英语国家概况-澳大利亚篇中英翻译

第三十章 澳大利亚经济 Chapter 30 The Economy.工业 Manufacturing Industry 澳大利亚的制造业以制砖开始。86%的制造业为小企业。Manufacturing in Australia began with the making of bricks. It is estimated that 86% of all manufacturing firms are small businesses.在世界的总格局中，澳大利亚的制造业是独特的。它的特点包括下面几点:In a world context Australian manufacturing is unique. Its features include the following: 1)效率低Inefficiency澳大利亚的市场有限，它在地理上与外界的隔绝以及很高的关税壁垒是影响澳大利亚工业效率的几个因素。Australias limited local market, its geographical isolation and high levels of tariff protection are the factors that affect the efficiency of Australian manufacturing. 效率最低并且最受保护的工业是汽车、纺织、服装和制鞋工业。The industries that are most inefficient and most highly protected are automobile, textiles, clothing and footwear industries. 2)高度集中Concentration在过去20年里，大的联合企业在澳大利亚经济中一直起中心作用。Over the last 20 years large conglomerates have been given a central role in the Australian economy.整个钢铁工业由一个公司控制，这就是布洛肯希尔专卖有限公司。The entire steel industry is in the hands of one company, the Broken Hill Proprietary Company Limited (BHP).3)外国投资Foreign investment 澳大利亚的制造业在很大程度上依靠外国投资。外资公司比他们的澳大利亚同行获利多。Australian manufacturing relies heavily on foreign investment. Companies that are foreign-owned tend to be more profitable than their Australian counterparts. .农业 Agriculture200年前，澳大利亚是一个没有农业的大陆。今天，农业却是这个国家的最大的和最多样化的行业。澳大利亚是世界上粮食和天然纤维的主要生产国之一。200 years ago Australia was a land without agriculture. Today, agriculture is the nations largest and most diverse industry. Australia is one of the worlds leading producers of food and natural fibers. 澳大利亚是世界上最大的羊毛出口国，第二大肉类出口国，第三大小麦出口国，Australia is the worlds largest exporter of wool, the second largest exporter of meat, the third largest exporter of wheat。就面积而言，澳大利亚几乎和美国一样大(除去阿拉斯加和夏威夷)，比整个西欧还大。In terms of area Australia is almost as large as the USA (excluding Alaska and Hawaii) and larger than the whole of Western Europe. 澳大利亚农业史上的一个重要因素是参与世界竞争的能力。A key factor in the history of agriculture in Australia has been the ability to compete on world markets,起初，澳大利亚享受优先进入英国市场的优惠，这对澳大利亚农业的繁荣是相当重要的。In the early days, Australias preferential access to the British market was important to the prosperity of Australian farming.矿产和能源工业 The Minerals and Energy Industry 澳大利亚自然资源丰富，是世界上最大的矿物和金属生产大国。也是世界上最大的煤出口国Australia is rich in natural resources. It is one of the worlds biggest producers of minerals and metals.It is also the worlds largest exporter of coal,矿物和能源工业是澳大利亚的经济中心，从19世纪以来，一直是国家发展的主要催化剂，现在它是出口创汇的主要来源。The minerals and energy industry is central to the Australian economy. It has been a major catalyst to national development since the 19th century. It is now a major source of export earnings. 在 20世纪70年代早期，日本对铁矿石和煤的进口需求衰减了。这就限制了澳大利亚的市场。in the early 1970s, because of the energy crisis the demand in Japan for imports of iron ore and coal declined. This limited market opportunities for Australia,澳大利亚采矿业面临着新问题。The mining industry in Australia has faced new problems1）以保护环境之名授予土著人土地权力，结果矿藏受到限制Mineral access has been restricted in the name of environmental protection and also as a consequence of the granting of Aboriginal land rights.2）与采矿有关的各种疾病发病率高the high incidence of mining-related diseases .服务业 Service Industries澳大利亚的服务业是产业中发展最快的一个部分，Australias service sector is the fastest-growing sector of industry. .贸易 Trade澳大利亚是中等水平的贸易国家Australia is a middle-level trading nation.澳大利亚贸易的主要特点是以原材料换制成品。这有两个原因:The main feature of Australias trade is that it has always involved the exchange of raw materials for finished products. There are two reasons.1）国内市场太小，制造商不能有效地运作;One is that the home market is too small for manufacturers to operate efficiently.2）由于在海外可以达到规模经济，从欧洲、美国以及最近从亚洲来的商品一直比澳大利亚生产的产品便宜。The other is that goods from Europe, the US and recently Asia have always been cheaper than those produced in Australia because of the economies of scale available overseas.在定居后的第一个一百年，典型的贸易活动是把羊毛运到英国而后运回毛料衣服。在澳大利亚的第二个一百年，典型的出口一直是把铁矿石运往日本而后运回日本的汽车。 For the first 100 years of settlement, a typical trade transaction was a shipment of wool to Britain and a return shipment of woolen suits, In Australias second century, a typical export has been iron ore shipped to Japan and a return shipment of Japanese motor cars.这种特殊性有两重效果:Such specialization has been double-edged. 1)它意味着可以从全世界买到广泛的制成品，On the one hand, it has meant access to a very broad range of finished goods from around the world. 2)它使得澳大利亚非常容易受商品价格涨落周期的影响。On the other hand it has made Australia extremely vulnerable to cycles in commodity prices.影响澳大利亚贸易模式和国际经济关系的因素包括下面这些: The factors that have affected Australias trading patterns and international economic relations include the following: (1)取消英国联邦优惠制，根据这一制度，英联邦各成员国家相互降低关税； The dismantling of the Commonwealth Preference, whereby Commonwealth countries gave each others products reduced tariff rates; (2)欧洲共同体的建立，使澳大利亚与欧洲国家贸易产生了障碍； The creation of the European Community, which produced impediments to trade With European countries; (3) 日本作为一个经济大国的兴起； The rise of Japan as an economic power; (4)其它亚洲国家作为生产商和出口商的出现； The emergence of other Asian countries as manufacturers and exporters; (5)20 世纪70 年代的石油价格的冲击。The oil-price shocks of the 1970s. .澳大利亚经济中存在的问题 Problems in the Australian Economy 1）过度依赖商品出口Over-reliance on commodity exports初级产品的出口带来了收入，使澳大利亚的生活标准保持一个较高水平。由于农村和采矿业生产率很高，削弱了把矿物资源转变为制造业的积极性。结果，澳大利亚未能达到它应该达到的工业化水平。The exports of primary products produced the flow of income which kept Australians living standards at a high level. The high productivity of rural and mining industries reduced the incentive to shift resources into manufacturing. As a result, Australia failed to industrialize as fully as it should.在过去四十年里，贸易条件(出口价对进口价的比率)一直朝着不利于澳大利亚的方向发展。换句话说，出口价格与进口价格相比明显地下降了。the terms of trade (the ratio of export prices to import prices) have been moving steadily against Australia over the past forty years.In other words the prices received for exports have declined markedly compared with the prices paid for imports.问题的解决办法是，使工业产品多样化并增加其出口，减少澳大利亚对初级产品出口的依赖。the solution to the problem is to reduce Australias reliance on commodity exports by diversifying and increasing its manufactured exports.2)在大的国际市场中没有得到份额 Failure to share in the expansion of international trade二战后，恢复最快的国家和近些年经济发展最快的国家，都是那些充分利用国际贸易增长的国家。The countries which recovered fastest or whose economies have grown fastest in recent decades, have been those which took advantage of the growth in international trade澳大利亚太依靠矿产品出口了。它在世界贸易中的份额大幅减少。Australia is too heavily dependent on commodity exports. Its share in world trade has declined significantly.其贸易的低效率，尤其是没能分享到制成品贸易所创造的财富，是目前澳大利亚各种经济困难的根本原因。The poor trade performance, especially the failure to share in the wealth produced by trade in manufactured goods, is at the root of Australias current economic difficulties. 3)制造业的衰落及关税的影响 The decline of manufacturing industries and the effects of tariffs 澳大利亚的保护税率在世界先进工业国家之中仍属最高之列。Australias rates of protection remained among the highest of the worlds advanced industrial nations. 保护主义政策对澳大利亚经济一直有很坏的影响。澳大利亚的制造商未能很好地利用国家丰富的自然资源，尤其是矿物资源。他们宁愿出口原料，而不愿试着去发展增值工业。增值工业能够生产出的商品，在国际市场上的价格比原材料本身的价格要高得多。The policy of protectionism has had effects on the Australian economy. Australian manufacturers have failed to take full advantage of the countrys abundant natural, especially mineral resources. They have preferred to export raw materials rather than trying to develop value-added industries. Value-added industries can produce goods capable of commanding much higher prices in world markets than the raw materials themselves. 澳大利亚经济面临的问题是结构问题。The problems the Australian economy faces are structural problems.澳大利亚对其外贸进行了重大方向调整，重点是朝向亚太地区快速发展的经济。A significant reorientation of trade towards the last-growing economies of the Asia-Pacific region is now taking place in Australia. 第三十一章 澳大利亚政治制度 Chapter 31 Government and Politics 澳大利亚联邦是一个联邦制国家The Commonwealth of Australia is a federation.总的说来澳大利亚联邦实行三级政府体制:联邦议会和政府;六个州的议会和六个州政府;大约九百个市、镇、自治市和郡级地方政府。Generally, the Australian federation has a three-tier system of government : the federal parliament and government, six State parliaments and governments, and about 900 local governments at the city, town, municipal and shire level.澳大利亚是独立的，但与英国有宪法规定的联系。英国君主也是澳大利亚形式上的君主，由联邦总督和六个州的总督代表君主行使权力。Australia is independent but still has constitutional links with Britain. Britains monarch is also formally Australias and is represented in Australia by the Governor-General and six State governors.宪法 The Constitution和英国不一样，澳大利亚有一部成文宪法，这部宪法是在1901年六个殖民地结盟组成澳大利亚联邦的时候开始生效的。Unlike Britain, Australia has a written Constitution. It came into effect when the six colonies federated to form the Commonwealth of Australia in 1901.宪法只有通过全民公决才能修改，一个全民公决的建议不能成为法律，除非经多数人和多数州通过。The Constitution can he changed only by referendum. Australia a referendum proposal cannot become law unless it is approved by a majority of people and a majority of States. 澳大利亚宪法是建立在联邦制原则上和责任制政府原则的基础上。The Australian Constitution is based on the principle of federalism and the principle of responsible government. 联邦制是一种政府体制，联邦政府和各州的州政府。它们各自有权独立执行自己所得的权力而不受别的部门的干涉。Federalism is a system of government the Commonwealth and the States. Each of them is entitled to exercise its allotted powers independently of the other. （政府体制是建立在美国模式基础上的。）（Australian system of government is based on the American model.）责任政府是一种政体，在这一体制中，行政权授予各部，在澳大利亚，各部成员必须是议会议员。所有的部长要为他们自己部门的事务对议会负责。Responsible government is a system of government in which executive authority is vested in a ministry whose members in Australia must be Members of Parliament. All ministers are responsible to Parliament for the affairs of their own departments.（政府体制是以英国模式为基础的）Australian system of government is based on the British model宪法中，参议院的作用是保护各州。Under the constitutiong, functions of the Senate was to protect the rights of the States.在澳大利亚，宪法照字面的解释和责任政府按惯例行事之间有时有冲突。In Australia, there is sometimes a conflict between the literal interpretation approach to the Constitution and the conventional/responsible government approach to the Constitution. .议会 Parliament澳大利亚联邦议会是仿照威斯敏斯特制(英国制)。议会是立法机关，也就是说，它有权制定和修改法律。The Australian Federal Parliament is modeled on the Westminster system. It is the Legislature. That is, it has the power to make and change laws.它由女王(由联邦总督代表)和议会的两院组成:众议院(下院)和参议院(上院)。It consists of the Queen (represented by the Governor-General) and two Houses of Parliament: the House of Representatives (the Lower House) and the Senate (the Upper House). 除了参议院不能首先提出财政法案外(财政法案只能由众议院首先提出)，两院的权力是平等的。The two Houses have equal powers except that the Senate cannot originate money bills, which may be initiated only in the House of Representatives. 1联邦总督 The Governor-General 联邦总督由女王根据澳大利亚总理的建议任命。The Governor-General is appointed by the Queen under advice from the Prime Minister of Australia.联邦总督以女王的名义批准两院通过的法律提案。The Governor-General assents in the Queens name to proposed laws passed by both Houses.1975年事件把注意力引到了责任政府和联邦制的紧张关系上，除非宪法被修改，The events of 1975 drew attention to the tension between responsible government and federalism. Unless the Constitution is changed 2.众议院 The House of Representatives 众议院的每一位成员都代表一个选区，Each member of the House of Representatives represents an electorate,3.行政部门 The Executive行政部门是当时的政府，它由一党组成或由数党联合组成，这一党或数党在众议院占有多数席位。The Executive is the government of the day. It is formed by the party or coalition of parties, which has a majority of seats in the House of Representatives,部长们被分在内圈部和外圈部。内圈部组成内阁，它由最高级和最有经验的部长组成。 The ministers are divided into an inner ministry and an outer ministry. The inner ministry becomes the Cabinet. It consists of the most senior and experienced ministers. 内阁很有影响力，在整个政府系统中，它是主要的决策机构。The Cabinet is very influential. It is the major decision-making body in the whole system of government. 4参议院 The Senate 参议员是直接由选民投票选出来的。senators are elected directly by the voters.澳大利亚参议院是审查院，对立法进行审查并提出修改建议。它还建立一个委员会制度，对各种问题进行审查。The Senate in Australia has functioned as a house of review where the legislation is examined and amendments suggested. It has also set up a committee system to review policy on a range of matters.各州选的参议员人数相等，不管州大州小。The Constitution provided for equal numbers of senators for each State, regardless of size.参议院几乎和众议院权力一样大。宪法规定了解决两院之间僵局的办法:包括双重解散。The Senate is almost as powerful as the House of Representatives. The Constitution provides means for resolving a deadlock between the two houses, including a double dissolution. 双重解散就是联邦总督根据总理的要求解散议会两院。 A double dissolution is the dissolving of both Houses of Parliament by the Governor-General at the request of the Prime Minister. 5.州议会 State Parliaments 这五个上院每一个都叫立法议会，Each of the five Upper Houses is known as the Legislative Council, .政党Political Parties政党制一直是联邦议会制的核心。the party system has been the core of the federal parliamentary system. 一个政党的权力顶峰是在联邦选举后控制政府。The pinnacle of power for a political party is to gain government after a federal election.对政党的选择仍一直是在澳大利亚工党和自由党之间。For most Australians the party choice has remained between the ALP and a Liberal party 我们可以说澳大利亚有两个半党制度，一边是澳大利亚工党，另一边是自由党和国民党。we can say that Australia has a two-and-a-half party system of the ALP on one aide and the Liberal and National parties on the other. 1澳大利亚工党 The Australian Labor Party澳大利亚工党是澳大利亚党派中历史最长的党。它是在1901年联邦成立时建立的，The ALP is the oldest of the Australian parties. It was formed at the time of Federation (1901)澳大利亚工党的组成有一部分是工会。The ALP is partly composed of trade unions.近几年来又一个进展是正式承认党内存在的各个派别。Another development of recent years has been the formal recognition of factions within the party. 2.澳大利亚的自由党 The Liberal Party of Australia 澳大利亚自由党的目前形式是在1945年由罗伯特孟吉斯爵士重新建的。自那以来，它一直是澳大利亚主要党派之一，并且很长一段时间是执政党The present form of the Liberal Party of Australia was refounded in 1945 by Sir Robert Menzies. Since then it has remained one of Australias major parties and has enjoyed a long period of success.尽管它的名称叫自由党，它有很多其它保守党的特色。Despite its title, the Liberal Party of Australia has many of the characteristics of conservative parties elsewhere. 它支持市场经济的资本主义制度。强调个人权利和公民自由，支持联邦主义原则。 it supports the capitalist system with a market economy. It emphasizes individual rights and civil liberties. It supports the principle of federalism. 自由党和工党的差异明显地变得越来越小了。the Liberal Patty and the ALP have tended to become less and less clear. 3.澳大利亚国民党 The National Party of Australia 澳大利亚国民党起初叫乡村党, 传统上代表澳大利亚人乡村的利益。The National Party of Australia was first called the Country Party, it has traditionally represented the interests of rural Australians.它是第三大党。虽然它在众议院从未赢得过多数席位，It is the third-largest party in Australian federal politics. Although it has never won a majority of seats in the House of Representatives,它对许多社会问题的态度，可以说它比自由党更保守。On a variety of social issues it can be said to be more conservative than the Liberal Party. 4.澳大利亚民主党 The Australian Democrats 澳大利亚民主党与自由党和国民党相比，其中立态度更甚。The Australian Democrats is more neutralist than the ALP and even more so than the Liberal and National parties. .司法部门 The Judiciary澳大利亚联邦政体由三部分组成。它们分别是立法、行政和司法。The federal political system in Australia consists of three components. They are the Legislature, the Executive and the Judiciary.司法部是政治体制的司法职能部门-法庭和法官体制。The Judiciary is the judicial arm of the political system-the system of courts and judges.最高法院主要受理上诉案件，但它也有初审权，特别是涉及宪法解释案件。最高法院的裁决对澳大利亚所有法院都有约束力。Most of the cases heard by the High Court are appeals but it also has original jurisdiction, most notably over interpretation of the Constitution. Decisions of the High Court are binding on all other Australian courts. 联邦法院建于1977年。它依据一些联邦法案，对诸如产业诉讼、破产、限制贸易的行为等行使司法权。The Federal Court of Australia exercises jurisdiction under several federal acts, 家庭法院建于1976年。与其它法院相比，显得不那么正规。The Family Court is a more informal court than other courts.每一个州都有一个最高法院，在它下面是中级法院(一般称地区法院或郡法院)再下面是地方行政官法庭，地方法庭或初级法庭。In each State there is a Supreme Court. Below it are intermediate courts commonly called District or County Courts. Below them are Magistrates Courts, Local Courts or Courts of Petty Sessions. 第三十二章 澳大利亚社会和文化 Chapter 32 Society and Culture .土著人与澳大利亚社会 Aborigines and Australian Society 今天，土著人和托雷斯海峡岛上居民仍是澳大利亚社会中最贫穷的一个阶层。Today, Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders are still the most impoverished group in Australian society.近年来，土著人土地权的问题一直是个有争议的问题。The Aboriginal land rights issue has been a controversial one in recent years.马博裁决被赞喻为一个里程碑，因为它承认，从法律上讲，在欧洲人移民进来时澳大利亚并不是无人居住。The Mabo Judgment has been hailed as a landmark one because it recognizes that Australia was not, in law, unoccupied at the time of European settlement. 根据马博裁决，对于政府没有依法征用或土著人仍与其有传统联系的土地、土著人和托雷斯海峡岛上居民仍享有所有权。According to the Mabo Judgment, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples may still hold native title to land where it has not been lost by valid acts of government or the loss of traditional connection with the land. 近些年以来，土著人的社会和经济地位有所提高。In recent years there has been some improvement in the social and economic position of the Aboriginal people, .澳大利亚向多元文化社会的过渡 Australias Transition to a Multicultural Society 根据多元文化主义，流动的群体可以讲他们自己的语言，保持他们自己的风俗习惯。Under multiculturalism migrant groups are able to speak their own language and maintain their own customs. 当澳大利亚的各个殖民地在1901年联合起来建立联邦时，白人澳大利亚政策(1901年移民限制法)是这个新国家各种政策的基本原则。 When the Australian colonies joined together as a Commonwealth in 1901 the White Australia policy (the Immigration Restriction Act 1901)