经济学人399:亚洲商业 征服世界

 　　Asian business

　　亚洲商业

　　A world to conquer

　　征服世界

　　Asian business is reforming. Its emerging multinationals¹ will change the way we all live

　　亚洲商业正在改革，其新兴的跨国公司将改变我们的生活

　　BUSINESS power follows economic power. In the 1920s British firms owned 40% of the global stock of foreign direct investment. By 1967 America was top dog, with a 50% share. Behind those figures lie cultural revolutions. The British spread the telegraph and trains in Latin America. American firms sold a vision of the good life, honed by Hollywood and advertising². Kellogg's changed what the rich world ate for breakfast, and Kodak how it remembered holidays. The next corporate³ revolution, as we describe in our special report this week, is happening in Asia. This too will change how the world lives.

　　商业能力紧随经济实力。1920年代，英国公司拥有40%的全球海外直接投资股票。截至1967年，美国以50%的市场份额雄霸世界。这些数字的背后是文化革命。英国将电报机和铁路传至拉丁美洲。美国公司则通过好莱坞和广告营造了一副美好生活的憧憬。家乐氏公司改变了发达国家人们桌上的早餐，柯达则定格了人们对于假期的美好回忆。下一场公司革命，就如同我们在本周的特别报道中描述的一样，将发生在亚洲。这也同样会改变我们生活的世界。

　　Arrested development

　　发展受阻

　　亚洲商业.jpg

　　Asian capitalism⁴ has brawn⁵. The continent's share of global GDP has risen from a fifth to 28% since 1984. It is the world's factory, a diverse region of rivals bound together by supply chains. But it lacks brains and global savvy⁶. Asia smelts⁷ 76% of the world's iron and emits 44% of its pollution, but hosts only a tenth of its most valuable brands and venture-capital activity. Its multinationals punch below their weight, owning 17% of the world's foreign direct investment. Wealthy Japan and South Korea have a cast of superstars, such as Toyota and Samsung. But few other firms command the world stage.

　　亚洲资本强劲有力。亚洲大陆占全球GDP的份额自1984年以来已经增长了五分之一，至28%。 这里是世界工厂，由供应链连结起来的竞争多元化的地区。但是它“力大无脑”，缺乏对全球市场的领悟能力。亚洲熔炼了76%的世界钢铁并排放了44%的污染物，但是只掌握了十分之一最有价值的品牌和风险资本活动。这里，跨国公司的实力与其规模并不相称，只拥有世界17%的外国直接投资。富裕的日本和韩国有众多的明星企业，例如丰田和三星。但是，其他能够在世界舞台上占领一席之地的公司却是屈指可数。

　　That is because Asian capitalism has been too cosy⁸. In the boom between 2002 and 2010 easy profits were made at home—growth was fast and labour and credit cheap. Two-thirds of big Asian firms are state-controlled or “business houses” (often family-run). These incumbents⁹ tend to be chummy with the government and get cheap land and loans. Half of all billionaire wealth in Asia has been made in sectors¹⁰, such as property, that are prone¹¹ to cronyism¹², versus¹³ 15% in the West. Outside Japan, Taiwan and South Korea, innovation has been neglected. Mahindra & Mahindra and Great Wall, car champions from India and China, have a combined research-and-development (R&D) budget that is 3% of Volkswagen's.

　　这是因为亚洲的资本主义是“温室里的花朵”。从2002到2010年，唾手可得的利润在家里就能轻松赚到——快速的增长以及廉价劳动力和信贷。三分之二的亚洲大公司都是国有的或者家族式经营的商号。它们都与政府有着密切的关系，能够得到廉价的土地和贷款。亚洲近半数的亿万富豪都是从政府有关部门发家的，例如极易产生裙带关系的房地产业，相比之下在西方只占15%。除了日本、台湾和南韩之外，创新都遭到了忽视。马恒达和长城这两个印度和中国的汽车业龙头，其研究开发经费加起来也不过是大众汽车的3%。

　　For Western firms, Asia's shortcomings have been a relief. The iPhone shows why: although it is made by the hands of Chinese workers, it is the brains behind it, at Apple and at high-tech¹⁴ component-makers in the rich world, that take nearly all the profits. Now, however, the rules that have governed Asian capitalism for the past two decades are changing. Asian firms are having to become brainier, more nimble and more global.

　　对于西方公司来说，亚洲的短板令他们从中得利。iPhone就是和很好的例子：尽管都是出自中国工人的双手，但从中赚取几乎全部利润的“大脑”，是背后的苹果公司和发达国家的高科技元件市场。然而，这个曾经在过去二十年里管理着亚洲资本的游戏规则正在改变。亚洲企业正在变成更为灵活和全球化的“大脑”。

　　The immediate¹⁶ motivation is underperformance: growth has slowed, and Asian shares have lagged American ones by 40% in the past three years. Three deeper trends are also at work. First, labour costs are rising, not least in China, and East Asia's workforce¹⁷ is ageing. Second, Asia's middle class is becoming more demanding. They are no longer satisfied with fake Louis Vuitton handbags; they want clean air, safe food and more leisure, and are madly in love with the internet. Third, competition has intensified¹⁸ from Western multinationals, which have invested $2 trillion in Asia. They also now use the same cheapish labour, and they generally have much more sophisticated supply chains, brands and R&D.

　　最直接的动力是表现不佳：增长在减缓，在过去的3年里，亚洲的份额滞后于美国40%。三个更深层次的趋势正在起作用。首先，劳动力成本在上升，尤其是在中国，东亚的劳动力正在面临老龄化。其次，亚洲中产阶级的需求正在变高。他们不再仅仅满足于山寨LV手包，他们想要干净的空气、安全的食品和更多的休闲娱乐，同时也越来越迷恋网络世界。第三，来自西方跨国公司的竞争愈发激烈，他们已经在亚洲投资超过2万亿美元。他们现在也有相对廉价的劳动力，除此之外他们大都还拥有成熟的供应链、品牌和研发。

　　With their home markets no longer quite so safe, Asian firms are adapting—and becoming stronger. In response to rising wages, production (of clothes, for example) is shifting from China to South-East Asia and Africa, led by Japanese firms which are also worried about a war with the Middle Kingdom. Chinese firms such as Haier, which makes fridges, plan to automate¹⁹ factories and get into cleverer products. And as the Chinese push upmarket, the Koreans are redoubling efforts to stay ahead. Samsung's spending on R&D rose by 24% in 2013. If they get their act together, India and Indonesia, Asia's bumbling giants, will attract lots of factory jobs. Their best firms are also getting brainier. Once dismissed as “body shops”, India's IT-outsourcing firms are now leaders in big data.

　　亚洲企业的本土市场不再是高枕无忧，所以他们也在适应——同时也在变强。由于上升的工资成本，产品生产（例如服装）正在从中国转到东南亚和非洲，日本公司由于担心与中国将爆发战争所以首先采取了这种措施。中国公司例如生产冰箱的海尔，计划加强工厂自动化并生产更智能的产品。随着中国高端市场的发展，韩国正竭力保持其领先地位。三星在2013年的研发经费增长了24%。如果印度和印尼能共同进退，这两个笨手笨脚的亚洲巨人将会吸引大量的工厂就业。他们中最好的公司也正变成“大脑”。曾经被忽略为代工车间的印度IT外包公司现在已经成为大数据的领军者。

　　Rising consumer aspirations²⁰ are helping²¹ internet firms disrupt traditional industries. Alibaba, a Chinese internet giant, is expanding into banking²², telecoms and logistics. Analysts²³ think it might be worth $150 billion, more than China's steel industry. China's drive to reform its state-owned firms is meant to make them more responsive to customers. Xi Guohua, the boss of China Mobile, plans to give shares to his staff. Across Asia demand for health care is likely to create a whole new generation of companies—the industry comprises only 4% of the region's stockmarket, compared with 12% in the rich world.

　　消费者日益增长的需求意愿正帮助互联网企业打破行业传统。阿里巴巴作为一个中国互联网企业巨头，已经将业务扩张到银行业、电信业和物流业。分析师认为其市值可能达到1500亿美元，超过了中国钢铁行业总和。中国实施国企改革的决心意味着国企要更多的回应消费者的需求。中国移动董事长奚国华计划让自己的员工持有本企业的股份。纵观亚洲，对于医疗保健的需求很有可能会创造一批全新的公司——该行业的份额只占地区股票市场的4%，而在发达国家则占12%。

　　In order to challenge foreign rivals, Asian firms are globalising, following the example of Samsung and Toyota. Lenovo, a thriving Chinese computer firm, has Western-style governance and many foreign staff. Huawei has overtaken Ericsson in telecoms equipment. India's Sun Pharma is now one of the world's biggest generic-drugs firms. Tencent, China's Facebook, has hired the footballer Lionel Messi to advertise its services abroad. Sprawling²⁴ business houses are evolving into focused multinationals. Tata Sons is now a superb IT firm and luxury-car maker¹⁵ tied to a ragbag of Indian assets.

　　为了应对国外竞争对手，亚洲公司（例如三星和丰田）正在全球化。作为一家繁荣兴旺的中国计算机企业，联想拥有西式的管理和众多外籍员工。华为在电信设备方面也超越了爱立信公司。印度的太阳药业现在已经跻身为全球最大的非注册商标类药品公司之一。腾讯是中国版的facebook，聘任足球明星莱昂内尔·梅西为其服务进行海外宣传。粗放式发展的商业模式已经进化成集中而专业的跨国企业。塔塔之子公司这家优秀的IT公司和豪华汽车制造商，已经成为印度资产大杂烩中的一员。

　　Cereal killers²⁵

　　麦片杀手

　　Asian business needs to do much more. Big firms are spending 50% more on R&D than five years ago, but must get better at breakthrough innovations. Conglomerates²⁶ must focus on a few areas where they can achieve global scale. Governments can do their bit, by freeing state firms from meddling²⁷ and ensuring that powerful incumbents do not stifle²⁸ entrepreneurs.

　　亚洲商业前路依然漫长。跟5年前相比，大公司的研发开支增加了50%，但仍需突破性的创新。企业集团需要集中优势到某一些领域并做大到国际规模。政府能帮忙的地方就是解放国企、停止插手并确保大权在握的现任领导不会扼杀企业的发展。

　　Western firms should pay attention. In some industries—aircraft manufacturing, for example—the barriers to entry are still immense, but in other sectors brands and technology will no longer be a shield from emerging Asian competition. The threat to low-paid Western jobs may recede²⁹. Haier's Chinese workers are paid 25% of what its American workers get, up from 5% in 2000. Instead it may be copywriters, scientists and designers who feel the chill of competition from the East.

　　西方企业需要注意。某些行业（例如航空制造业）的准入门槛仍然很高，但在其他领域，品牌和科技不再是阻挡新兴亚洲竞争对手的避风港。西方国家低收入工作所面临的威胁可能会减少。海尔中国工人的收入是美国工人的25%，自2000年以来增加了5%。相反的，广告文案、科学家和设计师这些人更有可能需要面对来自来亚洲的竞争。

　　History suggests consumers will adapt fast. In 20 years, miracle cures for the old will come from Japan, the best web apps from India and couture from China. And cornflakes, once a cutting-edge food, will be rivalled by congee³⁰ and dosas, sold in boxes by a global brand. Asian capitalism will change the world—even, maybe, what it has for breakfast.

　　历史证明，消费者需要迅速适应新情况。在未来20年，治愈老人的医疗奇迹将发生在日本，最好的网络应用程序来自印度，而高级时装则来自中国。玉米片这个一度被认为是高科技的食品，将被装在盒子里、贴着全球品牌的稀饭和印度薄饼所取代。亚洲资本将改变世界——甚至有可能是桌上的早餐。

1 multinationals   

跨国公司( multinational的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• These local companies are only small fry compared with the huge multinationals. 同那些跨国公司比，这些当地的公司不过是小鱼小虾。
• Some people believe that the multinationals have too much power. 有人认为跨国公司的权力太大了。

2 advertising   

n.广告业；广告活动 a.广告的；广告业务的

参考例句：

• Can you give me any advice on getting into advertising? 你能指点我如何涉足广告业吗?
• The advertising campaign is aimed primarily at young people. 这个广告宣传运动主要是针对年轻人的。

3 corporate   

adj.共同的，全体的；公司的，企业的

参考例句：

• This is our corporate responsibility.这是我们共同的责任。
• His corporate's life will be as short as a rabbit's tail.他的公司的寿命是兔子尾巴长不了。

4 capitalism   

n.资本主义

参考例句：

• The essence of his argument is that capitalism cannot succeed.他的论点的核心是资本主义不能成功。
• Capitalism began to develop in Russia in the 19th century.十九世纪资本主义在俄国开始发展。

5 brawn   

n.体力

参考例句：

• In this job you need both brains and brawn.做这份工作既劳神又费力。
• They relied on brains rather than brawn.他们靠的是脑力，而不是体力。

6 savvy   

v.知道，了解；n.理解能力，机智，悟性；adj.有见识的，懂实际知识的，通情达理的

参考例句：

• She was a pretty savvy woman.她是个见过世面的漂亮女人。
• Where's your savvy?你的常识到哪里去了？

7 smelts   

v.熔炼，提炼（矿石）( smelt的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• Each kind smelts diamond dust material cool suppression ball group production. 各种冶金粉料冷压球团的生产。 来自互联网
• Stainless steel filter elements for highly viscous or aggressive media at high temperatures, eg polymer smelts. 不锈钢在高温高粘稠或腐蚀性介质过滤元件，如聚合物冶炼。 来自互联网

8 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。

9 incumbents   

教区牧师( incumbent的名词复数 )； 教会中的任职者

参考例句：

• In general, incumbents have a 94 percent chance of being reelected. 通常现任官员有94%的几率会再次当选。
• This arangement yields a wonderful gain to incumbents. 这种安排为在职人员提供了意外的得益。

10 sectors   

n.部门( sector的名词复数 )；领域；防御地区；扇形

参考例句：

• Berlin was divided into four sectors after the war. 战后柏林分成了4 个区。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Industry and agriculture are the two important sectors of the national economy. 工业和农业是国民经济的两个重要部门。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

11 prone   

adj.(to)易于…的，很可能…的；俯卧的

参考例句：

• Some people are prone to jump to hasty conclusions.有些人往往作出轻率的结论。
• He is prone to lose his temper when people disagree with him.人家一不同意他的意见,他就发脾气。

12 cronyism   

n.任人唯亲，对好朋友的偏袒

参考例句：

• Many small town mayor and city official practice cronyism.许多小镇的市长和大城市的官员都有任人唯亲的行为。
• Bringing business people into politics can also produce corruption and cronyism.商人从政也容易带来腐败和任人唯亲。

13 versus   

prep.以…为对手，对；与…相比之下

参考例句：

• The big match tonight is England versus Spain.今晚的大赛是英格兰对西班牙。
• The most exciting game was Harvard versus Yale.最富紧张刺激的球赛是哈佛队对耶鲁队。

14 high-tech   

adj.高科技的

参考例句：

• The economy is in the upswing which makes high-tech services in more demand too.经济在蓬勃发展，这就使对高科技服务的需求量也在加大。
• The quest of a cure for disease with high-tech has never ceased. 人们希望运用高科技治疗疾病的追求从未停止过。

15 maker   

n.制造者，制造商

参考例句：

• He is a trouble maker，You must be distant with him.他是个捣蛋鬼，你不要跟他在一起。
• A cabinet maker must be a master craftsman.家具木工必须是技艺高超的手艺人。

16 immediate   

adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的

参考例句：

• His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
• We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。

17 workforce   

n.劳动大军，劳动力

参考例句：

• A large part of the workforce is employed in agriculture.劳动人口中一大部分受雇于农业。
• A quarter of the local workforce is unemployed.本地劳动力中有四分之一失业。

18 intensified   

v.（使）增强， （使）加剧( intensify的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Violence intensified during the night. 在夜间暴力活动加剧了。
• The drought has intensified. 旱情加剧了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

19 automate   

v.自动化；使自动化

参考例句：

• Many banks have begun to automate.许多银行已开始采用自动化技术。
• To automate the control process of the lathes has become very easy today.使机床的控制过程自动化现已变得很容易了。

20 aspirations   

强烈的愿望( aspiration的名词复数 )； 志向； 发送气音； 发 h 音

参考例句：

• I didn't realize you had political aspirations. 我没有意识到你有政治上的抱负。
• The new treaty embodies the aspirations of most nonaligned countries. 新条约体现了大多数不结盟国家的愿望。

21 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

22 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。

23 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。

24 sprawling   

adj.蔓生的，不规则地伸展的v.伸开四肢坐[躺]( sprawl的现在分词 )；蔓延；杂乱无序地拓展；四肢伸展坐着（或躺着）

参考例句：

• He was sprawling in an armchair in front of the TV. 他伸开手脚坐在电视机前的一张扶手椅上。
• a modern sprawling town 一座杂乱无序拓展的现代城镇

25 killers   

凶手( killer的名词复数 )； 消灭…者； 致命物； 极难的事

参考例句：

• He remained steadfast in his determination to bring the killers to justice. 他要将杀人凶手绳之以法的决心一直没有动摇。
• They were professional killers who did in John. 杀死约翰的这些人是职业杀手。

26 conglomerates   

n.（多种经营的）联合大企业( conglomerate的名词复数 )；砾岩；合成物；组合物

参考例句：

• At the surface, radioactivity of the conglomerates is locally as high as 30 X background. 在地表，砾岩的局部地段的放射性高达30倍本底值。 来自辞典例句
• The conglomerates failed to understand that books could not be sold like soap. 这些联合大企业不懂卖书不象卖肥皂那样。 来自辞典例句

27 meddling   

v.干涉，干预（他人事务）( meddle的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• He denounced all "meddling" attempts to promote a negotiation. 他斥责了一切“干预”促成谈判的企图。 来自辞典例句
• They liked this field because it was never visited by meddling strangers. 她们喜欢这块田野，因为好事的陌生人从来不到那里去。 来自辞典例句

28 stifle   

vt.使窒息；闷死；扼杀；抑止，阻止

参考例句：

• She tried hard to stifle her laughter.她强忍住笑。
• It was an uninteresting conversation and I had to stifle a yawn.那是一次枯燥无味的交谈，我不得不强忍住自己的呵欠。

29 recede   

vi.退(去)，渐渐远去；向后倾斜，缩进

参考例句：

• The colleges would recede in importance.大学的重要性会降低。
• He saw that the dirty water had begun to recede.他发现那污浊的水开始往下退了。

30 congee   

vi.告别，鞠躬；n.稀饭

参考例句：

• He has congeed with the King.他已经跟国王告别过了。
• I'll have two spring rolls and a portion of congee.我要两个春卷和一份广式肉粥。