CEO们该拿这么高的年薪吗？

When Julia Roberts makes a movie , she gets big bucks¹, more than 20 million dollars a film. That's okay. Her movies usually earn many times that. You could say she makes money the old-fashioned way, she earns it. But can the same be said for all those business executives who make millions? Are they really worth it? Michael Eisner, the former CEO of Disney, once made 576 million dollars in a single year. That's more than 2 million dollars every day he went to work, which breaks down to about 275, 000 dollars an hour for an eight-hour day. According to the Corporate² Library , in 2004 , the highest paid CEO was Yahoo's Terry Semel, who hauled in close to 231 million dollars. That's equivalent to the combined average salaries of about 6, 000 American workers. And it's getting worse. The pay of the average worker remained almost flat from 1990 to 2004 while the average chief executive pay has risen from almost 3 million dollars to almost 12 million dollars, a raise of 400%.

While average American workers are having a tougher time making ends meet, CEOs are also getting perks³. Who could forget ex-Tyco CEO Dennis Kozlowski's infamous⁴ 6000-dollar shower curtain, or his 15, 000-dollar umbrella stand in the shape of a 3-foot high poodle. We also found out that perks don't necessarily end with retirement⁵. Jack⁶ Welch, the former CEO of GE had use of a corporate jet, a company-owed apartment overlooking Central Park, a limousine⁷ and a cook. In the world of CEOs, it seems the more money you make, the less money you should have to spend. To be fair, companies say we pay CEOs because they are worth it or we need to attract top talent. But there is often no connection between executive pay and corporate performance.

A 2004 Rutgers University study analysed more than 1, 500 U. S. companies over a ten-year period. It found no correlation⁸ between higher executive remuneration and bigger gains for shareholders⁹. Wouldn't it be nice when execs say" show me the money" they could prove they earned it?

1 bucks   

n.雄鹿( buck的名词复数 )；钱；（英国十九世纪初的）花花公子；（用于某些表达方式）责任v.（马等）猛然弓背跃起( buck的第三人称单数 )；抵制；猛然震荡；马等尥起后蹄跳跃

参考例句：

• They cost ten bucks. 这些值十元钱。
• They are hunting for bucks. 他们正在猎雄兔。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 corporate   

adj.共同的，全体的；公司的，企业的

参考例句：

• This is our corporate responsibility.这是我们共同的责任。
• His corporate's life will be as short as a rabbit's tail.他的公司的寿命是兔子尾巴长不了。

3 perks   

额外津贴，附带福利，外快( perk的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Perks offered by the firm include a car and free health insurance. 公司给予的额外待遇包括一辆汽车和免费健康保险。
• Are there any perks that go with your job? 你的工作有什么津贴吗？

4 infamous   

adj.声名狼藉的，臭名昭著的，邪恶的

参考例句：

• He was infamous for his anti-feminist attitudes.他因反对女性主义而声名狼藉。
• I was shocked by her infamous behaviour.她的无耻行径令我震惊。

5 retirement   

n.退休，退职

参考例句：

• She wanted to enjoy her retirement without being beset by financial worries.她想享受退休生活而不必为金钱担忧。
• I have to put everything away for my retirement.我必须把一切都积蓄起来以便退休后用。

6 jack   

n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克

参考例句：

• I am looking for the headphone jack.我正在找寻头戴式耳机插孔。
• He lifted the car with a jack to change the flat tyre.他用千斤顶把车顶起来换下瘪轮胎。

7 limousine   

n.豪华轿车

参考例句：

• A chauffeur opened the door of the limousine for the grand lady.司机为这个高贵的女士打开了豪华轿车的车门。
• We arrived in fine style in a hired limousine.我们很气派地乘坐出租的豪华汽车到达那里。

8 correlation   

n.相互关系，相关，关连

参考例句：

• The second group of measurements had a high correlation with the first.第二组测量数据与第一组高度相关。
• A high correlation exists in America between education and economic position.教育和经济地位在美国有极密切的关系。

9 shareholders   

n.股东( shareholder的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The meeting was attended by 90% of shareholders. 90%的股东出席了会议。
• the company's fiduciary duty to its shareholders 公司对股东负有的受托责任