2019年经济学人 全球贸易:世界末日(2)

 

America has had some wins at the WTO: against the European Union for subsidies¹ to Airbus, an aircraft-maker;

美国已经在WTO取得了一些胜利：反对欧盟对飞机制造商空客的补贴；

and against China for its domestic subsidies; theft of intellectual property; controls on the export of rare earths,

以及反对中国的国内补贴；盗窃知识产权；对稀土出口的控制

which are used to make mobile phones; and even its tariffs² on American chicken feet.

（用于移动手机制造）；甚至是对美国鸡爪征收关税。

But it has also been dragged before the appellate body repeatedly,

但它也多次被上诉机构提起诉讼，

in particular by countries objecting to its heavy-handed use of "trade remedies": tariffs supposed to defend its producers from unfair imports.

尤其是那些反对它滥用“贸易救济”的国家：关税本应保护其生产者免受不公平进口的伤害。

Time after time, it has lost. In such cases, it has generally sought to become compliant³ with the rules rather than buy the complainant off.

它一次又一次的失败了。在这种情况下，它通常会寻求遵守规则，而不是收买投诉人。

Though previous administrations had grumbled⁴, and occasionally intervened in judges' appointments, the Trump⁵ administration went further.

尽管前几届政府怨声载道，并偶尔干涉法官的任命，但特朗普政府则更甚。

Its officials complained that disputes often dragged on much longer than the supposed maximum of 90 days,

其官员抱怨称，争端经常拖得比预期最长的90天还要长，

and—more seriously—that the appellate body made rulings that went beyond what WTO members had signed up to.

更严重的是，上诉机构做出的裁决超出了WTO成员签署的范围。

They made it clear that unless such concerns were dealt with, no new judges would be confirmed.

他们明确表示，除非解决这些问题，否则不会确认新法官。

Judicial⁶ overreach is in the eye of the beholder⁷. Losers will always feel hard done by,

每个人对司法越权的定义都不一样。败诉方总觉得受到了不公正的对待，

and America has been quick to celebrate the WTO's rulings when it wins.

并且当美国获胜时，它很快就开始庆祝WTO的裁决。

But plenty of others think that the appellate body had overstepped its remit⁸.

但是很多人认为上诉机构已经超出了它的职权范围。

A recent survey of individuals engaged with the WTO, including national representatives, found that 58% agreed with that verdict.

近期对包括国家代表在内的WTO工作人员的调查发现，58%的人同意它的裁决。

Getting so many countries to sign up to the WTO was a remarkable⁹ achievement.

让这么多国家加入WTO是一个了不起的成就。

One way negotiators managed this was by leaving the rules vague, and papering over their differences with ambiguous language.

谈判者解决这个问题的方法之一是模糊规则，并用模棱两可的语言掩盖他们之间的分歧。

Take "zeroing", for example: using dubious¹⁰ mathematics to calculate defensive¹¹ tariffs on unfairly traded imports.

例如“归零”：使用可疑的数学计算不公平贸易进口的防御关税。

The Americans claim that the rules do not say they cannot do it. But others counter that the rules do not say they can.

美国人声称，规则并没有规定他们不能这么做。但另一些人反驳说，规则也并没有说他们可以这么做。

It is such long-running differences that have set the scene for the latest showdown.

正是这种长期存在的分歧为最近的对决埋下了伏笔。

1 subsidies   

n.补贴，津贴，补助金( subsidy的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• European agriculture ministers failed to break the deadlock over farm subsidies. 欧洲各国农业部长在农业补贴问题上未能打破僵局。
• Agricultural subsidies absorb about half the EU's income. 农业补贴占去了欧盟收入的大约一半。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 tariffs   

关税制度； 关税( tariff的名词复数 )； 关税表； （旅馆或饭店等的）收费表； 量刑标准

参考例句：

• British industry was sheltered from foreign competition by protective tariffs. 保护性关税使英国工业免受国际竞争影响。
• The new tariffs have put a stranglehold on trade. 新的关税制对开展贸易极为不利。

3 compliant   

adj.服从的，顺从的

参考例句：

• I don't respect people who are too compliant.我看不起那种唯命是从，唯唯诺诺的人。
• For years I had tried to be a compliant and dutiful wife.几年来，我努力做一名顺从和尽职尽职的妻子。

4 grumbled   

抱怨( grumble的过去式和过去分词 )； 发牢骚； 咕哝； 发哼声

参考例句：

• He grumbled at the low pay offered to him. 他抱怨给他的工资低。
• The heat was sweltering, and the men grumbled fiercely over their work. 天热得让人发昏，水手们边干活边发着牢骚。

5 trump   

n.王牌，法宝；v.打出王牌，吹喇叭

参考例句：

• He was never able to trump up the courage to have a showdown.他始终鼓不起勇气摊牌。
• The coach saved his star player for a trump card.教练保留他的明星选手，作为他的王牌。

6 judicial   

adj.司法的，法庭的，审判的，明断的，公正的

参考例句：

• He is a man with a judicial mind.他是个公正的人。
• Tom takes judicial proceedings against his father.汤姆对他的父亲正式提出诉讼。

7 beholder   

n.观看者，旁观者

参考例句：

• Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. 看起来觉得美就是美。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• It has been said that art is a tryst, for in the joy of it maker and beholder meet. 有人说艺术是一种幽会，因为艺术家和欣赏者可在幽会的乐趣中相遇在一起。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 remit   

v.汇款，汇寄；豁免（债务），免除（处罚等）

参考例句：

• I hope you'll remit me the money in time.我希望你能及时把钱汇寄给我。
• Many immigrants regularly remit money to their families.许多移民定期给他们的家人汇款。

9 remarkable   

adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的

参考例句：

• She has made remarkable headway in her writing skills.她在写作技巧方面有了长足进步。
• These cars are remarkable for the quietness of their engines.这些汽车因发动机没有噪音而不同凡响。

10 dubious   

adj.怀疑的，无把握的；有问题的，靠不住的

参考例句：

• What he said yesterday was dubious.他昨天说的话很含糊。
• He uses some dubious shifts to get money.他用一些可疑的手段去赚钱。

11 defensive   

adj.防御的；防卫的；防守的

参考例句：

• Their questions about the money put her on the defensive.他们问到钱的问题，使她警觉起来。
• The Government hastily organized defensive measures against the raids.政府急忙布置了防卫措施抵御空袭。