美国一分钱生产的时代正在慢慢结束

美国财政部于5月22日宣布，它将在生产超过两个世纪后开始淘汰便士的铸造。

The era of penny production in the United States is slowly coming to an end, but Americans will still be seeing one-cent coins in their change for the foreseeable future.

美国一分钱生产的时代正在慢慢结束，但是在可预见的将来，美国人仍然会看到他们的变化一美分硬币。

>Announcing the phasing out of the minting of pennies after more than two centuries of production, the U.S. Treasury Department said on May 22 that it will begin winding down production of the one-cent coin as part of the fiscal year 2024 budget proposals.

>美国财政部宣布在生产超过两个世纪的生产后，从便士的铸造中进行了淘汰，5月22日，它将开始结束生产一美分硬币，这是2024财政年度预算提案的一部分。

Despite this change, the penny will remain legal tender, and retailers will continue to use them in cash transactions until supplies run low.

尽管发生了这种变化，但一分钱仍将保持法律招标，并且零售商将继续在现金交易中使用它们，直到供应较低为止。

Why Is the Penny Being Phased Out?

为什么一分钱被淘汰？

The Treasury Department explained that the decision to wind down penny production is driven by the need to allocate federal funds efficiently, especially in the current economic climate.

财政部解释说，减少一分钱产量的决定是由有效分配联邦资金的必要性，尤其是在当前的经济环境中。

The department stated that pennies are “severely underutilized,” with an estimated 114 billion of them sitting idle in jars, drawers, or forgotten containers across the country.

该部门指出，便士“严重未被充分利用”，估计有1,140亿个闲置在全国各地的罐子，抽屉或被遗忘的容器中。

That stockpile could theoretically form a 13-story-high cube of copper and zinc.

从理论上讲，这种储存可以形成13层高的铜和锌。

“There’s a saying in retail, ‘Never lose a customer over a penny,’” said Jeff Lenard, spokesperson for the National Association of Convenience Stores. “I never really thought of it in these terms, but it applies even more here.”

全国便利店协会发言人杰夫·莱纳德（Jeff Lenard）说：“零售业中有句话，'永远不会因一分钱而失去客户'。 “从这些术语中，我从来没有真正考虑过，但是在这里它更适用。”

The Handling of the Change

变更的处理

The move to phase out the penny comes after years of debate over the one-cent coin's economic viability.

经过多年关于单美分硬币的经济生存能力的辩论，逐步淘汰一分钱的举动。

Some lawmakers and economists have argued that the penny should be discontinued due to the rising cost of production and the minimal value it provides to consumers.

一些立法者和经济学家认为，由于生产成本的上涨以及对消费者提供的最低价值，应停止一分钱。

However, consumer groups and some members of Congress have expressed concern that eliminating the penny would lead to price increases for consumers as businesses round up small purchases to the nearest five cents.

但是，消费者团体和一些国会议员表示担心，随着企业将小额购买汇总到最近的五美分，消除一分钱将导致消费者的价格上涨。

A 2023 poll by the American Consumer Institute, a consumer advocacy group, found that a majority of consumers are opposed to phasing out the penny.

消费者倡导组织美国消费者研究所的2023年民意调查发现，大多数消费者反对淘汰一分钱。

The Treasury Department's proposal to cease penny production will now be passed on to Congress, which will ultimately decide whether to approve the change as part of the final fiscal year 2024 budget.

财政部关于停止一分钱生产的提议现在将转交给国会，最终将决定是否批准这一变更作为2024年最后一财年预算的一部分。

If approved by Congress, the penny will gradually disappear from circulation as banks and businesses use up their existing supplies of the one-cent coin.

如果获得国会的批准，一分钱将逐渐从流通中消失，因为银行和企业消耗了其现有的单美分硬币供应。

The Hoarding Factor

ho积因子

The penny has been a staple of the U.S. monetary system since 1859, when the Union copper one-cent pieces were introduced during the Civil War.

自1859年以来，一分钱就一直是美国货币体系的主食，当时内战期间引入了工会铜一美分。

Over the years, the composition of the penny has changed several times, and today it is made up of 2.5 percent copper and 97.5 percent zinc.

多年来，一分钱的成分已经变化了多次，如今，铜和97.5％的锌组成。

The coin's purchasing power has also diminished significantly due to inflation.

由于通货膨胀，硬币的购买力也大大降低了。

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics consumer price index, one penny in 1860 had the same buying power as about 30 cents today.

根据劳工统计局消费者价格指数的数据，1860年的一分钱与今天的购买力相同。

Despite the challenges faced by the penny, it remains a popular coin among collectors and coin enthusiasts.

尽管一分钱面临挑战，但它仍然是收藏家和硬币爱好者中的流行硬币。

The one-cent coin is also a symbol of American history and culture, and its disappearance would mark the end of an era in the U.S. monetary system.

单美分的硬币也是美国历史和文化的象征，它的消失将标志着美国货币体系时代的终结。

As the era of the penny slowly comes to an end, Americans can reminisce about the role this small coin has played in their lives and the impact it will have on the nation's monetary system in the years to come.

随着一分钱的时代逐渐结束，美国人可以让人想起这种小硬币在他们的生活中所扮演的角色，以及它在未来几年中对国家货币体系的影响。

input: The U.S. Treasury Department has begun the process of phasing out the penny as part of the fiscal year 2024 budget proposals, according to a May 22 report by USA Herald.

投入：根据美国先驱报的5月22日报告，美国财政部已开始逐步淘汰一分钱，作为2024财政年度预算提案的一部分。

The move, which comes after years of debate over the one-cent coin's economic viability, will see the Treasury gradually wind down production of the penny, which could disappear from circulation within the next few years.

此举是在多年关于单美分硬币的经济生存能力的辩论之后进行的，这将使财政部逐渐减少一分钱的生产，这可能会在未来几年内从流通中消失。

However, despite this change, the penny will remain legal tender, and retailers will continue to use them in cash transactions until supplies run low.

但是，尽管发生了这种变化，但一分钱仍将保持法律招标，零售商将继续以现金交易来使用它们，直到供应较低为止。

The Treasury Department said the decision to wind down penny production is driven by the need to allocate federal funds efficiently, especially in the current economic climate.

财政部表示，决定减少一分钱生产的决定是由有效分配联邦资金的必要性，尤其是在当前的经济环境中。

The department stated that pennies are “severely underutilized,” with an estimated 114 billion of them sitting idle in jars, drawers, or forgotten containers across the country.

该部门指出，便士“严重未充分利用”，估计有1,140亿个闲置在全国各地的罐子，抽屉或被遗忘的容器中闲置。

That stockpile could theoretically form a 13-story-high cube of copper and zinc.

从理论上讲，这种储存可以形成13层高的铜和锌。

“There’s a saying in retail, ‘Never lose a customer over a penny,’” said Jeff Lenard, spokesperson for the National Association of Convenience Stores. “I never really thought of it in these terms, but it applies even more here.”

全国便利店协会发言人杰夫·莱纳德（Jeff Lenard）说：“零售业中有句话，'永远不会因一分钱而失去客户'。 “从这些术语中，我从来没有真正考虑过，但是在这里它更适用。”

The move to phase out the penny comes after years of debate over the one-cent coin's economic viability.

经过多年关于单美分硬币的经济生存能力的辩论，逐步淘汰一分钱的举动。

Some lawmakers and economists have argued that the penny should be discontinued due to the rising cost of production and the minimal value it provides to consumers.

一些立法者和经济学家认为，由于生产成本的上涨以及对消费者提供的最低价值，应停止一分钱。

However, consumer groups and some members of Congress have expressed concern that

但是，消费者团体和一些国会议员表示关注