牛津通识读本 选段 英译汉之五

翻译硕士英译汉体验7 欢迎来直播课系统学习 2015年12月14日 17:06 阅读 145 删除 The economic system of any nation is the mechanism which brings together natural resources, the labor supply, technology, and the necessary entrepreneurial and managerial talents. Anticipating and then meeting human needs through production and distribution of goods and services is the end purpose of every economic system. 【While the type of economic system used by a nation is the result of political decision, it is also in even larger part the result of a historical experience, which over time becomes a national culture.】 The first ingredient of the system is the natural resource from which goods are produced. 【America has been blessed by being a land rich in mineral resources and fertile farm soil, together with a moderate climate.】 Second, the amount of available labor helps determine the health of an economy. 【Generally the United States has been fortunate in having enough people to provide the labor necessary for a constantly expanding economy. 】 【When too many laborers arrived from Europe to be absorbed by the East-coast economy, they could move on to farmland in the interior.】 It is true that at times the country has experienced periods of acute unemployment as well as labor shortage, but on the whole immigrants came when work was plentiful and economy grew fast enough to absorb them, providing they were willing to work productively at slightly less than the wage rates paid the acculturated workers. They were willing, and they prospered, earning far more than they would have in their native land. As a result, the economy of the nation also prospered. A third factor is the quality of available labor. In assessing the success of an economy one must ask how hard the people are willing to work and how skilled they are. The frontier demanded hard work, and the Protestant religious ethic supported that demand. Further, the strong emphasis placed on education, including technical and vocational education, also contributed to America's economic success. 【Likewise, the willingness to experiment, to change and to invest in technology was significant in a land that had prided itself on being a new experiment in freedom.】