欧盟口译实战：关于贫富差距

 　　The Bottom Billion: Why the poorest countries are failing and what can be done about it《最底层的 10 亿人:为什么最贫穷的国家走向失败，我们能为此做些什么》

　　About 80 per cent of the population of developing countries lives in countries whose populations are becoming better off. Billions live in countries that are developing very swiftly. But almost a billion people – 70 per cent of whom live in sub-Saharan Africa – are in economically stagnant¹ or declining countries. In all, 58 countries are in this desperate condition. Yet, as Collier remarks: “An impoverished² ghetto³ of 1bn people will be increasingly impossible for a comfortable world to tolerate.”

　　发展中国家约 80%的人口生活在人民日渐富裕的国家里。数十亿人生活在快速发展的国家中。但是，约有 10 亿人口——其中0%居住在撒哈拉以南的非洲国家——生活在经济陷入停顿或衰退的国家。总共有 58个国家处在这种绝望的境地。然而，正如柯里尔所言：“一个 10 亿人口的贫民区，将越来越不可能被舒适的世界所忍受。”

　　Collier argues that these countries have fallen into one, or more, of four traps from which it is virtually impossible to escape. These are the “conflict trap” , the “natural resources trap” , the trap of being “landlocked with bad neighbours” and the trap of “bad governance in a small country”.

　　柯里尔认为，这些国家陷入了四个几乎无法逃脱的陷阱中的一个或者几个。这四个陷阱是：“冲突陷阱”、“自然资源陷阱”、“有恶邻的内陆国家”陷阱，以及“小国治理不良”陷阱。

　　Seventy-three per cent of people in the bottom billion have been through civil war, 29 per cent are in countries dominated by the malign⁴ politics of natural resources, 30 per cent are in landlocked, resource-poor countries with bad neighbours and 76 per cent are in countries that have suffered long periods of bad governance and poor economic policies. Many have fallen into more than one of these traps.

　　在最底层的10亿人口中，有73%的人处于内战之中； 29%的人生活在不良自然资源政治主导的国家；30%的人处在恶邻包围、自然资源贫乏的内陆国家； 76%的人所在的国家长期处于治理糟糕、经济政策拙劣的环境中。许多国家落入了不止一个陷阱。

　　What is to be done? Collier argues that trade, for all its potential benefits, will not help the bottom billion. These countries are uncompetitive exporters of labour-intensive goods and services, given the low costs and established positions of Asian producers. They cannot compete with China or Vietnam. Similarly private capital does not flow to these countries, except to exploit their natural resources. The problem is the reverse: huge capital flight. Collier estimates that almost 40 per cent of Africa's private wealth was held abroad in 1990.

　　应该做些什么呢？柯里尔认为，贸易尽管有各种潜在好处，却不能帮助处于最底层的10亿人。鉴于亚洲生产商的低成本和成熟的市场地位，这些国家无法成为有竞争力的劳动密集型产品及服务的出口国。它们无法与中国或越南竞争。同样地，如果不是要利用它们的自然资源，私人资本也不会流入这些国家。问题恰好相反，这些国家面临巨额资本的外逃。柯里尔估计，1990年，非洲几乎40%的私人财富放在海外。

　　Collier is also skeptical⁵ of the ability of aid to make much of a difference, at least on its own. He believes aid can help – and has helped – the bottom billion. But it has been a holding operation, rather than the start of sustained growth. He is particularly skeptical of the view that unconditional⁶ budget support will work. We have, after all, already had an experiment with the consequences of unconditional finance: oil revenues. Debt relief – the darling of the aid lobbies – is the closest thing to oil revenues that the aid industry can provide, a point its proponents⁷ ignore.

　　柯里尔对援助——至少是援助本身——发挥作用的能力也持怀疑态度。他相信，援助可以帮助、并且已经帮助了最贫困的10亿人。但是，援助的作用是维持生计，而非启动持续增长。他对无条件预算支持能够奏效的观点尤其表示怀疑。毕竟，我们已经对无条件融资的后果进过实验：石油收入。援助游说者所青睐的债务减免，是援助行业能够提供的与石油收入最为接近的东西，其倡议者并没有注意到这一点。

　　Aid will not get countries out of the traps. It cannot stop conflict, though it can help after one is over. It can do nothing about the natural resources trap: indeed, it is similar to possessing just another natural resource. It may help landlocked countries with improved transport infrastructure⁸, but cannot eliminate the catastrophe⁹ of having bad neighbours.

　　援助无法使这些国家摆脱陷阱。它无法停止冲突，尽管它可以在冲突结束后提供帮助。它对自然资源陷阱束手无策：事实上，它就像是拥有另一项自然资源。它可以帮助内陆国家改善交通设施，但无法消除拥有恶邻带来的灾难。

　　So what else is needed to help countries in the bottom billion? Collier makes three suggestions: first, military intervention¹⁰; second, laws, statutes¹¹ and charters for improved governance; and, third, trade preferences. The case for military intervention is most obvious, if controversial. Civil wars are so costly¹² that well-timed military actions are quite likely (though not certain) to be cost-effective.

　　那么，需要做些什么来帮助最贫困的10亿人所在的国家呢？柯里尔提出了三条建议：首先，军事干预；第二，为改善治理而制定法律、条例及宪章；第三，贸易优惠。军事干预的做法虽然存在争议，但理由是最显而易见的。内战的代价如此高昂，因此，适时的军事行动很可能是成本有效的（尽管这不是必然的）。

　　The second area demands changes in high-income countries: ceasing to take money looted from the poorest countries is one such change; elimination¹³ of bribery¹⁴ by their companies is another. It also needs charters of better governance for countries in the bottom billion: transparent¹⁵ management of natural resources is among the most important, the UK's extractive industries transparency initiative being a good start. The book also suggests charters for democracy, budget transparency, post-conflict situations and investment.

　　另一个改变是不再接受从最贫穷的国家掠夺来的金钱；另一个是消除其企业的贿赂行为。最贫穷的 10 亿人所在的国家，还需要制定宪章，完善治理：自然资源的透明管理是其中最重要的举措之一，英国的采掘行业透明度行动计划 (Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative, EITI)就是一个良好的开端。本书还建议为民主、预算透明、冲突后的形势和投资制定宪章。

　　This idea sounds very naive¹⁶. But the European Union has shown that external standards can make a big difference. Why should countries not sign up to charters of better governance in return for large quantities of aid? This is not imperialism¹⁷. It is a bargain made in the interests of their own people.

　　这种观点似乎很天真。但欧盟(EU)已经证明，外部标准可以造成巨大差别。这些国家为什么不能签署关于改善治理的宪章，以换得更多援助呢？这不是帝国主义。这是为自己的人民谋福利。

1 stagnant   

adj.不流动的，停滞的，不景气的

参考例句：

• Due to low investment,industrial output has remained stagnant.由于投资少，工业生产一直停滞不前。
• Their national economy is stagnant.他们的国家经济停滞不前。

2 impoverished   

adj.穷困的，无力的，用尽了的v.使（某人）贫穷( impoverish的过去式和过去分词 )；使（某物）贫瘠或恶化

参考例句：

• the impoverished areas of the city 这个城市的贫民区
• They were impoverished by a prolonged spell of unemployment. 他们因长期失业而一贫如洗。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 ghetto   

n.少数民族聚居区，贫民区

参考例句：

• Racism and crime still flourish in the ghetto.城市贫民区的种族主义和犯罪仍然十分猖獗。
• I saw that achievement as a possible pattern for the entire ghetto.我把获得的成就看作整个黑人区可以仿效的榜样。

4 malign   

adj.有害的；恶性的；恶意的；v.诽谤，诬蔑

参考例句：

• It was easy to see why the cartoonists regularly portrayed him as a malign cherub.难怪漫画家总是把他画成一个邪恶的小天使。
• She likes to malign innocent persons.她爱诋毁那些清白的人。

5 skeptical   

adj.怀疑的，多疑的

参考例句：

• Others here are more skeptical about the chances for justice being done.这里的其他人更为怀疑正义能否得到伸张。
• Her look was skeptical and resigned.她的表情是将信将疑而又无可奈何。

6 unconditional   

adj.无条件的，无限制的，绝对的

参考例句：

• The victorious army demanded unconditional surrender.胜方要求敌人无条件投降。
• My love for all my children is unconditional.我对自己所有孩子的爱都是无条件的。

7 proponents   

n.（某事业、理论等的）支持者，拥护者( proponent的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Reviewing courts were among the most active proponents of hybrid rulemaking procedures. 复审法院是最积极的混合型规则制定程序的建议者。 来自英汉非文学 - 行政法
• Proponents of such opinions were arrested as 'traitors. ' 提倡这种主张的人马上作为“卖国贼”逮捕起来。 来自辞典例句

8 infrastructure   

n.下部构造，下部组织，基础结构，基础设施

参考例句：

• We should step up the development of infrastructure for research.加强科学基础设施建设。
• We should strengthen cultural infrastructure and boost various types of popular culture.加强文化基础设施建设，发展各类群众文化。

9 catastrophe   

n.大灾难，大祸

参考例句：

• I owe it to you that I survived the catastrophe.亏得你我才大难不死。
• This is a catastrophe beyond human control.这是一场人类无法控制的灾难。

10 intervention   

n.介入，干涉，干预

参考例句：

• The government's intervention in this dispute will not help.政府对这场争论的干预不会起作用。
• Many people felt he would be hostile to the idea of foreign intervention.许多人觉得他会反对外来干预。

11 statutes   

成文法( statute的名词复数 )； 法令； 法规； 章程

参考例句：

• The numerous existing statutes are complicated and poorly coordinated. 目前繁多的法令既十分复杂又缺乏快调。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法
• Each agency is also restricted by the particular statutes governing its activities. 各个机构的行为也受具体法令限制。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法

12 costly   

adj.昂贵的，价值高的，豪华的

参考例句：

• It must be very costly to keep up a house like this.维修这么一幢房子一定很昂贵。
• This dictionary is very useful,only it is a bit costly.这本词典很有用，左不过贵了些。

13 elimination   

n.排除，消除，消灭

参考例句：

• Their elimination from the competition was a great surprise.他们在比赛中遭到淘汰是个很大的意外。
• I was eliminated from the 400 metres in the semi-finals.我在400米半决赛中被淘汰。

14 bribery   

n.贿络行为，行贿，受贿

参考例句：

• FBI found out that the senator committed bribery.美国联邦调查局查明这个参议员有受贿行为。
• He was charged with bribery.他被指控受贿。

15 transparent   

adj.明显的，无疑的；透明的

参考例句：

• The water is so transparent that we can see the fishes swimming.水清澈透明，可以看到鱼儿游来游去。
• The window glass is transparent.窗玻璃是透明的。

16 naive   

adj.幼稚的，轻信的；天真的

参考例句：

• It's naive of you to believe he'll do what he says.相信他会言行一致，你未免太单纯了。
• Don't be naive.The matter is not so simple.你别傻乎乎的。事情没有那么简单。

17 imperialism   

n.帝国主义，帝国主义政策

参考例句：

• They held the imperialism in contempt.他们鄙视帝国主义。
• Imperialism has not been able to subjugate China.帝国主义不能征服中国。