Is this the death of cash?
现金消亡的时代是否会到来
Cash is king, or so they say. In one form or another, human beings have been carrying around money for hundreds of years. Metal was first coined into cash between 700 and 600 BC by the Lydians, and banknotes have been in circulation since their first use in China around 1000 AD. These days, though, habits have changed. Modern technology means that while money is still widely used, it's more likely to be a digital transaction than a wad of notes and a handful of shrapnel. If cash is king, then it may eventually be dethroned.
现金为王,至少大家都这么说。几百年来,人类一直以这样或那样的形式随身携带金钱。公元前700年至公元前600年,吕底亚人首次将金属铸造成现金。公元1000年左右,纸币首次在中国流通。然而现如今,使用现金的习惯已经发生了改变。现代科技意味着,虽然货币仍然被广泛使用,但它更可能是一种数字交易,而不是一叠钞票和一堆零钱。如果现金为王,那么它最终可能会被废黜。
In the UK, the use of tangible currency is in decline. In 2017, the banking trade body UK Finance reported a 15% fall in the use of ready money. Since their first use, debit card payments have given cash a run for its money. Last year, for the first time ever, the use of debit cards and contactless payments became the most popular way to stump up. In fact, if trends continue, the use of cold hard cash, would end by 2026, says the report.
在英国,有形货币的使用率正在下降。2017年,银行业贸易机构英国金融报告称,现金使用量下降了15%。自从第一次使用借记卡以来,它就成为了现金的竞争对手。去年,借记卡和非接触式支付首次成为最受欢迎的支付方式。报告称,事实上,如果这种趋势继续下去,到2026年,硬币和纸币都将停止流通。
For businesses, the smart money is on not taking cash. By doing so, they are in the money. For example, the Boot pub in Freston opened last year as a cashless pub. In a BBC article, its owner Mike Keen lists several advantages, including a quicker speed of service, lower insurance premiums since no cash is kept on site, and a saving in time as he needn't cash up each day nor make a deposit in the bank several times each week.
对于企业来说,明智的做法是不收现金。这样做,他们就有钱了。例如,弗雷斯顿的Boot酒吧去年开业时是一家无现金的酒吧。在BBC的一篇文章中,它的主人迈克·基恩列举了几个优点,包括服务速度更快、保险费更低(因为现场没有现金)。此外,还能节省时间,因为他不必每天都把钱存起来,也不必每周去跑好几趟银行。
However, eight million people in the UK still need cash, according to the Access to Cash Review, an independent body measuring the need for cash in the UK. Those living in rural areas with poor internet connectivity and people who have physical or mental health issues are among those that find it difficult to use digital services. In addition, many service providers, such as window cleaners, are still paid cash in hand. Not to mention, budgeting, which is easier with cash since "you know what you've got," interviewee Kev Jackson told the BBC.
然而,根据评估英国现金需求的独立机构“现金审查”发布的数据,英国仍有800万人需要现金。那些生活在互联网普及率低的偏远地区的人,以及那些有身体或心理有缺陷的人,都不适应线上支付。此外,许多服务供应商,如窗户清洁工,仍然是以拿到手的现金来结算酬劳。受访者凯夫·杰克逊在接受BBC采访时表示,拿着现金在手上更容易做预算,因为“你知道自己还有多少”。
Is cash dead? Not yet it would seem, though as more technological solutions to payment, such as smart watches, become commonplace, its use is likely to decline more. What's important is, the report concludes, to put in place infrastructure to ensure that those who still need to pay the good, old-fashioned way can get their money's worth.
现金消亡了吗?目前还未可知,随着智能手表等支付技术解决方案的普及,现金的使用可能会进一步减少。报告的结论是,建立基础设施很重要,能确保那些需要用传统方式支付的人仍然可以使用现金。
词汇表
cash is king
现金为王,现金至上
coin
铸造(货币)
cash
现金
banknote
钞票
in circulation
(货币)在流通
transaction
交易
wad of notes
一沓钞票
shrapnel
零钱
currency
货币
ready money
现款、现金
give something a run for its money
给…带来竞争
contactless payment
非接触式支付
stump up
(不情愿的)掏腰包,付钱
cold hard cash
“硬当当的” 现金
the smart money is on
内行认为…
in the money
赚大钱
cashless
不用现金的
cash up
清点、结算账目
make a deposit
(往银行账户里)存款
cash in hand
现金支付在手
budgeting
计算开支
get your money's worth
把钱花得物有所值