【美国精神】第11期

Explanation:  

    If you want to start a business, maybe by opening a restaurant or a clothing store, the United States is a good place to do it.  This is because the U.S. has a capitalist, or market, economy, making it acceptable¹ and fairly easy for private entities² (or individuals and businesses that are not owned by the government) to buy, sell, and trade things for money without government interference³ (or involvement by the government). In the U.S., the government doesn’t decide how much things should cost or how much of something should be produced (or made). Instead, prices and production are decided⁴ based on a system called supply and demand, which refers to how much of a thing exists and how many people want to have that thing. How do we know how much supply and demand there is for a product?  There are two important factors. The first is profit (or money a business gets by selling something), and the second is self-interest, which is when a person makes decisions based on what is best for him or herself, without paying attention to what is best for other people. 

 

    A man named Adam Smith is considered the father of American capitalism⁵. He wrote about his ideas in a famous book called The Wealth of Nations. He believed that a capitalist system is run by an invisible⁶ hand. The invisible hand is the idea that there is no need for government interference in the economy because the self-interest of individuals will serve the greater good (or the maximum benefits for everyone in society).  

 

    To understand this idea, imagine that a store near your home sells a piece of candy for $20. You think that this price is too high, but it is the only place to buy candy, so if you want candy, you have to pay the $20. However, if the store across the street begins selling the same piece of candy for $1, you will act in your own self-interest and buy the less expensive candy. The more expensive store will be forced to lower its candy prices to compete with the cheaper store, or else it won’t sell any candy and won’t make any profit. In this situation, everyone involved has acted out of self-interest, and the final result is a lower price for candy.  The lower prices will serve the greater good of everyone in the neighborhood, because everyone can buy more candy. This is the basic principle (or explanation) behind the invisible hand and the United States’ market economy. 

 

问题：

What is the economic system in the United States? 

Answer:  

•  Capitalist economy 

•  Market economy 

1 acceptable   

adj.可接受的，合意的，受欢迎的

参考例句：

• The terms of the contract are acceptable to us.我们认为这个合同的条件可以接受。
• Air pollution in the city had reached four times the acceptable levels.这座城市的空气污染程度曾高达可接受标准的四倍。

2 entities   

实体对像； 实体，独立存在体，实际存在物( entity的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Our newspaper and our printing business form separate corporate entities. 我们的报纸和印刷业形成相对独立的企业实体。
• The North American continent is made up of three great structural entities. 北美大陆是由三个构造单元组成的。

3 interference   

n.干涉，介入；阻碍，干扰

参考例句：

• I couldn't hear the program because there was too much interference.因干扰太大，我听不清节目。
• We oppose interference by any outside force.我们反对任何外来势力插手干预。

4 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

5 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。

6 invisible   

adj.看不见的，无形的

参考例句：

• The air is full of millions of invisible germs.空气中充满了许多看不见的细菌。
• Many stars are invisible without a telescope.许多星辰不用望远镜便看不见。