2019年经济学人 日本和韩国之间的贸易争端(2)

 

Japan’s decision to limit exports is economically shortsighted, as it should know since it has itself been on the other side of such controls. When China restricted exports of rareearth minerals in 2011, Japan responded by investing in its own mines. China’s market share dropped. Already, the South Korean government is discussing plans to foster the domestic chemicals production. Japan insists that South Korean companies will, once approved, still be able to buy its chemicals, but the threat of an embargo¹, once issued, cannot be easily dispelled².

日本限制出口的决定在经济上是短视的，这是日本应该知道的，因为日本一直处于这种控制的另一边。2011年，当中国限制稀土出口时，日本的反应是投资本国矿山。韩国政府已经在讨论促进国内化学品生产的计划。日本坚持认为，韩国公司一旦获得批准，仍然可以购买日本的化学品，但禁运的威胁一旦发出，就不可能轻易消除。

The broader geopolitical context makes Japan’s self-harm even more reckless. Regional supply chains are already under assault. South Korean and Japanese companies are scrambling³ to find alternatives to China as a manufacturing base to avoid American tariffs⁴. Mr Trump⁵ has threatened both countries with import duties on their cars.

更广泛的地缘政治背景使得日本的自残行为更加鲁莽。区域供应链已经受到了冲击。韩国和日本企业正争先恐后地寻找中国以外的制造业基地，以避免美国的关税。特朗普威胁要对两国的汽车征收进口税。

Ultimately, it is up to South Korea and Japan to repair relations. But America’s waning⁶ interest in diplomacy⁷ does not help. And Mr Trump is normalising the use of trade weapons in political spats⁸. His tactics teach others how to find an excuse for these actions: by citing national security. Japanese media have suggested that South Korea has allowed the shipment of sensitive chemicals to North Korea, a far-fetched claim but one that could feature in a defence of its export restrictions⁹. Under a different president, America would be doing more to bind¹⁰ together Japan and South Korea, two indispensable allies. Barack Obama pushed the Trans-Pacific Partnership¹¹ that included Japan, and that South Korea was expected to join eventually. One of Mr Trump’s first acts was to ditch that deal.

最终，修复关系将取决于韩国和日本。但美国对外交兴趣的减弱也无济于事。特朗普正在将贸易武器在政治争端中的使用正常化。他的策略教会了其他人如何为这些行为找借口:以国家安全为由。日本媒体曾暗示，韩国已允许向朝鲜运送敏感化学品，这一说法牵强附会，但可能是为其出口限制辩护的一个理由。如果换一个总统，美国将会做更多的事情来团结日本和韩国，这是两个不可或缺的盟友。巴拉克?奥巴马推动了包括日本在内的跨太平洋伙伴关系协定，预计韩国最终也会加入。特朗普的第一反应之一就是放弃该协议。

It is not too late to defuse the situation. The commercial damage has been limited so far. Japan is aware that, notwithstanding America’s current tactics, export controls look bad; it is thus susceptible¹² to pressure from other trading partners. The two countries will discuss their disagreement at the World Trade Organisation¹³ later this month. This is shaping up to be a test of whether the global trading system can, despite great strains, still soothe¹⁴ tensions—or whether it is being supplanted¹⁵ by a new, meaner order, in which supply chains are weaponised and commerce is purely¹⁶ an extension of politics.

现在缓和局势还为时不晚。到目前为止，商业损失有限。日本意识到，尽管美国采取了当前的策略，但出口控制看上去很糟糕；因此，中国很容易受到其他贸易伙伴的压力。两国将于本月晚些时候在世界贸易组织讨论他们的分歧。这将是对全球贸易体系的一次考验，看它能否在巨大的压力下仍能缓解紧张局势，或者是否正被一种新的、更为苛刻的秩序所取代，在这种秩序下，供应链被武器化，商业纯粹是政治的延伸。

1 embargo   

n.禁运（令）；vt.对...实行禁运，禁止（通商）

参考例句：

• This country put an oil embargo on an enemy country.该国对敌国实行石油禁运。
• During the war,they laid an embargo on commerce with enemy countries.在战争期间，他们禁止与敌国通商。

2 dispelled   

v.驱散，赶跑( dispel的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• His speech dispelled any fears about his health. 他的发言消除了人们对他身体健康的担心。
• The sun soon dispelled the thick fog. 太阳很快驱散了浓雾。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 scrambling   

v.快速爬行( scramble的现在分词 )；攀登；争夺；（军事飞机）紧急起飞

参考例句：

• Scrambling up her hair, she darted out of the house. 她匆忙扎起头发，冲出房去。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• She is scrambling eggs. 她正在炒蛋。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 tariffs   

关税制度； 关税( tariff的名词复数 )； 关税表； （旅馆或饭店等的）收费表； 量刑标准

参考例句：

• British industry was sheltered from foreign competition by protective tariffs. 保护性关税使英国工业免受国际竞争影响。
• The new tariffs have put a stranglehold on trade. 新的关税制对开展贸易极为不利。

5 trump   

n.王牌，法宝；v.打出王牌，吹喇叭

参考例句：

• He was never able to trump up the courage to have a showdown.他始终鼓不起勇气摊牌。
• The coach saved his star player for a trump card.教练保留他的明星选手，作为他的王牌。

6 waning   

adj.（月亮）渐亏的，逐渐减弱或变小的n.月亏v.衰落( wane的现在分词 )；（月）亏；变小；变暗淡

参考例句：

• Her enthusiasm for the whole idea was waning rapidly. 她对整个想法的热情迅速冷淡了下来。
• The day is waning and the road is ending. 日暮途穷。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

7 diplomacy   

n.外交；外交手腕，交际手腕

参考例句：

• The talks have now gone into a stage of quiet diplomacy.会谈现在已经进入了“温和外交”阶段。
• This was done through the skill in diplomacy. 这是通过外交手腕才做到的。

8 spats   

n.口角( spat的名词复数 )；小争吵；鞋罩；鞋套v.spit的过去式和过去分词( spat的第三人称单数 )；口角；小争吵；鞋罩

参考例句：

• Gasoline is a solvent liquid that removes grease spats. 汽油是一种能脱去油迹的有溶解能力的液体。 来自辞典例句
• Then spats took a catnap, and the bird looked out for dogs. 然后斯派茨小睡了一会儿。小鸟为它站岗放哨，防止狗跑过来。 来自互联网

9 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制

10 bind   

vt.捆，包扎；装订；约束；使凝固；vi.变硬

参考例句：

• I will let the waiter bind up the parcel for you.我让服务生帮你把包裹包起来。
• He wants a shirt that does not bind him.他要一件不使他觉得过紧的衬衫。

11 partnership   

n.合作关系，伙伴关系

参考例句：

• The company has gone into partnership with Swiss Bank Corporation.这家公司已经和瑞士银行公司建立合作关系。
• Martin has taken him into general partnership in his company.马丁已让他成为公司的普通合伙人。

12 susceptible   

adj.过敏的，敏感的；易动感情的，易受感动的

参考例句：

• Children are more susceptible than adults.孩子比成人易受感动。
• We are all susceptible to advertising.我们都易受广告的影响。

13 organisation   

n.组织，安排，团体，有机休

参考例句：

• The method of his organisation work is worth commending.他的组织工作的方法值得称道。
• His application for membership of the organisation was rejected.他想要加入该组织的申请遭到了拒绝。

14 soothe   

v.安慰；使平静；使减轻；缓和；奉承

参考例句：

• I've managed to soothe him down a bit.我想方设法使他平静了一点。
• This medicine should soothe your sore throat.这种药会减轻你的喉痛。

15 supplanted   

把…排挤掉，取代( supplant的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• In most offices, the typewriter has now been supplanted by the computer. 当今许多办公室里，打字机已被电脑取代。
• The prime minister was supplanted by his rival. 首相被他的政敌赶下台了。

16 purely   

adv.纯粹地，完全地

参考例句：

• I helped him purely and simply out of friendship.我帮他纯粹是出于友情。
• This disproves the theory that children are purely imitative.这证明认为儿童只会单纯地模仿的理论是站不住脚的。