候，一條麵包才35美分。

Thirty-five cents? No way!

35美分？不會吧！

Ha, but I earned less than three dollars an hour!

哈，可是我那時候一小時還賺不到3美元呢！

Oh... so pay went up too?

喔……所以薪水也漲了？

Usually, yes. Just not always as fast as prices.

通常是啦。只是不一定漲得跟物價一樣快。

But why does it happen? Who decides?

可是為什麼會這樣？是誰決定的？

Nobody really decides. Think of it like this.

其實沒有誰來決定。你可以這樣想。

When everyone wants something that's hard to get, sellers ask for more.

大家都想要一樣東西，可是它又不好買到，賣家就會開更高的價。

Oh, like concert tickets for a famous band!

喔，就像知名樂團的演唱會門票！

Ha, exactly! And when costs go up, prices follow.

哈，沒錯！而且成本一漲，價格也跟著漲。

If energy gets more expensive, the bakery pays more too.

如果能源變貴了，麵包店也得多付錢。

Gas for the ovens, fuel for the trucks... it all adds up.

烤箱用的瓦斯、卡車用的油……全部加起來了。

Ugh, and then they pass it on to us!

唉，然後就全部轉嫁到我們身上了！

Can't anyone stop it?

就沒有人能阻止嗎？

Central banks try. They raise interest rates.

央行會想辦法。他們會調升利率。

Borrowing costs more, so people spend less and prices slow down.

借錢變貴了，大家就少花錢，漲價也就慢下來了。

Hmm, so a little inflation is normal?

嗯……所以有一點通膨是正常的？

Yes. Many central banks aim for about two percent a year.

對。很多央行的目標是每年2%左右。

So, my advice? Compare prices before you buy.

所以，我的建議？買之前先比價。

And keep your savings somewhere that pays interest.

還有，把存款放在有利息的地方。

Okay, okay. And maybe make my coffee at home?

好啦好啦。那我是不是也該在家自己泡咖啡？

Now you're thinking like your grandpa!

這才像你爺爺的想法嘛！