State and local governments across the United States are facing big budget deficits. 
美国全国的州政府和地方政府都面临着巨大的预算赤字问题。

Many of these shortfalls include promises of future retirement payments for public employees.
许多缺口都包括官方承诺支付政府雇员未来的退休金。

Several states have had to borrow money for pension plans that have fallen below required funding levels. 
数个州不得不借钱来应付已跌至资金所需标准以下的退休金计划。

Pay and benefits for public workers have been a target as state and local governments try to cut spending. 
在州政府和地方政府试图削减开支之际，政府雇员的工资福利就成为目标之一。

At the same time, there are efforts in several states to reduce the negotiating rights of public employees.
与此同时，还有数州正试图减少政府雇员的谈判权。

In many cases, public employee unions have agreed to accept lower pay. 
很多情况下，政府雇员工会已同意降低工资，

But they oppose efforts to limit collective bargaining. 
但他们反对政府限制他们的集体谈判权。

An effort by Republicans to do that in Wisconsin has led protesters to occupy the state capitol building.
威斯康星州的共和党人限制政府雇员集体谈判权的做法导致抗议者占领了州议会大厦。

Almost every state requires a balanced budget. 
差不多每个州都需要预算平衡。

Yet worries that state and local governments might not be able to repay their debts are now adding to the costs of borrowing. 
而对州政府和地方政府恐无力偿还债务的担忧如今又使得他们的借贷成本增加。

Illinois had to offer a high return of nearly 6% on bonds to be repaid by 2019.
伊利诺伊州不得不提出到2019年以近6%的高额债券利率还债。

Experts say, on average, public employees are paid less but have better benefits than workers with similar skills in private jobs. 
专家表示，平均而言，跟技能相当的私企雇员相比，政府雇员工资较低，但福利较好。

However, they say these differences in labor costs are a lot less than some people think.
但这些用人成本上的区别比某些人想得要小得多。

Still, traditional pension plans pay a set amount for as long as a retiree lives. 
然而传统的退休金计划中，退休者只要在世，就可以领取一定数额的退休金。

States like Georgia, Michigan, Colorado and Ohio are considering a change for future employees. 
佐治亚、密歇根、科罗拉多和俄亥俄等州正考虑调整未来雇员的退休金。

They might offer retirement plans similar to what are called 401(k) plans.
他们可能会提出一个与所谓的401(k)计划相仿的退休金计划。

These are a common form of plan offered by private employers. 
401(k)计划是一个常见的私企雇主提出的退休金计划形式。

Employers and workers both put money into the plan. 
雇主和雇员都要向退休金计划交钱，

Workers can invest the money in areas like stocks or bonds. 
其中雇员可以把钱投资到诸如股票证券等领域。

Their retirement savings are defined by the return on their investments in the plan.
雇员的退休储蓄金就是他们在计划中的投资收益。

Federal workers already have a savings plan similar to a 401(k).
联邦雇员已经执行了一个类似于401(k)计划的储蓄计划。

John McGlennon heads the Government Department at the College of William & Mary in Virginia. 
约翰·麦格伦农是弗吉尼亚州威廉与玛丽学院政治系主任。

He says the economic crisis of 2008 continues to affect state and local tax collections. 
他表示，2008年的那场经济危机仍在继续对州和地方的税收造成影响。

Also, many pension funds have less money because their investments have yet to fully recover from the recession. 
另外，许多养老基金缩水，因为这些投资尚未完全从经济衰退中复苏。

But Professor McGlennon says things could change.
但麦格伦农教授称情况是会变化的。

In terms of the future, states are not necessarily going to be in a rosy condition in the next couple of years. 
就未来而言，各州在未来数年内都不一定会出现蓬勃发展的情形，

But they do tend to recover much more rapidly than we tend to anticipate.
但它们会比我们料想的复苏得快得多。