VOA慢速英语2016 亚洲国家忧心贸易保护主义

AS IT IS 2016-07-10 Asian Countries Worry About Protectionism 亚洲国家忧心贸易保护主义

Asian countries are increasingly concerned that popular anger in the U.S. and Europe might hurt their exports and lead to a global economic slowdown.

亚洲国家越来越担心，欧美各国民众的负面情绪可能会影响其出口，并导致全球经济增长放缓。

Voters in industrialized countries are frustrated¹ with job losses in industries such as steel and automobile² manufacturing. Many blame the losses on globalization and free trade policies.

工业化国家的选民对钢铁和汽车制造等行业的裁员感到沮丧。许多人将其归咎于全球化和自由贸易政策。

These were reportedly major issues in the British vote to leave the European Union. They also have been energetically discussed in the U.S. presidential election.

据报道，这些是英国公投遇到的主要问题。也是美国总统大选中一直被热议的话题。

Some experts are calling these concerns protectionism, or seeking to protect or block off a country’s market from foreign businesses.

这些担忧被专家称为“贸易保护主义”或试图阻止外国企业进入本国市场。

Frederic Neumann co-directs Asian economics research for HSBC Bank in Hong Kong. He said, “Rising protectionism could throw sand in the wheels of the global trading system and so start to gum it up.”

范力民（Frederic Neumann）是汇丰控股驻香港亚洲经济研究部门共同负责人。他说，“正在上升的贸易保护主义情绪可能破坏全球贸易体系，甚至会导致体系瘫痪。”

Effects of Britain’s vote on world markets had results

英国公投对全球市场的影响已有所显现

The vote in Britain resulted in wild changes in financial markets around the world.

英国公投导致了全球金融市场的剧烈动荡。

Major East Asian countries were no exception. They reacted with short-term economic measures meant to stabilize³ their markets because of the June 23 vote.

主要的几个东亚国家也不例外。因6月23日的英国公投，这些国家采取了短期经济措施来稳定市场。

South Korea ordered an increase in government spending. China let the value of its currency fall. And Japan has said it is considering taking measures if the value of the Japanese yen⁴ continues to rise.

韩国政府下令增加政府开支。中国下调人民币汇率。而日本则表示，若日元继续升值，会考虑采取措施。

However, reaction in Asia to the heated disputes over trade in the West, especially in the U.S., has been somewhat muted.

然而从某种程度上来说，亚洲对西方国家（尤其是美国）在贸易问题上的激烈争议并不强烈。

Peter Drysdale heads the East Asian Bureau of Economic Research at the Australian National University’s Crawford School of Public Policy. He said anxiety in Asia is eased by the perception that a more thoughtful discussion will develop over time.

彼得·德莱斯戴尔（Peter Drysdale）任职于澳大利亚国立大学克劳福德公共政策学院东亚经济研究局。他说，随着时间推移将会出现更理性的观点，这将缓解亚洲各国的焦虑情绪。

“The rhetoric⁵ coming out of the political campaign in the United States of course does disturb policy leaders elsewhere in the world including Asia,” Drysdale said.

德莱斯戴尔表示，“美国竞选中的一些“豪言壮语”势必会干扰世界各国包括亚洲在内的决策者。”

Both parties voice opposition⁶ to free trade deals

美国两党都反对自由贸易协定

U.S. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump⁷ has attacked free trade agreements (FTA) during his campaign.

美国共和党总统选举人唐纳德·川普（Donald Trump）在竞选期间曾抨击过自由贸易协定。

He called for renegotiating or withdrawing from the North American Free Trade Agreement, known as NAFTA, with Canada and Mexico. He also said he opposes the Trans-Pacific Partnership⁸ (TPP). That trade agreement includes the United States and 11 other Pacific countries.

他呼吁美国与加拿大、墨西哥重新就北美自由贸易协定进行谈判或者干脆放弃。他还反对跨太平洋伙伴关系。这一贸易协定涵盖美国和其它11个太平洋国家。

Trump has criticized trade deals, but he is not alone.

川普批评了贸易协定，有此举动的并非他一人。

The Democratic Party presumptive nominee⁹ for president, Hillary Clinton, also voiced opposition to the TPP during her campaign.

民主党假定总统提名人希拉里·克林顿（Hillary Clinton）在竞选期间也表示反对跨太平洋伙伴关系。

She has, however, supported free trade agreements in the past. She spoke¹⁰ in support of the NAFTA deal as first lady of the U.S. with her husband, former president Bill Clinton. He signed the agreement into law in 1993.

然而，过去她曾支持自由贸易协定。担任美国第一夫人时，她同丈夫前总统比尔·克林顿(Bill Clinton)公开支持北美自由贸易协定。比尔·克林顿于1993年将该协定签署为法律。

Clinton also supported the TPP when she was President Barack Obama’s secretary of state. As a presidential candidate, however, she said the final version was not good for American workers.

希拉里就任奥巴马政府的国务卿时，她也支持跨太平洋伙伴关系。然而作为总统候选人，她表示该协定的终稿对美国工人不利。

Some experts see her change in position as, at least party, a reaction to her opponent in the primary elections Bernie Sanders. He has been outspoken¹¹ in his opposition to trade deals.

一些专家认为其立场的转变某种程度上是对初选竞选对手伯尼·桑德斯（Bernie Sanders）的回应。桑德斯一直明确反对贸易协定。

However, President Obama is hopeful that the U.S. Senate will approve the TPP after Congressional elections in November.

然而，11月国会选举过后，奥巴马总统对美国参议院通过跨太平洋贸易协定信心十足。

Economists¹² said Asian countries could take further measures to open up their economies and increase investment in Western countries. Drysdale said this could ease anti-trade anger in the West. He added that is already happening to some extent.

经济学家表示，亚洲国家可能会采取进一步措施开放本国经济，增加对西方国家的投资。德莱斯戴尔表示，这会缓解西方国家反贸易的情绪。他补充说，从某种程度上这已然实现。

“Investors in India and China and elsewhere in the region are looking to put plants and investment into industrial countries and the United States in particular,” he said.

他说，“印度、中国及该区域的其他国家已开始寻求在西方工业国家建厂和投资，尤其是在美国。”

Frederic Neumann of HSBC said American companies do complain of complex regulations blocking market access to Korea although an agreement is in place.

汇丰银行的范力民表示，虽然达成了协议，美国公司都抱怨复杂的规定妨碍其进入韩国市场。

Officials in Seoul say South Korea has a trade surplus of about $10 billion with the U.S. But, they note that South Korean companies invest more in America than U.S. companies invest in Korea.

首尔官员称，虽然韩国对美国的贸易顺差约100亿美元。但是他们指出，韩国企业在美国的投资远超美国企业在韩国的投资。

Last week, Republican candidate Trump took specific aim at the U.S. free trade agreement with South Korea. He said the deal doubled the U.S. trade deficit¹³ with its East Asian ally and lost nearly 100,000 American jobs.上周，共和党候选人川普专门就美韩两国的自由贸易协定进行攻击。他说，该协议让美国同东亚盟国的贸易赤字翻了一倍，造成美国近10万个就业机会的流失。

 

Words in This Story

sentiment –n. feelings or an attitude held by a large number of people

muted –adj. not strong, limited

perception –n. an opinion, a way of seeing things

rhetoric –n. public speech meant to persuade others to do or support something

disturb –v. to throw into confusion, to worry or upset

1 frustrated   

adj.挫败的，失意的，泄气的v.使不成功( frustrate的过去式和过去分词 )；挫败；使受挫折；令人沮丧

参考例句：

• It's very easy to get frustrated in this job. 这个工作很容易令人懊恼。
• The bad weather frustrated all our hopes of going out. 恶劣的天气破坏了我们出行的愿望。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 automobile   

n.汽车，机动车

参考例句：

• He is repairing the brake lever of an automobile.他正在修理汽车的刹车杆。
• The automobile slowed down to go around the curves in the road.汽车在路上转弯时放慢了速度。

3 stabilize   

vt.（使）稳定，使稳固，使稳定平衡；vi.稳定

参考例句：

• They are eager to stabilize currencies.他们急于稳定货币。
• His blood pressure tended to stabilize.他的血压趋向稳定。

4 yen   

n. 日元；热望

参考例句：

• He wanted to convert his dollars into Japanese yen.他想将美元换成日币。
• He has a yen to be alone in a boat.他渴望独自呆在一条船上。

5 rhetoric   

n.修辞学，浮夸之言语

参考例句：

• Do you know something about rhetoric?你懂点修辞学吗？
• Behind all the rhetoric,his relations with the army are dangerously poised.在冠冕堂皇的言辞背后，他和军队的关系岌岌可危。

6 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

7 trump   

n.王牌，法宝；v.打出王牌，吹喇叭

参考例句：

• He was never able to trump up the courage to have a showdown.他始终鼓不起勇气摊牌。
• The coach saved his star player for a trump card.教练保留他的明星选手，作为他的王牌。

8 partnership   

n.合作关系，伙伴关系

参考例句：

• The company has gone into partnership with Swiss Bank Corporation.这家公司已经和瑞士银行公司建立合作关系。
• Martin has taken him into general partnership in his company.马丁已让他成为公司的普通合伙人。

9 nominee   

n.被提名者；被任命者；被推荐者

参考例句：

• His nominee for vice president was elected only after a second ballot.他提名的副总统在两轮投票后才当选。
• Mr.Francisco is standing as the official nominee for the post of District Secretary.弗朗西斯科先生是行政书记职位的正式提名人。

10 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

11 outspoken   

adj.直言无讳的，坦率的，坦白无隐的

参考例句：

• He was outspoken in his criticism.他在批评中直言不讳。
• She is an outspoken critic of the school system in this city.她是这座城市里学校制度的坦率的批评者。

12 economists   

n.经济学家，经济专家( economist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The sudden rise in share prices has confounded economists. 股价的突然上涨使经济学家大惑不解。
• Foreign bankers and economists cautiously welcomed the minister's initiative. 外国银行家和经济学家对部长的倡议反应谨慎。 来自《简明英汉词典》

13 deficit   

n.亏空，亏损；赤字，逆差

参考例句：

• The directors have reported a deficit of 2.5 million dollars.董事们报告赤字为250万美元。
• We have a great deficit this year.我们今年有很大亏损。