今年“五一”节,来自美国各地的作家代表,首次协商成立了“全国作家工会”,加入工会的有1,500多名“自由撰稿人”、小说家、散文家和诗人等等。该工会的成立,旨在保护作家们的利益,并改善作家每况愈下的工作条件。最近的一份调查表明:自1960年来,美国的主要出版部门付给作家的稿酬又下降了百分之三十左右,而 This year’s “May 1” day, writers from various parts of the United States negotiated the establishment of the “National Writers Union” for the first time, joining the trade union with more than 1,500 “freelance copywriters,” novelists, essayists and poets. The union was established to protect the interests of writers and to improve the author’s deteriorating working conditions. A recent survey shows that since 1960, the remuneration paid to writers by the major U.S. publications has dropped by about 30% again, while