2017年翻譯考試初級筆譯模擬題：經(jīng)濟(jì)發(fā)展得越快越好嗎

　　【英譯漢】

　　Is More Growth Really Better?

　　A number of writers have raised questions about the desirability of faster economic growth as an end in itself, at least in the wealthier industrialized countries. Yet faster growth does mean more wealth, and to most people the desirability of wealth is beyond question. "I've been rich and I've been poor - and I can tell you, rich is better, " a noted stage personality is said to have told an interviewer, and most people seem to have the same attitude about the economy as a whole. To those who hold this belief, a healthy economy is one that is capable of turning out vast quantities of shoes, food, cars, and TV sets. An economy whose capacity to provide all these things is not expanding is said to have succumbed to the disease of stagnation.

　　Economists from Adam Smith to Karl Marx saw great virtue in economic growth. Marx argued that capitalism, at least in its earlier historical stages, was a vital form of economic organization by which society got out of the rut in which the medieval stage of history had trapped it. Marx believed that "the development of the productive powers of society…alone can form the real basis of a higher form of productive powers of society". Marx went on to tell us that only where such great productive powers have been unleashed can one have "a society in which the full and free development of every individual forms the ruling principle." In other words, only a wealthy economy can afford to give all individuals the opportunity for full personal satisfaction through the use of their special abilities in their jobs and through increased leisure activities.

　　Yet the desirability of further economic growth for a society that is already wealthy has been questioned on grounds that undoubtedly have a good deal of validity. It is pointed out that the sheer increase in quantity of products has imposed an enormous cost on society in the form of pollution, crowding, proliferation of wastes that need disposal, and debilitating psychological and social effects. It is said that industry has transformed the satisfying and creative tasks of the artisan into the mechanical and dehumanizing routine of the assembly line. It has dotted our road sides with junkyards, filled our air with smoke, and poisoned our food with dangerous chemicals. The question is whether the outpouring of frozen foods, talking dolls, radios, and headache remedies is worth its high cost to society. As one well-known economist put it:

　　The continued pursuit of economic growth by Western Societies is more likely on balance to reduce rather than increase social welfare… Technological innovations may offer to add to men's material opportunities. But by increasing the risks of their obsolescence it adds also to their anxiety. Swifter means of communications have the paradoxical effect of isolating people; increased mobility has led to more hours commuting; increased automobilization to increased separation; more television to less communication. 10 In consequence, people know less of their neighbors than ever before.

　　Virtually every economist agrees that these concerns are valid, though many question whether economic growth is their major cause. Nevertheless, they all emphasize that pollution of air and water, noise and congestion, and the mechanization of the work process are very real and very serious problems. There is every reason for society to undertake programs that grapple with these problems.

　　【參考譯文】

　　經(jīng)濟(jì)發(fā)展得越快越好嗎?

　　近年來，不少人或撰文或著書，已經(jīng)提出質(zhì)疑：為經(jīng)濟(jì)而發(fā)展經(jīng)濟(jì)，至少在較富裕的工業(yè)化國家究竟有無必要?誠然，經(jīng)濟(jì)增長得越快的確意味著更多的財(cái)富，而且大多數(shù)人都追求財(cái)富，這是勿庸置疑的�！案辉Ｒ擦T，貧窮也罷，我都經(jīng)歷過。說實(shí)話，富裕當(dāng)然勝過貧窮�！币晃恢�名演員曾這樣向采訪者坦言。大多數(shù)人在整體上對經(jīng)濟(jì)似乎也持同樣觀點(diǎn)。他們認(rèn)為，健康的經(jīng)濟(jì)必須能夠生產(chǎn)出大批量的鞋子、食品、汽車和電視機(jī)。當(dāng)某個(gè)經(jīng)濟(jì)體的這種產(chǎn)出能力不再擴(kuò)大，人們就認(rèn)為它遭遇了經(jīng)濟(jì)停滯。

　　從亞當(dāng)·斯密到卡爾·馬克思，許多經(jīng)濟(jì)學(xué)家都認(rèn)識到經(jīng)濟(jì)增長的好處。馬克思認(rèn)為資本主義至少在其歷史發(fā)展的初期確實(shí)是一種重要的經(jīng)濟(jì)組織形式，它使整個(gè)社會擺脫了中世紀(jì)的桎梏。馬克思認(rèn)為“單憑社會生產(chǎn)能力的發(fā)展這一點(diǎn)就能為社會生產(chǎn)能力的更高形式打下堅(jiān)實(shí)基礎(chǔ)，成為更高一級社會形式的根基�！瘪R克思還告訴我們，只有當(dāng)這種強(qiáng)大的生產(chǎn)能力有了長足的發(fā)展之后，人們才能擁有“一個(gè)以個(gè)人的完全自由發(fā)展為指導(dǎo)原則的社會。”換言之，只有富足的經(jīng)濟(jì)才能使每個(gè)社會成員的自我需求得到充分滿足。這種滿足體現(xiàn)為：在工作中施展才能或是在不斷豐富的休閑活動中盡情放松。

　　然而對于一個(gè)已經(jīng)非常富足的社會而言是否有必要再一味追求發(fā)展，人們對此的質(zhì)疑，無疑是有充分說服力的。一味地追求產(chǎn)品數(shù)量的增長已經(jīng)讓社會付出了巨大的代價(jià)。比如環(huán)境污染，交通擁擠，需特殊處理廢物的激增，以及由此造成的負(fù)面心理及社會影響。人們認(rèn)為，工業(yè)化的出現(xiàn)，已經(jīng)把以往工匠們給人以享受的創(chuàng)造性工作，變成了流水線上毫無人性的機(jī)械化操作。它使街頭堆滿了垃圾，空氣中彌漫著煙霧，食品中殘留著有毒農(nóng)藥。問題在于，那些大量的冷凍食品、說話娃娃、收音機(jī)和止痛藥能否彌補(bǔ)工業(yè)化給社會造成的巨大代價(jià)。

　　正如一位著名的經(jīng)濟(jì)學(xué)家所言：西方社會一味地追求經(jīng)濟(jì)發(fā)展，總體看來，非但沒有優(yōu)化人們的社會生活，相反有惡化趨勢�？萍紕�(chuàng)新也許給人們帶來了物質(zhì)上的滿足，但是由于更新?lián)Q代的速度太快，反而使人們倍感焦慮;通訊方式更加快捷了，人們卻更加孤獨(dú)了;社會流動性增強(qiáng)了，人們反而疲于奔命;汽車更加普及了，人們反而更加疏遠(yuǎn)了;看電視的時(shí)間多了，人們交流的機(jī)會少了。結(jié)果人們與周圍鄰居之間從來沒有像現(xiàn)在這樣陌生。

　　幾乎所有的經(jīng)濟(jì)學(xué)家都認(rèn)為這種關(guān)注并非杞人憂天，盡管很多人并不認(rèn)為經(jīng)濟(jì)的增長就是罪魁禍?zhǔn)住Ｈ欢�他們一致�?qiáng)調(diào)：水和空氣污染、噪音、交通擁擠、機(jī)械性的工作等問題的確是很嚴(yán)重的現(xiàn)實(shí)問題。社會確實(shí)沒有任何理由不盡一切努力解決好這些問題。