2018年经济学人 沙特改革大幕已开启(3)

 

And the crown prince's effort to boost the private sector¹ is strangely centralised.

而且王储出人意料地集中推进私营企业的发展。

Even the promotion² of entertainment is run by a government agency.

甚至连娱乐推广都是由政府机构负责。

His focus on "giga-projects", notably³ plans to build NEOM, a futuristic city in the north-west with separate laws, looks mega-risky.

王储专注于“giga项目”，尤其是计划在西北建造一个具有巨大风险但有其独立法律的未来城市NEOM。

Previous attempts to carve out copycat versions of Dubai,

此前，沙特阿拉伯曾模仿过迪拜，

the business and tourism hub in the UAE, have been a disappointment.

试图打造一个阿拉伯联合酋长国商业和旅游中心，结局以失败告终。

The King Abdullah Financial District in Riyadh stands almost empty.

这个试图打造的利雅得的阿卜杜拉国王金融区几乎空无一人。

Instead of planning a dream city, the crown prince should aim to make all of Saudi Arabia a bit more like Dubai,

相比于规划一个梦想中的城市，王储更应该致力于将沙特阿拉伯改革成一个像迪拜一样

open to the world, friendly to business, efficiently⁴ run, socially liberal,religiously tolerant and, above all, governed by a predictable system of laws.

对世界开放、商业发达、高效运行、社会自由、尊重宗教、并且具有完整法律体系的国家。

His decision to lock up hundred softy coons, of-ficials and princes arbitrarily in a gilded⁵ Saudi hotel last year in an "anti-corruption campaign" frightened investors⁶.

去年，在一场“反腐运动”中，他专横地决定将数百名软蛋、官员和王子关进一家镀金的沙特酒店，这一举措吓坏了投资者们 。

He should also study the UAE's federalism.

王储应该研究阿联酋的联邦制。

The loose union of seven emirates in 1971 may be unique,

1971年七个酋长国松散的联盟也许是独一无二的，

but a country as large and diverse as Saudi Arabia has much to gain from devolving power.

但像沙特这样庞大而多样化的国家会在权力下放的过程中受益。

It would let different parts of the country express their identities more freely

联邦制允许不同的地区的人们能够自由地表达他们的观点，

and adapt religious rules to their traditions，

并使宗教规则适应他们的传统，

more relaxed in Jeddah, more strict inland in Riyadh and allowing more space for Shias in the east.

在吉达更加放松，在利雅得内陆地区更严格，并给东部的什叶派更多的空间。

It would also permit experimentation⁷ with economic reforms.

联邦制还有助于国家经济的改革和民主的实现。

Above all, it could lead to forms of local representation.

最重要的是，联邦制可能形成地方代表的形式。

In carrying out his transformation⁸, Prince Muhammad is weakening the old pillars of Al Saud rule,

王储穆罕默德的改革，也正在削弱阿尔沙特统治者这些老支柱的地位，

the princes, the clericsand the businessmen.

主要是王子、神职人员和商人。

Democracy can help him build a new base of legitimacy⁹.

推进民主有助于穆罕默德建立合法性基础。

The crown prince could turn his popularity among the young and women into a political force.

王储穆罕默德可以将其在年轻人和女性中的声望转变为政治力量。

That would help him in what is likely to be a long reign¹⁰ once he becomes king.

一旦他成为国王，这将帮助他度过漫长的统治时期。

Right now, he is on the road to becoming another Arab strong man.

现在，他正在成为另一位阿拉伯强人。

As the Arab spring showed, autocracy¹¹ is brittle¹².

正如“阿拉伯之春”所显示的那样，独裁政体是脆弱的。

Better to become a new sort of Arab monarch¹³: one who treats his people as citizens, not subjects.

最好是成为一种新型阿拉伯君主：把自己的人民当作公民，而不是臣民。

1 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。

2 promotion   

n.提升，晋级；促销，宣传

参考例句：

• The teacher conferred with the principal about Dick's promotion.教师与校长商谈了迪克的升级问题。
• The clerk was given a promotion and an increase in salary.那个职员升了级，加了薪。

3 notably   

adv.值得注意地，显著地，尤其地，特别地

参考例句：

• Many students were absent,notably the monitor.许多学生缺席，特别是连班长也没来。
• A notably short,silver-haired man,he plays basketball with his staff several times a week.他个子明显较为矮小，一头银发，每周都会和他的员工一起打几次篮球。

4 efficiently   

adv.高效率地，有能力地

参考例句：

• The worker oils the machine to operate it more efficiently.工人给机器上油以使机器运转更有效。
• Local authorities have to learn to allocate resources efficiently.地方政府必须学会有效地分配资源。

5 gilded   

a.镀金的，富有的

参考例句：

• The golden light gilded the sea. 金色的阳光使大海如金子般闪闪发光。
• "Friends, they are only gilded disks of lead!" "朋友们，这只不过是些镀金的铅饼！ 来自英汉文学 - 败坏赫德莱堡

6 investors   

n.投资者，出资者( investor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• a con man who bilked investors out of millions of dollars 诈取投资者几百万元的骗子
• a cash bonanza for investors 投资者的赚钱机会

7 experimentation   

n.实验，试验，实验法

参考例句：

• Many people object to experimentation on animals.许多人反对用动物做实验。
• Study and analysis are likely to be far cheaper than experimentation.研究和分析的费用可能要比实验少得多。

8 transformation   

n.变化；改造；转变

参考例句：

• Going to college brought about a dramatic transformation in her outlook.上大学使她的观念发生了巨大的变化。
• He was struggling to make the transformation from single man to responsible husband.他正在努力使自己由单身汉变为可靠的丈夫。

9 legitimacy   

n.合法，正当

参考例句：

• The newspaper was directly challenging the government's legitimacy.报纸直接质疑政府的合法性。
• Managing from the top down,we operate with full legitimacy.我们进行由上而下的管理有充分的合法性。

10 reign   

n.统治时期，统治，支配，盛行；v.占优势

参考例句：

• The reign of Queen Elizabeth lapped over into the seventeenth century.伊丽莎白王朝延至17世纪。
• The reign of Zhu Yuanzhang lasted about 31 years.朱元璋统治了大约三十一年。

11 autocracy   

n.独裁政治，独裁政府

参考例句：

• The revolution caused the overthrow of the autocracy.这场革命导致了独裁政体的结束。
• Many poor countries are abandoning autocracy.很多贫穷国家都在放弃独裁统治。

12 brittle   

adj.易碎的；脆弱的；冷淡的；(声音)尖利的

参考例句：

• The pond was covered in a brittle layer of ice.池塘覆盖了一层易碎的冰。
• She gave a brittle laugh.她冷淡地笑了笑。

13 monarch   

n.帝王，君主，最高统治者

参考例句：

• The monarch's role is purely ceremonial.君主纯粹是个礼仪职位。
• I think myself happier now than the greatest monarch upon earth.我觉得这个时候比世界上什么帝王都快乐。