外刊经贸知识选读_课_lesson5.doc

1、Lesson 5 U.S. Is Prepared to See Trade Relations Worsen美国已做好准备任凭其贸易关系恶化By Peter BehrWashington Post Service1. WASHINGTONThe Clinton administration is drawing the first lines of a tougher U.S. policy on trade, signaling to Europe and Japan that it will demand fairer treatment for American exports and

2、 is prepared to see relationships with U.S. trading partners get worse before they get better.克林顿政府正计划推行强硬的贸易政策路线，由此向欧洲和日本发出信号要求其更为公正的对待美国的出口，同时也表示美国政府已做好准备对待贸易关系恶化而非改善的状况。2. The strongest signal came last week, when Mickey Kantor, the U.S. trade representative, moved quickly to cite the 12-nation E

3、uropean Community for “intolerable” discrimination against U.S. companies seeking government contracts within the Community. The administration will begin retaliating in six weeks if EC policies remain unchanged, Mr. Kantor said.美国贸易代表 Mickey Kantor 在上周发出了最为强烈的信号，他对欧共体 12 国限制美国公司参与欧洲政府采购计划迅速做出反应，认为这

4、种做法是“不可忍受”的，并且警告说如果欧洲在六周之内不改变其现有做法那么美国将会采取报复性措施。3. The opening themes of the new administrations trade policies emerged this week in interviews with officials and congressional sources familiar with the administrations thinking. Among the highlights:从本周熟悉新政府运作的政府官员和国会议员向媒体透露的信息看，新任政府在贸易政策方面的考虑将主要包括如

5、下要点： An insistence that Europe and Japan create a “level playing field” for trade by agreeing to give U.S. exports the same access to their markets as foreign companies receive in the United States. This push to expand U.S. manufacturing exports is considered essential politically to fulfill Preside

6、nt Bill Clintons campaign promise of more “high-wage, high-skill” jobs for American.坚持要求欧洲和日本实行“公平贸易” ，即美国出口企业应能以外国企业进入美国市场的同等条件进入欧日市场。这项旨在扩大美国制造品出口的措施是履行克林顿履行其在竞选中所做的为美国人创造更多“高工资高技能”岗位的政治承诺的不可或缺部分。 A willingness to impose major trading partners to reduce trade barriers abroad, with less patience fo

7、r drawn-out negotiations. Administration officials see little risk that this more aggressive policy could escalate a full-fledged trade war that would shock the worlds fragile economies. Thus, the administration will not be deterred by complaints that it has moved to “protectionism”. 愿意通过强制手段迫使主要贸易伙

8、伴减少国外贸易壁垒，并且对冗长的贸易谈判耐心减少。政府官员并未看到风险这种更具侵略性的政策会升级为一场动摇世界脆弱经济体系的全面贸易战。因此，现任政府不会被“已走向贸易保护主义”的责备所震慑。 Serious misgivings about some main parts of the preliminary agreements in Geneva to expand the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade. Although the administration will ask Congress to renew its negotiati

9、ng authority, which expires in June, it has moved slowly on this front, leaving the future of the negotiations much in doubt. 对关贸总协定日内瓦初步协定中的部分主要条款表示严重担忧。由于美国国会赋予美国政府的贸易谈判权将在 6 月期满，届时政府将向国会重新申请谈判权限，但白宫已开始逐渐行动而让多边贸易谈判前景蒙上阴影。 A possible negotiation with Japan seeking a step-by-step reduction in its ne

10、arly $50 billion trade surplus with the United States. To the administration, Tokyo appears more “results-oriented” than the Community, prompting hopes that bargains can be reached with Japan to ease frictions on a range of issues. 可能与日本谈判达成协议以逐步减少日美之间高达 500 亿美元的贸易顺差。在白宫看来，日本似乎相比欧洲更为“务实” ，因此美日之间达成协定

11、以减少系列贸易问题上的摩擦的希望陡增。 A pledge to Mexico and Canada to seek rapid congressional approval of the North American Free-Trade Agreement as the highest trade priority.向墨西哥和加拿大承诺：争取国会快速通过北美自由贸易区协定将是贸易工作的重中之重。4. Some of the Clinton administrations tough talk appears tactical, intended to pressure trading par

12、tners into offering concession and to unblock stalled negotiations on several fronts. But it appears that officials are prepared to turn up the temperature on tradeand live with the consequences.克林顿的某些强硬表态显得很有策略性，其目的在于通过给贸易伙伴施加压力以推动一系列限于停顿的贸易谈判，但同时也显示美国白宫官员似乎准备让贸易争端升温并准备 承担相应后果。5. In some ways, Mr.

13、Clinton and his advisers are following the same well-trod path as the Bush administration, which threatened sanctions against the Community last year and walked away from GATT negotiations rather than sign an agreement that would provide only small gains for U.S. companies. The same political pressu

14、res from trade hawks in Congress that the Bush officials felt are now bearing down on the Clinton team.从某些方面看，克林顿和其顾问是承袭了上届布什政府的既定政策，去年布什政府也威胁要对欧洲采取贸易制裁措施并从决定暂停关贸总协定谈判而不是签署一份对美国企业裨益无多的贸易协定。来自国会中贸易鹰派的压力现在也落到了信任克林顿政府的身上。6. Mr. Kantor acted immediately on the EC procurement case Monday to demonstrate t

15、hat the new administrations patience would be shorter than its predecessors.Kantor 周一对欧洲政府采购案迅速做出回应，这显示了信任政府的耐心可能会小于前任政府。7. “I think it clearly indicates a resolve to stick by our guns,” a government official said.“我认为这充分显示了快刀斩乱麻的姿态， ”某政府官员表示。8. A broad review of trade policy issues is just beginnin

16、g within the administration, but officials said the underpinnings of Mr. Kantors decision were plainly found in Mr. Clintons trade speeches during the campaign, particularly the demand for open markets abroad.克林顿政府对于贸易政策的系统评估才刚刚开始，但政府官员指出 Kantor 的论调和克林顿在竞选期间所作的有关贸易问题的演说相契合，尤其是要求贸易伙伴开放市场的部分。9. The re

17、actions to these first signals from the Clinton team have been sharply divergent.对于克林顿政府最开始发出的信号，各方反应截然不同。10. EC officials were peeved by Mr. Kantors action and accused the administration of bullying and instigating trouble at a time when careful negotiations are vital.欧洲官员对 Kantor 的言论颇为恼怒并责备美国政府在最需

18、要冷静谈判的关键时刻采取威胁姿态而制造麻烦。11. “It is time now to tell the Americans they are on the wrong track,” Foreign Minister Niels Helveg Petersen of Denmark said.“现在是告诉美国人他们在走错误路线的时候了， ”丹麦外交部长 Niels Helveg Petersen 说道。12. Balanced against that criticism is the positive reaction in Latin America to Mr. Clintons e

19、mbrace of the free-trade agreement. Enrique V. Iglesias, president of the Inter American Development Bank said in an interview that Mr. Clintons meeting with President Carlos Salinas de Gortari of Mexico a month ago and the promise of fast action on the trade agreement was “a very important statemen

20、t”.与欧洲批评声音不同的是，拉美国家对于克林顿力推自由贸易协定的做法表示肯定。美洲开发银行行长 Enrique V. Iglesias 在采访中提到，一个月前克林顿在与墨西哥总统 Carlos Salinas de Gortari 会晤期间所做出的关于加快自由贸易协定进程的承诺是“具有重大意义的声明”13. Some representatives of U. S. business, seething over what they view as protectionist EC policies, praised Mr. Kantors action.一些美国商务代表对欧洲贸易保护政策感

21、到气愤，并称赞 Mr. Kantor 所做的迅速反应。14. “Whenever the United States starts to act like all the other countries in exercising its trade rights, everybody gets mad,” said William Archey, a senior vice president of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. “Thats absurd.”“每当美国开始效仿其他国家行使其贸易权利之时，人们就会变得不可理喻， ”美国商会副会长 William

22、Archey 说道，“这实在是太荒唐了” 。15. But some economists stressed the risks that a more aggressive U.S. policy poses. C. Fred Bergsten, director of the Institute for International Economists and a prominent member of the free-trade establishment，said he saw little evidence of a strategy, except for “a willingn

23、ess to listen to protectionist appeals” from the automobile, semiconductor, steel and energy industries, among others, and a desire to mollify these industries powerful congressional protectors.但是一些经济学家强调，更为强制性的美国贸易政策将会带来风险。C. Fred Bergsten 是国际经济学家协会的会长，也是贸易自由派中一位举足轻重的成员，他说在各大产业中，只有汽车、半导体、钢铁以及能源产业愿意

24、听从贸易保护主义的诉求，并且希望去安抚这些产业在国会内的强大的保护者，除此之外，他没有看到体现任何策略的证据。16. Mr. Bergsten warned that if the dispute with the European Community over government procurement is soon followed by clashes with Europe over steel, with Canada over lumber and with Japan over minivans and semiconductors, then the Clinton pol

25、icy will end up being defined by a flurry of battles.Bergsten 提醒说，如果美欧之间关于政府采购的争端又引发美欧钢铁贸易纠纷、美加木材贸易争端以及美日小型货车和半导体贸易问题，那么克林顿的贸易政策最终将会陷入无休止的贸易争端中17. “Unless they have something else in mind, they will be cut to death by these cases and the policy will be and will appear to be very protectionist,” Mr.

26、Bergsten said. The “something else” should be a plan to revive broad negotiations to liberalize trade, he said.“除非他们又另外的计划，否则他们就会被这些纠纷弄得焦头烂额, 而其贸易政策也会被认为是属于贸易保护主义之列， ” Bergsten 说道。他补充说， “另外的计划”应该是开启广泛贸易谈判以推动贸易自由化的方案。18. Gordon Ritchie, a trade consultant who was Canadas trade ambassador during negot

27、iations of the U.S.-Canada free-trade agreement, said, “some of the administrations leading lights are persuaded that confrontation can succeed. Anyone who thinks Europe and Japan will be bullied into meeting American deadlines and priorities isnt awake to the changes that have occurred.”曾在美加自由贸易谈判中

28、担任加拿大贸易大使的资深顾问 Gordon Ritchie 称， “某些美国政府中的人士认为对抗策略可以取得成效。任何认为欧日会因美国的威胁而按照美国给定的期限和重点来行事 的人显然都没有看清形势的发展。 ”19. Although some administration officials hope that Japan is amenable to market-opening agreements, the Clinton team is getting off to a ragged start there, as well, said Hiroshi Hirabayashi, a v

29、eteran trade official who now is deputy chief of the Japanese Embassy in Washington.尽管某些白宫官员认为日本可能会同意市场开放协定，但日本资深贸易官员、现任日本驻美使馆副馆长 Hiroshi Hirabayash 指出，克林顿政府在对日贸易关系上也是举步维艰。20. The world needs to hear from new president what his trade signals mean and where they are leading, Mr. Hirabayashi said.Hira

30、bayash 称，全世界都需要听到现任美国总统对其所给信号的解释及其未来政策的走向21. “Mr. Clinton should speak out on the trade issue,” he said. “Without his explicit intervention, the speculation will be going on and most of it is going in a negative direction.”“克林顿先生应该陈述其在贸易问题上的想法， ”他说道， “如果他不能给出清晰的解释，那么各种猜测还是会继续且大部分的猜测都向着不利的方向。 ”22. A

31、more combative U.S. trade policy may not be dangerous, perhaps, unless it goes too far, said Helmut Maucher, the chairman of Nestle SA.雀巢公司的董事长 Helmut Maucher 认为，更具攻击性的美国贸易政策如果不是走得太远应该不会造成很大的危险。23. “Everybody understands that you defend your interest,” he said.“人人都会理解，美国其实在保卫自身利益， ”他说。-From Internat

32、ional Herald Tribune Feb.8,1993摘自 1993 年 2 月 8 日远东经济评论一、术语：trade representative 贸易谈判代表government procurement 政府采购NAFTA （ North America Free Trade Agreements ）北美自由贸易协定trade sanctions 贸易制裁trade hawks 贸易中主张强硬路线的鹰派人物二、词语释义：1.tough： uncompromising （不妥协的，强硬的）2.discrimination： unfair treatment3.sanctions：

33、penalty4.escalate： develop； intensify5.frictions： conflicts6.procurement： purchase7.be bullied into doing： be forced to do8.is awake t is conscious of9.amenable to responsive to10.a ragged start ： a poor start11.intolerable： unbearable12.retaliate： revenge； reprisal13.impose： exert； influence14s.dra

34、wn-out ： prolonged and boring15.shock： impact16. prompting： provoking17. tactical ： skillful18. underpinning： foundation19. peeved： annoyed20. embrace： acceptance三、句子翻译：1.WASHINGTON-The Clinton administration is drawing the first lines of a tougher U.S. policy on trade， signaling to Europe and Japan

35、 that it will demand fairer treatment for American exports and is prepared to see relationships with U.S. trading partners get worse before they get better.华盛顿消息：克林顿政府正采取更加强硬的美国贸易政策，向欧洲和日本发出信号要求对美国的出口品提供一个更为公正的待遇，并已做好准备迎接将在与贸易伙伴关系改善之前出现的关系恶化。2.The strongest signal came last week， when Mickey Kanter，

36、 the U.S. trade representative， moved quickly to cite the 12-nation European Community for “intolerable” discrimination against U.S. companies seeking government contracts within the community. The administration will begin retaliating in six weeks if EC policies remain unchanged.最强的信号来自于上周，美国贸易代表米奇凯特引用欧共体的话指出，12 国欧共体谋求共同体内部的政府间合同是对美国公司的“令人无法忍受的”歧视。凯特先生说，如果欧共体一意孤行，美国政府将于六周后开始报复。