经济学人379:南欧的结构性改革 小有成效仍需努力

　　Structural¹ reform in southern Europe
南欧的结构性改革
Patchy progress
进展参差不齐
Some signs of improvement. Must try harder
改革小有成效，同志仍需努力
CYPRUS is suffering a vicious recession as it struggles to adjust after a huge banking² crisis. Despite its ailing³ economy a cab ride from the airport at Larnaca to Nicosia—a journey that takes around 40 minutes—costs 50. Such high fares, reflecting the power of the taxi trade, hinder the country's attempts to rekindle⁴ its tourist industry.
银行业大危机之后，塞浦路斯陷入恶性经济衰退，调整步伐举步维艰。尽管经济疲软，从机场到尼科西亚一段40分钟左右的的士车程却高达50欧元。如此高价折射了的士业界的力量，从而阻碍了塞浦路斯重振旅游业的种种努力。
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Reforms to tackle these kinds of uncompetitive markets are vital if the beleaguered⁵ countries of southern Europe are to be able to survive in the euro area. By making wages and prices more flexible, they allow countries like Spain and Portugal that have lost competitiveness to regain⁶ it even though they can no longer devalue against their euro-zone trading partners. They also hold out the promise of higher growth, which is vital if they are to shrug⁷ off heavy debt burdens. Four years after the euro crisis began with the first Greek bail-out, what has been achieved?
如果陷入困境的南欧国家想要在欧元区内生存下去，解决这类竞争力缺乏的改革至关重要。虽然像西班牙和葡萄牙这类失去竞争力的国家不能再对欧元区贸易伙伴贬值，但只要通过更为灵活的工资和价格，它们就可以恢复竞争力。这些国家还承诺取得更高的增长，这对摆脱沉重债务至关重要。以希腊首次救市开始的欧债危机过去四年后，它们的成果如何？
Assessing the scale and effectiveness of reforms is hard, not least since they tackle a multitude of sins. There are three main categories: enhancing competition, especially in services; promoting business activity rather than stifling⁸ it; and overhauling⁹ labour markets. In practice a determined¹⁰ effort to improve performance involves reforms across government. In Portugal, for example, 400 measures have been introduced in the past three years.
由于涉及层面纷繁复杂，评估改革的规模和效益非常困难。改革主要涉及三大方面：提高竞争力，特别是服务业的竞争力；促进，而非扼杀，商业活动；对劳动力市场全面改进。在实践中，各国提高经济表现的坚定努力还包括了整个政府的改革。例如，过去三年在葡萄牙就有400个新措施出台。
One gauge¹¹ of progress in southern Europe is the World Bank's “Doing Business” survey. This annual study, covering over 180 economies, monitors regulation from the perspective of small and medium-sized companies. Its overall index has ten components¹², ranging from the ease of founding a company to how readily contracts can be enforced. Countries are ranked according to how light the burden of regulation is, as measured by the number of procedures involved and their cost. Other factors include how easily firms can access credit and how well they protect outside investors¹³. A lack of regulation is not deemed a strength; rather the focus is on efficient regulation.
世界银行的“营商环境报告”的调查是南欧国家的进展的衡量之一。这项年度研究从中小型企业的角度监测政府管制，范围涵盖超过180个经济体。其整体指数由十部分组成，包括创办公司和执行合同的难易程度。政府管制由这些活动所涉及的程序和成本数量构成，各个国家据此排名。其他因素还包括企业取得信贷的难易程度以及他们保护外部投资者的能力。这项研究的聚焦点在于有效监管——政府监管制度的缺乏并未被视作可取之处。
The findings suggest that progress has been made in southern Europe but that it has been patchy both between different countries and within them. Between mid-2009, before the euro crisis took hold, and mid-2013 Greece's rank improved from 109 to 72. Portugal has also gained ground, from 48 to 31. Advances by Italy and Spain have been less marked, and France has actually slipped down the rankings, from 31 to 38.
研究结果表明，南欧改革已经小有成效，但在不同国家，以及同一国家的不同地区之间，进展参差不齐。在欧元危机爆发前的2009年中期和2013年中期之间，希腊的排名从109上升到了72。 葡萄牙也有所斩获，从48上升到了31。意大利和西班牙则差强人意，而法国则干脆从31下降到了38名。
Even where progress has been made there is cause for concern. Greece may have improved its ranking the most, but that was from a desperately¹⁴ poor starting-point. Its current performance remains¹⁵ extremely disappointing within some crucial categories. It ranked 161st in the world as a place to register property easily, a handicap for a country urgently needing to encourage inward investment. Another concern is its 98th-place finish for the ease of enforcing contracts, a crucial condition for firms to flourish.
即使在小有成效的国家，情况也令人担忧。尽管希腊在排名上进步喜人，但是其起点却是出奇的低。在一些关键的方面，它的表现依旧极其令人失望。在登记财产的难易程度方面，希腊仅排全球第106位，而这是一个迫切需要鼓励外来投资的国家的掣肘。还叫人忧心忡忡的是，执行合同的难易程度是企业蓬勃发展的关键之一，其排名仅居全球第98名。
Such patchiness is widespread. The mountain that Matteo Renzi, Italy's new prime minister, must climb is clear from his country's performance. Its overall rank is dismal¹⁶ enough, at 65. But Italy is even farther down the league table for the tax burden on businesses; ease of getting construction permits; credit access; and enforcing contracts . Spain ranks particularly poorly as a place to start a business, at 142. That is a worry because research has established a strong link, unsurprisingly, between the regulatory ease of starting a business and how many are actually set up.
这种进展参差不齐的问题广泛存在。从意大利的表现来看，其新任总理利玛窦壬兹任重而道远。意大利的整体表现可谓惨淡，仅居65位；而在企业赋税，取得施工许可，获取信贷和执行合同方面的排名则更为糟糕。西班牙在创办公司指标的表现尤其糟糕。研究已经毫无悬念地指出，创业监管难易度和新企业数量之间联系紧密，因此如此情形令人担心。
The World Bank's index does not include the impact on firms of employment regulations. But other evidence suggests similarly patchy progress on labour-market reforms in southern Europe. Despite overhauls¹⁷ in Portugal and Spain, southern Europe still suffers from bifurcated¹⁸ markets, in which the gap between “insiders” on cosy¹⁹, permanent contracts and “outsiders” employed on a temporary basis is particularly pronounced. With so much yet to be done it is worrying that the pace of reform already seems to be slackening.
世界银行的指标并不包括就业法规对企业的影响。但其他证据表明了，南欧劳动力市场的改革同样参差不齐。尽管在葡萄牙和西班牙对劳动力市场的改革可谓大刀阔斧，南欧市场依旧苦于分化严重，特别是一方面“自己人“高枕稳定的长期合同，而另一方面”外来人“雇佣于临时合同，差距尤为显著。由于未来依旧任重而道远，目前已经放缓的改革步伐叫人忧心忡忡。

1 structural   

adj.构造的，组织的，建筑（用）的

参考例句：

• The storm caused no structural damage.风暴没有造成建筑结构方面的破坏。
• The North American continent is made up of three great structural entities.北美大陆是由三个构造单元组成的。

2 banking   

n.银行业，银行学，金融业

参考例句：

• John is launching his son on a career in banking.约翰打算让儿子在银行界谋一个新职位。
• He possesses an extensive knowledge of banking.他具有广博的银行业务知识。

3 ailing   

v.生病

参考例句：

• They discussed the problems ailing the steel industry. 他们讨论了困扰钢铁工业的问题。
• She looked after her ailing father. 她照顾有病的父亲。

4 rekindle   

v.使再振作；再点火

参考例句：

• Nothing could rekindle her extinct passion.她激情已逝,无从心回意转。
• Is there anything could rekindle his extinct passion?有什么事情可重燃他逝去的热情呢？

5 beleaguered   

adj.受到围困[围攻]的；包围的v.围攻( beleaguer的过去式和过去分词)；困扰；骚扰

参考例句：

• The beleaguered party leader was forced to resign. 那位饱受指责的政党领导人被迫辞职。
• We are beleaguered by problems. 我们被许多困难所困扰。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 regain   

vt.重新获得，收复，恢复

参考例句：

• He is making a bid to regain his World No.1 ranking.他正为重登世界排名第一位而努力。
• The government is desperate to regain credibility with the public.政府急于重新获取公众的信任。

7 shrug   

v.耸肩(表示怀疑、冷漠、不知等)

参考例句：

• With a shrug,he went out of the room.他耸一下肩，走出了房间。
• I admire the way she is able to shrug off unfair criticism.我很佩服她能对错误的批评意见不予理会。

8 stifling   

a.令人窒息的

参考例句：

• The weather is stifling. It looks like rain. 今天太闷热，光景是要下雨。
• We were stifling in that hot room with all the windows closed. 我们在那间关着窗户的热屋子里，简直透不过气来。

9 overhauling   

n.大修；拆修；卸修；翻修v.彻底检查( overhaul的现在分词 )；大修；赶上；超越

参考例句：

• I had no chance of overhauling him. 我没有赶上他的可能。 来自辞典例句
• Some sites need little alterations but some need total overhauling. 有些网站需要做出细微修改，而有些网站就需要整体改版。 来自互联网

10 determined   

adj.坚定的；有决心的

参考例句：

• I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
• He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。

11 gauge   

v.精确计量；估计；n.标准度量；计量器

参考例句：

• Can you gauge what her reaction is likely to be?你能揣测她的反应可能是什么吗？
• It's difficult to gauge one's character.要判断一个人的品格是很困难的。

12 components   

（机器、设备等的）构成要素，零件，成分； 成分( component的名词复数 )； [物理化学]组分； [数学]分量； （混合物的）组成部分

参考例句：

• the components of a machine 机器部件
• Our chemistry teacher often reduces a compound to its components in lab. 在实验室中化学老师常把化合物分解为各种成分。

13 investors   

n.投资者，出资者( investor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• a con man who bilked investors out of millions of dollars 诈取投资者几百万元的骗子
• a cash bonanza for investors 投资者的赚钱机会

14 desperately   

adv.极度渴望地，绝望地，孤注一掷地

参考例句：

• He was desperately seeking a way to see her again.他正拼命想办法再见她一面。
• He longed desperately to be back at home.他非常渴望回家。

15 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

16 dismal   

adj.阴沉的，凄凉的，令人忧郁的，差劲的

参考例句：

• That is a rather dismal melody.那是一支相当忧郁的歌曲。
• My prospects of returning to a suitable job are dismal.我重新找到一个合适的工作岗位的希望很渺茫。

17 overhauls   

v.彻底检查( overhaul的第三人称单数 )；大修；赶上；超越

参考例句：

• The plant overhauls 8 locomotive, manufactures and repairs 100 train vehicles annually. 年机车解体大修8部，修、制各类型铁路车辆百余辆。 来自互联网
• The wind turbine generator overhauls what is the standard flow? 风机检修的的标准流程是什么？ 来自互联网

18 bifurcated   

a.分为两部分

参考例句：

• Over the past 15 years the marketplace for art books has bifurcated. 过去15年里，卖艺术类书籍的市场逐渐分化。
• This bifurcated view was reflected in how U.S. officials described the trip. 这种一分为二的观点也反映在美国官员自己对访华之行的描述上。

19 cosy   

adj.温暖而舒适的，安逸的

参考例句：

• We spent a cosy evening chatting by the fire.我们在炉火旁聊天度过了一个舒适的晚上。
• It was so warm and cosy in bed that Simon didn't want to get out.床上温暖而又舒适，西蒙简直不想下床了。