為什麼會外語的人薪水更高？

Do money and language go hand in hand? You might be surprised at the powerful effects bilingualism has on income and employment.語言能力和薪水多少有關係嗎？雙語能力對收入和就業的重大影響力，也許會讓你感到吃驚。

Everyone』s got their own ideas about how to make a little extra dough, but few people today realize the economic benefits of speaking two languages.對於怎麼賺外快，每個人多少都會有點自己的想法，不過很少有人會意識到雙語能力給自己帶來的經濟效益。

Skeptical? Let』s look at the figures. Some number crunchers at The Economist have determined that workers with more than one language can earn an extra $67,000 over their lifetime. And that』s on the low side; according to estimates on the high end, bilinguals can make an extra $128,000 due to their language proficiency. That means monolinguals (that』s people who speak just one language) could be missing out on the equivalent of a new home or luxury car. Ouch.你不信？讓我們看一下數據。《經濟學人》的數據表明：懂超過一門語言的工人一生可以多賺67000美元，而且這只是一個保守數據；按較高水平估計，擁有雙語能力的人可以因為他們的語言能力多獲得128000美元。這意味著單語者（只說一種語言的人）可能會錯過相當於一個新房子或豪華車的錢。哇喔。

Let』s check out some more intriguing statistics. According to language expert and CEO Ryan McMunn, learning a second language boosts your salary anywhere from 10-15%. How』s that for a raise?讓我們來看看一些更有趣的數據吧。根據語言學家和首席執行官瑞·恩克的說法，會兩門語言不論在什麼地方都能讓你的薪水漲10%到15%。你覺得這個漲薪水平怎麼樣呢？

In fact, 9 out of 10 European recruiters consider bilingualism critical to hiring new employees. Similarly, a survey of North American job recruiters found 66% agreed that bilingualism will steadily gain importance in the next 10 years.事實上，十分之九的歐洲招聘官將雙語能力作為招聘人員的一個重要標準。相似地，一份關於北美招聘官的調查表明，66%的招聘官覺得雙語能力在未來十年的重要性會穩步上升。

But how does knowing a second language really help you earn more? In addition to jobs like interpreters and translators (two professions, incidentally, which the Bureau of Labor predicts to grow 28.7% over the next 10 years), there are many ways learning a second language immediately boosts a worker』s chances at earning more.不過會兩門語言會怎麼樣使你賺的更多呢？除了口譯或者翻譯這種工作以外（順便說一句，根據勞動局預測，這兩種職業的薪酬在接下來十年會增長28.7%），還有許多方面可以增加雙語者的收入。

For job seekers looking to stand out from the crowd, hiring managers notice the increased cultural sensitivity and intelligence that come with being able to speak a foreign language.對於想要脫穎而出的求職者來說，招聘經理會注意到那些有外語能力的人，往往在文化敏感度和理解力方面更突出。

Similarly, service industry workers see an increased chance at promotion merely by showing that they』re in the process of learning a new language. Large or small, companies always need employees to travel to and communicate with foreign markets.相似地，服務業的工作人員如果表現出自己正在學一門外語，則更有機會得到升職。不管是大公司還是小公司，他們總是需要員工能夠出國溝通並開拓國外市場。

Just being able to 「meet and greet」 gives you an immense leg up. For those who run a small business, a second language can prove critical in connecting with your customers and community.即使你僅僅能夠「見面問好」，這就足以給你一個巨大的幫助了。對於做小生意的人來說，會一門外語是聯繫客戶和社會的必不可少的紐帶。

The list of financial benefits to bilingualism is endless. So don』t miss out — do yourself a favor and pick up a new language today.雙語者所能得到的經濟利益是無窮無盡的。所以，不要錯過它——為了你自己，從今天開始學一門新的語言吧
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