VOA常速英语2018--贸易改革压力增加，中国经济处于十字路口（在线收听）

As 2018 draws to a close, the Chinese economy is at a crossroads.As some see it, the choice is simple.Do some heavy lifting and further liberalize or face an even sharper slowdown in economic growth.

随着2018年即将结束，中国经济正处于十字路口。有些人认为，做出选择十分容易。做一些繁重的工作，进一步放开或面临愈加放缓的经济增长。

China says it once reformed, but on its own terms.A message the country’s powerful leader Xi Jinping drove home at a recent meeting marking 40 years of reform and openness.He also had this ominous warning.Every step in our reform and opening-up is not easy.In the future, we will inevitably face all sorts of risks and challenges even unimaginable tempestuous storms.

中国表示其进行过改革，但是是依照着自己的方式。中国出色的领导人习近平在最近的一次会议上讲话，纪念中国改革开放四十周年。他同时也发出不详的警告。改革开放走的每一步都不容易。在未来，我们会不可避免地面临各种风险和挑战，有些甚至是难以想象的暴风雨。

No one knows for sure if 90 days will be enough for the United States and China to make a deal and the uncertainty is having an impact on companies’ willingness to invest at home or abroad.Over the past year, real estate, retail and car sales have started to falter.The stock market has dropped more than 20 percent and the government is taking measures to control unemployment.China has started to lean on stimulus to help prop up the economy,but China analyst Scott Kennedy says unlocking opportunities doesn’t necessarily require subsidies, high-tech gadgets or wizardry.

没有人确切知道美国和中国是否能在90天内达成协议，而且这种不确定性影响公司在国内外投资的意愿。在过去的一年里，房地产、零售和汽车销售形势开始低迷。股市下跌超过百分之二十，政府正在采取措施控制失业率。中国已经开始依靠刺激措施来帮助推动经济发展，但中国分析师斯科特·肯尼迪表示，增加机会并不一定需要补贴、高科技产品或巫术。

I think the question is not how much they’re gonna step on the gas,but whether they are gonna try and make this a more efficient machine by liberalizing the economy,by reducing market barriers to private companies to foreign companies to investment sectors that they are that are apparently off-limits.The arrest of high tech giant Huawei’s chief financial officer has added to the complexity of the trade tussle.For now, Washington and Beijing are trying to keep the two issues separate, but clearly the trade war is about much more than trade.It’s also about assumptions that have long been the foundation of US-China relations and the question of whether China wants to become an open market, says Kennedy.I think that’s the U.S. goal is still to try right the ship to find a place where we can interact with each other peacefully on the commercial side while also protecting our national security.I don’t think the US has decided to give up and say forget it, we can’t interact with these folks.We have to have a divorce.It’s going to be cold work number two.For now, that depends really on how the Chinese respond he adds.Going forward however deep uncertainty at the commercial and government level will continue.

我认为问题不在于他们会如何加足马力，而是他们是否尝试通过经济自由化、减少私营公司和外国公司对投资领域的市场壁垒来让经济运行更有效率，而这显然是禁区。高科技巨头华为首席财务官的被捕加剧了贸易争斗的复杂性。目前，中美两国正试图将这两个问题分开，但很明显贸易战不仅仅关于贸易。肯尼迪说，这也是长期以来美中关系的基础以及中国是否想要成为一个开放市场的问题。我认为，美国的目标仍然是在保障国家安全的同时，试图找到双方可以在商业方面和平共处之处。我认为美国没有决定放弃，说我们别想这事儿了，我们就是不会和这些人交往。 我们要分道扬镳了。这会成为第二号冷处理的事儿。目前，这实际上取决于中国人如何回应。展望未来，商业和政府层面的不确定性将继续存在。