10.3期 经济学人翻译参考-L1 the World Economy-中国高翻团队

经济学人全球面临债务危机中国为何能全身而退You can find bubbliness in bits of American finance,including the corporate-b ond market, and somenasty off-balance-sheet liabilities like student loansand public-sector pensions, but America does notlook like a source of imminent trouble.你可以在美国金融里找到泡沫碎片，包括证券市场，和一些严重的表外负债，像学生贷款和公共部门养老金，但是美国看起来并不会产生迫在眉睫的麻烦。

Britain and Japan have changed less. Abenomics has improved Japan's prosp ects, butgovernment debt is still close to 250% of GDP.英国和日本改变较少。

安备经济学已提高日本的经济预期但是，政府债务仍相当于GDP的250%左右。

In Britain the combination of budget cuts and weak private investment has produced a recovery that is built on the same ingredients—particularly rising house prices—that caused thelast bust.在英国，预算减少与个人投资力弱双重作用之下，催生了建立在相同因素上的复苏--尤其是不断上涨的房价---这引发了最后的破产。

Britain is not about to fell the world economy, but growth that was based mo re on investment,both public and private, would be an awful lot safer.英国并不打算让世界经济雪上加霜，但基于更多公共和私人投资的增长将极其缓慢。

How China runs the world economy中国如何引领世界经济Jul 28th 2005From The Economist print editionGlobal wages, profits, prices and interest rates are increasingly being influenced by events in China1 “IF YOU want one year of prosperity, grow grain. If you w ant ten years of Chinese proverb crudely sums up how the entry of China's massive labour force into the global economy may prove to be the most profound change for 50, and perhaps even for 100, years.“一年之计，莫如树谷；十年之计，莫如树木；终身之计，莫如树人。

”中国这句老话可以直白地概括说明为什么庞大的中国劳动力大军进入全球经济如何会是50年、甚或100年间最为深刻的变化。

2 China, along with the other emerging giants, India, Brazil and the former Soviet Union, has effectively doubled the global labour force, hugely boosting the world's potential output and hence its future prosperity. China's growth rate is not exceptional compared with previous or current emerging economies in Asia, but China is having a more dramatic effect on the world economy because of two factors: not only does it have a huge, cheap workforce, but its economy is also unusually open to trade. As a result, China's development is not just a powerful driver of global growth; its impact on other economies is also far more pervasive中国连同其他正在崛起的大国印度、巴西和前苏联国家使全球劳动力翻了一番，大大提高了世界的潜在产出，因而未来的繁荣前景更加光明。

Digest Of The. Economist. 2006(6-7)欧阳光明（2021.03.07）Hard to digestA wealth of genetic information is to be found in the human gutBACTERIA, like people, can be divided into friend and foe. Inspired by evidence that the friendly sort may help with a range of ailments, many people consume bacteria in the form of yogurts and dietary supplements. Such a smattering of artificial additions, however, represents but a drop in the ocean. There are at least 800 types of bacteria living in the human gut. And research by Steven Gill of the Institute for Genomic Research in Rockville, Maryland, and his colleagues, published in this week's Science, suggests that the collective genome of these organisms is so large that it contains 100 times as many genes as the human genome itself.Dr Gill and his team were able to come to this conclusion by extracting bacterial DNA from the faeces of two volunteers. Because of the complexity of the samples, they were not able to reconstruct the entire genomes of each of the gut bacteria, just the individual genes. But that allowed them to make an estimate of numbers.What all these bacteria are doing is tricky to identify—the bacteria themselves are difficult to cultivate. So the researchers guessed at what they might be up to by comparing the genes they discovered withpublished databases of genes whose functions are already known.This comparison helped Dr Gill identify for the first time the probable enzymatic processes by which bacteria help humans to digest the complex carbohydrates in plants. The bacteria also contain a plentiful supply of genes involved in the synthesis of chemicals essential to human life—including two B vitamins and certain essential amino acids—although the team merely showed that these metabolic pathways exist rather than proving that they are used. Nevertheless, the pathways they found leave humans looking more like ruminants: animals such as goats and sheep that use bacteria to break down otherwise indigestible matter in the plants they eat.The broader conclusion Dr Gill draws is that people are superorganisms whose metabolism represents an amalgamation of human and microbial attributes. The notion of a superorganism has emerged before, as researchers in other fields have come to view humans as having a diverse internal ecosystem. This, suggest some, will be crucial to the success of personalised medicine, as different people will have different responses to drugs, depending on their microbial flora. Accordingly, the next step, says Dr Gill, is to see how microbial populations vary between people of different ages, backgrounds and diets.Another area of research is the process by which these helpful bacteria first colonise the digestive tract. Babies acquire their gut flora asthey pass down the birth canal and take a gene-filled gulp of their mother's vaginal and faecal flora. It might not be the most delicious of first meals, but it could well be an important one.Zapping the bluesThe rebirth of electric-shock treatmentELECTRICITY has long been used to treat medical disorders. As early as the second century AD, Galen, a Greek physician, recommended the use of electric eels for treating headaches and facial pain. In the 1930s Ugo Cerletti and Lucio Bini, two Italian psychiatrists, used electroconvulsive therapy to treat schizophrenia. These days, such rigorous techniques are practised less widely. But researchers are still investigating how a gentler electric therapy appears to treat depression.Vagus-nerve stimulation, to give it its proper name, was originally developed to treat severe epilepsy. It requires a pacemaker-like device to be implanted in a patient's chest and wires from it threaded up to the vagus nerve on the left side of his neck. In the normal course of events, this provides an electrical pulse to the vagus nerve for 30 seconds every five minutes.This treatment does not always work, but in some cases where it failed (the number of epileptic seizures experienced by a patient remaining the same), that patient nevertheless reported feeling much better after receiving the implant. This secondary effect led to trials for treating depression and, in 2005, America's Food and DrugAdministration approved the therapy for depression that fails to respond to all conventional treatments, including drugs and psychotherapy.Not only does the treatment work, but its effects appear to be long lasting. A study led by Charles Conway of Saint Louis University in Missouri, and presented to a recent meeting of the American Psychiatric Association, has found that 70% of patients who are better after one year stay better after two years as well.The technique builds on a procedure called deep-brain stimulation, in which electrodes are implanted deep into the white matter of patients' brains and used to “reboot” f aulty neural circuitry. Such an operation is a big undertaking, requiring a full day of surgery and carrying a risk of the patient suffering a stroke. Only a small number of people have been treated this way. In contrast, the device that stimulates the vagus nerve can be implanted in 45 minutes without a stay in hospital.The trouble is that vagus-nerve stimulation can take a long time to produce its full beneficial effect. According to Dr Conway, scans taken using a technique called positron-emission tomography show significant changes in brain activity starting three months after treatment begins. The changes are similar to the improvements seen in patients who undergo other forms of antidepression treatment. The brain continues to change over the following 21 months. Dr Conway says that patients should be told that the antidepressant effects could be slow in coming.However, Richard Selway of King's College Hospital, London,found that his patients' moods improved just weeks after the implant. Although brain scans are useful in determining the longevity of the treatment, Mr Selway notes that visible changes in the brain do not necessarily correlate perfectly with changes in mood.Nobody knows why stimulating the vagus nerve improves the mood of depressed patients, but Mr Selway has a theory. He believes that the electrical stimulation causes a region in the brain stem called the locus caeruleus (Latin, ironically, for “blue place”) to flood the brain with norepinephrine, a neurotransmitter implicated in alertness, concentration and motivation—that is, the mood states missing in depressed patients. Whatever the mechanism, for the depressed a therapy that is relatively safe and long lasting is rare cause for cheer.The shape of things to comeHow tomorrow's nuclear power stations will differ from today's THE agency in charge of promoting nuclear power in America describes a new generation of reactors that will be “highly economical” with “enhanced safety”, that “minimise wastes” and will prove “proliferation resistant”. No doubt they will bake a mean apple pie, too.Unfortunately, in the world of nuclear energy, fine words are not enough. America got away lightly with its nuclear accident. When the Three Mile Island plant in Pennsylvania overheated in 1979 very little radiation leaked, and there were no injuries. Europe was not so lucky. The accident at Chernobyl in Ukraine in 1986 killed dozens immediatelyand has affected (sometimes fatally) the health of tens of thousands at the least. Even discounting the association of nuclear power with nuclear weaponry, people have good reason to be suspicious of claims that reactors are safe.Yet political interest in nuclear power is reviving across the world, thanks in part to concerns about global warming and energy security. Already, some 441 commercial reactors operate in 31 countries and provide 17% of the planet's electricity, according to America's Department of Energy. Until recently, the talk was of how to retire these reactors gracefully. Now it is of how to extend their lives. In addition, another 32 reactors are being built, mostly in India, China and their neighbours. These new power stations belong to what has been called the third generation of reactors, designs that have been informed by experience and that are considered by their creators to be advanced. But will these new stations really be safer than their predecessors?Clearly, modern designs need to be less accident prone. The most important feature of a safe design is that it “fails safe”. For a re actor, this means that if its control systems stop working it shuts down automatically, safely dissipates the heat produced by the reactions in its core, and stops both the fuel and the radioactive waste produced by nuclear reactions from escaping by keeping them within some sort of containment vessel. Reactors that follow such rules are called “passive”. Most modern designs are passive to some extent and some newer onesare truly so. However, some of the genuinely passive reactors are also likely to be more expensive to run.Nuclear energy is produced by atomic fission. A large atom (usually uranium or plutonium) breaks into two smaller ones, releasing energy and neutrons. The neutrons then trigger further break-ups. And so on. If this “chain reaction” can be controlled, the energy released can be used to boil water, produce steam and drive a turbine that generates electricity. If it runs away, the result is a meltdown and an accident (or, in extreme circumstances, a nuclear explosion—though circumstances are never that extreme in a reactor because the fuel is less fissile than the material in a bomb). In many new designs the neutrons, and thus the chain reaction, are kept under control by passing them through water to slow them down. (Slow neutrons trigger more break ups than fast ones.) This water is exposed to a pressure of about 150 atmospheres—a pressure that means it remains liquid even at high temperatures. When nuclear reactions warm the water, its density drops, and the neutrons passing through it are no longer slowed enough to trigger further reactions. That negative feedback stabilises the reaction rate.Can business be cool?Why a growing number of firms are taking global warming seriously RUPERT MURDOCH is no green activist. But in Pebble Beach later this summer, the annual gathering of executivesof Mr Murdoch's News Corporation—which last year led to a dramatic shift in the mediaconglomerate's attitude tothe internet—will be addressed by several leading environmentalists, including a vice-president turned climatechangemovie star. Last month BSkyB, a British satellite-television company chaired by Mr Murdoch and run by hisson, James, declared itself “carbon-neutral”, having taken various steps to cut or offset its discharges of carboninto the atmosphere.The army of corporate greens is growing fast. Late last year HSBC became the first big bank to announce that itwas carbon-neutral, joining other financial institutions, including Swiss Re, a reinsurer, and Goldman Sachs, aninvestment bank, in waging war on climate-warming gases (of which carbon dioxide is the main culprit). Last yearGeneral Electric (GE), an industrial powerhouse, launched its “Ecomagination” strategy, aiming to cut its output ofgreenhouse gases and to invest heavily in clean (ie, carbon-free) technologies. In October Wal-Mart announced aseries of environmental schemes, including doubling the fuel-efficiency of its fleet of vehicles within a decade.Tesco and Sainsbury, two of Britain's biggest retailers, are competing fiercely to be the greenest. And on June 7thsome leading British bosses lobbied Tony Blair for a more ambitious policy on climate change, even if that involvesharsher regulation.The greening of business is by no means universal, however. Money from Exxon Mobil, Ford and General Motorshelped pay for television advertisements aired recently in America by the CompetitiveEnterprise Institute, with thedaft slogan “Carbon dioxide: they call it pollution; we call it life”. Besides, environmentalist critics say, some firmsare eng aged in superficial “greenwash” to boost the image of essentially climate-hurting businesses. Take BP, themost prominent corporate advocate of action on climate change, with its “Beyond Petroleum” ad campaign, highprofileinvestments in green energy, andev en a “carbon calculator” on its website that helps consumers measuretheir personal “carbon footprint”, or overall emissions of carbon. Yet, critics complain, BP's recent record profits arelargely thanks to sales of huge amounts of carbon-packed oil and gas.On the other hand, some free-market thinkers see the support of firms for regulation of carbon as the latestattempt at “regulatory capture”, by those who stand to profit from new rules. Max Schulz of the ManhattanInstitute, a conservative think tank, not es darkly that “Enron was into pushing the idea of climate change, becauseit was good for its business”.Others argue that climate change has no more place in corporate boardrooms than do discussions of other partisanpolitical issues, such as Darfur or gay marriage. That criticism, at least, is surely wrong. Most of the corporateconverts say they are acting not out of some vague sense of social responsibility, or even personal angst, butbecause climate change creates real business risks and opportunities—from regulatory compliance to insuringclients on flood plains. And although theseconcerns vary hugely from one company to the next, few firms can besure of remaining unaffected.Testing timesResearchers are working on ways to reduce the need for animal experiments, but new laws mayincrease the number of experiments neededIN AN ideal world, people would not perform experiments on animals. For the people, they are expensive. For theanimals, they are stressful and often painful.That ideal world, sadly, is still some way away. People need new drugs and vaccines. They want protection fromthe toxicity of chemicals. The search for basic scientific answers goes on. Indeed, the European Commission isforging ahead with proposals that will increase the number of animal experiments carried out in the EuropeanUnion, by requiring toxicity tests on every chemical approved for use within the union's borders in the past 25years.Already, the commission has identified 140,000 chemicals that have not yet been tested. It wants 30,000 of theseto be examined right away, and plans to spend between €4 billion-8 billion ($5 billion-10 billion) doing so. Thenumber of animals used for toxicity testing in Europe will thus, experts reckon, quintuple from just over 1m a yearto about 5m, unless they are saved by some dramatic advances in non-animal testing technology. At the moment,roughly 10% of European animal tests are forgeneral toxicity, 35% for basic research, 45% for drugs andvaccines, and the remaining 10% a variety of uses such as diagnosing diseases.Animal experimentation will therefore be around for some time yet. But the hunt for substitutes continues, and lastweekend the Middle European Society for Alternative Methods to Animal Testing met in Linz, Austria, to reviewprogress.A good place to start finding alternatives for toxicity tests is the liver—the organ responsible for breaking toxicchemicals down into safer molecules that can then be excreted. Two firms, one large and one small, told themeeting how they were using human liver cells removed incidentally during surgery to test various substances forlong-term toxic effects.PrimeCyte, the small firm, grows its cells in cultures over a few weeks and doses them regularly with the substanceunder investigation. The characteristics of the cells are carefully monitored, to look for changes in theirmicroanatomy.Pfizer, the big firm, also doses its cultures regularly, but rather than studying individual cells in detail, it counts cellnumbers. If the number of cells in a culture changes after a sample is added, that suggests the chemical inquestion is bad for the liver.In principle, these techniques could be applied to any chemical. In practice, drugs (and, in the case of PrimeCyte,food supplements) are top of the list. But that might change if the commission has its way: those 140,000screenings look like a lucrative market, although nobody knowswhether the new tests will be ready for use by2009, when the commission proposes that testing should start.Other tissues, too, can be tested independently of animals. Epithelix, a small firm in Geneva, has developed anartificial version of the liningof the lungs. According to Huang Song, one of Epithelix's researchers, the firm'scultured cells have similar microanatomy to those found in natural lung linings, and respond in the same way tovarious chemical messengers. Dr Huang says that they could be used in long-term toxicity tests of airbornechemicals and could also help identify treatments for lung diseases.The immune system can be mimicked and tested, too. ProBioGen, a company based in Berlin, is developing anartificial human lymph node which, it reckons, could have prevented the near-disastrous consequences of a drugtrial held in Britain three months ago, in which (despite the drug having passed animal tests) six men sufferedmultiple organ failure and nearly died. The drug the men were given made their immune systems hyperactive.Such a response would, the firm's scientists reckon, have been identified by their lymph node, which is made fromcells that provoke the immune system into a response. ProBioGen's lymph node could thus work better than animaltesting.Another way of cutting the number of animal experiments would be tochange the way that vaccines are tested, according to CoenraadHendriksen of the Netherlands Vaccine Institute. At themoment, allbatches of vaccine are subject to the same battery of tests. DrHendriksen argues that this is over-rigorous. When new vaccine culturesare made, belt-and-braces tests obviously need to be applied. But if abatch of vaccine is derived from an existing culture, he suggests that itneed be tested only to make sure it is identical to the batch from which itis derived. That would require fewer test animals.All this suggests that though there is still some way to go before drugs,vaccines and other substances can be tested routinely on cells ratherthan live animals, useful progress is being made. What is harder to see ishow the use of animals might be banished from fundamental research.Anger managementTo one emotion, men are more sensitive than womenMEN are notoriously insensitive to the emotional world around them. At least, that is the stereotype peddled by athousand women's magazines. And a study by two researchers at the University of Melbourne, in Australia,confirms that men are, indeed, less sensitive to emotion than women, with one important and suggestiveexception. Men are acutely sensitive to the anger of other men.Mark Williams and Jason Mattingley, whose study has just been published in Current Biology, looked at the way aperson's sex affects his or her response to emotionally charged facial expressions. People from all cultures agreeon what six basic expressions of emotion look like. Whether the face before you is expressing anger, disgust, fear,joy,sadness or surprise seems to be recognised universally—which suggests that the expressions involved areinnate, rather than learned.Dr Williams and Dr Mattingley showed the participants in their study photographs of these emotional expressions inmixed sets of either four or eight. They asked the participants to look for a particular sort of expression, andmeasured the amount of time it took them to find it. The researchers found, in agreement with previous studies,that both men and women identified angry expressions most quickly. But they also found that anger was morequickly identified on a male face than a female one.Moreover, most participants could find an angry face just as quickly when it was mixed in a group of eightphotographs as when it was part of a group of four. That was in stark contrast to the other five sorts of expression,which took more time to find when they had to be sorted from a larger group. This suggests that something in thebrain is attuned to picking out angry expressions, and that it is especially concerned about angry men. Also, thishighly tuned ability seems more important to males than females, since the two researchers found that men pickedout the angry expressions faster than women did, even though women were usually quicker than men to recognizeevery other sort of facial expression.Dr Williams and Dr Mattingley suspect the reason for this is that being able to spot an angry individual quickly hasa survival advantage—and, since anger is more likely to turn into lethal violence in men than inwomen, the abilityto spot angry males quickly is particularly valuable.As to why men are more sensitive to anger than women, it is presumably because they are far more likely to getkilled by it. Most murders involve men killing other men—even today the context of homicide is usually aspontaneous dispute over status or sex.The ability to spot quickly that an alpha male is in a foul mood would thus have great survival value. It would allowthe sharp-witted time to choose appeasement, defence or possibly even pre-emptive attack. And, if it is right, thisstudy also confirms a lesson learned by generations of bar-room tough guys and schoolyard bullies: if you wantattention, get angry.The shareholders' revoltA turning point in relations between company owners and bosses?SOMETHING strange has been happening this year at company annual meetings in America:shareholders have been voting decisively against the recommendations of managers. Until now, mostshareholders have, like so many sheep, routinely voted in accordance with the advice of the people theyemploy to run the company. This year managers have already been defeated at some 32 companies,including household names such as Boeing, ExxonMobil and General Motors.This shareholders' revolt has focused entirely on one issue: the method by which members of the boardof directors are elected. Shareholder resolutions on other subjects have mostly been defeated, asusual.The successful resolutions called for directors to be elected by majority voting, instead of by thetraditional method of “plurality”—which in practice meant that only votes cast in favour were counted,and that a single vote for a candidate would be enough to get him elected.Several companies, led by Pfizer, a drug giant, saw defeat looming and pre-emptively adopted a formalmajority-voting policy that was weaker than in the shareholder resolution. This required any director whofailed to secure a majority of votes to tender his resignation to the board, which would then be free todecide whether or not to accept it. Under the shareholder resolution, any candidate failing to secure amajority of the votes cast simply would not be elected. Intriguingly, the shareholder resolution wasdefeated at four-fifths of the firms that adopted a Pfizer-style majority voting rule, whereas it succeedednearly nine times out of ten at firms retaining the plurality rule.Unfortunately for shareholders, their victories may prove illusory, as the successful resolutions were all“precatory”—meaning that they merely advised management on the course of action preferred byshareholders, but did not force managers to do anything. Several resolutions that tried to imposemajority voting on firms by changing their bylaws failed this year.Even so, wise managers should voluntarily adopt majority voting, according to Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen &Katz, a Wall Street law firm that has generally helped managers resist increases in shareholder powerbutnow expects majority voting eventually to “become universal”. It advises that, at the very least,managers should adopt the Pfizer model, if only to avoid becoming the subject of even greater scrutinyfrom corporate-governance activists. Some firms might choose to go further, as Dell and Intel have donethis year, and adopt bylaws requiring majority voting.Shareholders may have been radicalised by the success last year of a lobbying effort by managersagainst a proposal from regulators to make it easier for shareholders to put up candidates in boardelections. It remains to be seen if they will be back for more in 2007. Certainly, some of the activistshareholders behind this year's resolutions have big plans. Where new voting rules are in place, they plancampaigns to vote out the chairman of the compensation committee at any firm that they think overpaysthe boss. If the 2006 annual meeting was unpleasant for managers, next year's could be far worse.Intangible opportunitiesCompanies are borrowing against their copyrights, trademarks and patentsNOT long ago, the value of companies resided mostly in things you could see and touch. Today it liesincreasingly in intangible assets such as the McDonald's name, the patent for Viagra and the rights toSpiderman. Baruch Lev, a finance professor at New York University's Stern School of Business, puts theimplied value of intangibles on Americancompanies' balance sheets at about $6 trillion, or two-thirds ofthe total. Much of this consists of intellectual property, the collective name for copyrights, trademarksand patents. Increasingly, companies and their clever bankers are using these assets to raise cash.The method of choice is securitisation, the issuing of bonds based on the various revenues thrown off byintellectual property. Late last month Dunkin' Brands, owner of Dunkin' Donuts, a snack-bar chain, raised$1.7 billion by selling bonds backed by, among other things, the royalties it will receive from itsfranchisees. The three private-equity firms that acquired Dunkin' Brands a few months ago have used thecash to repay the money they borrowed to buy the chain. This is the biggest intellectual-propertysecuritisation by far, says Jordan Yarett of Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison, a law firm that hasworked on many such deals.Securitisations of intellectual property can be based on revenues from copyrights, trademarks (such aslogos) or patents. The best-known copyright deal was the issue in 1997 of $55m-worth of “Bowie Bonds”supported by the future sales of music by David Bowie, a British rock star. Bonds based on the films ofDreamWorks, Marvel comic books and the stories of John Steinbeck have also been sold. As well asDunkin' Brands, several restaurant chains and fashion firms have issued bonds backed by logos andbrands.Intellectual-property deals belong to a class known as operating-asset securitisations. These differ fromstandard securitisations of future revenues, such as bonds backed by the payments on a 30-yearmortgage or a car loan, in that the borrower has to make his asset work. If investors are to recoup theirmoney, the assets being securitised must be “actively exploited”, says Mr Yarett: DreamWorks mustcontinue to churn out box-office hits.The market for such securitisations is still small. Jay Eisbruck, of Moody's, a rating agency, reckons thataround $10 billion-worth of bonds are outs tanding. But there is “big potential,” he says, pointing out thatlicensing patented technology generates $100 billion a year and involves thousands of companies.Raising money this way can make sense not only for clever private-equity firms, but also for companieswith low (or no) credit ratings that cannot easily tap the capital markets or with few tangible assets ascollateral for bank loans. Some universities have joined in, too. Yale built a new medical complex withsome of the roughly $100m it raised securitising patent royalties from Zerit, an anti-HIV drug.It may be harder for investors to decide whether such deals are worth their while. They are, after all,highly complex and riskier than standard securitisations. The most obvious risk is that the investorscannot be sure that the assets will yield what borrowers promise: technology moves on, fashions changeand the demand for sugary snacks may collapse. Valuing intellectual property—an exercise based。

经济学家》读译参考（第10篇）：禽流感——不祥之兆第10篇Feb 23rd 2006From The Economist print editionOminousFOR most of the past three years, the highly pathogenic bird fluk________①as H5N1 has been found mainly in Asia. Suddenly it has arrived in many countries in Europe, triggering widespread alarm. The detection of the virus in wild birds across Europe is certainly a cause for concern, particularly to Europe's poultry farmers▲, wh o are rightfully worried that the presence of the virus in wild birds will increase the risk to their flocks. However, in the m_________②of a European debate about the benefits of vaccinating chickens and whether or not poultry should be brought indoors, there is a danger that far more significant events elsewhere will be ★overlooked[1].In particular, most attention should be f________③on the fact that bird flu is now widespread in the poultry flocks of two nations in Africa—Egypt and Nigeria—and in India. And on the fact that, in Nigeria, the disease is continuing to spread despite great efforts undertaken by the government. An outbreak in Afghanistan also appears to be inevitable.Arguably, these matter much more than the (also inevitable) arrival of the disease in Europe▲. Poor countries with large rural populations are in a far weaker position to handle, and ★stamp out[2], outbreaks of bird flu in poultry, through both ★culling[3] and the prevention of the movement of animals in the surrounding areas. In Africa and India, chickens and ducks are far more likely to be found ★roaming[4] in people's backyards, where they can mingle with humans, other d________④ animals and wildlife, thus spreading the disease. In Europe, by c_______⑤, most poultry are kept in regulated commercial farms.The opening up of a new African front for the bird-flu virus▲ is a problem because eradication there will be tremendously difficult. There is a high risk that the disease will spread to other countries on the continent and it could easily become endemic—as it has in Asia. This offers the virus huge new scope to mutate▲ and become a disease that can pass between humans. The virus is certainly mutating—genetic changes have already affected its biological behaviour, although apparently not yet its transmission between humans. Experts are unsure as to how much, and what kind, of genetic changes would be required for the virus to become a globalhealth threat. N_____⑥ do they know how long this process might take. But to ★dwell o n[5] the increased risk of a pandemic of influenza is to miss a serious point about the direct risks posed by the loss of a large numbers of chickens and ducks across Africa. For some time, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation has been warning that if avian flu gets out of c_______⑦ in Africa, it will have a devastating impact on the livelihoods of millions of people. Poultry is a vital source of protein. For example, it provides almost 50% of the protein in the diet of Egyptians. The spread of a disease that is highly lethal to poultry, and requires culling, could have a ★dire[6] nutritional impact, there as elsewhere▲. Africa would also have to contend with huge economic losses. People who ★scratch out[7] a living in poor African nations simply cannot a_______⑧to lose their chickens. Most of the world's poor live in rural areas and depend on agriculture. In Africa, rather a lot of these poor people depend heavily on their poultry. It is easy to see why some believe that bird flu could turn out to be primarily a development—rather than just a health—issue for the whole African continent.No game of chickenWhat can be done? It is clear that the movement and trade of poultry is making a big contribution to the spread of the virus. That trade needs tighter regulation, as does the movement of live birds from countries with H5N1 infections. In such places trade should be suspended u_______⑨ flocks have been cleaned up.In addition, Nigeria and surrounding countries need seriouspublic-education campaigns about the danger of contact with dead birds. When outbreaks o______⑩, governments should immediately offer realistic compensation to farmers for birds lost to disease and culling▲. Without this, poor farmers will be tempted to hide bird-flu outbreaks and continue to sell poultry that should be culled. Farming practices that mix poultry species in farms or live animal markets are a danger too, and must be addressed—although that might take longer. The effort would be helped if those in the poultry industry and governments in poultry-exporting nations would stop simply pointing to the risks posed by wild birds and start paying more attention to the movement of animals, products and people from infected to un-infected regions and countries.Unusually for a complex probl em with international ★ramifications[8], money is available to make a serious attempt at tackling it▲—$1.9 billion was pledged by the world's wealthier nations last month in Beijing. There is no excuse for delay, unless we want more dead people to followlots more dead ducks.☆★注释☆★[1]overlook vt.(1)俯瞰，俯视The house on the hill overlooks the village.从小山上的房子可以俯视村庄。

Starting as low-income economies in the 1960s, a few economies in East Asia managed,in a few decades, to bridge all or nearly all of the income gap that separated them from the high-income economies of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).Meanwhile many other developing economies stagnated .What made the difference?One way to grow is by developing hitherto unexploited land.Another is to accumulate physical capital:roads, factories, telephone networks.A third is to expand the labor force and increase its education and training.But Hong Kong (China) and Singapore had almost no land.They did invest heavily in physical capital and in educating their populations,but so did many other economies.During the 1960s through the 1980s the Soviet Union accumulated more capital as a share of its gross domestic product (GDP) than did Hong Kong (China), the Republic of Korea, Singapore, or Taiwan (China).And it increased the education of its population in no trivial measure. Yet the Soviets generated far smaller increases in living standards during that period than did these four East Asian economies.Perhaps the difference was that the East Asian economies did not build, work, and grow harder so much as they built, worked, and gr ew smarter.Could knowledge, then, have been behind East Asia’s surge ?If so, the implications are enormous,for that would mean that knowledge is the key to development—that knowledge is development.How important was knowledge for East Asia’s growt h spurt ?This turned out not to be an easy question to answer.The many varieties of knowledge combine with its limited marketability to present a formidable challenge to anyone seeking to evaluate the effect of knowledge on economic growth.How, after all, does one put a price tag on and add up the various types of knowledge?What common denominator lets us sum the knowledge that firms use in their production processes; the knowledge that policymaking institutions use to formulate, monitor, and evaluate policies; the knowledge that people use in their economic transactions and social interactions?What is the contribution of books and journals, of R&D spending, of the stock of information and communications equipment, of the learning and know-how of scientists, engineers, and students? Compound ing the difficulty is the fact that many types of knowledge are accumulated and exchanged almost exclusively within networks, traditional groups, and professional associations.That makes it virtually impossible to put a value on such knowledge.Reflecting these difficulties in quantify ing knowledge,efforts to evaluate the aggregate impact of knowledge on growth have often proceeded indirectly, by postulat ing that knowledge explains the part of growth that cannot be explained by the accumulation of tangible and identifiable factors, such as labor or capital.The growth not accounted for by these factors of production—the residual in the calculation—is attributed to growth in their productivity, that is, using the other factors smarter, through knowledge.This residual is sometimes called the Solow residual, after the economist Robert M. Solow,who spearheaded the approach in the 1950s,and what it purports to measure is conventionally called total factor productivity (TFP) growth.Some also call the Solow residual a measure of our ignorance ,because it represents what we cannot account for. Indeed, we must be careful not to attribute all of TFP growth to knowledge,or there may be other factors lurking in the Solow residual.Many other things do contribute to growth—institutions are an example—but are not reflected in the contributions of the more measurable factors.Their effect is (so far) inextricably woven into TFP growth.In early TFP analyses,physical capital was modeled as the only country-specific factor that could be accumulated to better people’s lives.Technical progress and other intangible factors were said to be universal, equally available to all people in all countries,and thus could not explain growth differencesbetween countries.Their contributions to growth were lumped with the TFP growth numbers.Although this assumption was convenient, it quickly became obvious that physical capital was not the only factor whose accumulation drove economic growth. A study that analyzed variations in growth rates across a large number of countries showed that the accumulation of physical capital explained less than 30 percent of those variations.The rest—70 percent or more—was attributed directly or indirectly to the intangible factors that make up TFP growth (Table 1.1).Later attempts introduced human capital to better explain the causes of economic growth.A higher level of education in the population means that more people can learn to use better technology. Education was surely a key ingredient in the success of four of the fastest-growing East Asian economies: Hong Kong (China), the Republic of Korea, Singapore, and Taiwan (China). Before their transformation from developing into industrializing economies, their school enrollment rates had been much higher than those of other developing countries (Table 1.2).They had also emphasized advanced scientific and technical studies—as measured by their higher ratios of students in technical fields than in even some industrial countries—thus enhancing their capacity to import sophisticated technologies.Moreover, the importance of education for economic growth had long been recognized and established empirically .One study had found that growth in years of schooling explained about 25 percent of the increase in GDP per capita in the United States between 1929 and 1982.Adding education reduced the part of growth that could not be explained,thus shrinking the haystack in which TFP growth (and knowledge) remained hidden.Some analysts even concluded, perhaps too quickly,that physical and human capital, properly accounted for, explained all or virtually all of the East Asian economies’ rapid growth,leaving knowledge as a separate factor out of the picture.One re ason these analysts came up with low values for TFP growth is that they incorporated improvements in labor and equipment into their measurement of factor accumulation.So even their evidence of low TFP growth in East Asia does not refute the importance of closing knowledge gaps.Indeed, it shows that the fast-growing East Asian economies had a successful strategy to close knowledge gaps:by investing in the knowledge embodi ed in physical capital, and by investing in people and institutions to enhance the capability to absorb and use knowledge.Looking beyond East Asia,other growth accounting studies have examined larger samples of countries.Even when human capital is accounted for,the unexplained part of growth remains high.One such study, of 98 countries with an unweighted average growth rate of output per worker of 2.24 percent,found that 34 percent (0.76 percentage point) of that growth came from physical capital accumulation,20 percent (0.45 percentage point) from human capital accumulation,and as much as 46 percent (just over 1 percentage point) from TFP growth.Even more remains to be explained in variations in growth rates across countries. The same study found the combined role of human and physical capital to be as low as 9 percent, leaving the TFP residual at a staggering 91 percent.To take another example:Korea and Ghana had similarly low incomes per capita in the 1950s,but by 1991 Korea’s income per capita was more than seven times Ghana’s.Much of that gap remains unexplained even when human capital is taken into account .All these results are subject to measurement problems.For example, the measured stock of human capital may overstate the actual quantity used in producing goods and services.High rates of school enrollment or attainment (years completed) may not translate into higher rates of economic growthif the quality of education is poor, or if educated people are not employed at their potential because of distortion s in the labor market.Moreover, it is now evident that education without openness to innovation and knowledge will notlead to economic development.The people of the former Soviet Union, like the people of the OECD countries and East Asia, were highly educated, with nearly 100 percent literacy .And for an educated population it is possible,through foreign direct investment and other means,to acquire and use information about the latest production and management innovations in other countries.But the Soviet Union placed severe restrictions on foreign investment, foreign collaboration, and innovation.Its work force did not adapt and change as new information became available elsewhere in the world, and consequently its economy suffered a decline.(excerpted from World Development Report 1998/1999)一些东亚国家在20世纪60年代还是低收入国家，但是在短短的几十年之间，他们成功地弥补了其与经济合作与发展组织（OECD）中高收入国家之间的差距；与此同时，也有许多发展中国家的经济停滞不前。

来源于/wordpress/（The Economist《经济学人》中文版）和/（《The Economist》《经济学人》中文版）11月10, 2008[2008.11.08] 美国大选：无限期望America's election：Great expectationsNO ONE should doubt the magnitude of what Barack Obama achieved this week. When the president-elect was born, in 1961, many states, and not just in the South, had laws on their books that enforced segregation, banned mixed-race unions like that of his parents and restricted voting rights. This week America can claim more credibly that any other western country to have at last become politically colour-blind. Other milestones along the road to civil rights have been passed amid bitterness and bloodshed. This one was marked by joy, white as well as black (see article).相信无人质疑奥巴马于本周取胜的重要意义。

这位新总统出生于1961年，那时美国很多州的法律都要求强化种族分离、禁止像奥巴马父母那样的跨族通婚、限制选举权利；这些不仅限于南部地区，而出现在全国范围内。

Economics 2: The WorldEconomyContentIntroduction----------------------------------------------------------------3 Section 1: International TradeThree gains from trading internationally---------------------------------------3 Free Trade--------------------------------------------------------------------------3 Absolute and Comparative Advantage-----------------------------------------3 Protectionism----------------------------------------------------------------------4 Barriers to trade-------------------------------------------------------------------4 WTO and EU----------------------------------------------------------------------5 Section 2: International FinanceBalance of Payments and General trends in UK Trade----------------------6 Relationship between the exchange rate and the balance of payments—14 Single Currency------------------------------------------------------------------15 Effects on individuals and business of the Euro-----------------------------15 Section 3: Less Developed Countries (LDCs)Characteristics of a LDC--------------------------------------------------------16 Current issues that face LDCs--------------------------------------------------16 The impacts of multinationals on LDCs and NICs--------------------------16 Conclusion-----------------------------------------------------------------16 References------------------------------------------------------------------17Introduction:As a member of the government of nation on the periphery of Europe, it is my obligation to illustrate the benefits of joining the EU to the Premier. In this report, I will analyze 15elements in next three parts to make a clear explanation of benefits of joining the EU.Section 1: International TradeThree gains from trading internationally:To begin with, the international trade could increase world out-put. The tendency of globalization brings the firms more opportunities to gain the labor, resources, contracts and new technology. The supply and demand will be improved with the improvement of company’s productivity.Once the supply has been improved, the goods and services were produced at lower cost and there are more and more competitions, the price of the product might fall which means consumers could get more choices and cheaper goods.In addition, the most important gaining of international trade is it can generate economic growth. Free trade could increase sales, profit margins, and market shares and the both demand and supply level has updated. Meanwhile, the producer needs more resources, labor and capital to produce more to satisfy the global market. It direct result in improving the material market, finance market, and may decline the unemployment rate.Free tradeFree trade is a concept that there is no barrier to goods and services exchanged between countries. Since different countries have different terrain, weather, resources and technology, the international trade would bring the goods which are more valuable than the local people produce it by themselves.A good example for free trade is in Nov.18, 2004, Chinese President and Chilean President declared the start of the FTA negotiations. According to the agreement, thetwo countries would start tariff reduction of goods trade from July 1, 2006. Tariff of products accounting for 97% of the total of the two countries would be zero in ten years. China and Chile would carry out free trade in education, science & technology, environment protection, labor, social security, IPR, investment and promotion, mineral and industry. This agreement has promoted the free trade between China and Chile successfully.Absolute and comparative advantageAbsolute advantage refers to the ability of a particular person or a country to produce a particular good with fewer resources than another person or country. Absolute advantage is said to occur when one country can produce a good or service to pre-determined quality more cheaply than anther country. It stands contrasted with the concept of comparative advantage which refers to the ability to produce a particular good at a lower opportunity cost. Opportunity cost is defined as the cost of choosing a good or service measured in terms of the next best alternative given up. A country has a comparative advantage in producing a good if the opportunity cost of producing that good in term of other goods is lower in that country than it is in other countries. Example: Korea and Japan have following production possibilities for two commodities, mobile phones and computers; assume that all the resources owned by each country are same.It is clear that Japan has an Absolute advantage over Korea in both commodities. But the advantage it has is much greater for mobiles. Using the same resources as Korea it can make twice as many mobile phones.For Japan the ‘cost’ of 1 Mobile phone is 10 bales of Computers, i.e. 20000/2000For Korea it is 15, i.e. 15000/1000But if we look at the case of computers we will find that here for Japan the cost of abale of computers is one-tenth of a Mobile phone while for Korea it is one fifteenth. In terms of the output of Mobile phone foregone (opportunity cost), computer is cheaper in Korea than Japan. Korea has a Comparative advantage in computer while Japan has comparative advantage in mobile phone.ProtectionismProtectionism is the economic policy of restraining trade between nations, through methods such as high tariffs on imported goods, restrictive quotas, a variety of restrictive government regulations designed to discourage imports and anti-dumping laws in an attempt to protect domestic industries in a particular nation from foreign take-over or competition.Here are two examples of protectionism:1: Britain imports bananas from its ex-colonies in South America while USA owns huge banana plantations in South America. In 1999 Britain refused to import bananas from South America, so the US government slapped tariffs on some British-made goods. The most serious one was a punitive tariff of 100% on Scottish wool products in order to limit the import from Britain.2: Another example of protectionism is in January, 2009, American government settled a policy that only the American steel can be used in America. The American government tended to use this policy to reduce the loss in financial crisis and it helps the steel workers to keep their jobs. In this example, protectionism protects the domestic lower-skilled labor and domestic industries.Barriers to tradeTo protect a country’s own industries, the country which in adverse side need to find some ways to be barriers to limit the import products, usually, the two methods are—tariff and non tariffs.Tariff is taxes or customs duties placed on foreign products to artificially raise their prices and this hopefully, suppresses domestic demand for them. This tax may be ad value, that is, a percentage of the price of the goods or specific, that is, a tax per unit of weight or physical quantity.For example, in January 12, 2009 the Russian government raised the expropriation tariff (up to 30 percent) for the cars import in the next nine months. The import car’s price will be increased to be WP (price for the whole world) adds the tariff, since the price is increasing, the sales of the import cars must fall down. The customers might choose the Russian car instead of import cars since it is cheaper.Non-tariff barriers traditionally have been actions such Quotas, embargoes, exchange control and import deposits. Probably the best known of these is the quota. This is a physical limitation on the quantity of import. Quota is a physical limitation on the quantity of imports which had been acknowledged by local laws. Usually the importers need to apply to pay for a license to sell goods.For instance, Russia uses another method to limit foreign car import since 2008—to limit the quantity of import; only a few companies which have the import license could import cars and have a selling upper limit. Russia uses these methods to restrict the import quantity, and during the government limited foreign goods import, it can promote the domestic industries.WTO and EUIn 1948, the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) was established by the developed countries. In 1 Jan 1995, the GATT was supplanted by a new institution, the World Trade Organization (WTO) and aims to improve trade and investment flows around the world. It is an international body seeking to promote free trade by opening markets through the elimination of import tariffs. The organization administers trade agreements, monitors international trade policy and acts as a forum for trade negotiations. The four main goals of WTO are: freeing global trade through universally lowered tariffs, imposing the same rules on all members in order to homogenize the trade process, spurring competition through lowered subsidies, and ensuring the same trade concessions for all member nations. The WTO also provides technical assistance and training for developing countries. WTO aims for equal representation among members by granting each member country "most-favored nation" status; when a member country bestows a trade privilege on another nation,the privilege must be extended to all other member countries. Another tenet is "national treatment," which behooves countries to treat foreign imports equally with those produced domestically.The best example for joining the WTO is the join of China in 2007, after that, China achieves lots of benefits from the decrease of tariff, limitations and the simplification of trading procedures.EU stands for European Union and is an economic union, which aims to abolish tariffs and quotas among members, common tariff and quota system, restrictions on factor movements and harmonization and unification of economic policies and institutions. It draws out regulations, monitors member states, solves disputes and problems among member states and negotiates with other countries or international organizations on the behalf of EU members. The European Union aims to promote and smooth free trade among internal European Union and initiatives for simplifying national and community rules include simpler legislation for the internal market (SLIM) and European Business Test Panel. For example, in Oct 16, 2009, EU and Korean government signed a free trade agreement of 100 billion US dollars after two years’ negotiation and EU will cancel the tariffs on imports of textile and cars from Korea in the next three years. This will promote the free trade of EU and have positive impact on the economy.Section 2: International FinanceBalance of Payments and General trends in UK TradeBalance of payment is the name given to the record of transactions between the residents of the country and the rest of the world over a period of time. It is a key economic statistics and UK’s Balance of Payments is comprises by the current account, the capital account, the financial account which deals with flow of direct portfolio and investments and reserve assets and the International Investment Position which shows the Stock of External Financial Assets and Liabilities. The chart belowshows the composition if Balance of Payments in 2008:a) The current account can be divided into four categories: trade in goods, trade in service, income and current transfers. Positive net income from abroad corresponds to a current account surplus; negative net income from abroad corresponds to a current account deficit.Here are the trade figures of recent years:Here are the Current Account Balance Chart and the Chart of trade in Goods and services of UK in last 20 years.The current balance has usually been in deficit over the last 30 years.The UK has recorded a current account deficit in every year since 1984. Prior to 1984, the current account recorded a surplus in 1980 to 1983. From 1984 to 1989, the current account deficit increased steadily to reach a high of 25.5 billion pounds in 1989, equivalent to -4.9 per cent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP). From 1990 until 1997, the current account deficit declined to a low of 1.0 billion pounds in 1997. Between 1998 and 2006, the current account deficit widened sharply, peaking at 43.8 billion pounds in 2006. This was the highest recorded in cash terms but only equated to -3.3 per cent ofGDP. In the past two years, there has been a reduction in the current account deficit –in 2008 it currently stands at 25.1 billion, equivalent to -1.7 per cent of GDP.It is obvious that UK had a large deficit in trade of goods in the last 30 years and the deficit becomes lager and increases greatly from 1998 to 2008 while the surplus of trade in service grows smoothly but not as markedly as the goods deficit. The trade in goods account recorded net surpluses in the years 1980 to 1982, largely as a result of growth in exports of North Sea oil. Since then however, the trade in goods account has remained in deficit. The deficit grew significantly in the late 1980s to reach a peak of 24.7 billion in 1989, before narrowing in the 1990s to levels of around 10 billion to 14 billion. In 1998 the deficit jumped by over 9 billion, and it has continued to rise since, reaching a cash record of 92.9 billion in 2008.There are two different of Income—Direct Investment Income and Portfolio Investment Income. The Direct Investment Income means the profits earned by UK companies from overseas branches and associated company. And the PortfolioInvestment Income is the interest on bonds and dividends, held abroad by UK companies and residents.Here are charts of income over the 10 years:The income section has shown positive growth from 2006 to 2008 and is very much in surplus recently.As for the current transfer, it also has two different parts:The taxes, payments and receipts to the EU, Social Security Payments abroad, and military expenditure abroad is the Central Government Transfer. And for Other Sector Transfers, it includes receipts from the EU Social Fund, taxes on income and wealth paid by UK workers and businesses to foreign governments, insurance premiums and claims.There is the Chart of Current transfer in last 10 yearsThe transfers account has shown a deficit in every year since 1960. The deficit increased steadily to reach 4.8 billion in 1990. In 1991, the deficit reduced to 1.0 billion, reflecting 2.1 billion receipts from other countries towards the UK’s cost of the first Gulf conflict. The deficit has since increased, to reach a record 13.6 billion in 2008.b) Compared with Current Accounts, the composition of the Capital and Financial Account is more complicate.Capital Account has two categories:Capital transfer: It is investment grants by the government and debts which the government has agreed with the creditor do not need to be met.Acquisition and disposal of non produced/nonfinancial assets: Purchase or sales of property by foreign embassy or patents, copyrights, trademarks, franchises and leases.The capital account has shown strong steady surplus growth especially from the year of 2006 to 2008.The financial account has four categories and here are the charts of the four categories over the last ten years:According to these graphs, investment increased dramatically from the mid-1990s, reflecting the increased globalization of the world economy. Between 2000 and 2007, other investment dominated cross-border investment, primarily banking activity. In 2008 however, other investment, has recorded net disinvestment as the global financial crisis deepened leading to a reduction in loans internationally and a repatriation of deposits. In recent years, including the latest, the UK has needed to borrow from abroad to finance a continuing current account deficit, which has resulted in inward investment (UK liabilities) exceeding outward investment (UKassets).c) The international investment position is the balance sheet of the stock of external assets and liabilities. Between 1966 and 1994 the UK’s assets tended to exceed its liabilities, by up to a record 86.4 billion pounds in 1986. But from 1995 to 2007, the UK recorded a net liability position in every year, reaching a record 352.6 billion pounds in 2006. In 2008, the UK returned to a net asset position of 92.9 billion pounds mainly due to exchange rate effects.The chart below indicates UK’s international investment position:Relationship between the exchange rate and the balance of paymentsThe exchange rate is the price of a currency in terms of other currencies. Its effect on balance of payments will depend upon its relationship with other currencies and how its value will change. As the currency weakens (devalues) the exports will become cheaper abroad but the country has to pay more for imports but the goods and services would become internationally cheaper and lead to more goods a services being purchased. If demand remains the same then the value of goods and services to thecountry will reduce and the current account balance may deteriorate. If the exchange rate rises then the country’s goods and services might suffer and demand fr om abroad could fall. If the demand remains the same however then the value of exports will rise and the current account balance should improve.For instance, when the UK market needs to import American goods (such as corns) the exchange market in UK would be the demand of U.S dollars is larger than the supply of UK pounds. If the American markets needs import more British goods, they need to exchange more pounds in the currency market, so the both of demand of US Dollar and supply of UK Pounds is increasing, meanwhile, the exchange rate of ￡/＄is increasing. UK pound is more valuable means the goods of UK are usually more expensive and American people need to spend more US dollars compared to the same amount of pounds. That is why the currency exchange rate is so important for the balance of payments. For example, if the exchange rate of ￡/＄is increasing, the American business man might not choose UK goods, because of the high price.Single CurrencyEuropean single currency Euro came to exist since 1999. There are 12 member states of EU who use Euro while UK is still not one of the members since there are both advantages and disadvantages to join it.Advantages:At firstly, the single currency reduces the exchange rate uncertainty because people don't have to convert money from one currency to another when purchase goods. Meanwhile, using the single currency will increase foreign investment such as direct inward investment since the reduction of uncertainty. Then it may produce a great transparency. Whether people buy or sell goods, consumers can compare price in a single currency. It will help to decrease the scope for price discriminations and create pressure to lower the price. Moreover, it could maintain interest rate lower and the commitment to low inflation should allow economies to operate with lower cost.Disadvantages:A country may lose the independent monetary policy if it joins the single currency. The single currency forces a country to forgo an independent monetary policy. After the single currency has been used, the country's monetary policy will determined by the supranational central bank and not by the domestic central bank. This is why the theory of optimal currency areas emphasizes the importance of flexible prices, labor mobility and fiscal transfers. Flexible prices and labor mobility become more important when a currency union exists; governments have an incentive to make markets work more efficiently.Besides, there are also political costs to the country. If the government loses control over monetary policy to the supranational central bank, politicians are limited to using fiscal policy to influence economy.Effects on individuals and business of the EuroAs for the individuals,they can get lower prices and higher quality goods and services when they have more choices due to increased competition among companies through the Euro zones; they can measure the good price through Europe and choose the best one. In addition, single currency reduces the transaction costs of traveling in Europe. Individuals could travel more frequently than past since it is more convenient and cheaper. People do not need to concern the exchange rate and commission fee when visiting the other countries in Europe.As for the business, people could avoid the exchange rate risk and traders do not need to waste time and cost on purchasing foreign currencies. Moreover, the business market could be expanded there are more opportunities.Section 3: Less Developed Countries (LDCs) Characteristics of a LDCLess Devel oped Countries (LDCs) mainly exist in Asia and Africa. Most LDCs’ subsistence is agriculture. The land of LDCs is very ineffectively used and is very lowin productivity, there are normally no modern techniques or equipment available, and the land is always threatened by floods or droughts. The birth rates in LDCs are very high but there is very heavy infant mortality since the health care system is poor.A good example for LDC is Angola. A 2007 survey concluded that low and deficient niacin status was common in Angola. Many regions in this country have high incidence rates of tuberculosis and high HIV prevalence rates. Angola has one of the highest infant mortality rates in the world and one of the world's lowest life expectancies.Current issues that face LDCsThe World Bank offers aid programs to Angola to support the health care system of Angola to reduce the infections of HIV but the aid programs they get from the World Bank of IMF carry conditions which they feel are difficult to comply with, and are expensive.Besides, the indebtedness of Angola keeps increasing year on year. This makes Angola almost impossible to borrow more.They borrow a huge amount of money to develop their economy, purchase foreign goods and service. However, the high interest or other factors make debts become a great stress on LDCs. They are in the trip of debts, which prevent the development of their economy.The impacts of multinationals on LDCs and NICsNow days, there are more and more multi-national firms which have branches in various countries since it can reduce the labor, material, transport cost. Companies from newly industrialized countries tend to be MNCs. A good example for multinationals on NICs and LDCs is Great Wall Computer Corporation from China. This company invests 120 million dollars to build a new factory in Algeria to expand its market and increase 34 percent of its foreign sale income. The company offers more jobs to the people in Algeria thus increase the employment and income of Algerian. The company also brings new technology to this less developed country. However, the company transfers most of profits back to China and uses their financial strength to impose their will in host counties either.ConclusionAfter analyzing these 15 elements, you may have a clear acknowledge of the international trade, finance and LDCs and as for the economic environment of the whole area, it can be benefit to join the EU. It will enhance our country’s economic growth by attracting more free capital, using single currency and enlarge the market. References:Web research:Web sitesBook resource:The Economics 2: The World Economy: Higher National Diploma. Scottish Qualifications AuthorityUnited Kingdom Balance of Payments the Pink Book 2009: Office for National Statistics。

考研英语外刊《经济学家》读译参考之五十六：新意－中国日益关注创新Something new新意(陈继龙编译)Aug 3rd 2006 | BEIJINGFrom The Economist print editionAFTER years of prospering as the world's workshop, China now wants to be its laboratory as well. “Innovation”has become a national buzzword[1], and Chinese leaders have been tossing it into their speeches since the beginning of the year, when President Hu Jintao started an ambitious campaign to drive China's economy further up the value chain. (1)True, new campaigns and catchphrases[2] are declared by the government and the Communist Party in China all the time, and mostly end up fizzling out[3] in puddles[4] of rhetoric. But there are signs that the government i_______①to back its innovation campaign with more than just words.中国作为“世界工场”，多年来发展蒸蒸日上，但现在它也希望成为“世界实验室”。

“创新”已经成为举国上下一个时髦词儿。

今年年初，胡锦涛主席启动了一项雄心勃勃的规划，旨在推动中国经济进一步与价值链接轨。

The world economy India overheats Feb 1st 2007 From The Economist print editionIndia cannot run as fast as China without further reform THE Indian tiger is on the prowl[1]. This week, in an apt piece of symbolism, Tata Steel, which dates back to the days of the Raj, leapt into the league of top producers when it bought Britain's Corus, which includes the steelmaking remnants of the old imperial power. Nor is Tata alone: younger Indian companies such as Infosys and Wipro are storming international markets. Meanwhile, the world's business people and investors queue up to lavish money on India's talented engineers and computer scientists, The roar from Delhi is echoing across Asia. After peevish[2] years cast as China's underperforming neighbour, the huntress is now in hot pursuit. Over the past year the Indian economy has grown by an impressive 9.2%, not far behind China's 10.4%. At some point this year India's growth rate could even outpace China's; and if you measure things by purchasing power parity, India should soon overtake Japan and become the third-biggest economy, behind only America and China. No wonder an increasing number of Indian businessmen, policymakers and economists are basking[3] in the belief that their country is burning bright having at last broken free of its bureaucratic cage. An economy once famous for the “Hindu rate of growth”, of 3% a year, was opened up by the reforms of the 1990s, many of them pushed through by the man who is now prime minister, Manmohan Singh. His government's latest five-year plan assumes that India can sustain average growth of 9%. Who can doubt “Incredible India”, to borrow the slogan of its tourism campaign?Tweaking the long tail ” Fast growth is essential to pull millions of Indians out of poverty, so it is sad to pour cold water on this story. But that is precisely what is needed when there are so many alarming signs of overheating. Across India prices are rising fast, factories are at full capacity, loans are piling up. Yes, the economic reforms of the early 1990s spurred competition, forced firms to become more productive and boosted India's trend—or sustainable—rate of growth. But the problem is that this new speed limit is almost certainly lower than the government's one. Historic data would suggest a figure not much above 7%—well below China's 9-10%. When you mention overheating, many analysts point towards China. Yet India displays far more symptoms of the disease. Inflation has risen to 6-7% （compared with 2.8% in China）; a record 99% of Indian firms report that they are operating above their optimal capacity; and credit is expanding at an annual rate of 30%, twice as fast as in China. Unlike China, India also has a widening current-account deficit—a classic sign of overheating, as domestic output fails to keep pace with surging demand. And if you are looking for a stockmarket bubble, Indian share prices have risen more than four-fold over the past four years, far more than in China. If something is not done, then a hard landing will become inevitable. The Reserve Bank of India has been too timid in cooling down domestic demand: although one interest rate was raised this week by a quarter point, the overall rise in rates over the past two and a half years has not even kept up with consumer-price inflation. But the main focus of the government's attention should be on supply—and dismantling[4] the many barriers that keep its speed limit below China's. So far, reform in India has focused on setting its inventive private sector free from the world's most fearsome bureaucracy. This has unleashed[5] entrepreneurial talent, but more change is needed. Now is the time to tackle the public sector itself. Infrastructure, such as roads and power, and public services, such as education and drinking water, are woefully inadequate and limit growth. Even as the economy has been booming, many public services have worsened. It seems incongruous that somebody can own a mobile phone, yet has to waste hours queuing for drinking water. India's top computer scientists are feted[6] around the world, yet most children in rural areas lack the basic education needed to find more productive work. Around half of all Indian women are illiterate, compared with a ratio of around one in seven in China. Singh's songsheet India's rulers have two bad excuses for not dealing with those roads, schools and hospitals. The first is theoretical. Many Indian economic commentators say that further structural reforms, though desirable, are not essential to keep the economy growing at 8% or more because of the “demographic dividend”. A fast-growing working population and a falling dependency rate （thanks to a lower birth rate） will ensure more workers, more saving and hence more investment. India's demographic structure is indeed starting to look more like that in East Asia when its growth took off. But thismechanistic view of growth assumes that demography is destiny and that economic policies do not matter. In fact, open markets, education and investment, especially in infrastructure, were the three chief ingredients of East Asia's success. Population growth by itself does not add to prosperity, unless young people are educated and new jobs are created. India needs to reform its absurdly restrictive labour laws which hold back the expansion of manufacturing particularly. The second excuse for doing nothing is practical: there is little room to spend more on schools and hospitals. India already has one of the biggest budget deficits among the large emerging economies （as much as 8% of GDP going by the widest measure）. In fact, plenty can be achieved by reform, rather than just spending. Private investors are hesitant about putting money in infrastructure, because the regulators are not independent enough of populist politicians to guarantee a decent return. If these things can be tackled, India can indeed match China's growth. Mr Singh remains a reformer, but his government relies on the support of the communist parties and, with today's prosperity, there is no stomach to take them on. The worry is that today's overheating will need to boil over before that mindset changes. [NOTES]（LONGMAN） 1. （be/go） on the prowl （be/go） prowling ⼩⼼⽽悄悄的移动; 徘徊（觅⾷）: There was a fox on the prowl near the chicken coop. 有只狐狸在鸡舍附近踅来踅去. * （joc 谑） The soldiers went on the prowl hoping to meet some girls. 这些⼤兵逛来逛去, 希望碰上花姑娘. 2. peevish adj. easily annoyed （esp by unimportant things）; irritable 易怒的（尤指对⼩事）; 急躁的. 3. bask v. [I, Ipr] ~ （in sth） sit or lie enjoying warmth 坐著或躺著取暖: basking in the sunshine, by the fire, on the beach 在阳光下、⽕炉旁、海滩上取暖 * （fig ⽐喻） basking in sb's favour, approval, etc 受某⼈的恩惠、嘉许等. 4. dismantle v. 1 take （sth） to pieces 将（某物）拆开; 拆除（某物）: dismantle a faulty motor, machine, etc （for repairs）把有⽑病的发动机、机器等拆开（以便修理） * dismantle an exhibition, a theatrical set, etc 把所有展品、戏剧布景等拆除 * （fig ⽐喻） We should dismantle our inefficient tax system. 我们这个效益很差的税收制度应该废除. 2 remove fittings and furnishings from （a building or ship）拆除（建筑物或船只）的装备. 5. unleash v. [Tn, Tn.pr] ~ sth （against/on sb/sth）（a） set sth free from a leash or restraint 解开带⼦或去掉限制以放开（某事物）: unleash the guard dogs 解开带⼦放出警卫⽝. （b）（fig ⽐喻） set sth free from control; release sth in a powerful attack （on sb/sth）使某物不受控制; 放出某物对（某⼈[某物]）进⾏强有⼒的攻击: unleash the forces of nuclear power 发出核动⼒的攻击⼒ * He unleashed a torrent of abuse againstthe unfortunate shop assistant. 他对那倒霉的店员骂不绝⼝. 6. fete v. [Tn esp passive 尤⽤於被动语态] honour or entertain （sb） in a special way 特别款待或招待（某⼈）: The queen was feted wherever she went. ⼥王不论⾛到哪⾥都受到盛情款待.。

China’s position in the global economy(1) China’s economy have a rapid growth, but depending on exports and low-cost assembly too much.Nearly 60 percent of China’s total exports are churned out by companies not owned by Chinese. When it comes to high-tech exports such as computers and electronic goods, 89 percent of China’s exports come from non-Chinese-owned companies. China is part of the global system, but it’s still the low-cost assembly and manufacturing part — and foreign, not Chinese, firms are reaping the lion’s share of the profits.(2) China’s economy is large, but its average living standard is very low.One important nuance we keep forgetting is the sheer size of China’s population: about 1.3 billion, more than four times that of the United States. China should have a big economy. But on a per capita basis, sitting in 109th place on the International Monetary Fund’s World Economic Outlook Database, squarely between Swaziland and Morocco. It will stay that way for a very long time, even assuming that the economy continues to grow at impressive rates.(3)Too many constraints are built into the country's social, economic and political systems.For four big reasons -- dire demographics, an overrated economy, an environment under siege and an ideology that doesn't travel well -- China is more likely to remain the muscle-bound adolescent of the international system than to become the master of the world.In the West, China is known as "the factory to the world," the land of unlimited labor where millions are eager to leave the hardscrabble countryside for a chance to tighten screws in microwaves or assemble Apple's latest gizmo. If the country is going to rise to superpowerdom, says conventional wisdom, it will do so on the back of its massive workforce.But in our exuberance over these incredible economic changes, we seem to have forgotten that past performance doesn't guarantee future results. Not a month goes by without some Washington think tank crowing that China's economy is overtaking America's. The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace is the latest, predicting earlier this month that the Chinese economy would be twice the size of ours by the middle of the century.There are two problems with predictions like these. First, in the universe where these reports are generated, China's graphs always go up, never down. Second, while the documents may include some nuance, it vanishes when the studies are reported to the rest of us.。

世界经济英语翻译短文2010年World Economy in 2010The global economy continued to recover in 2010, following the financial crisis that began in 2008. Many countries saw improved economic growth, although the recovery was uneven and some countries struggled to regain their pre-crisis levels of output.The United States, the world's largest economy, experienced a moderate recovery in 2010, with GDP growing at an annual rate of around 2.9%. However, unemployment remained high, with over 9% of the workforce out of work. The European Union also experienced a slow recovery, with many countries continuing to struggle with high debt levels and slow growth.The emerging economies of Asia, particularly China and India, continued to experience strong economic growth, thanks to their large populations and nascent consumer markets. China's GDP grew by around 10% in 2010, while India's grew by approximately 8.5%.Global trade also continued to recover in 2010, with world merchandise exports rose by around 14% in volume terms. This was largely due to increased demand from emerging markets, although developed countries also saw a modest increase in export volumes.Overall, while the global economy continued to recover in 2010, the pace of the recovery was slower than many had hoped. Many developed economies struggled with high levels of debt, unemployment, and slow growth, while emerging markets continued their upward trajectory.。

The Influence of China’s Emerging on the W orld Economy中国已经成为世界第二大出口国和第三大进口国。

最近，中国又成为全世界的工业原料（矿产和金属）进口大国和第三大石油进口国。

然而，在农产品贸易领域，中国能发挥的作用远没有人们想像的那么重要，迄今为止，中国人粮食消费的增长主要靠国内生产来满足。

当然，从长远来看，这种相对的自给自足还远远得不到保障，但是就目前而言，国际市场农产品价格大幅上涨并不是中国进口造成的。

China has become the world's second largest exporter and the third biggest importer. Recently, China has become the world's industrial raw materials (mineral and metal) importing countries and the third largest oil importer. However, in agricultural trade fields, China can play the role of far less important than most people think, so far, Chinese grain consumption growth mainly through domestic production to meet. Of course, in the long run, this relatively self-sufficient still far not guaranteed, but so far, the international market prices’ ris ing considerably is not caused by the Chinese imports.美国经济出现减速迹象，使人认为以中国为首的新兴经济体可能会接过富裕国家的接力棒，成为世界经济增长的发动机。

10.3期经济学人翻译参考-L1theWorldEconomy-中国高翻团队Leaders 1The world economy世界经济Dominant and dangerous统治与危机As America’s economic supremacy fades, the primacy of the dollar looks unsustainable随着美国经济霸权的衰落，美元的主导地位似乎难以为继IF HEGEMONS are good for anything, it is for conferring stability on the systems they dominate. For 70 years the dollar has been the superpower of the financial and monetary system. Despite talk of the yuan’s rise, the primacy of the greenback is unchallenged. As a means of payment, a store of value and a reserve asset, nothing can touch it. Yet the dollar’s rule has brittle foundations, and the system it underpins is unstable. Worse, the alternative reserve currencies are flawed. A transition to a more secure order will be devilishly hard.霸权的好处，在于能够维持霸权本身主导体系的稳定。

过去70年间，美元一直是金融及货币体系中的主导力量。

即使有人民币崛起一说，但美元的主导地位还未受挑战。

Digest Of The. Economist. 2006(2-3)Moving marketsShifts in trading patterns are making technology ever more importantAN INVESTOR presses a button, sending 1,000 small “buy” orders to a stock exchange. The exchange's computer system instantly kicks in, but a split second later, 99% of the orders are cancelled. Having found the best price, the investor makes his trade discreetly, leaving no visible trace on the market—all in less time than it takes to blink. His stealth strategy remains intact.Events like this happen many times a day, as floods of orders from active hedge funds and “algorithmic” traders—who use automated programs to buy and sell—rush through the information-technology systems of the world's exchanges. The average transaction size on leading stock exchanges has fallen from about 2,000 shares in the mid-1990s to fewer than 400 today, although total trading volume has soared. But exchanges' systems have to cope with more than just a growing onslaught of “buy” and “sell” messages. Customers want to trade in more complicated ways, combining different types of assets on different exchanges at once. Then, as always, there is regulation. All this is pushing technology further to the fore.Recent embarrassments at the Tokyo Stock Exchange have illustrated what can happen when systems fail to keep up with the times. In just the past few months, the importance of technology has been plain in mergers (those of the New York Stock Exchange and Archipelago, and NASDAQ and INET); collaborations (the decision by the New York Board of Trade to use the Chicago Board of Trade's trading platform); and the creation of off-exchange trading networks (including one unveiled recently by Citigroup).Technology is hardly a new element in financial markets: the advent of electronic trading in the 1980s (first in Europe, later in America) helped to globalise financial markets and drove up trading volumes. But having slowed after the dotcom bubble it is now demanding ever more of exchanges' and intermediaries' attention. Investors can now deal more easily with exchanges or each other, bypassing traditional routes. As customers' demands and bargaining power have increased, so the exchanges have had to ramp up their own systems. “Technology created the monster that has to be ad dressed by more technology,” says Leslie Sutphen of Calyon Financial, a big futures broker.Aite Group, a research firm, reckons that in America alone the securities and investment industry spent $26.4 billion last year on IT (see chart), and may spend $30 billion in 2008. Sell-side firms spend most: J.P. Morgan Chase and Morgan Stanley each splashed out more than $2 billion in 2004, while asset-management firms such as State Street Global Advisors, Barclays Global Investors and Fidelity Investments spent between $250m and $350m apiece. With brokerage fees for trades whittled down, many have concluded that better technology is one way to cut trading costs and keep customers.Testing all enginesGlobal growth is looking less lopsided than for many yearsLARR Y SUMMERS, a Treasury secretary under Bill Clinton, once said that “the world economy is flying on one engine” to describe its excessive reliance on American demand. Now growth seems to be becoming more even at last: Europe and Japan are revving up, as are most emerging economies. As a result, if (or when) the American engine stalls, the global aeroplane will not necessarily crash.For the time being, America's monetary policymakers think that their economy is still running pretty well. This week, as Alan Greenspan handed over the chairmanship of the Federal Reserve to Ben Bernanke, the Fed marked the end of Mr Greenspan's18-year reign by raising interest rates for the 14th consecutive meeting, to 4.5%. The central bankers also gave Mr Bernanke more flexibi lity by softening their policy statement: they said that further tightening “may be needed”rather than “is likely to be needed”, as before.Most analysts expect the Fed to raise rates once or twice more, although the economy slowed sharply in late 2005. Real GDP growth fell to an annual rate of only 1.1% in the fourth quarter, the lowest for three years. Economists were quick to ascribe this disappointing number to special factors, such as Hurricane Katrina and a steep fall in car sales—the consequence of generous incentives that had encouraged buyers to bring purchases forward to the third quarter. The consensus has it that growth will bounce back to an annual rate of over 4% in the first quarter and stay strong thereafter.This sounds too optimistic. A rebound is indeed likely in this quarter, but the rest of the year could prove disappointing, as a weakening housing market starts to weigh on consumer spending. In December sales of existing homes fell markedly and the stock of unsold homes surged. Economists at Goldman Sachs calculate that, after adjusting for seasonal patterns, the median home price has fallen by almost 4% since October. Experience from Britain and Australia shows that even a soft landing for house prices can cause an acute slowdown in consumer spending.American consumers have been the main engine not just of their own economy but of the whole world's. If that engine fails, will the global economy nose-dive? A few years ago, the answer would probably have been yes. But the global economy may now be less vulnerable. At the World Economic Forum in Davos last week, Jim O'Neill, the chief economist at Goldman Sachs, argued convincingly that a slowdown in America need not lead to a significant global loss of power.Start with Japan, where industrial output jumped by an annual rate of 11% in the fourth quarter. Goldman Sachs has raised its GDP growth forecast for that quarter (the official number is due on February 17th) to an annualized 4.2%. That would pushyear-on-year growth to 3.9%, well ahead of America's 3.1%. The bank predicts average GDP growth in Japan this year of 2.7%. It thinks strong demand within Asia will partly offset an American slowdown.Japan's labour market is also strengthening. In December the ratio of vacancies to job applicants rose to its highest since 1992 (see chart 1). It is easier to find a job now than at any time since the bubble burst in the early 1990s. Stronger hiring by firms is also pushing up wages after years of decline. Workers are enjoying the biggest rise in bonuses for over a d ecade.Pass the parcelOnline shoppers give parcels firms a new lease of lifeTHINGS must be going well in the parcels business. At $2.5m for a 30-second TV commercial during last weekend's Super Bowl, an ad from FedEx was the one many Americans found the most entertaining. It showed a caveman trying to use a pterodactyl for an express delivery, only to watch it be gobbled up on take-off by a tyrannosaur. What did the world do before FedEx, the ad inquired? It might have asked what on earth FedEx did before the arrival of online retailers, which would themselves be sunk without today's fast and efficient delivery firms.Consumers and companies continue to flock in droves to the internet to buy and sell things. FedEx reported its busiest period ever last December, when it handled almost 9m packages in a single day. Online retailers also set new records in America. Excluding travel, some $82 billion was spent last year buying things over the internet, 24% more than in 2004, according to comScore Networks, which tracks consumer behaviour. Online sales of clothing, computer software, toys, and home and garden products were all up by more than 30%. And most of this stuff was either posted or delivered by parcel companies.The boom is global, especially now that more companies are outsourcing production. It is becoming increasingly common for products to be delivered direct from factory to consumer. In one evening just before Christmas, a record 225,000 international express packages were handled by UPS at a giant new air-cargo hub, opened by the American logistics firm at Cologne airport in Germany. “The internet has had a profound effect on our business,” says David Abney, UPS's international president. UPS now handles more than 14m packages worldwide every day.It is striking that postal firms—once seen as obsolete because of the emergence of the internet—are now finding salvation from it. People are paying more bills online and sending more e-mails instead of letters, but most post offices are making up for that thanks to e-commerce. After four years of profits, the United States Postal Service has cleared its $11 billion of debt.Firms such as Amazon and eBay have even helped make Britain's Royal Mail profitable. It needs to be: on January 1st, the Royal Mail lost its 350-year-old monopoly on carrying letters. It will face growing competition from rivals, such as Germany's Deutsche Post, which has expanded vigorously after partial privatisation and now owns DHL, another big international delivery company.Both post offices and express-delivery firms have developed a range of services to help ecommerce and eBay's traders—who listed a colossal 1.9 billion items for sale last year. Among the most popular services are tracking numbers, which allow people to follow the progress of their deliveries on the internet.A question of standardsMore suggestions of bad behaviour by tobacco companies. MaybeANOTHER round has just been fought in the battle between tobacco companies and those who regard them as spawn of the devil. In a paper just published in the Lancet, with the provocative title “Secret science: tobacco industry research on smoking behaviour and cigarette toxicity”, David Hammond, of Waterloo University in Canada and Neil Collishaw and Cynthia Callard, two members of Physicians for a Smoke-Free Canada, a lobby group, criticise the behaviour of British American Tobacco (BAT). They say the firm considered manipulating some of its products in order to make them low-tar in the eyes of officialdom while they actually delivered high tar and nicotine levels to smokers.It was and is no secret, as BAT points out, that people smoke low-tar cigarettes differently from high-tar ones. The reason is that they want a decent dose of the nicotine which tobacco smoke contains. They therefore pull a larger volume of air through the cigarette when they draw on a low-tar rather than a high-tar variety. The extra volume makes up for the lower concentration of the drug.But a burning cigarette is a complex thing, and that extra volume has some unexpected consequences. In particular, a bigger draw is generally a faster draw. That pulls a higher proportion of the air inhaled through the burning tobacco, rather than through the paper sides of the cigarette. This, in turn, means more smoke per unit volume, and thus more tar and nicotine. The nature of the nicotine may change, too, with more of it being in a form that is easy for the body to absorb.According to Dr Hammond and his colleagues, a series of studies conducted by BAT's researchers between 1972 and 1994 quantified much of this. The standardised way of analysing cigarette smoke, as laid down by the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO), which regulates everything from computer code to greenhouse gases, uses a machine to make 35-millilitre puffs, drawn for two seconds once a minute. The firm's researchers, by contrast, found that real smokers draw 50-70ml per puff, and do so twice a minute. Dr Hammonds's conclusion is drawn from the huge body of documents disgorged by the tobacco industry as part of various legal settlements that have taken place in the past few years, mainly as a result of disputes with the authorities in the United States.Dr Hammond suggests, however, the firm went beyond merely investigating how people smoked. A series of internal documents from the late 1970s and early 1980s shows that BAT at least thought about applying this knowledge to cigarette design.A research report from 1979 puts it thus: “There are three major design featur es which can be used either individually or in combination to manipulate delivery levels; filtration, paper permeability, and filter-tip ventilation.” A conference paper from 1983 says, “The challenge would be to reduce the mainstream nicotine determined by standard smoking-machine measurement while increasing the amount that would actually be absorbed by the smoker”. Another conference paper, from 1984, says: “We should strive to achieve this effect without appearing to have a cigarette that cheats the league table. Ideally it should appear to be no different from a normal cigarette...It should also be capable of delivering up to 100% more than its machine delivery.”Thanks to the banksCollege students learn more about market ratesA GOOD education may be priceless, but in America it is far from cheap—and it is not getting any cheaper. On February 1st Congress narrowly passed the Deficit Reduction Act, which aims to slim America's bulging budget deficit by, among other things, lopping $12.7 billion off the federal student-loan programme. Interest rates on student loans will rise while subsidies fall.Family incomes, grant aid and federal loans have all failed to keep pace with the growth in the cost of tuition. “The funding gap between what students can afford and what higher education costs has got wider and wider,” says Claire Mezzanotte of Fitch, a ratings agency. Lenders are rushing to bridge the gap with “private” student loans—loans that are free of government subsidies and guarantees.Virtually non-existent ten years ago, private student loans in the 2004-05 school year amounted to $13.8 billion—a compound annual growth rate of almost 30%—and they are expected to double in the next three years. According to the College Board, an association of schools and colleges, private student loans now make up nearly 22% of the volume of federal student loans, up from a mere 5% in 1994-95.The growth shows little sign of slowing. Education costs continue to climb while pressure on Congress to pare down the budget deficit means federal aid will, at best, stay at current levels. Meanwhile, the number of students attending colleges and tradeschools is expected to soar as the children of post-war baby-boomers continue matriculating.Private student loans are popular with lenders because they are profitable. Lenders charge market rates for the loans (the rates on federal student loans are capped) before adding up-front fees, which can themselves be around 6-7% of the loan. Sallie Mae, a student-loan company and by far the biggest dispenser of private student loans, disclosed in its most recent report that the average spread on its private student lending was 4.75%, more than three times the 1.31% it made on its federally backed loans.All of this is good news when lenders are hungry for new areas of growth in the face of a cooling mortgage market. Private student loans, says Matthew Snowling of Friedman, Billings, Ramsey, an investment bank, are probably “the fastest-growing segment of consumer finance—and by far the most profitable one—at a time when finding asset growth is challenging.” Last December J.P. Morgan, which already had a sizeable education-finance unit, snapped up Collegiate Funding Services, a Virginia-based provider of federal and private student loans. Companies from Bank of America to GMAC, the financing arm of General Motors, have jumped in. Other consumer-finance companies, such as Capital One, are whispered to be eyeing the market.In the beginning...How life on Earth got going is still mysterious, but not for want of ideasNEVER make forecasts, especially about the future. Samuel Goldwyn's wise advice is well illustrated by a pair of scientific papers published in 1953. Both were thought by their authors to be milestones on the path to the secret of life, but only one has so far amounted to much, and it was not the one that caught the public imagination at the time.James Watson and Francis Crick, who wrote “A structure for deoxyribose nucleic acid”, have become as famous as rock stars for asking how life works and thereby starting a line of inquiry that led to the Human Genome Project. Stanley Miller, by contrast, though lauded by his peers, languishes in obscurity as far as the wider world is concerned. Yet when it appeared, “Production of amino acids under possible primitive Earth conditions” was expected to begin a scientific process that would solve a problem in some ways more profound than how life works at the moment—namely how it got going in the first place on the surface of a sterile rock 150m km from a small, unregarded yellow star.Dr Miller was the first to address this question experimentally. Inspired by one of Charles Darwin's ideas, that the ingredients of life might have formed by chemical reactions in a “warm, little pond”, he mixed the gases then thought to have formed the atmosphere of the primitive Earth— methane, ammonia and hydrogen—in a flask half-full of boiling water, and passed electric sparks, mimicking lightning, through them for several days to see what would happen. What happened, as the name of the paper suggests, was amino acids, the building blocks of proteins. The origin of life then seemed within grasp. But it has eluded researchers ever since. They are still looking, though, and this week several of them met at the Royal Society, in London, to review progress.The origin question is really three sub-questions. One is, where did the raw materials for life come from? That is what Dr Miller was asking. The second is, how did those raw materials spontaneously assemble themselves into the first object to which the term “alive” might reasonably be applied? The third is, how, having once come into existence, did it survive conditions in the early solar system?The first question was addressed by Patrick Thaddeus, of the Harvard-Smithsonian Centre for Astrophysics, and Max Bernstein, who works at the Ames laboratory, in California, part of America's space agency, NASA. As Dr Bernstein succinctly put it, the chemical raw materials for life, in the form of simple compounds that could then be assembled into more complex biomolecules, could come from above, below or beyond.Full to burstingRising levels of carbon dioxide will dump even more water into the oceansTHE lungs of the planet, namely green-leafed plants that breathe in carbon dioxide and breathe out oxygen, also put water vapour into the atmosphere. Just as people lose water through breathing (think of the misted mirror used to check for vital signs), so, too, do plants. The question is, what effect will rising concentrations of carbon dioxide have on this? The answer, published in this week's Nature by Nicola Gedney of Britain's Meteorological Office and her colleagues, would appear to be, less water in the atmosphere and more in the oceans.Measurements of the volume of water that rivers return to the oceans show that, around the world, rivers have become fuller over the past century. In theory, there are many reasons why this could be so, but some have already been discounted. Research has established, for example, that it is not, overall, raining—or snowing, hailing or sleeting—any more than it used to. But there are other possibilities. One concerns changes in land use, such as deforestation and urbanisation. The soil in rural areas soaks up the rain and trees breathe it back into the atmosphere, whereas the concrete in urban areas transfers rainwater into drains and hence into rivers. Another possibility is “solar dimming”, in which aerosol particles create a hazy atmosphere that holds less water. And then there is the direct effect of carbon dioxide on plant transpiration.Dr Gedney used a statistical technique called “optimal fingerprinting” or “detection and attribution” to identify which of these four factors matter. Her team carried out five simulations of river flow in the 20th century. In the first of these they allowed all four explanations to vary: rainfall, haze, atmospheric carbon dioxide and land use. They then held one of them constant in each of the next four simulations. By comparing the outcome of each of these with the first simulation, the team gained a sense of its part in the overall picture. So, for example, they inferred the role of land use by deducting the simulation in which it was fixed from the simulation in which it varied.As with any statistical analysis, the results are only as good as the model, the experimental design and the data. Dr Gedney and her colleagues acknowledge that their model does not fully take into account the use of water to irrigate crops—particularly important in Asia and Europe—nor the question of urban growth. They argue, however, that these aspects, taken together, would remove water from rivers, which makes their conclusion all the more striking. And it is this: fuller rivers cannot be explained by more rainfall or haze or changes in land use, but they can be explained by higher concentrations of atmospheric carbon dioxide.The mechanism is straightforward. A plant breathes through small holes, called stomata, found in its leaves. Plants take in carbon dioxide, and when the atmosphere is relatively rich in this gas, less effort is needed. The stomata stay closed for longer, and less water is lost to the atmosphere. This means that the plant doesn't need to draw as much moisture from the soil. The unused water flows into rivers.The great tech buy-out boomWill the enthusiasm of private-equity firms for investing in technology and telecoms end in tears, again?PRIME COMPUTERS, Rhythm NetConnections and XO Communications—all names to drain the blood from the face of a private-equity investor. Or so it was until recently, when investing in technology and telecoms suddenly became all the rage for private-equity companies. These investment firms—labelled “locusts” by unfriendly Europeans—generally make their money by buying big controlling stakes in companies, improving their efficiency, and then selling them on.In the late 1980s, Prime Computers became private equity's first great “tech wreck”, humiliating investors who thought they understood the technology business and could nurture the firm back to health away from the shorttermist pressures of the public stockmarket. After Prime failed, private-equity firms spent the best part of a decade focusing solely on the old economy. Only in the late 1990s, when the new economy was all the rage, did they pluck up the courage to return to tech and telecoms—a decision some of the grandest names in the industry were soon to regret. Hicks, Muse, Furst and Tate (Rhythm NetConnections) and Forstmann Little (XO) have both been shadows of their old selves since losing fortunes on telecoms.Now, investing in technology and telecoms is once again one of the hottest areas in the super-heated privateequity market. The multi-billion-dollar question is: will this round of investment end any less horribly than the previous two?Last month TDC, a Danish phone company, was finally acquired after a bid of $15.3 billion by a consortium including European giants Permira Advisors and Apax Partners, and American veterans Kohlberg Kravis Roberts (KKR), Blackstone Group and Providence Equity Partners. In the past five years, there has been private-equity involvement in about 40% of telecoms deals in Europe.On the other side of the Atlantic, the action has focused mainly on technology, rather than telecoms. Last summer, a consortium including Silver Lake Partners and KKR completed the biggest private-equity tech deal to date, buying SunGard Data Systems, a financial-technology firm, for $11.3 billion. Since then the deals have continued to flow. The $1.2 billion acquisition of Serena Software by Silver Lake is due to be completed by the end of March. Blackstone and others are said to be circling two IT outsourcing firms—Computer Sciences and ACS.There are reasons to hope that this time will be different. In telecoms, for instance, private-equity firms are mostly trying to buy established firms—often former national monopolists—that, while they might be threatened by internet telephony, have strong cash flow, physical assets and plenty of scope to improve the quality of management. These are the sorts of characteristicsprivate-equity investors thrive on. By contrast, the disastrous investments in the late 1990s were in new telecoms firms that were building their operations.In technology, private-equity interest has grown as the industry has matured, and cash-flow and profitability have become more predictable. Until recently, it has been the norm for tech firms to plough back all their profit and cashflow into investing in the business. They have carried no debt and paid no dividends. Now private-equity firms see the opportunity to pursue their classic strategy of buying firms by borrowing against cashflow, and then returning money to shareholders. Glenn Hutchins of Silver Lake thinks the tech sector is now in a similar condition to the old economy in America in the early 1980s, which is when private equity first started to have an impact, by restructuring and consolidating many industries.How to live for everThe latest from the wacky world of anti-senescence therapyDEATH is a fact of life—at least it has been so far. Humans grow old. From early adulthood, performance starts to wane. Muscles become progressively weaker, cognition fails. But the point at which age turns to ill health and, ultimately, death is shifting—that is, people are remaining healthier for longer. And that raises the question of how death might be postponed, and whether it might be postponed indefinitely.Humans are certainly living longer. An American child born in 1970 could expect to live 70.8 years. By 2000, that had increased to 77 years. Moreover, an adult still alive at the age of 75 in 2002 could expect a further 11.5 years of life.Much of this change has been the result of improved nutrition and better medicine. But to experience a healthy old age also involves maintaining physical and mental function. Age-related non-pathological changes in the brain, muscles, joints, immune system, lungs and heart must be minimised. These changes are called “senescence”.Research shows that exercise can help to maintain physical function late in life and that exercising one's brain can limit the progression of senescence. Other work—on the effects of caloric restriction, consuming red wine and altering genes in yeast, mice and nematodes—has shown promise in slowing senescence.The approach advocated by Aubrey de Grey of the University of Cambridge, in England, and presented at last week's meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, is rather more radical. As an engineer, he favours intervening directly to repair the changes in the body that are caused by ageing. This is an approach he dubs “strategies for engineered negligible senescence”. In other words, if ageing humans can be patched up for 30 years, he argues, science will have developed sufficiently to make further repairs more effective, postponing death indefinitely.Dr de Grey's ideas, which are informed by literature surveys rather than experimental work, have been greeted with scorn by those working at developing such repair kits. Steven Austad, a gerontologist based at the University of Texas, warns that such therapies are many years away and may never arrive at all. There are also the side effects to consider. While mice kept onlow-calorie diets live longer than their fatter friends, the skinny mice are less fertile and are sometimes sterile. Humans wishing both to prolong their lives and to procreate might thus wish to wait until their child-bearing years were behind them before embarking on such a diet, although, by then, relatively more age-related damage will have accumulated.No one knows exactly why a low-calorie diet extends the life of mice, but some researchers think it is linked to the rate at which cells divide. There is a maximum number of times that a human cell can divide (roughly 50) before it dies. This is because the ends of chromosomes, structures called telomeres, shorten each time the cell divides. Eventually, there is not enough left for any further division.Cell biologists led by Judith Campisi at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in California doubt that every cell has this dividing limit, and believe that it could be only those cells that have stopped dividing that cause ageing. They are devising an experiment to create a mouse in which senescent cells—those that no longer divide—are prevented from accumulating. They plan to activate a gene in the mouse that will selectively eliminate senescent cells. Such a mouse could demonstrate whether it is。

economist（经济学人）精品文章中英对照（合集五篇）第一篇：economist(经济学人)精品文章中英对照Whopper to go 至尊汉堡，打包带走Will Burger King be gobbled up by private equity? 汉堡王是否会被私人股本吞并？Sep 2nd 2010 | NEW YORKSHARES in Burger King(BK)soared on September 1st on reports that the fast-food company was talking to several private-equity firms interested in buying it.How much beef was behind these stories was unclear.But lately the company famous for the slogan “Have It Your Way” has certainly not been having it its own way.There may be arguments about whether BK or McDonald’s serves the best fries, but there is no doubt which is more popular with stockmarket investors: the maker of the Big Mac has supersized its lead in the past two years.有报道披露，快餐企业汉堡王（BK）正在与数个有收购意向的私人股本接洽，9月1日，汉堡王的股值随之飙升。

这些报道究竟有多少真材实料不得而知。

汉堡王的著名口号是“我选我味”，但如今显然它身不由己，心中五味杂陈。

汉堡王和麦当劳哪家薯条最好吃，食客们一直争论不休，但股票投资人更喜欢哪家股票，却一目了然：过去两年里，巨无霸麦当劳一直在扩大自己的优势。

Lesson 1 China in the Market Place市场经济中的中国(Excerpts)（摘录）Barry Coulthurst examines the development of China’s trade policy and the present state of the overseas links--巴里库尔塞斯特对中国贸易政策的演变和当前与海外经济往来状况的研究自从中华人民共和国成立以来，中国对外贸易的模式发生了巨大的变化。

20世纪50年代，中国向苏联和东欧国家出口农产品换取制造品和资本设备，用于侧重于重工业发展所必须的工业化项目。

1958~1959年的―大跃进‖最初在工农业生产上带来收益，但随后又导致了严重的经济平衡。

三年自然灾害(1959-1961)加剧了经济问题，造成1960-1962年间的国民收入和对外贸易额的减少。

20世纪60年代，苏联经济和技术援助撤走，导致了中国与苏联及经互会成员国的贸易转向于日本和西欧国家的贸易。

中国对外贸易政策的一贯宗旨是重视与第三世界国家发展贸易关系。

―文化大革命‖期间（1966-1976）工农业生产一落千丈，交通运输限制更加严重，中国对外贸易的增长再次中断。

The Sino-USA agreement on trade relations, which came into force（解释：施行）in February 1980, accords China most-favoured nation treatment.（最惠国待遇）在实现四个现代化中起着很大作用的对外贸易在近几年发展很快。

1978年2月于日本签订了一个主要贸易协定，根据这个协定，中国向日本出口每盒石油换取工业设备和技术。

1978年中国也与欧共体签订了长期贸易协定，继1979年初与美国的外交关系正常化以后，中美贸易发展迅速。

美国遵照1980年1月25日生效的中美贸易关系协定给与中国最惠国待遇。

双语对照- 世界经济：三分天下世界经济：三分天下THIS year has turned out to be a surprisingly good one for the world economy. Global output has probably risen by close to 5%, well above its trend rate and a lot faster than forecasters were expecting 12 months ago. Most of the dangers that frightened financial markets during the year have failed to materialise. China’s economy has not suffered a hard landing. America’s mid-year slowdown did not become a double-dip recession. Granted, the troubles of the euro area’s peripheral economies have proved all too real. Yet the euro zone as a whole has grown at a decent rate for an ageing continent, thanks to oomph from Germany, the fastest-growing big rich economy in 2010.今年对于世界总体经济来说是一个出乎意料的好年份。

全球总产值提高了大概5%，增幅远超过去年，增速也远比去年所预测的快。

大多数会危及金融市场的事件都在年内尘埃落定。

中国经济的着陆并不困难。

美国年中的经济增速变缓也没有迎来二次衰退。

TEXT 1Rebuilding the American dream machine重建美国梦机器Jan 19th 2006 | NEW YORKFrom The Economist print editionFOR America's colleges, January is a month ofreckoning. Most applications for the next academicyear beginning in the autumn have to be made by theend of December, so a university's popularity is put toan objective standard: how many people want toattend. One of the more unlikely offices to have beenflooded with mail is that of the City University ofNew Y ork (CUNY), a public college that lacks,among other things, a famous sports team, bucoliccampuses and raucous parties (it doesn't even havedorms), and, until recently, academic credibility.对美国的大学而言，一月是一个清算的月份。

大多数要进入将于秋季开学的下一学年学习的申请必须在12月底前完成，因此一所大学的声望就有了客观依据：申请人的多少。

纽约城市大学，一所公立学院，与其他学校相比，它没有一支声名显赫的运动队，没有田园诗一般的校园，也没有喧嚣嘈杂的派对——甚至连宿舍都没有，而且，直到最近也没取得学术上的可信度，可就是这所大学的办公室塞满了学生们寄来的申请函，这简直有些令人难以置信。

2019考研英语一text3译文全文共3篇示例，供读者参考篇12020考研英语一text3译文Among the world's leading economies, China stands out for its strong and steady growth. Over the past quarter-century, China's economy has expanded at an average annual rate of more than 9 percent, and in 2018, it surpassed the United States as the world's largest economy by purchasing power parity.China's rapid economic growth has been driven by a combination of factors. These include its large population, which provides a vast pool of labor; a dynamic and entrepreneurial private sector; and a government that has pursuedmarket-oriented economic policies. China's accession to the World Trade Organization in 2001 also played a key role in opening up its economy to foreign trade and investment.However, China's economic success has not come without challenges. The country faces a number of structural issues, including an aging population, income inequality, and environmental degradation. These challenges pose risks toChina's long-term growth prospects and could potentially lead to social unrest if left unaddressed.To address these challenges, the Chinese government has implemented a series of reforms aimed at promoting sustainable and inclusive growth. These reforms include measures to stimulate domestic consumption, promote innovation, and improve environmental protection. China has also launched major infrastructure projects, such as the Belt and Road Initiative, to strengthen economic ties with other countries and regions.In addition to these domestic efforts, China has also sought to play a more active role on the global stage. The country has become a major player in international diplomacy, participating in initiatives such as the Paris Agreement on climate change and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. China has also increased its overseas investment and development assistance, contributing to the economic development of other countries.Looking ahead, China's economic success will depend on its ability to address the challenges it faces and adapt to a rapidly changing global economy. By pursuing sustainable growth and promoting international cooperation, China can continue to be adriving force for economic development and prosperity in the years to come.篇2In the year of 2019, the topic for Text 3 in the English exam for the postgraduate entrance examination is "The Theory and Practice of Ecological Agriculture". This text explores the concept of ecological agriculture, which is a sustainable farming practice that aims to protect the environment, reduce pollution, and promote biodiversity.The text begins with an introduction to the principles of ecological agriculture, which include reducing the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, promoting soil health, and preserving natural habitats. It highlights the importance of maintaining a balance between human activities and the natural environment in order to ensure the long-term sustainability of agriculture.Furthermore, the text discusses the benefits of ecological agriculture, such as improved soil fertility, increased crop yields, and reduced pollution. It also emphasizes the importance of educating farmers about sustainable farming practices andproviding them with the necessary tools and resources to implement these practices.In addition, the text touches upon the challenges and barriers to implementing ecological agriculture, including the high costs of transitioning to sustainable farming methods and the lack of government support. It calls for increased investment in research and development to improve sustainable farming practices and make them more accessible to farmers.Overall, the text highlights the importance of ecological agriculture in addressing the environmental and social challenges facing the agricultural sector. It emphasizes the need for a holistic approach to farming that takes into account the health of the environment, the well-being of farmers, and the food security of the population. The text serves as a call to action for policymakers, farmers, and consumers to work together to promote sustainable farming practices and ensure a more sustainable future for agriculture.篇32019考研英语一text3译文如下：Text 3In today’s world, more and more countries are adopting measures to protect the environment, such as reducing carbon emissions and promoting renewable energy sources. However, the progress made in addressing environmental issues is often overshadowed by the negative impact of human activities.It is undeniable that human beings have played a significant role in the degradation of the environment. The reckless exploitation of natural resources and the excessive use of fossil fuels have led to air and water pollution, deforestation, and the loss of biodiversity. These activities not only harm the environment but also endanger human health and well-being.Despite the efforts made by governments and international organizations to combat environmental degradation, the problem is far from being solved. Climate change continues to pose a serious threat to the planet, with rising global temperatures causing extreme weather events and rising sea levels. In addition, the depletion of natural resources threatens the sustainability of ecosystems and the livelihoods of millions of people around the world.To address these challenges, it is essential for all countries to work together to protect the environment and promote sustainable development. This requires a shift in mindset fromshort-term economic gains to long-term environmental sustainability. Governments, businesses, and individuals must take responsibility for their actions and make conscious efforts to reduce their carbon footprint and protect the natural world.In conclusion, while progress has been made in addressing environmental issues, much more needs to be done to ensure the sustainability of the planet for future generations. It is imperative that we take action now to protect the environment and preserve the natural resources that are essential for life on Earth. Only through collective efforts can we create a healthier and more sustainable world for all.。

考研备考英语阅读题源经济学人文章:世界经济————————————————————————————————作者：————————————————————————————————日期：２017考研备考英语阅读题源经济学人文章：世界经济World economy世界经济Paｓt ａnd ｆuture tense过去和未来时The wｏrｌd ｅｃoｎomy in2017 ｗiｌl caｒry troｕbｌingechoes ｏf ｔｈｅlate 1990s世界经济在2０17年将出现２０世纪９0年代晚期令人烦恼的相似困境A FINAＮCIAL craｓh in Russｉａ; ｆａｌlinｇoｉl prｉｃes and a ｓtrong dolｌaｒ;a new ｇold rｕsh iｎＳiliconVａlley and ａrｅsuｒgent Aｍｅriｃaｎeconomｙ;wea ｋness inＧｅrmａｎyａｎd Ｊapａn;tuｍblingcurreｎｃies in emeｒging maｒkets fｒom Bｒaｚil to Indonｅsia; an eｍbaｔｔｌｅｄDｅmocｒaｔiｎthｅWh ｉteHouｓｅ. Is ｔhaｔａfｏrecast of tｈｅworｌｄin ２0１7 or a portraｉt of tｈe l ａｔe 19９０s？俄罗斯发生了金融危机；油价和强势美元下跌；硅谷出现了新的淘金热,并且美国实现经济复苏;德国和日本则经济疲软；从巴西到印度尼西亚的新兴市场货币呈动荡；民主党在白宫四面楚歌。

那是对２017年世界的预测或上世纪90年代末的景象描绘?Rｅcenｔeconｏmic ｈｉｓtory has ｂeen so domｉｎaｔed bｙtheｃreｄiｔｃr ｕnch ｏf２008-09that it is eaｓｙto foｒget what haｐｐened in the deｃadｅs befｏre.Buｔlookiｎg back 15 ｙears oｒso iｓinsｔrucｔiｖe—in terms of ｂｏth whaｔtｏｄｏａｎd whａt tｏavoid.近期的经济已经由2０08-09年的信贷紧缩所主导,很容易忘记在十年前所发生的事情。