2020年经济学人 贸易休战(1)

American trade deals typically stretch to thousands of pages.

美国的贸易协定通常长达数千页。

The new "phase one" trade deal between America and China takes up only 86.

美国和中国新的“第一阶段”贸易协议仅占86页。

Wang Shouwen, the Chinese deputy representative of international trade negotiations¹,

中国国际贸易谈判副代表王受文

described a text with nine chapters, including ones on intellectual property, technology transfer, financial services and dispute settlement.

介绍了一份包括知识产权、技术转让、金融服务以及争端解决等9个章节在内的一份文本。

Robert Lighthizer, the United States Trade Representative (USTR)

12月13日，美国贸易代表办公室（USTR）代表罗伯特·莱特希泽

gave journalists a glimpse of it on December 13th, hours after it had been agreed. It is due to be signed by both sides in the new year.

在协议达成数小时后向记者们展示了该协议。双方本将在新年签署该协议。

Mr Lighthizer said that American tariffs² on around $120bn of Chinese imports would be reduced from 15% to 7.5%.

莱特希泽表示美国对价值约1200亿美元的中国进口商品的关税将从15%降至7.5%。

Fresh tariffs due on December 15th were cancelled.

12月15日，新关税被取消。

In return, he said, China would ramp³ up imports of American agricultural products, manufactured goods,

他表示，作为回报，中国将在两年内增加2000亿美元

energy products and services by $200bn over two years. Negotiators had set targets for various categories of commodities,

对美国农产品、制成品、能源产品和服务的进口。谈判代表们为各种商品设定了目标，

so that agricultural purchases would rise from a baseline of $24bn in 2017 to at least $40bn in 2020 and 2021.

使农业采购从2017年的40亿美元基线水平，上升到2020年和2021年的至少400亿美元。

The exact figures would be secret to avoid influencing markets.

为了避免影响市场，具体数字将保密。

These arrangements are sure to attract criticism.

这些安排肯定会招致批评。

It is hard to see how China will meet its targets while sticking to the World Trade Organisation's principle of non-discrimination.

在坚持世界贸易组织的非歧视原则的同时，很难想象中国将如何实现其目标。

Joe Glauber of the International Food Policy Research Institute, formerly⁴ chief economist⁵ of America's Department of Agriculture,

国际粮食政策研究所的乔·格劳伯（美国农业部前首席经济学家）

warns that other countries, in particular Australia, Brazil and Canada, may have objections.

警告称其他国家，尤其是澳大利亚、巴西和加拿大可能会反对。

He also questions the secrecy⁶ regarding the targets, asking "how else would producers get signals on what to plant?"

他还质疑了关于目标的保密性，他问道：“不然的话，生产商怎么才能得到关于种植什么的信号呢?”

China, for its part, does not like the idea of becoming so reliant on America for imports of commodities such as soyabeans.

就中国而言，中国不喜欢在大豆等大宗商品进口方面变得如此依赖美国。

It had long insisted that it was unrealistic for President Donald Trump⁷ to demand that it double its purchases of agricultural products from America.

长期以来，其一直坚称，唐纳德·特朗普总统要求其将从美国购买的农产品增加一倍是不现实的。

1 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。

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 ramp   

n.暴怒，斜坡，坡道；vi.作恐吓姿势，暴怒，加速；vt.加速

参考例句：

• That driver drove the car up the ramp.那司机将车开上了斜坡。
• The factory don't have that capacity to ramp up.这家工厂没有能力加速生产。

4 formerly   

adv.从前，以前

参考例句：

• We now enjoy these comforts of which formerly we had only heard.我们现在享受到了过去只是听说过的那些舒适条件。
• This boat was formerly used on the rivers of China.这船从前航行在中国内河里。

5 economist   

n.经济学家，经济专家，节俭的人

参考例句：

• He cast a professional economist's eyes on the problem.他以经济学行家的眼光审视这个问题。
• He's an economist who thinks he knows all the answers.他是个经济学家，自以为什么都懂。

6 secrecy   

n.秘密，保密，隐蔽

参考例句：

• All the researchers on the project are sworn to secrecy.该项目的所有研究人员都按要求起誓保守秘密。
• Complete secrecy surrounded the meeting.会议在绝对机密的环境中进行。

7 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。