经济学人210:妙招告急-日本能源问题

 　　Energy in Japan

　　日本能源问题

　　Bright ideas needed

　　妙招告急

　　Japan’s power monopolies raise costs and stifle¹ innovation

　　日本能源垄断企业——拽高成本，扼杀创新

　　Sep 17th 2011 | TOKYO | from the print edition

　　THE corridors were dark, the air uncomfortably hot. The lights at the headquarters of the Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) were largely switched off; the air-conditioners were turned down. Even the chief executive, Toshio Nishizawa, had removed his tie for an interview on September 5th. In normal times, that would be a glaring breach² of Japanese corporate³ etiquette⁴, but these are not normal times.

　　走廊伸手不见十指，空气燥热难忍。东京电力总部，几乎没几盏灯亮着，空调冷气也已调小。9月5日接受采访时，东电首席执行官Toshio Nishizawa甚至都未系领带。这要放在平时，显然就是公然违背日本公司礼仪。但如今绝非“平时”。

　　Since the earthquake and tsunami⁵ of March 11th, most nuclear reactors⁷ in Japan have been shut down for maintenance and not restarted: 43 out of 54 remain idle. There has been a national drive for setsuden (conserving energy). TEPCO must be seen to share the pain.

　　3月11日地震海啸袭来，日本大部分核反应堆都因维护原因关停，尚未重启使用，54座反应堆中有43座仍然闲置。日本全国上下曾掀起“能源节约”热潮，东电必须做出样子，有所分担。

　　The company is staggeringly unpopular. One of its nuclear plants at Fukushima was damaged on March 11th. In the crucial hours after the tsunami, TEPCO failed to add water to cool the reactor⁶ cores. It was unable to restore steady back-up power until days later and inexplicably⁸ delayed venting⁹ a build-up of pressure that eventually led to hydrogen explosions.

　　如今，东电极不受待见。3月11日的灾难中，东电在福岛的一座核电站被毁。海啸退去关键的几个小时内，东电未能向反应堆核心注水降温。而且直到灾难爆发数天之后，东电才恢复稳定的备用电源。再者，东电迟迟未释放反应堆内激增的巨大压力，最终导致了氢爆炸，真叫人无法理解。

　　As if that were not bad enough, TEPCO withheld¹⁰ information from everyone, including the then prime minister, Naoto Kan, who stormed into its headquarters yelling: “What the hell is going on?” A meltdown began several hours after the tsunami struck, but wasn’t officially disclosed until nine weeks later. “We have lost trust,” admits Mr Nishizawa. Regaining¹¹ it will take “a long, long time”, he adds.

　　东电貌似觉得这还不够惨，竟而还对外封锁消息，连时任首相菅直人都被蒙在鼓里，菅直人冲进东电总部吼道：“到底怎么回事？”海啸来袭数小时之后，反应堆炉心就已融毁，但直到9个礼拜后东电才正式披露消息。Toshio Nishizawa也承认东电已失去公众信任，并表示重获信任，绝不是一朝一夕的事情。

　　Asked whether the reactor was damaged by the quake itself (as distinct from the tsunami that followed it), Mr Nishizawa says it is unclear: we must wait for a report in November. This question matters. If the reactors in quake-prone Japan are not quake-proof, nuclear power may not be safe. An official at a nuclear regulator says there is evidence that the quake did indeed damage the reactor.

　　对于‘地震是否为摧毁反应堆元凶’这个问题（与随后的海啸损害不同），Toshio Nishizawa的回答是“不清楚”，说要等到11月报告出台后，方才清楚。地震是不是元凶这个问题至关重要。日本这么一个地震频发的国家，倘若反应堆不抗震，那么核能也许就不安全。核能监管部门的一名官员表示，有证据表明的确是地震摧毁了反应堆。

　　Since the disaster, Japanese people have made heroic efforts to save energy. Households snuffed out lights and unplugged their heated toilet seats. Big companies reduced their energy use by 15% (on pain of fines). Many began the workday earlier or switched to night shifts. The car industry took Thursdays and Fridays off and toiled¹² at weekends, when electricity demand is lower. In TEPCO’s region (around Tokyo), peak usage fell to 49 gigawatts, from 60 gigawatts last year. Everyone expected blackouts; none occurred. On September 9th, as the summer’s heat faded, the government announced an end to setsuden.

　　灾难过后,日本民众做出巨大努力节省能源。家家户户熄掉电灯，关掉便桶加热器。大公司纷纷砍掉了15%的能耗（震慑于罚款）。不少日本人要么工作日早早起床工作，要么转而倒夜班。由于周末电力需求不那么紧张，汽车工业周四周五停工，周六周日苦干。今年，东电辖区（东京地区）的高峰用电量从去年同期的60千兆瓦下降到49千兆瓦。人人都做好了大面积停电的准备，却多虑了。9月9日，鉴于酷暑散去，日本政府宣布“能源节约”告一段落。

　　Yet Japan’s energy problems are far from resolved. If the nuclear freeze lasts for a year, it will cut GDP by an estimated 3.6% and destroy almost 200,000 jobs. Meanwhile, three-fifths of the public say they have little confidence in nuclear power.

　　然而，日本能源危机还远远没有解决。倘若到明年3月，核能仍未能重启的话，预计，GDP将会因此下滑3.6%，20万工作岗位也会随之灰飞烟灭。与此同时，3/5的民众对核能没什么信心。

　　Japan needs a robust¹³ and diverse energy industry. Instead it has ten regional monopolies (TEPCO is one), which hog¹⁴ 97% of the market for electricity generation and transmission. Residential¹⁵ consumers pay nearly twice as much as Americans and three times as much as South Koreans (see chart). After modest deregulation began for big commercial users a decade ago, prices plummeted¹⁶ by 16% between 1999 and 2005. Yet lacking political support, the reforms went into reverse.

　　日本需要一个强劲而又多元化的能源产业。但事与愿违，却崛起了10家区域垄断电力集团（东京电力公司是其中之一），他们把持着全国97%的发电输电市场份额。日本家庭用户上缴的电费几乎是美国人的2倍，韩国人的3倍（见图表）。十年前，政府开始实施针对大型商业用户的供电适度宽松政策，使得电价在1999到2005年间下滑了16%。然而由于缺少政治支持，供电改革走上回头路。

　　Electricity prices are high because the monopolies have little incentive¹⁷ to cut costs. On the contrary, their profit margins¹⁸ are fixed¹⁹ by the government, so if they inflate²⁰ their costs, they boost their income. At the same time, the utilities charge residential consumers a flat rate, giving them no incentive to run appliances during off-peak hours. Alternative energy gets short shrift. Although Japanese firms are leaders in green technologies such as wind, solar and geothermal, these sources account for only 1% of all power generation.

　　电价高昂是因为垄断商们没什么理由削减成本。而恰恰相反，由于政府规定死了电力公司的利润率，所以他们一旦抬高成本，盈利就会随之增加。同时电力公司按时计价收取家庭用户电费，因此，即使是非高峰时段，用户也没理由狂用家电。替代能源也不受待见。虽说日本企业在风能，太阳能和地热能等绿色能源产业上处于领先地位，但绿色能源发电也只占总发电量的1%。

　　TEPCO’s influence is vast. It supports politicians from one party; its union supports their rivals. It finances academic research on energy. It takes hacks²¹ on junkets. And last year it spent ?26 billion ($339m) on advertising²² and promotion—a fortune for a firm with no serious competitors.

　　东电有着巨大的影响力。集团支持一党政客，工会则支持他们的竞争对手。东电为学术能源研究买单,并且资助低层官员公费旅游。去年，东电又花费260亿日元（约合3.39亿美元）做宣传，打广告。没有强劲竞争对手的东电却耗费了这么一笔巨款。

　　Reformers urge the break-up of Japan’s power monopolies. Separating generation from transmission and opening the door to new entrants would raise efficiency and reduce costs. However, Keidanren, the lobby for big business, opposes deregulation on the ground that TEPCO and its ilk ensure a stable supply of electricity. Several Keidanren members sell parts and services to the power monopolies, and receive steep discounts on the power they use.

　　革新人士敦促打日本打破能源垄断局势。发电与输电分开经营，打开大门欢迎新成员入驻电力产业，都能提高效率并降低成本。然而，大企业游说团体（Keidanren）却反对放宽管制，他们的理由是东电及其同行能够确保供电稳定。Keidanren的几个会员是电力垄断集团的零件及服务供给商，同时他们也享受着巨大的电价折扣。

　　Many politicians believe that TEPCO must be preserved so it can compensate²³ the victims of the nuclear accident at Fukushima. A law governing compensation was approved by the Diet on August 3rd. It creates a mechanism²⁴ to collect funds from TEPCO and other power firms but fails to specify²⁵ how the costs will be shared. On September 12th TEPCO sent out forms for evacuees²⁶ to fill in. These are 60 pages long.

　　不少政客认为东电不能倒台，因为福岛核事故受害者还等着她赔偿呢。日本议会于8月3日通过了赔偿法案，该法案提出向东电及其它电力公司筹资，但却未指明各方承担多少赔偿份额。9月12日，东电分发表格供撤离人员填写，这些表格长达60页。

　　The new government of Yoshihiko Noda wants to reduce Japan’s reliance on nuclear power in the medium term, but hopes to restart idle reactors in the meantime. Without cheap, reliable power, businesses may move abroad.

　　野田佳彦新政府打算在中期时间之内，降低日本对核能的依赖，但同时，他们也希望重启闲置反应堆。如若没有廉价可靠的电力供应，许多企业可能会迁往国外。

　　New firms are clamouring to enter the energy business. Masayoshi Son, a wireless²⁷ tycoon²⁸, plans to build huge solar-power stations and a new grid²⁹ to connect Japanese prefectures. But the regulatory process is a nightmare, he says. A new law on green energy gives few clues as to how new producers can sell power to the grid, or whether the incumbents³⁰ have to buy it. Not even an earthquake, it seems, can shake the monopolists’ grip.

　　新企业吵着要开进能源产业。无线巨头Masayoshi Son打算兴建大型太阳能发电站，并计划新开通一条输电网，连通日本各县。但他表示，规章程序好比噩梦一场。新出台的绿色能源法案几乎未说明，新发电商通过何种渠道向电网出售电力，也未说明现在的电力供应企业是否要购买新能源电力。似乎即便是地震也无法撼动垄断集团的铁爪。

1 stifle   

vt.使窒息；闷死；扼杀；抑止，阻止

参考例句：

• She tried hard to stifle her laughter.她强忍住笑。
• It was an uninteresting conversation and I had to stifle a yawn.那是一次枯燥无味的交谈，我不得不强忍住自己的呵欠。

2 breach   

n.违反，不履行；破裂；vt.冲破，攻破

参考例句：

• We won't have any breach of discipline.我们不允许任何破坏纪律的现象。
• He was sued for breach of contract.他因不履行合同而被起诉。

3 corporate   

adj.共同的，全体的；公司的，企业的

参考例句：

• This is our corporate responsibility.这是我们共同的责任。
• His corporate's life will be as short as a rabbit's tail.他的公司的寿命是兔子尾巴长不了。

4 etiquette   

n.礼仪，礼节；规矩

参考例句：

• The rules of etiquette are not so strict nowadays.如今的礼仪规则已不那么严格了。
• According to etiquette,you should stand up to meet a guest.按照礼节你应该站起来接待客人。

5 tsunami   

n.海啸

参考例句：

• Powerful quake sparks tsunami warning in Japan.大地震触发了日本的海啸预警。
• Coastlines all around the Indian Ocean inundated by a huge tsunami.大海啸把印度洋沿岸地区都淹没了。

6 reactor   

n.反应器；反应堆

参考例句：

• The atomic reactor generates enormous amounts of thermal energy.原子反应堆发出大量的热能。
• Inside the reactor the large molecules are cracked into smaller molecules.在反应堆里，大分子裂变为小分子。

7 reactors   

起反应的人( reactor的名词复数 )； 反应装置； 原子炉； 核反应堆

参考例句：

• The TMI nuclear facility has two reactors. 三哩岛核设施有两个反应堆。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法
• The earliest production reactors necessarily used normal uranium as fuel. 最早为生产用的反应堆，必须使用普通铀作为燃料。

8 inexplicably   

adv.无法说明地，难以理解地，令人难以理解的是

参考例句：

• Inexplicably, Mary said she loved John. 真是不可思议，玛丽说她爱约翰。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Inexplicably, she never turned up. 令人不解的是，她从未露面。 来自辞典例句

9 venting   

消除； 泄去； 排去； 通风

参考例句：

• But, unexpectedly, he started venting his spleen on her. 哪知道，老头子说着说着绕到她身上来。 来自汉英文学 - 骆驼祥子
• So now he's venting his anger on me. 哦，我这才知道原来还是怄我的气。

10 withheld   

withhold过去式及过去分词

参考例句：

• I withheld payment until they had fulfilled the contract. 他们履行合同后，我才付款。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• There was no school play because the principal withheld his consent. 由于校长没同意，学校里没有举行比赛。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 regaining   

复得( regain的现在分词 )； 赢回； 重回； 复至某地

参考例句：

• She was regaining consciousness now, but the fear was coming with her. 现在她正在恢发她的知觉，但是恐怖也就伴随着来了。
• She said briefly, regaining her will with a click. 她干脆地答道，又马上重新振作起精神来。

12 toiled   

长时间或辛苦地工作( toil的过去式和过去分词 )； 艰难缓慢地移动，跋涉

参考例句：

• They toiled up the hill in the blazing sun. 他们冒着炎炎烈日艰难地一步一步爬上山冈。
• He toiled all day long but earned very little. 他整天劳碌但挣得很少。

13 robust   

adj.强壮的，强健的，粗野的，需要体力的，浓的

参考例句：

• She is too tall and robust.她个子太高，身体太壮。
• China wants to keep growth robust to reduce poverty and avoid job losses,AP commented.美联社评论道，中国希望保持经济强势增长，以减少贫困和失业状况。

14 hog   

n.猪；馋嘴贪吃的人；vt.把…占为己有，独占

参考例句：

• He is greedy like a hog.他像猪一样贪婪。
• Drivers who hog the road leave no room for other cars.那些占着路面的驾驶员一点余地都不留给其他车辆。

15 residential   

adj.提供住宿的；居住的；住宅的

参考例句：

• The mayor inspected the residential section of the city.市长视察了该市的住宅区。
• The residential blocks were integrated with the rest of the college.住宿区与学院其他部分结合在了一起。

16 plummeted   

v.垂直落下，骤然跌落( plummet的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Share prices plummeted to an all-time low. 股票价格暴跌到历史最低点。
• A plane plummeted to earth. 一架飞机一头栽向地面。 来自《简明英汉词典》

17 incentive   

n.刺激；动力；鼓励；诱因；动机

参考例句：

• Money is still a major incentive in most occupations.在许多职业中，钱仍是主要的鼓励因素。
• He hasn't much incentive to work hard.他没有努力工作的动机。

18 margins   

边( margin的名词复数 )； 利润； 页边空白； 差数

参考例句：

• They have always had to make do with relatively small profit margins. 他们不得不经常设法应付较少的利润额。
• To create more space between the navigation items, add left and right margins to the links. 在每个项目间留更多的空隙，加左或者右的margins来定义链接。

19 fixed   

adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的

参考例句：

• Have you two fixed on a date for the wedding yet?你们俩选定婚期了吗？
• Once the aim is fixed,we should not change it arbitrarily.目标一旦确定，我们就不应该随意改变。

20 inflate   

vt.使膨胀，使骄傲，抬高（物价）

参考例句：

• The buyers bid against each other and often inflate the prices they pay.买主们竞相投标，往往人为地提高价钱。
• Stuart jumped into the sea and inflated the liferaft.斯图尔特跳到海里给救生艇充气。

21 hacks   

黑客

参考例句：

• But there are hacks who take advantage of people like Teddy. 但有些无赖会占类似泰迪的人的便宜。 来自电影对白
• I want those two hacks back here, right now. 我要那两个雇工回到这儿，现在就回。 来自互联网

22 advertising   

n.广告业；广告活动 a.广告的；广告业务的

参考例句：

• Can you give me any advice on getting into advertising? 你能指点我如何涉足广告业吗?
• The advertising campaign is aimed primarily at young people. 这个广告宣传运动主要是针对年轻人的。

23 compensate   

vt.补偿，赔偿；酬报 vi.弥补；补偿；抵消

参考例句：

• She used her good looks to compensate her lack of intelligence. 她利用她漂亮的外表来弥补智力的不足。
• Nothing can compensate for the loss of one's health. 一个人失去了键康是不可弥补的。

24 mechanism   

n.机械装置；机构，结构

参考例句：

• The bones and muscles are parts of the mechanism of the body.骨骼和肌肉是人体的组成部件。
• The mechanism of the machine is very complicated.这台机器的结构是非常复杂的。

25 specify   

vt.指定，详细说明

参考例句：

• We should specify a time and a place for the meeting.我们应指定会议的时间和地点。
• Please specify what you will do.请你详述一下你将做什么。

26 evacuees   

n.被疏散者( evacuee的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Moreover, for multi-exits, evacuees select a exit based on game theory. 在有多个出口时，疏散人员根据对策论选择出口。 来自互联网
• Evacuees wade through flooded area following heavy monsoon rains in Peshawar on Saturday, July 31, 2010. 撤离灾区涉水通过后在白沙瓦沉重的季风降雨在周六，2010年7月31日。 来自互联网

27 wireless   

adj.无线的；n.无线电

参考例句：

• There are a lot of wireless links in a radio.收音机里有许多无线电线路。
• Wireless messages tell us that the ship was sinking.无线电报告知我们那艘船正在下沉。

28 tycoon   

n.有钱有势的企业家，大亨

参考例句：

• The tycoon is on the verge of bankruptcy.那名大亨濒临破产的边缘。
• The tycoon has many servants to minister to his needs.那位大亨有很多人服侍他。

29 grid   

n.高压输电线路网；地图坐标方格；格栅

参考例句：

• In this application,the carrier is used to encapsulate the grid.在这种情况下，要用载体把格栅密封起来。
• Modern gauges consist of metal foil in the form of a grid.现代应变仪则由网格形式的金属片组成。

30 incumbents   

教区牧师( incumbent的名词复数 )； 教会中的任职者

参考例句：

• In general, incumbents have a 94 percent chance of being reelected. 通常现任官员有94%的几率会再次当选。
• This arangement yields a wonderful gain to incumbents. 这种安排为在职人员提供了意外的得益。