经济学人:贸易谈判 协议生效背后的艰辛(1)

 　　Finance and Economics

　　财经

　　Trade Deals: Trying For Anything

　　贸易协议：尝试一切可能

　　The biggest trade deal in decades shows why getting an agreement is so hard.

　　数十年来内最大贸易协定表明了为什么达成协议如此困难。

　　IN THE wee hours of December 7th 2013, after weeks of haggling¹, exhausted² trade representatives stood to applaud.

　　2013年12月7日凌晨，在持续几周的讨价还价之后，筋疲力尽的贸易代表们全体起立，鼓掌庆祝。

　　Agreement had been reached on the first trade deal in the history of the World Trade Organisation³ (WTO).

　　在世界贸易组织（WTO）历史上的第一项贸易协定已达成一致。

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　　No longer could it be accused of being a talking shop, crimped by consensus⁴.

　　这项协议再也不会受制于各执己见无法统一而被视为空谈。

　　“For the first time in our history, the WTO has truly delivered,” said Roberto Azevedo, the body's chief.

　　机构主席罗伯特·阿泽维多说：“世贸组织真正诞生了，这是我们有史以来的第一次”。

　　The deal is tantalisingly close to coming into force, needing just two more national ratifications⁵.

　　但是协议差一点点便可以生效，仅仅再需要两个国家的批准。

　　Chad, Jordan, Kuwait and Rwanda are competing to take it over the line.

　　而乍得、约旦、科威特与卢旺达正在激烈争夺。

　　In theory, the Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) is a beacon⁶ of hope on the trade landscape.

　　理论上说，贸易便利化协议就像贸易世界的灯塔。

　　It was unanimously agreed to by rich and poor countries.

　　这项协议得到了富裕国家和落后国家的一致同意。

　　If fully⁷ implemented⁸, it could have an even bigger impact than slashing⁹ all tariffs¹⁰.

　　如果协议得到完全实施，那么它带来的影响甚至比大幅度削减所有关税的影响还要大。

　　It is an example of a win-win deal, in which peer pressure pokes¹¹ governments into making life easier and more prosperous.

　　这是双赢协定的典型，在所有成员的压力下，各国政府着手使生活更加便利、更加殷实。

　　The agreement shies away from slashing subsidies¹² or toppling tariffs, and instead hacks¹³ at the thicket¹⁴ of regulatory trade barriers.

　　这项协定没有去大幅削减补助，或者降低关税，反而大肆修改监管贸易壁垒的尺度。

　　The red tape is stickiest in poorer countries; in sub-Saharan Africa exporters must endure nearly 200 hours of inspections¹⁵, regulations and paperwork.

　　贫困国家的过关手续是最繁琐的；在非洲撒哈拉沙漠以南地区，出口商需要忍受近乎200个小时的检查、监管以及通关文书等手续。

　　Richer countries face only 15.

　　不过，发达国家只需要15个小时。

　　The TFA is supposed to surmount¹⁶ these hurdles¹⁷ by, for example, setting standards, streamlining processes and squeezing fees.

　　贸易便利化协定将克服这些阻碍，比如说，通过设定新的标准，流水线般的通关手续同时降低费用。

　　This would cut trade costs by as much as 15% in poorer countries.

　　该协议将帮助贫困国家削减多达15%的贸易花销。

　　It also enforces greater transparency.

　　同时也会有助于提高透明度。

　　Export-led growth is tricky¹⁸ if people do not know how to export.

　　如果商人不知道如何进行出口，那么以出口导向为增长（的贸易）会很困难。

　　A study by Evdokia Mose and Silvia Sorescu of the OECD found that better information could cut trade costs by 1.7% in low-income countries.

　　来自经济合作与发展组织（OECD）的Evdokia Mose和Silvia Sorescu发现，在低收入国家，更为有效的信息途经会减少1.7%的贸易花销。

　　1.trade deal 贸易协定

　　例句:They have been negotiating a bilateral¹⁹ trade deal.

　　他们一直在商谈一项双边贸易协定。

　　2.be accused of 遭受...指控

　　例句:He was accused of stealing a small boy's bicycle.

　　他被指控偷了一个小男孩的自行车。

　　3.take over 接管；接收

　　例句:The Belgians took over Rwanda under a League of Nations mandate²⁰

　　比利时人依照国际联盟的授权接管了卢旺达。

　　4.trade barriers 贸易壁垒

　　例句:Most of the subsidies and trade barriers have come at a huge cost.

　　大多数津贴和贸易壁垒付出了巨大的代价。

1 haggling   

v.讨价还价( haggle的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• I left him in the market haggling over the price of a shirt. 我扔下他自己在市场上就一件衬衫讨价还价。
• Some were haggling loudly with traders as they hawked their wares. 有些人正在大声同兜售货物的商贩讲价钱。 来自辞典例句

2 exhausted   

adj.极其疲惫的，精疲力尽的

参考例句：

• It was a long haul home and we arrived exhausted.搬运回家的这段路程特别长，到家时我们已筋疲力尽。
• Jenny was exhausted by the hustle of city life.珍妮被城市生活的忙乱弄得筋疲力尽。

3 organisation   

n.组织，安排，团体，有机休

参考例句：

• The method of his organisation work is worth commending.他的组织工作的方法值得称道。
• His application for membership of the organisation was rejected.他想要加入该组织的申请遭到了拒绝。

4 consensus   

n.(意见等的)一致，一致同意，共识

参考例句：

• Can we reach a consensus on this issue?我们能在这个问题上取得一致意见吗？
• What is the consensus of opinion at the afternoon meeting?下午会议上一致的意见是什么？

5 ratifications   

n.正式批准，认可( ratification的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The ratifications shall be exchanged in Berlin. 批准将交换在柏林。 来自互联网
• After receiving the required 60 ratifications, the Court came into being on 1 July 20060个国家批准该规约后，法院于2002 年7月1日成立。 来自互联网

6 beacon   

n.烽火，（警告用的）闪火灯，灯塔

参考例句：

• The blink of beacon could be seen for miles.灯塔的光亮在数英里之外都能看见。
• The only light over the deep black sea was the blink shone from the beacon.黑黢黢的海面上唯一的光明就只有灯塔上闪现的亮光了。

7 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

8 implemented   

v.实现( implement的过去式和过去分词 )；执行；贯彻；使生效

参考例句：

• This agreement, if not implemented, is a mere scrap of paper. 这个协定如不执行只不过是一纸空文。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• The economy is in danger of collapse unless far-reaching reforms are implemented. 如果不实施影响深远的改革，经济就面临崩溃的危险。 来自辞典例句

9 slashing   

adj.尖锐的；苛刻的；鲜明的；乱砍的v.挥砍( slash的现在分词 )；鞭打；割破；削减

参考例句：

• Slashing is the first process in which liquid treatment is involved. 浆纱是液处理的第一过程。 来自辞典例句
• He stopped slashing his horse. 他住了手，不去鞭打他的马了。 来自辞典例句

10 tariffs   

关税制度； 关税( tariff的名词复数 )； 关税表； （旅馆或饭店等的）收费表； 量刑标准

参考例句：

• British industry was sheltered from foreign competition by protective tariffs. 保护性关税使英国工业免受国际竞争影响。
• The new tariffs have put a stranglehold on trade. 新的关税制对开展贸易极为不利。

11 pokes   

v.伸出( poke的第三人称单数 )；戳出；拨弄；与（某人）性交

参考例句：

• He pokes his nose into everything. 他这人好管闲事。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Only the tip of an iceberg pokes up above water. 只有冰山的尖端突出于水面。 来自辞典例句

12 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》

13 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

14 thicket   

n.灌木丛，树林

参考例句：

• A thicket makes good cover for animals to hide in.丛林是动物的良好隐蔽处。
• We were now at the margin of the thicket.我们现在已经来到了丛林的边缘。

15 inspections   

n.检查( inspection的名词复数 )；检验；视察；检阅

参考例句：

• Regular inspections are carried out at the prison. 经常有人来视察这座监狱。
• Government inspections ensure a high degree of uniformity in the standard of service. 政府检查确保了在服务标准方面的高度一致。 来自《简明英汉词典》

16 surmount   

vt.克服；置于…顶上

参考例句：

• We have many problems to surmount before we can start the project.我们得克服许多困难才能著手做这项工作。
• We are fully confident that we can surmount these difficulties.我们完全相信我们能够克服这些困难。

17 hurdles   

n.障碍( hurdle的名词复数 )；跳栏；（供人或马跳跃的）栏架；跨栏赛

参考例句：

• In starting a new company, many hurdles must be crossed. 刚开办一个公司时，必须克服许多障碍。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• There are several hurdles to be got over in this project. 在这项工程中有一些困难要克服。 来自辞典例句

18 tricky   

adj.狡猾的，奸诈的；(工作等)棘手的，微妙的

参考例句：

• I'm in a rather tricky position.Can you help me out?我的处境很棘手，你能帮我吗？
• He avoided this tricky question and talked in generalities.他回避了这个非常微妙的问题，只做了个笼统的表述。

19 bilateral   

adj.双方的，两边的，两侧的

参考例句：

• They have been negotiating a bilateral trade deal.他们一直在商谈一项双边贸易协定。
• There was a wide gap between the views of the two statesmen on the bilateral cooperation.对双方合作的问题，两位政治家各自所持的看法差距甚大。

20 mandate   

n.托管地；命令，指示

参考例句：

• The President had a clear mandate to end the war.总统得到明确的授权结束那场战争。
• The General Election gave him no such mandate.大选并未授予他这种权力。