據新華社12月22日報道，格拉斯哥卡利多尼安大學研究人員基思·貝克博士表示，面對寒冷天氣和物價上漲，英國各地一些家庭不得不平衡取暖和購買食物的開支。簡單地說，他們被迫在取暖和吃飯之間取捨。
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Facing the combined effects of sub-zero temperatures and increasing prices, some families across the United Kingdom (UK) have to juggle their incomes between staying warm or buying food, a Glasgow Caledonian University research fellow told Xinhua. Simply put, their choice is between heat or eat.
格拉斯哥卡利多尼安大學的一位研究人員在接受新華社採訪時表示，面對寒冷天氣和物價上漲，英國各地的一些家庭不得不平衡取暖和購買食物的開支。簡單地說，他們被迫在取暖和吃飯之間取捨。
Many in the country had already been in a rather tight financial position before the cold weather set in, Dr. Keith Baker said.基思·貝克博士表示，在寒冬到來之前，許多英國人的財務狀況已經相當緊張。
Last week was a particularly cold one across the UK, with snow, ice and fog warnings in several places. Dec. 12 was the coldest day in the UK since December 2010, the Met Office said.上周，冷空氣席捲英國，多地發布大雪、結冰和大霧天氣警報。英國氣象局表示，12月12日是自2010年12月以來英國最冷的一天。
As a scholar, Baker has worked with groups seeking to help people faced with the dual problem of a cost-of-living crisis and high energy bills. "People really are on the line between just and only just about surviving and being pushed into really quite deplorable situations."作為一名學者，貝克曾與一些組織合作，幫助陷入生活成本和高能源支出雙重危機的人。「人們為了生存而苦苦掙扎，被推入非常可悲的境地。」
Inflation has been running high in the UK since last winter, reaching successive new records. In November, the UK's consumer price index (CPI) rose by 10.7 percent. Food and non-alcoholic beverage prices increased by 16.5 percent in that month.自去年冬天以來，英國的通貨膨脹率居高不下，連續創下新高。11月，英國消費者價格指數（CPI）上漲10.7%。當月，食品和非酒精飲料價格上漲16.5%。
"We don't know how high some food prices are going to rise. Barely a day goes by before you see that the price of one type of food is going up, next day the price of another type of food is going up," Baker said, adding that this level of uncertainty is detrimental to mental health.貝克說：「我們不知道某些食品的價格會漲到多高。幾乎每天都會看到一種食品的漲價，而第二天又會看到另一種食品價格上漲。」貝克說，這種不確定性讓人們惶惶不安。
Inflation is being driven mainly by soaring energy prices. In October, UK households paid 88.9 percent more on average for electricity, gas and other fuels than a year ago, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said. Domestic gas prices in October were more than double that a year earlier.能源價格飆升是通脹高企的主要原因。英國國家統計局數據顯示，10月，英國家庭在電力、天然氣和其他燃料上的支出較去年平均增長了88.9%。10月，英國天然氣價格是去年同期的兩倍多。
People have suffered substantially with their bills going up, Baker said. "Energy bills will go up to about 2,600 British pounds (3,146 U.S. dollars) on average, and I stress that's average, rising again to 3,000 pounds as of April."貝克說，隨著能源支出增加，人們遭受了巨大的經濟損失。「能源賬單平均將升至2600英鎊左右，我強調這是平均水平，到明年4月份將再次升至3000英鎊。」
"We've now got to the point where charities are trying to get out warm clothing to people."「在英國，現在已經到了慈善機構向人們發放保暖衣物的地步。」
Public libraries and community centers across the UK have thrown open their doors to people eager to escape the cold in their homes, offering warm drinks and hot soup.英國各地的公共圖書館和社區中心向避寒取暖的人們敞開大門，提供熱飲和熱湯。
Acknowledging that the government support offered by newly installed Chancellor Jeremy Hunt may go some way to help families on welfare benefits, Baker has called for more.貝克承認，英國財政大臣傑里米·亨特提出的政策可能會在一定程度上幫助那些依靠政府福利的家庭，因此他呼籲政府提供更多支持。
"A lot of households are already in the position of no heat and less to eat, and I really wish politicians would get it through their heads that some householders are really in a dire situation."「許多家庭已經停暖，節省食物開銷，我真的希望政客們能明白，一些家庭的處境真的很糟糕。」
來源：新華社編輯：董靜
來源：中國日報網
