2016年经济学人 失败的上帝 作家的改口显示拉美左派的理论失败

 

Bello

贝洛

The gods that failed

失败的上帝

A writer's recantation highlights the intellectual failures of the Latin American left

作家的改口显示拉美左派的理论失败。

LEAVE aside Gabriel Garcia Marquez, and no writer has done more to shape the mental image that both locals and outsiders have of Latin America than Eduardo Galeano. In 1971 the then journalist published “Open Veins¹ of Latin America”, a scorching² tirade³ against foreign exploitation. Now in its 84th impression in Spanish, it remains⁴ a fixture⁵ on the exiguous⁶ shelves devoted⁷ to Latin America in bookshops in Europe and the United States. In all, it has sold over a million copies. Hugo Chavez gave it to Barack Obama when they met in 2009.

除了马尔克斯，没人能在塑造拉美精神意象上做得比爱德华多·加莱亚诺更多。1971年，当时的记者出版了《拉丁美洲被切开的血管》一书，在书中作者用长篇大论激烈地反对了外国的剥削。到现在它已再版了84次，但仍是美国和欧洲书店中关于拉美的畅销书籍，其销量已逾百万册。2009年，查韦斯与奥巴马会面时曾将此书赠与后者。

“Open Veins” is written in powerful prose, with intoxicating⁸ passion. But it is also a work of crude propaganda, a mix of selective truths, exaggeration and falsehood, caricature and conspiracy⁹ theory. It is the bible of “dependency theory”, the notion dear to the left that “underdevelopment in Latin America is a consequence of development elsewhere, that we Latin Americans are poor because the ground we tread is rich in resources.”

该书以散文写就，饱含令人沉醉的力量。但它是天然的宣传，是选择性真理的集合，是夸张是虚假也是讽刺画和阴谋论。它是“依赖理论”的圣经，有着“拉美的欠发达是因为其他地方的发达，拉美的贫穷是源于我们土地的富有。（引自原文）”的珍贵见解。

The message is one of anti-capitalism¹⁰ as well as anti-imperialism. Mr Galeano brackets as “mechanisms of plunder” both “the caravelled conquistadors and the jet-propelled technocrats¹¹; Hernan Cortés and the [US] Marines; the agents of the Spanish Crown and the International Monetary¹² Fund missions; the dividends¹³ from the slave trade and the profits from General Motors.” He dismisses all possibility of reform; Cuban communism offers the only route to salvation¹⁴.

该书反对资本主义也反对帝国主义。加莱亚诺用“掠夺机制”和“卡拉维尔征服者、喷气推进式科技主义者；荷南·科尔蒂斯、美国海军；西班牙王室和货币基金组织的代理人；奴隶贸易的分红和通用汽车的利润”加以注解。他将所有改革的可能从考虑中剔除，古巴的共产主义是唯一的拯救途径

So when Mr Galeano let slip, in remarks at a recent book fair in Brasilia, that today he would find “Open Veins” unreadable, it was almost as if Jesus's disciples¹⁵ had admitted that the New Testament¹⁶ was a big misunderstanding. He added that when he wrote the book he lacked “sufficient knowledge of economics and politics” and that it belongs to “a past era”.

所以当加莱亚诺在最近巴西利亚的书展上无意中表示《切开的血管》已不具备可读性时，就像耶稣的门徒承认新约是一个巨大的误读一样。他补充道他在写作本书时缺乏必要的经济政治知识，而该书属于过去。

Indeed so. Asia's economic development and Latin America's commodity-fuelled economic boom of this century expose dependency theory as simplistic nonsense (although it still has adherents¹⁷ in Latin American Studies departments). Social democracy, as practised in Brazil, Chile and Mr Galeano's own Uruguay, has offered more to the Latin American masses than the Castros' bankrupt police state.

确实如此。本世纪亚洲经济增长和拉美商品经济繁荣显示出依赖理论纯粹是胡说八道。（虽然在拉美的研究机构该理论仍不乏追随者。）巴西、智利和加莱亚诺的乌拉圭仍在摸索着社会民主，而这给拉美带来的麻烦远远多于卡斯特罗破产的集权国家。

But the contention¹⁸ of “Open Veins” that Latin Americans are poor because someone—multinationals, local capitalists or the United States—is stealing their wealth retains a profound resonance¹⁹ in the region. It lives on in the rhetoric²⁰ and actions of governments in Venezuela, Bolivia, Ecuador and Argentina. The political recipe has modulated²¹, however. In place of Cuba's armed revolution, the formula now is one of “radical²² democracy”—or “populism”, as its detractors often call it.

《切开的血管》中提到拉美的贫穷是因为一些跨国公司、当地资本家或美国正在窃取他们的财富，而这引起了广泛的共鸣。这样的论断是基于委内瑞拉、玻利维亚。厄瓜多尔和阿根廷政府的说辞和行为。那些政治做法已被调整，但是取代古巴武装革命的方式却是“激进民主”或者说是批判者口中的“平民主义”。

This has involved charismatic leaders winning power through elections by claiming to champion “the people” against their oppressors. They then hold on to power by ruthlessly seizing control of all state institutions in the name of the majority and by rewarding their followers²³ with jobs and benefits via an expanded public sector²⁴.

这涉及到那些魅力非凡的领导人通过声称冠军属于人民来打压对手从而赢得选举获得权力。之后他们借着“多数人”的名义无情地控制所有国家机构并且通过扩展公共部门给其追随者安排工作和其他利益，从而牢牢掌控权力。

The theoretical champion of radical populism, its mobilisation of plebeian²⁵ masses and its confrontation²⁶ with the established order was Ernesto Laclau, an Argentine political philosopher who lived in Cricklewood, a placid²⁷ north London suburb. He argued that populism was an antidote²⁸ to the capitalist domination of liberal democracy and to the hegemony of technocratic²⁹ “administration” over the realm of “the political”. Laclau died, aged³⁰ 78, in April. He remains influential³¹. Ricardo Forster, a friend and sympathiser, was this month named by Argentina's president, Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, to the new and Orwellian post of “strategic co-ordinator for national thought”.

激进平民主义的理论胜利动员了广大民众并且与拉克劳提出的规律相悖。（拉克劳住在平静的伦敦北郊是一位阿根廷政治哲学家）他认为平民主义是针对自由民主的资本主义统治和政治领域中技术统治霸权的矫正措施。4月，拉克劳逝世，享年78，但其理论仍有一定的影响力。本月阿根廷总统费尔南德斯任命其好友也是支持者的福斯特为新一任的“民族思想战略协调人”。

Yet Laclau's radical populism contains the seeds of its own downfall, both because it relies on individual leaders (Chavez's successor, Nicolas Maduro, lacks his mentor's charisma) and, above all, because it offers no economic answers. Chavista Venezuela, sitting on vast oil reserves, has proved incapable³² of organising a reliable supply of toilet paper, a product that even theoreticians need. Having run short of hard-currency reserves, Ms Fernandez's Argentina has begun to cut subsidies³³ and make its peace with its foreign creditors³⁴, prompting Mr Forster and his friends to warn against a “conservative restoration”.

然而拉克劳的激进平民主义从一开始就埋下了失败的种子。不仅是因为该主义的成功依靠领导人的个人因素（查韦斯的继承者尼古拉斯·马杜罗缺乏其前任的魅力）也是因为这一主义难以交出满意的经济答卷。查韦斯手中的委内瑞拉拥有大量的石油储备但却难以稳定地组织供应那些连老学究都需要的厕纸。由于缺乏硬通货储备，费尔南德斯执掌的阿根廷开始削减补贴并与外国债权人和平相处，而这促使福斯特和他的朋友们开始提防“保守恢复”

Mr Galeano's recantation and the mounting difficulties of radical populism are reminders³⁵ that capitalism is the only route to development in Latin America. The task for its proponents³⁶ is to show that it can be a tool not just to create wealth but also to overcome extreme inequality.

加莱亚诺的改口，激进平民主义困难的增加暗示着资本主义是拉美发展的唯一途径。其支持者的任务就是展示资本主义不仅是创造财富的工具也能解决极端不平等的现状。

1 veins   

n.纹理；矿脉( vein的名词复数 )；静脉；叶脉；纹理

参考例句：

• The blood flows from the capillaries back into the veins. 血从毛细血管流回静脉。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• I felt a pleasant glow in all my veins from the wine. 喝过酒后我浑身的血都热烘烘的，感到很舒服。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 scorching   

adj. 灼热的

参考例句：

• a scorching, pitiless sun 灼热的骄阳
• a scorching critique of the government's economic policy 对政府经济政策的严厉批评

3 tirade   

n.冗长的攻击性演说

参考例句：

• Her tirade provoked a counterblast from her husband.她的长篇大论激起了她丈夫的强烈反对。
• He delivered a long tirade against the government.他发表了反政府的长篇演说。

4 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

5 fixture   

n.固定设备；预定日期；比赛时间；定期存款

参考例句：

• Lighting fixture must be installed at once.必须立即安装照明设备。
• The cordless kettle may now be a fixture in most kitchens.无绳电热水壶现在可能是多数厨房的固定设备。

6 exiguous   

adj.不足的，太少的

参考例句：

• The rest of the old man's exiguous savings are donated to that boy.那老人微薄积蓄中的剩余部分都捐赠给了那个男孩。
• My secretary is a exiguous talent.我的秘书是个难得的人才。

7 devoted   

adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的

参考例句：

• He devoted his life to the educational cause of the motherland.他为祖国的教育事业贡献了一生。
• We devoted a lengthy and full discussion to this topic.我们对这个题目进行了长时间的充分讨论。

8 intoxicating   

a. 醉人的,使人兴奋的

参考例句：

• Power can be intoxicating. 权力能让人得意忘形。
• On summer evenings the flowers gave forth an almost intoxicating scent. 夏日的傍晚，鲜花散发出醉人的芳香。

9 conspiracy   

n.阴谋，密谋，共谋

参考例句：

• The men were found guilty of conspiracy to murder.这些人被裁决犯有阴谋杀人罪。
• He claimed that it was all a conspiracy against him.他声称这一切都是一场针对他的阴谋。

10 capitalism   

n.资本主义

参考例句：

• The essence of his argument is that capitalism cannot succeed.他的论点的核心是资本主义不能成功。
• Capitalism began to develop in Russia in the 19th century.十九世纪资本主义在俄国开始发展。

11 technocrats   

n.技术专家，专家政治论者( technocrat的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Few business barons remained. They were replaced by "technocrats," who became the heads of corporations. 企业巨头所剩无几，大多已被“技术专家”所代替，这些人成了公司的领导。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件
• However, bankers called the technocrats' bluff and proceeded to lend with gusto. 但是，银行家们称技术专家官员不过在虚张声势，并且还会乐观的继续借贷业务。 来自互联网

12 monetary   

adj.货币的，钱的；通货的；金融的；财政的

参考例句：

• The monetary system of some countries used to be based on gold.过去有些国家的货币制度是金本位制的。
• Education in the wilderness is not a matter of monetary means.荒凉地区的教育不是钱财问题。

13 dividends   

红利( dividend的名词复数 )； 股息； 被除数； （足球彩票的）彩金

参考例句：

• Nothing pays richer dividends than magnanimity. 没有什么比宽宏大量更能得到厚报。
• Their decision five years ago to computerise the company is now paying dividends. 五年前他们作出的使公司电脑化的决定现在正产生出效益。

14 salvation   

n.（尤指基督）救世，超度，拯救，解困

参考例句：

• Salvation lay in political reform.解救办法在于政治改革。
• Christians hope and pray for salvation.基督教徒希望并祈祷灵魂得救。

15 disciples   

n.信徒( disciple的名词复数 )；门徒；耶稣的信徒；（尤指）耶稣十二门徒之一

参考例句：

• Judas was one of the twelve disciples of Jesus. 犹大是耶稣十二门徒之一。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• "The names of the first two disciples were --" “最初的两个门徒的名字是——” 来自英汉文学 - 汤姆历险

16 testament   

n.遗嘱；证明

参考例句：

• This is his last will and testament.这是他的遗愿和遗嘱。
• It is a testament to the power of political mythology.这说明，编造政治神话可以产生多大的威力。

17 adherents   

n.支持者，拥护者( adherent的名词复数 )；党羽；徒子徒孙

参考例句：

• He is a leader with many adherents. 他是个有众多追随者的领袖。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The proposal is gaining more and more adherents. 该建议得到越来越多的支持者。 来自《简明英汉词典》

18 contention   

n.争论，争辩，论战；论点，主张

参考例句：

• The pay increase is the key point of contention. 加薪是争论的焦点。
• The real bone of contention,as you know,is money.你知道，争论的真正焦点是钱的问题。

19 resonance   

n.洪亮；共鸣；共振

参考例句：

• Playing the piano sets up resonance in those glass ornaments.一弹钢琴那些玻璃饰物就会产生共振。
• The areas under the two resonance envelopes are unequal.两个共振峰下面的面积是不相等的。

20 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。

21 modulated   

已调整[制]的，被调的

参考例句：

• He carefully modulated his voice. 他小心地压低了声音。
• He had a plump face, lemur-like eyes, a quiet, subtle, modulated voice. 他有一张胖胖的脸，狐猴般的眼睛，以及安详、微妙和富于抑扬顿挫的嗓音。

22 radical   

n.激进份子，原子团，根号；adj.根本的，激进的，彻底的

参考例句：

• The patient got a radical cure in the hospital.病人在医院得到了根治。
• She is radical in her demands.她的要求十分偏激。

23 followers   

追随者( follower的名词复数 )； 用户； 契据的附面； 从动件

参考例句：

• the followers of Mahatma Gandhi 圣雄甘地的拥护者
• The reformer soon gathered a band of followers round him. 改革者很快就获得一群追随者支持他。

24 sector   

n.部门，部分；防御地段，防区；扇形

参考例句：

• The export sector will aid the economic recovery. 出口产业将促进经济复苏。
• The enemy have attacked the British sector.敌人已进攻英国防区。

25 plebeian   

adj.粗俗的；平民的；n.平民；庶民

参考例句：

• He is a philosophy professor with a cockney accent and an alarmingly plebeian manner.他是个有一口伦敦土腔、举止粗俗不堪的哲学教授。
• He spent all day playing rackets on the beach,a plebeian sport if there ever was one.他一整天都在海滩玩壁球，再没有比这更不入流的运动了。

26 confrontation   

n.对抗，对峙，冲突

参考例句：

• We can't risk another confrontation with the union.我们不能冒再次同工会对抗的危险。
• After years of confrontation,they finally have achieved a modus vivendi.在对抗很长时间后，他们最后达成安宁生存的非正式协议。

27 placid   

adj.安静的，平和的

参考例句：

• He had been leading a placid life for the past eight years.八年来他一直过着平静的生活。
• You should be in a placid mood and have a heart-to- heart talk with her.你应该心平气和的好好和她谈谈心。

28 antidote   

n.解毒药，解毒剂

参考例句：

• There is no known antidote for this poison.这种毒药没有解药。
• Chinese physicians used it as an antidote for snake poison.中医师用它来解蛇毒。

29 technocratic   

adj.由技术专家官员组成的；受技术官僚影响的

参考例句：

• But there is method in Europe's technocratic madness, the official went on. 但欧洲的专家政治论者的愤怒是有原因的，这个位官员接着说道。 来自互联网
• Mr Juppé was floored in part by his contemptuous, technocratic attitude towards union leaders. 朱佩对工会领导蛮横与不屑，是导致他一败涂地的部分原因。 来自互联网

30 aged   

adj.年老的，陈年的

参考例句：

• He had put on weight and aged a little.他胖了，也老点了。
• He is aged,but his memory is still good.他已年老，然而记忆力还好。

31 influential   

adj.有影响的，有权势的

参考例句：

• He always tries to get in with the most influential people.他总是试图巴结最有影响的人物。
• He is a very influential man in the government.他在政府中是个很有影响的人物。

32 incapable   

adj.无能力的，不能做某事的

参考例句：

• He would be incapable of committing such a cruel deed.他不会做出这么残忍的事。
• Computers are incapable of creative thought.计算机不会创造性地思维。

33 subsidies   

n.补贴，津贴，补助金( subsidy的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• European agriculture ministers failed to break the deadlock over farm subsidies. 欧洲各国农业部长在农业补贴问题上未能打破僵局。
• Agricultural subsidies absorb about half the EU's income. 农业补贴占去了欧盟收入的大约一半。 来自《简明英汉词典》

34 creditors   

n.债权人，债主( creditor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• They agreed to repay their creditors over a period of three years. 他们同意3年内向债主还清欠款。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Creditors could obtain a writ for the arrest of their debtors. 债权人可以获得逮捕债务人的令状。 来自《简明英汉词典》

35 reminders   

n.令人回忆起…的东西( reminder的名词复数 )；提醒…的东西；（告知该做某事的）通知单；提示信

参考例句：

• The film evokes chilling reminders of the war. 这部电影使人们回忆起战争的可怕场景。
• The strike has delayed the mailing of tax reminders. 罢工耽搁了催税单的投寄。

36 proponents   

n.（某事业、理论等的）支持者，拥护者( proponent的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Reviewing courts were among the most active proponents of hybrid rulemaking procedures. 复审法院是最积极的混合型规则制定程序的建议者。 来自英汉非文学 - 行政法
• Proponents of such opinions were arrested as 'traitors. ' 提倡这种主张的人马上作为“卖国贼”逮捕起来。 来自辞典例句