来源：《每日电讯报》
原文刊登日期：2021年2月28日
Rishi Sunak, the Chancellor, was unwilling to be drawn on his tax plans in Wednesday’s Budget when he appeared on several television interview shows yesterday. But one decision has been pre-announced: a £5bn fund to revive the Covid-ravaged high streets. Most shops, dubbed “non-essential”, have been closed for months, losing billions as a consequence. But in addition, the threat that already existed due to the rapid growth of online shopping has been exacerbated, with every chance that there will be fewer customers than before the pandemic once coronavirus restrictions are finally removed.
财政大臣里希·苏纳克昨天在几场电视访谈节目中露面时，不愿意提及周三的预算案中他的税收计划。但有一项决定已经提前宣布：成立一个50亿英镑的基金，以重振饱受新冠疫情蹂躏的商业街。大多数被称为“非必需”的商店已关闭数月，因此损失数十亿美元。但除此之外，由于网络购物的快速增长而已经存在的威胁也在加剧，一旦防疫限制最终取消，消费者人数很可能会比大流行前减少。
The immediate need of these businesses is the money to stop them going under. Mr Sunak is promising grants of up to £18,000 for 700,000 pubs, restaurants, hospitality outlets and shops in England to help them reopen when the Government’s roadmap allows them to sometime in April or May.
这些企业迫切需要的是资金来避免破产。Sunak先生承诺将向英格兰70万家酒吧、餐厅、酒店和商店每家提供高达18000英镑的赠款，以帮助它们在政府路线图允许的4月或5月时重新开业。
That is still more than two months away for many of these enterprises which may not be able to last that long. There is a danger that the taxpayer will fork out to help them open again but they will collapse soon after because the level of trade is too low to sustain them profitably.
对许多企业来说，这还需要两个多月的时间，但它们可能撑不了那么久。有一种危险是，纳税人会掏钱帮助它们重新开业，但它们很快就会崩溃，因为交易额太低，没有盈利。
The Chancellor can’t continue to subsidise them indefinitely; and yet the Government’s success in scaring people away from what were once normal indoor activities and social interactions may have sounded the death knell for many.
财政大臣不能无限期地继续补贴企业；然而，政府成功地让人们远离曾经正常的室内活动和社交互动，这可能为许多企业敲响了丧钟。
It is evident that saving the high street will need more than cash. A more comprehensive plan is required, to ensure that once the high streets are open again people are encouraged to return. Extortionate business rates, exorbitant rents and high car parking charges were already impacting on the high streets before the pandemic. They need to be addressed by both central and local government and quickly.
显然，拯救商业街需要的不仅仅是现金。需要一个更全面的计划，以确保一旦商业街重新开放，人们就会被鼓励返回。高企的营业税、过高的租金和高昂的停车费用在疫情爆发前就已经影响到了商业街。这些问题需要由中央和地方政府迅速解决。
Such has been the shock from the lockdowns that it might be impossible to rescue the high streets. More people working from home will make many commercial buildings redundant, though these could be converted into residential properties which would help sustain inner city life.
封锁带来的冲击如此之大，以至于可能无法拯救商业街。越来越多的人在家办公将使许多商业建筑变得多余，尽管这些建筑可以被改造成有助于维持市中心生活的住宅。
Once the controls have finally been lifted the Government’s messaging needs to be as emphatic as it was for shutting everything down. Go Out. Protect the High Street. Save jobs.
一旦控制最终被解除，政府的信息传递需要像它当初封锁一切时那样明确。出门。保护商业街。保住工作。