南歐的結(jié)構(gòu)性改革
2023復(fù)習(xí)正是強(qiáng)化復(fù)習(xí)階段，在考研英語中占了40分，所以考研英語閱讀是英語科目中重要的一項(xiàng)。名師老師曾建議過考研生需要堅(jiān)持每天泛讀10-15分鐘的英文原刊。強(qiáng)烈推薦了雜志《經(jīng)濟(jì)學(xué)人》.雜志中的文章也是考研英語的主要材料來源.希望考研考生認(rèn)真閱讀，快速提高考研英語閱讀水平。 Structural reform in southern Europe 南歐的結(jié)構(gòu)性改革 Patchy progress 進(jìn)展參差不齊 Some signs of improvement. Must try harder 改革小有成效，同志仍需努力 CYPRUS is suffering a vicious recession as itstruggles to adjust after a huge banking crisis.Despite its ailing economy a cab ride from the airport at Larnaca to Nicosiaa journey thattakes around 40 minutescosts 50. Such high fares, reflecting the power of the taxi trade,hinder the country s attempts to rekindle its tourist industry. 銀行業(yè)大危機(jī)之后，塞浦路斯陷入惡性經(jīng)濟(jì)衰退，調(diào)整步伐舉步維艱。盡管經(jīng)濟(jì)疲軟，從機(jī)場到尼科西亞一段40分鐘左右的的士車程卻高達(dá)50歐元。如此高價折射了的士業(yè)界的力量，從而阻礙了塞浦路斯重振旅游業(yè)的種種努力。 Reforms to tackle these kinds of uncompetitive markets are vital if the beleagueredcountries of southern Europe are to be able to survive in the euro area. By making wagesand prices more flexible, they allow countries like Spain and Portugal that have lostcompetitiveness to regain it even though they can no longer devalue against theireuro-zone trading partners. They also hold out the promise of higher growth, which is vital ifthey are to shrug off heavy debt burdens. Four years after the euro crisis began with the firstGreek bail-out, what has been achieved? 如果陷入困境的南歐國家想要在歐元區(qū)內(nèi)生存下去，解決這類競爭力缺乏的改革至關(guān)重要。雖然像西班牙和葡萄牙這類失去競爭力的國家不能再對歐元區(qū)貿(mào)易伙伴貶值，但只要通過更為靈活的工資和價格，它們就可以恢復(fù)競爭力。這些國家還承諾取得更高的增長，這對擺脫沉重債務(wù)至關(guān)重要。以希臘首次救市開始的歐債危機(jī)過去四年后，它們的成果如何? Assessing the scale and effectiveness of reforms is hard, not least since they tackle amultitude of sins. There are three main categories: enhancing competition, especially inservices; promoting business activity rather than stifling it; and overhauling labour markets.In practice a determined effort to improve performance involves reforms acrossgovernment. In Portugal, for example, 400 measures have been introduced in the past threeyears. 由于涉及層面紛繁復(fù)雜，評估改革的規(guī)模和效益非常困難。改革主要涉及三大方面：提高競爭力，特別是服務(wù)業(yè)的競爭力;促進(jìn)，而非扼殺，商業(yè)活動;對勞動力市場全面改進(jìn)。在實(shí)踐中，各國提高經(jīng)濟(jì)表現(xiàn)的堅(jiān)定努力還包括了整個政府的改革。例如，過去三年在葡萄牙就有400個新措施出臺。 One gauge of progress in southern Europe is the World Bank s Doing Business survey. Thisannual study, covering over 180 economies, monitors regulation from the perspective ofsmall and medium-sized companies. Its overall index has ten components, ranging from theease of founding a company to how readily contracts can be enforced. Countries are rankedaccording to how light the burden of regulation is, as measured by the number ofprocedures involved and their cost. Other factors include how easily firms can access creditand how well they protect outside investors. A lack of regulation is not deemed a strength;rather the focus is on efficient regulation. 世界銀行的營商環(huán)境報(bào)告的調(diào)查是南歐國家的進(jìn)展的衡量之一。這項(xiàng)年度研究從中小型企業(yè)的角度監(jiān)測政府管制，范圍涵蓋超過180個經(jīng)濟(jì)體。其整體指數(shù)由十部分組成，包括創(chuàng)辦公司和執(zhí)行合同的難易程度。政府管制由這些活動所涉及的程序和成本數(shù)量構(gòu)成，各個國家據(jù)此排名。其他因素還包括企業(yè)取得信貸的難易程度以及他們保護(hù)外部投資者的能力。這項(xiàng)研究的聚焦點(diǎn)在于有效監(jiān)管政府監(jiān)管制度的缺乏并未被視作可取之處。 The findings suggest that progress has been made in southern Europe but that it has beenpatchy both between different countries and within them. Between mid-2009, before the eurocrisis took hold, and mid-2023 Greece s rank improved from 109 to 72. Portugal has alsogained ground, from 48 to 31. Advances by Italy and Spain have been less marked, andFrance has actually slipped down the rankings, from 31 to 38. 研究結(jié)果表明，南歐改革已經(jīng)小有成效，但在不同國家，以及同一國家的不同地區(qū)之間，進(jìn)展參差不齊。在歐元危機(jī)爆發(fā)前的2009年中期和2023年中期之間，希臘的排名從109上升到了72。 葡萄牙也有所斬獲，從48上升到了31。意大利和西班牙則差強(qiáng)人意，而法國則干脆從31下降到了38名。 Even where progress has been made there is cause for concern. Greece may have improvedits ranking the most, but that was from a desperately poor starting-point. Its currentperformance remains extremely disappointing within some crucial categories. It ranked161st in the world as a place to register property easily, a handicap for a country urgentlyneeding to encourage inward investment. Another concern is its 98th-place finish for theease of enforcing contracts, a crucial condition for firms to flourish. 即使在小有成效的國家，情況也令人擔(dān)憂。盡管希臘在排名上進(jìn)步喜人，但是其起點(diǎn)卻是出奇的低。在一些關(guān)鍵的方面，它的表現(xiàn)依舊極其令人失望。在登記財(cái)產(chǎn)的難易程度方面，希臘僅排全球第106位，而這是一個迫切需要鼓勵外來投資的國家的掣肘。還叫人憂心忡忡的是，執(zhí)行合同的難易程度是企業(yè)蓬勃發(fā)展的關(guān)鍵之一，其排名僅居全球第98名。 Such patchiness is widespread. The mountain that Matteo Renzi, Italy s new primeminister, must climb is clear from his country s performance. Its overall rank is dismalenough, at 65. But Italy is even farther down the league table for the tax burden onbusinesses; ease of getting construction permits; credit access; and enforcing contracts .Spain ranks particularly poorly as a place to start a business, at 142. That is a worry becauseresearch has established a strong link, unsurprisingly, between the regulatory ease ofstarting a business and how many are actually set up. 這種進(jìn)展參差不齊的問題廣泛存在。從意大利的表現(xiàn)來看，其新任總理利瑪竇壬茲任重而道遠(yuǎn)。意大利的整體表現(xiàn)可謂慘淡，僅居65位;而在企業(yè)賦稅，取得施工許可，獲取信貸和執(zhí)行合同方面的排名則更為糟糕。西班牙在創(chuàng)辦公司指標(biāo)的表現(xiàn)尤其糟糕。研究已經(jīng)毫無懸念地指出，創(chuàng)業(yè)監(jiān)管難易度和新企業(yè)數(shù)量之間聯(lián)系緊密，因此如此情形令人擔(dān)心。 The World Bank s index does not include the impact on firms of employment regulations. Butother evidence suggests similarly patchy progress on labour-market reforms in southernEurope. Despite overhauls in Portugal and Spain, southern Europe still suffers from bifurcatedmarkets, in which the gap between insiders on cosy, permanent contracts and outsidersemployed on a temporary basis is particularly pronounced. With so much yet to be done itis worrying that the pace of reform already seems to be slackening. 世界銀行的指標(biāo)并不包括就業(yè)法規(guī)對企業(yè)的影響。但其他證據(jù)表明了，南歐勞動力市場的改革同樣參差不齊。盡管在葡萄牙和西班牙對勞動力市場的改革可謂大刀闊斧，南歐市場依舊苦于分化嚴(yán)重，特別是一方面自己人高枕穩(wěn)定的長期合同，而另一方面外來人雇傭于臨時合同，差距尤為顯著。由于未來依舊任重而道遠(yuǎn)，目前已經(jīng)放緩的改革步伐叫人憂心忡忡。 詞語解釋 1.struggle to 斗爭 Regulators would struggle to do any better. 規(guī)制者很難做得更好。 Companies in developing nations still struggle tobolster balance sheets by raising equity. 發(fā)展中國家的企業(yè)仍很難通過籌集股本為資產(chǎn)負(fù)債表提供支持。 2.attempt to 嘗試，企圖 The search leader s latest move is an attempt to extend its reach further. 近期，谷歌又試圖進(jìn)一步擴(kuò)大版圖。 As nations attempt to grow into economies like japan, losses will only increase. 隨著相關(guān)國家試圖成長為類似日本這樣的經(jīng)濟(jì)體，損失只會有增無減。 3.shrug off 擺脫 Most importantly, shrug off any shoulds . 最重要的是，擺脫任何可能性。 Unfortunately we often shrug off this dizzying intricacy searching instead for the simplestof correlations. 然而不幸的是，我們常常對錯綜復(fù)雜的東西不屑一顧，轉(zhuǎn)而去尋找最簡單的相關(guān)性。 4.according to 根據(jù)，按照;據(jù)所說 All firsts in a car, according to gm. 據(jù)通用公司表示，這些都是汽車史上的頭一遭。 According to weiner, product teams will continue to crank. 據(jù)韋納爾表示，產(chǎn)品團(tuán)隊(duì)將繼續(xù)發(fā)揮奇思妙想。
2023復(fù)習(xí)正是強(qiáng)化復(fù)習(xí)階段，在考研英語中占了40分，所以考研英語閱讀是英語科目中重要的一項(xiàng)。名師老師曾建議過考研生需要堅(jiān)持每天泛讀10-15分鐘的英文原刊。強(qiáng)烈推薦了雜志《經(jīng)濟(jì)學(xué)人》.雜志中的文章也是考研英語的主要材料來源.希望考研考生認(rèn)真閱讀，快速提高考研英語閱讀水平。 Structural reform in southern Europe 南歐的結(jié)構(gòu)性改革 Patchy progress 進(jìn)展參差不齊 Some signs of improvement. Must try harder 改革小有成效，同志仍需努力 CYPRUS is suffering a vicious recession as itstruggles to adjust after a huge banking crisis.Despite its ailing economy a cab ride from the airport at Larnaca to Nicosiaa journey thattakes around 40 minutescosts 50. Such high fares, reflecting the power of the taxi trade,hinder the country s attempts to rekindle its tourist industry. 銀行業(yè)大危機(jī)之后，塞浦路斯陷入惡性經(jīng)濟(jì)衰退，調(diào)整步伐舉步維艱。盡管經(jīng)濟(jì)疲軟，從機(jī)場到尼科西亞一段40分鐘左右的的士車程卻高達(dá)50歐元。如此高價折射了的士業(yè)界的力量，從而阻礙了塞浦路斯重振旅游業(yè)的種種努力。 Reforms to tackle these kinds of uncompetitive markets are vital if the beleagueredcountries of southern Europe are to be able to survive in the euro area. By making wagesand prices more flexible, they allow countries like Spain and Portugal that have lostcompetitiveness to regain it even though they can no longer devalue against theireuro-zone trading partners. They also hold out the promise of higher growth, which is vital ifthey are to shrug off heavy debt burdens. Four years after the euro crisis began with the firstGreek bail-out, what has been achieved? 如果陷入困境的南歐國家想要在歐元區(qū)內(nèi)生存下去，解決這類競爭力缺乏的改革至關(guān)重要。雖然像西班牙和葡萄牙這類失去競爭力的國家不能再對歐元區(qū)貿(mào)易伙伴貶值，但只要通過更為靈活的工資和價格，它們就可以恢復(fù)競爭力。這些國家還承諾取得更高的增長，這對擺脫沉重債務(wù)至關(guān)重要。以希臘首次救市開始的歐債危機(jī)過去四年后，它們的成果如何? Assessing the scale and effectiveness of reforms is hard, not least since they tackle amultitude of sins. There are three main categories: enhancing competition, especially inservices; promoting business activity rather than stifling it; and overhauling labour markets.In practice a determined effort to improve performance involves reforms acrossgovernment. In Portugal, for example, 400 measures have been introduced in the past threeyears. 由于涉及層面紛繁復(fù)雜，評估改革的規(guī)模和效益非常困難。改革主要涉及三大方面：提高競爭力，特別是服務(wù)業(yè)的競爭力;促進(jìn)，而非扼殺，商業(yè)活動;對勞動力市場全面改進(jìn)。在實(shí)踐中，各國提高經(jīng)濟(jì)表現(xiàn)的堅(jiān)定努力還包括了整個政府的改革。例如，過去三年在葡萄牙就有400個新措施出臺。 One gauge of progress in southern Europe is the World Bank s Doing Business survey. Thisannual study, covering over 180 economies, monitors regulation from the perspective ofsmall and medium-sized companies. Its overall index has ten components, ranging from theease of founding a company to how readily contracts can be enforced. Countries are rankedaccording to how light the burden of regulation is, as measured by the number ofprocedures involved and their cost. Other factors include how easily firms can access creditand how well they protect outside investors. A lack of regulation is not deemed a strength;rather the focus is on efficient regulation. 世界銀行的營商環(huán)境報(bào)告的調(diào)查是南歐國家的進(jìn)展的衡量之一。這項(xiàng)年度研究從中小型企業(yè)的角度監(jiān)測政府管制，范圍涵蓋超過180個經(jīng)濟(jì)體。其整體指數(shù)由十部分組成，包括創(chuàng)辦公司和執(zhí)行合同的難易程度。政府管制由這些活動所涉及的程序和成本數(shù)量構(gòu)成，各個國家據(jù)此排名。其他因素還包括企業(yè)取得信貸的難易程度以及他們保護(hù)外部投資者的能力。這項(xiàng)研究的聚焦點(diǎn)在于有效監(jiān)管政府監(jiān)管制度的缺乏并未被視作可取之處。 The findings suggest that progress has been made in southern Europe but that it has beenpatchy both between different countries and within them. Between mid-2009, before the eurocrisis took hold, and mid-2023 Greece s rank improved from 109 to 72. Portugal has alsogained ground, from 48 to 31. Advances by Italy and Spain have been less marked, andFrance has actually slipped down the rankings, from 31 to 38. 研究結(jié)果表明，南歐改革已經(jīng)小有成效，但在不同國家，以及同一國家的不同地區(qū)之間，進(jìn)展參差不齊。在歐元危機(jī)爆發(fā)前的2009年中期和2023年中期之間，希臘的排名從109上升到了72。 葡萄牙也有所斬獲，從48上升到了31。意大利和西班牙則差強(qiáng)人意，而法國則干脆從31下降到了38名。 Even where progress has been made there is cause for concern. Greece may have improvedits ranking the most, but that was from a desperately poor starting-point. Its currentperformance remains extremely disappointing within some crucial categories. It ranked161st in the world as a place to register property easily, a handicap for a country urgentlyneeding to encourage inward investment. Another concern is its 98th-place finish for theease of enforcing contracts, a crucial condition for firms to flourish. 即使在小有成效的國家，情況也令人擔(dān)憂。盡管希臘在排名上進(jìn)步喜人，但是其起點(diǎn)卻是出奇的低。在一些關(guān)鍵的方面，它的表現(xiàn)依舊極其令人失望。在登記財(cái)產(chǎn)的難易程度方面，希臘僅排全球第106位，而這是一個迫切需要鼓勵外來投資的國家的掣肘。還叫人憂心忡忡的是，執(zhí)行合同的難易程度是企業(yè)蓬勃發(fā)展的關(guān)鍵之一，其排名僅居全球第98名。 Such patchiness is widespread. The mountain that Matteo Renzi, Italy s new primeminister, must climb is clear from his country s performance. Its overall rank is dismalenough, at 65. But Italy is even farther down the league table for the tax burden onbusinesses; ease of getting construction permits; credit access; and enforcing contracts .Spain ranks particularly poorly as a place to start a business, at 142. That is a worry becauseresearch has established a strong link, unsurprisingly, between the regulatory ease ofstarting a business and how many are actually set up. 這種進(jìn)展參差不齊的問題廣泛存在。從意大利的表現(xiàn)來看，其新任總理利瑪竇壬茲任重而道遠(yuǎn)。意大利的整體表現(xiàn)可謂慘淡，僅居65位;而在企業(yè)賦稅，取得施工許可，獲取信貸和執(zhí)行合同方面的排名則更為糟糕。西班牙在創(chuàng)辦公司指標(biāo)的表現(xiàn)尤其糟糕。研究已經(jīng)毫無懸念地指出，創(chuàng)業(yè)監(jiān)管難易度和新企業(yè)數(shù)量之間聯(lián)系緊密，因此如此情形令人擔(dān)心。 The World Bank s index does not include the impact on firms of employment regulations. Butother evidence suggests similarly patchy progress on labour-market reforms in southernEurope. Despite overhauls in Portugal and Spain, southern Europe still suffers from bifurcatedmarkets, in which the gap between insiders on cosy, permanent contracts and outsidersemployed on a temporary basis is particularly pronounced. With so much yet to be done itis worrying that the pace of reform already seems to be slackening. 世界銀行的指標(biāo)并不包括就業(yè)法規(guī)對企業(yè)的影響。但其他證據(jù)表明了，南歐勞動力市場的改革同樣參差不齊。盡管在葡萄牙和西班牙對勞動力市場的改革可謂大刀闊斧，南歐市場依舊苦于分化嚴(yán)重，特別是一方面自己人高枕穩(wěn)定的長期合同，而另一方面外來人雇傭于臨時合同，差距尤為顯著。由于未來依舊任重而道遠(yuǎn)，目前已經(jīng)放緩的改革步伐叫人憂心忡忡。 詞語解釋 1.struggle to 斗爭 Regulators would struggle to do any better. 規(guī)制者很難做得更好。 Companies in developing nations still struggle tobolster balance sheets by raising equity. 發(fā)展中國家的企業(yè)仍很難通過籌集股本為資產(chǎn)負(fù)債表提供支持。 2.attempt to 嘗試，企圖 The search leader s latest move is an attempt to extend its reach further. 近期，谷歌又試圖進(jìn)一步擴(kuò)大版圖。 As nations attempt to grow into economies like japan, losses will only increase. 隨著相關(guān)國家試圖成長為類似日本這樣的經(jīng)濟(jì)體，損失只會有增無減。 3.shrug off 擺脫 Most importantly, shrug off any shoulds . 最重要的是，擺脫任何可能性。 Unfortunately we often shrug off this dizzying intricacy searching instead for the simplestof correlations. 然而不幸的是，我們常常對錯綜復(fù)雜的東西不屑一顧，轉(zhuǎn)而去尋找最簡單的相關(guān)性。 4.according to 根據(jù)，按照;據(jù)所說 All firsts in a car, according to gm. 據(jù)通用公司表示，這些都是汽車史上的頭一遭。 According to weiner, product teams will continue to crank. 據(jù)韋納爾表示，產(chǎn)品團(tuán)隊(duì)將繼續(xù)發(fā)揮奇思妙想。
