《经济学家》读译参考 Translated & Edited by Chen Jilong
TEXT 91
EU Trade 欧盟贸易
The perils of protectionism 贸易保护主义岌岌可危（陈继龙 编译）
Dec 7th 2006 | BRUSSELS
From The Economist print edition Europe finds that trade retaliation can backfire 欧洲发现进行贸易报复可能适得其反。 PETER MANDELSON is an avowed[1] trade liberal. So it is somewhat embarrassing that as the European Union's Commissioner for Trade, he has presided over the imposition of punitive duties on a wave of Asian imports. Last year, he also found himself on the losing side of the “bra wars”, after a protectionist deal he reached with the Chinese government on textiles unravelled[2]. （1）But on December 6th he had the chance to repair his liberal credentials when he launched a green paper on the EU's trade-defence policy. 彼得?曼德尔森是公认的贸易自由主义者，所以身为欧盟贸易专员的他对一批进口自亚洲的商品征收惩罚性关税让人有些不知所措。去年，在与中国政府就非成衣纺织品达成一项带有贸易保护主义色彩的协议后，他也意识到自己在那场“胸罩战争”中吃了败仗。不过12月6日，借发布欧盟贸易保护政策绿皮书的机会他为自己这个贸易自由主义者正了名。 （2）The EU's trade-defence rules, which determine when it can impose anti-dumping, anti-subsidy and safeguard measures, were drawn up a decade ago. But they are beginning to show their age. Global supply chains have stretched round the world and many European companies have outsourced production to Asia. As a result, more European companies are being hit by the EU's own retaliation against unfair competition. That has pitted[3] Europe's retailers against some of its manufacturers. As one retail boss puts it, views diverge widely: “They [the manufacturers] see China as a threat and we see China as an opportunity”. 欧盟十年前拟订的各项贸易保护规定对采取反倾销、反补贴和保障措施的时机进行了确认，如今这些规定已逐渐滞后于时代的发展。全球连锁的供货公司已经遍布世界各地，许多欧洲公司都将生产外包到亚洲。因此，欧盟针对不公平竞争所采取的报复措施让越来越多的欧洲公司受到冲击，也造成了欧洲零售商与其部分生产商之间的对立。正如一位零售老板所说，各方意见不一：“他们（生产商）认为中国是一个威胁，而我们则把中国看成是一个机遇。”
Mr Mandelson's exercise is a chance to rethink what policy would do most good for Europe's economies.（3）He wants the EU to look again at the “community-interest” test—that anti-dumping duties can be introduced only if they are in the wider interests of European business and consumers. Retailers complain that the test is in practice biased towards producers.
这次曼德尔森所做的工作可能会促使有关方面重新考虑到底什么样的政策对欧洲经济最为有利。他希望欧
Page 1 of 3
《经济学家》读译参考 Translated & Edited by Chen Jilong
盟重新审视“欧共体利益”评估原则（即征收反倾销关税必须以符合更广大欧洲企业和消费者之利益为前提）。零售商纷纷抱怨说这一评估原则实际上是在偏袒生产商。
The green paper gives little away about what the European Commission hopes to achieve. （4）Cliff Stevenson, an anti-dumping consultant who has worked for the commission, says that one option could be to extend the definition of community industry to include European businesses with overseas operations. This could give those companies a voice when the commission is investigating an anti-dumping case.
绿皮书未明确透露欧盟委员会的期望目标。效力于该委员会的反倾销顾问克利夫?斯蒂文森说，欧盟有可能希望将在海外设厂的欧洲企业也纳入到欧共体产业范围内，从而让这些企业在欧委会调查反倾销案时拥有发言权。 Determining Europe's best economic interest is already a fraught[4] business in a union of 25 members (soon to be 27). Traditionally, there has been a divide between northern liberal countries, such as Britain and Sweden, and protectionist founder members, such as France and Italy. （5）In October all member states signed up to Mr Mandelson's review of trade defences. But it is unlikely they will agree on much else, least of all any radical changes. 在一个由25个成员国（即将达到27国）组成的联盟中最大程度的顾及各国经济利益已然令人烦心不已。北欧自由主义国家（如英国和瑞典）和（南欧）贸易保护主义发起国（如法国和意大利）之间一直存在分歧。10月，欧盟所有成员国均对曼德尔森关于贸易保护的回顾报告（即绿皮书）表示支持，不过在其它问题上他们不可能达成更多共识，特别是在是否进行彻底改革上仍将存在分歧。 （6）This means the review could be a damp squib[5]. However, there were signs that the Commission is working to meet other trade concerns. This week it said it would push for labour standards to be part of bilateral trade deals with Asian countries, such as India and South Korea. This was welcomed by some European countries. It might help Mr Mandelson to win the argument for a careful expansion of the community interest. But don't count on it. 这意味着回顾报告可能起不到任何效果。尽管如此，仍有迹象表明欧委会正在努力解决贸易上的其他问题。本周，欧委会称其会争取将人工标准写进欧盟与亚洲国家（如印度、韩国）的双边贸易协定。一些欧洲国家对此表示欢迎，而曼德尔森也许会因此在谨慎扩张欧共体利益的问题上赢得支持。不过，这可靠不住。[QUIZ] 英译汉（将划线部分英文翻译成中文）： [NOTES](OXFORD) 1. avow v. (fml 文) declare (sth) openly; admit 公开宣称（某事物）; 承认: avow one's belief, faith, conviction, etc 公开表示相信, 信仰, 服理等 * avow oneself (to be) a socialist 公开宣布自己是社会主义者 * The avowed aim of this Government is to reduce taxation. 这届政府所宣称的目标是减少税收.
2. unravel v. 1 (cause sth woven, knotted or tangled to) separate into strands （使编织、编结或纠结之物）解开, 拆开: My knitting has unravelled. 我编织的东西散开了. * unravel a cardigan, a ball of string 把对襟毛衣、一团细绳拆开. Cf 参看 ravel. 2 (fig 比喻) (cause sth to) becomeclear or solved （使某事物）变清楚或获解决: The mysteryunravels slowly. 那件神秘的事渐渐明朗了. * unravel a plot, puzzle, etc 揭露阴谋、解决难题.
3. pit against 使竞争
4. fraught adj. 1 [pred 作表语] ~ with sth filled with sth; charged with sth 充满某事物; 注入某事物: a situation fraught with danger 充满危险的情况 * a silence fraught with meaning 意义无穷的沉默. 2 worried
Page 2 of 3
《经济学家》读译参考 Translated & Edited by Chen Jilong
or anxious; worrying 担心的; 烦恼的; 焦虑的; 令人忧虑的: There's no need to look so fraught! 用不着那么愁眉苦脸的. * Next week will be particularly fraught as we've just lost our secretary. 我们的秘书刚刚辞职, 下星期特别令人担心.
5. damp squib (infml 口) event, etc that is much less impressive than expected 未达预期效果的事等: The party was a bit of a damp squib. 这次聚会有些扫兴.
Page 3 of 3