近1/4的美国人在过去十二个月里通过使用连接到互联网的个人电脑或其它设备赚钱。
The Pew Research Center, an independent research group in Washington, found that people are using the Internet to find extra work.
皮尤研究中心是华盛顿一家独立研究组织，该中心发现人们开始利用互联网寻找额外工作。
They go online to sell things such as used books and furniture or they offer to provide services such as babysitting, house cleaning or computer repairs.
人们上网售卖二手书和家具等物品，或是提供保姆、房屋保洁或电脑维修等服务。
The Pew Center asked people if they make money from the Internet or computing devices, and, if so, what they do to earn their pay. The answers provided the findings of Pew's new report on what has been called the "Gig Economy."
皮尤研究中心调查了人们是否通过互联网或计算机设备赚钱，如果答案是肯定的，他们又是做什么工作来赚钱。这些答案为皮尤研究中心这份针对零工经济的新报告提供了调查结果。
Pew found that income earned on the Internet can come in many forms. Many Americans said they used their computers to do extra work.
皮尤研究中心发现，互联网收入有多种形式。许多美国人都表示他们用计算机做额外工作。
About five percent of Americans said they did online computer work over the last year. Some of these people said they had jobs that paid a few pennies each to take surveys. In these surveys, people are asked for their opinions of different products or well-known people.
大约5%的美国人表示，过去一年他们做了在线计算机工作。其中一些人表示他们就是参加每次几个小钱的调查。在这些调查中，他们被问到自己对不同产品或名人的意见。
Others typed reports or other information on their home computers.
另一些人在家用电脑上打字输入报告或其它信息的文字。
Using digital devices to offer a service online was another way to earn income.
使用数字设备提供在线服务是另一种赚钱方式。
About two percent of Americans earned money from ride-sharing companies such as Uber and Lyft. When drivers are ready to pick up passengers, they use their ride-share company's app. The computer program lets them know when passengers are ready to be picked up and how to reach them.
大约2%的美国人通过Uber和Lyft等共享公司赚钱。当司机准备好搭载乘客时就使用共享公司的应用程序。当乘客准备好搭车时，这些计算机程序会告诉他们，并告诉他们如何找到乘客。
Some people make their homes, apartments, or rooms inside their homes, available for money to people visiting their cities. A popular website people use to makes rooms available is www.airbnb.com.
有些人把自己的住宅、公寓或家里的房间租给游客来赚钱。人们用来出租房间的一个常用网站是www.airbnb.com。
Other people use apps on their computer devices that permit people to hire them to babysit, walk dogs or do repair or clean-up work. Apps operated from phones or tablets connect them to people looking for such services.
其他人使用计算机设备上的应用程序，这些应用程序允许人们雇佣他们做保姆、遛狗、或是从事维修或清洁工作。在手机或平板电脑上运行的应用程序将他们与寻找这类服务的人们联系到一起。
How Much Does Online Work Pay?
在线工作薪酬如何？
About 60 percent of people involved in the gig economy say the income they earn is important to them. But just one in five people who sell things online say the income is enough to be important to their lives.
大约60%参与临时经济的人表示他们赚到的这笔钱对自己很重要。但是只有20%在网上出售物品的人表示，这笔收入对他们的生活足够重要。
Only 16 percent believe doing online work will lead to a meaningful career.
只有16%的人认为，从事在线工作会通向一项有意义的职业。
But 37 percent say the extra income earned from online jobs helps them make up for shortages in money.
但是37%的人表示，通过在线工作赚到的这笔额外收入可以弥补他们的资金短缺。
The number one reason people gave for taking online jobs was that the work gave them something to do and was fun. Pew said that reason was listed by 42 percent of people it questioned.
人们给出的参与在线工作的头号理由是这项工作让他们有事可做，很有趣。皮尤研究中心表示，他们调查的42%的人列出了这项理由。
But, opinions about the online economy are mixed.
但是人们对在线经济的看法不一。
Sixty-eight percent say the gig economy is good for people who want flexibility when they work. Flexibility means they do not have to work when they are at their regular jobs or have family or school events or other things they want or need to do.
68%的被调查者表示，零工经济对那些需要工作灵活性的人士有好处。灵活性意味着当他们正常上班，或有家庭、学校活动时，或他们想做或必须做其它事情时，他们就能不做这些（零工经济的）工作。
Some People Feel Computer Work Is Advantage Employer
有人认为计算机工作有利于雇主
But, 23 percent say online work lets companies take advantage of employees and only 16 percent believe they can build careers with gig work. By taking advantage, some people mean they do not get paid enough for work done through online companies.
但是23%的被调查者表示，在线工作让公司可以充分利用员工。还有16%的被调查者认为，他们可以通过零工经济来创业。通过充分利用，有人表示他们通过在线公司所做的工作未能获得足够报酬。
About one in five say they take online jobs to gain work experience, while 17 percent say it is because they cannot find other jobs.
大约20%的被调查者表示，他们从事在线工作来获取工作经验，而17%的被调查者表示是因为他们找不到其它工作。
What kind of people work online or use online devices to find work? The answer appears to be: mostly people who already have jobs.
哪种人会从事在线工作或是使用在线设备找工作？答案似乎是：他们大多数是已经有工作的人。
According to Pew, 68 percent say they are already employed full time or part time. Twenty-three percent say they are students. Thirty-two percent say they have no other jobs.
根据皮尤研究中心的调查，68%的被调查者表示，他们已经有全职或兼职工作。23%的被调查者表示他们是学生。32%的被调查者表示他们没有工作。
I'm Jonathan Evans.
我是乔纳斯·埃文斯。(51VOA.COM对本文翻译保留全部权利，未经授权请勿转载，违者必究！)