2021年经济学人 比特币成为合法货币（2）（在线收听）

Legal tender is ordinarily defined as the money that courts of law must accept to settle debts.

法定货币通常是指法庭为清偿债务所必须接受的货币。

But El Salvador’s bitcoin law goes further, saying that businesses must accept the cryptocurrency as payment for goods or services.

但萨尔瓦多的比特币法律有过之而无不及，它规定企业必须接受顾客使用这种加密货币购买商品或服务。

It has also come into effect very quickly.

该法律的生效速度也很快。

Nayib Bukele, the country’s president, who controls a large majority in the legislative assembly, announced his plan to make bitcoin legal tender at a cryptocurrency conference on June 5th.

在6月5日的一次加密货币会议上，控制了萨尔瓦多立法议会多数席位的总统纳伊布·布克尔(Nayib Bukele)宣布了将比特币合法化的计划。

The law was approved just three days later.

仅仅三天后，这项法律就得以通过。

Sceptics have posited that the move is just a stunt: a sop to Ibrajim and Yusef Bukele, the president’s brothers, who are crypto-enthusiasts.

持怀疑态度的人认为此举只是一种噱头：是为了安抚总统的兄弟Ibrajim和Yusef Bukele，他们都是加密货币的爱好者。

But the president claims the move will help El Salvador win foreign investment and reduce the cost of remittances.

但总统声称此举将帮助萨尔瓦多赢得外国投资，并降低汇款成本。

He may not be entirely wrong.

他的话或许有一番道理。

The gambit might lure in deep-pocketed crypto-investors (though it may deter more conventional ones).

这一策略可能会吸引财力雄厚的加密货币投资者(虽然它也可能会吓退更传统的投资者)。

And its experience may provide a case study in whether one of the long-touted benefits of bitcoin works for regular people.

萨尔瓦多的经历或许可以成为一个案例，用来研究长期广受追捧的比特币是否能在普通大众中行得通。

A diaspora of some 2m Salvadoreans sends remittances worth 20% of GDP home each year.

每年，约200万身处海外的萨尔瓦多人向国内寄回的汇款总额，相当于国内生产总值的20%。

But cross-border bank and wire transfers are slow and expensive.

但是，跨境银行和电汇既慢又贵。

Wallet-to-wallet bitcoin transfers are quick and free.

钱包到钱包的比特币转账既快捷还免费。

The attempt will probably reveal bitcoin’s limitations, too.

这次尝试可能也会暴露出比特币的局限性。

Many locals understandably fear its volatility, which makes it ill-suited for payments and debt.

许多当地人担心它的波动性，这完全可以理解，所以比特币不适合用来支付和清偿债务。

Those accepting it, like Leyendas, do not quote prices in it, but convert from dollars at the point of sale.

那些接受比特币的公司，比如Leyendas，并没有给出报价，而是在销售时将其兑换成美元。

And there can be unexpected fees, which might stymie its use.

此外，还可能产生意想不到的费用，这可能会阻碍它的使用。

There are 200 bitcoin cash machines being installed across the country to enable cash dollars to be converted into bitcoin in digital wallets.

目前，萨尔瓦多各地已经安装了200台比特币取款机，让人们把美元现金转换成钱包里的数字比特币。

The one used by The Economist took a 5% fee.

《经济学人》使用的取款机收取了5%的费用。

“I am not going to use it,” says Irma Gómez, who runs a diner near one such ATM in Santa Tecla, a town just outside San Salvador.

“我不会用的，”Irma Gómez说，她在圣萨尔瓦多城外的圣塔特克拉镇经营一家餐馆，附近就有一台这样的取款机。

But she is also intrigued. “Let the people try it.”

不过她也很感兴趣。“让别人先试试吧。”