GCT综合英语第4单元课文翻译费下载.doc

仅做参考好好学习，天天向上Unit 4International TradeMost countries realize the advantages of world trade. Countries have developed their economies, increased production of goods, and met market demands through increased world trade. The interdependence among trading nations has provided increased business opportunities.International trade develops because certain countries are able to produce some goods more efficiently than other countries. They exchange goods to satisfy their needs and wants. Efficient production may be the result of several factors. A certain climate in a particular country may allow that country to grow agricultural products in abundance. For instance, the climates in the United States and Canada are suitable for production of large amounts of wheat. Natural resources such as oil or coal are abundant in other countries. Countries with a large pool of unskilled laborers are able to produce products which are labor intensive more cheaply than countries with highly paid, skilled labor forces. Another factor is geographical location. Countries like Singapore and Panama engage in banking and trading because they are located on world trade routes.The Scottish economist, Adam Smith, theorized that free market countries produce whatever they can most efficiently grow or manufacture, or what is of the greatest advantage to them. In other words, if they can make more money growing cotton than making cloth, they grow cotton and export it. Then they import cloth from a country that makes cloth more efficiently than it grows cotton. In an uncontrolled free market trade situation, there is international specialization which results in the most efficient production of goods. Therefore, competition guarantees that countries import products which are most efficiently manufactured abroad and export products which are most efficiently produced domestically. Price is determined by the supply side of the market. Smith s theory was a theory of absolute advantage. The English economist, David Ricardo, refined Smiths theory to one of comparative advantage . He theorized that an exporting country does not have to be the most efficient producer of the product; it only has to be more efficient than the country which imports the product. Mutually beneficial trade arises when one country has a comparative advantage. There are several reasons why governments try to control the imports and exports of a country. One reason is that a country enjoys an advantage if it exports more than it imports. Wealth accrues to the exporting country. Some countries have special programs to encourage exports. They may be programs that provide marketing information, establish trade missions, subsidize exports, and provide tax benefits or incentives. Government subsidies allow companies to sell products cheaply. Sometimes these subsidized companies export their products and sell them cheaply overseas. This practice is known as dumping. Dumping is selling on a foreign market at a price below the cost of production.On the other hand, governments impose taxes and quotas to restrict imports of certain products. For example, to protect Japanese farmers, Japan limits the amount of produce that can be imported. Sometimes governments want to protect a domestic industry because that industry provides employment for the population. Not only the industries, but also the labor unions encourage the government to enact protectionist controls.Protectionist measures are in the form of duties which eliminate the comparative advantage or quotas which restrict the import of the product altogether. There are two forms of import tariffs: specific and ad valorem. A specific tariff is a certain amount of tax for each unit of the product, for example $ 500 for each automobile. An ad valorem tariff is based on the value of the product, for example 5% of its value.In order to import and export products, there needs to be a system of international monetary exchange. While a few products like oil are always priced in dollars, most products must be paid for with the legal tender of the producing country. International trade involves the exchange of one currency for another. Most currencies are now exchanged on a floating rate basis. There are no official exchange rates. The rates fluctuate according to market forces. If large amounts of a countrys currency are being exchanged, the exchange rate may vary greatly because of demand, and therefore, the price of a currency is either rising or falling. Sometimes these great fluctuations in value threaten economic stability: then central banks change market forces by purchasing a foreign currency to support its price and maintain stability.The amount of money that goes in and out of a country is referred to as the balance of payments. If a country is exporting more than it imports, it is receiving foreign currency and has a balance of trade surplus. If it is importing more than it exports, it is sending money out of the country and has a balance of trade deficit. Continued surpluses or deficits change the demand for the currency of a country and cause its value to float either upward or downward.The comparative advantage which exporting countries enjoy sometimes changes. If transportation costs increase or currency exchange rates change, it may become cheaper to produce the product in the market country, especially if large amounts are involved. Exporting companies sometimes set up subsidiaries in the market countries.The larger company is referred to as the parent company. Some countries have laws restricting the foreign ownership of factories or other production facilities, while others encourage foreign investment. A large company that sets up production facilities in several different countries is referred to as a multinational. Multinational corporations develop a global philosophy of management, marketing and production, they choose to operate in those countries that afford them comparative advantages.国际贸易很多国家都意识到国际贸易的益处。他们通过扩大对外贸易，发展了本国的经济，增加了商品的产出量，迎合了市场需求。国家间的往来创造了更多的贸易机会。国际贸易的发展得益于某些国家比其他国家能更加高效地生产某些商品，而商品交换又满足他们各自的需求。产品的高效产出是多种原因的结果。个别国家的特殊气候使它能够大量种植出某些农业作物。例如，美国和加拿大的适应气候使他们能够大量种植出小麦，而美洲的其他国家石油和煤丰富。拥有大量无技能人力资源的国家和其他拥有技能化，高薪酬待遇人力资源的国家相比，他们能以较低的成本大量生产劳动密集型产品。影响高效产出的另外一个原因就是地理位置优势。新加坡和巴拿马等国家大规模从事金融业和中转贸易就得益于他们处在世界的黄金水道上。苏格兰经济学家亚当斯密，理论化的认为自由市场化的国家总是生产他们能够最高效生产的或是对他们最有利的东西。换句话说，如果他们种植棉花能比织布赚取更多的钱，他们将种植棉花和出口棉花。然后从其他织布比生产棉花更高效的国家进口布匹。在不加干预的自由市场经济情况下，就会产生一个基于高效产品生产的国际分工。因为竞争将促使各个国家出口本国最能高效生产的产品，进口他国最能高效生产的产品。在这一理论下 商品价格由卖方决定。斯密斯的理论是绝对优势理论。英格兰经济学家大卫李嘉图修正了斯密斯的绝对优势说，提出相对优势理论。李嘉图认为，一个国家不一定只出口本国最能高效生产的产品，只要是本国能比其他国家在该商品的生产上更高效就行。只要一国具有相对优势，双赢的贸易就能开展。国家调控进出口有几个原因。其中一个原因就是出口比进口给国家带来更多利益。财富流向出口国。一些国家实行鼓励出口的特殊政策。这些政策或是提供市场信息，或建立贸易互访，或给予出口补贴，或减免税费或是其他刺激出口的措施。政府补贴降低了商品价格。有些时候，享受补贴的公司将他们的商品以低于国内的价格销往国外。这可能就是倾销。倾销就是以低于商品生产成本的价格将商品销往国外。另外，政府用征税和出口配额来限制某些商品的进口。比如日本为了保护本国的农民，限制农产品的进口。有些时候，政府想要保护国内某产业是因为这些产业能提供大量就业机会。这种情况下，不仅仅是该产业，而且工会也会督促政府采取保护措施。保护主义政策以征税的形式来消除相对优势，加以进口配额来限制商品的进口。有两种形式的进口税：特别税和价值税。特别税是按商品数量征税，比如对每辆汽车征收500美元的税。价值税是按商品价值来征收的税，比如收取商品价值5%的税。商品的进出口需要一个国际性货币兑换系统。虽然少数商品，如石油总是以美元来计价的，大多数商品都必需以生产国接受的货币形式来支付。所以，国际贸易涉及到货币之间的兑换。绝大多数货币是在一个浮动的汇率基础上进行兑换的。汇率不是由官方规定的。汇率根据市场需求波动。如果一国的货币被大量兑换，汇率可能会因为需求的变化而变化，或升或降。如果汇率的巨大波动威胁到经济的稳定性，中央银行将通过购进外币来改变市场力量对比，维持本币价格和汇率的稳定性。一国货币的流出和流进量反映一国货币支出的平衡情况。假如一个国家出口大于进口，它将获得外币，并且产生贸易顺差。假如一个国家进口大于出口，它将对外支付本国货币，并且产生贸易赤字。持续的贸易顺差或赤字将导致一国货币的上下波动。出口国家享有的相对优势有时也会消失。假如运输费用增加或是汇率变化，特别是当大量进口的时候，在本国生产可能比国外进口更加廉价。出口公司有时也直接在贸易国家建立分公司。本国的公司被称为母公司。有些国家立法限制国外公司在本国建立拥有所有权的工厂和其他生产实体。同时，有些国家积极引进外资。在其他多国建立了生产实体的公司被称为跨国集团。跨国集团建立了一整套经营哲学、营销和生产系统并选择在那些能给他们提供相对优势的国家施行。Passage OneMost economists and politicians agree that international trade is one of the main ways in which countries become richer. What they cant agree on is the best way of organizing and regulating that trade. The main arguments are between free traders and protectionists. If you re not sure whose side youre on, try solving the Australian vodka problem!Imagine that for many years everyone agreed that your country produced the best vodka in the world. But then, one year people in your country discover that Australia vodka is better than yours and its cheaper, too. So everyone stops buying your vodka and starts to drink the Australian one instead. What do you do? You could:(1) Ban all Australia vodka.(2) Put a special tax on Australia vodka so that its more expensive than yours.(3) Improve the quality of your vodka and reduce its price.(4) Stop making vodka and start making something else.If you d choose 1 or 2, you re a protectionist. Protectionists believe that unnecessary imports shouldnt be allowed because they threaten jobs and businesses at home. If you import something that you could make at home, then its as if youre exporting jobs and profits. If you cant ban foreign products, the best thing to do is to put a tariff on imports or give a subsidy to your own industries.If youd choose 3 or 4, youre a free trader. Free traders believe that allowing imports from foreign competitors is good for both consumer and producers at home. Consumers benefit because they can consume that Australia vodka. But competition from imports also benefits producers, who must improve the quality and reduce the price of their products if they want to survive. Better quality and lower price are good news for everyone and they make it possible for companies to increase their sales and open new markets.文章一大多数经济学家和政治家都同意国际贸易是使参与其中的国家快速致富的重要途径之一。他们争论不休的是组织和规范国际贸易的最好途径是什么。这种争论主要存在于自由贸易主张者和贸易保护主义者之间。如果你还不能确定你会站在哪边，请先解决澳大利亚的伏特加酒问题。假设很多年来每个人都认为本国酿造的的伏特加酒是世界上最好的。但是，有一年人们发现澳大利亚酿造的伏特加酒比你们国家酿造的还好喝，并且更便宜。于是，人们都停止购买你们的并开始喝澳大利亚的伏特加酒。你会怎么做？你可能会： (1)禁止购买所有的澳大利亚伏特加酒 (2)对澳大利亚的伏特加酒征收特别税，使其价格高于本国生产的 (3)提高本国伏特加酒的质量并降低价格 (4)停止生产伏特加酒，生产其他的东西如果你选择了1或2，那么你就是一个贸易保护主义者。贸易保护主义者认为非必需的商品不应该得到进口许可，因为他们威胁到本国的就业和贸易。假如你进口本国能够生产的东西，那就等同于在出口就业机会和利润。假如你不能禁止国外的商品，最好的方法就是对该产品的进口征收税，或是对国内的产业进行补贴。假如你选择3或4，那么你就是个自由贸易主义者。自由贸易主义者认为从竞争国进口产品对国内的消费者和生产商都有利。国内的消费者获利是因为他们能够选购澳大利亚的伏特加酒。来自国外的竞争压力也促进国内生产商提升产品质量，如果他们想生存下去。优质低价对每个人都有好处，也是国内的生产商增加销量和开拓市场的好机会。Passage TwoThe World Trade Organization (WTO) is the only international organization dealing with the global rules of trade between nations. Its main function is to ensure that trade flows as smoothly, predictably, and freely as possible.The result is assurance. Consumers and producers know that they can enjoy secure supplies and greater choice of the finished products, components, raw materials and services that they use. Producers and exporters know that foreign markets will remain open to them. The result is also a more prosperous, peaceful and accountable economic world. Decisions in the WTO are typically taken by consensus among all member countries and they are approved by members parliaments. Trade friction is channeled into the WTO s dispute settlement process where the focus is on interpreting agreements and commitments, and how to ensure that countries trade policies conform with them. That way, the risk of disputes spilling over into political or military conflict is reduced. By lowering trade barriers, the WTOs system also breaks down other barriers between p