∷林巍 文/譯
原 文
[1] 三十多年前,我們開始改革開放時(shí),突然認(rèn)識(shí)到,市場是個(gè)好東西;認(rèn)為以前之所以沒搞好,根本原因就是沒有尊重市場調(diào)節(jié)。現(xiàn)在好了,有了這個(gè)法寶,似乎一切便可迎刃而解了。
[2] 的確,沿著這條路,中國的經(jīng)濟(jì)發(fā)生了天翻地覆的變化,取得了舉世矚目的成就。但是,隨之也出現(xiàn)了嚴(yán)重的問題。其根本原因,拋開其他因素,恰恰是我們太相信市場了。
[3] 市場的核心是競爭,是調(diào)動(dòng)個(gè)人積極性,是資源合理調(diào)配、優(yōu)化組合,同時(shí)也是弱肉強(qiáng)食、鐵面無情。市場會(huì)刺激生產(chǎn)、經(jīng)營與創(chuàng)造,但同時(shí)也會(huì)帶來兩極分化、畸形結(jié)構(gòu)、甚至是危機(jī)動(dòng)蕩。在這個(gè)意義上,市場具有多功能性(而并非萬能性)。
[4] 事實(shí)證明,許多領(lǐng)域是不適宜完全引入市場機(jī)制的。例如:公眾醫(yī)療部門、教育事業(yè)、公共交通系統(tǒng)、安居工程、某些科研項(xiàng)目等等。引入了,便破壞了其性質(zhì),扭曲了其功能,最后以失敗告終。市場的確也會(huì)失敗。
[5] 所以,改革前的“一切不相信市場”和改革后的“一切相信市場”都是片面的。一個(gè)健康的社會(huì),不但需要市場這只“看不見的手”,同時(shí)更需要政府“看得見的手”。關(guān)鍵的是在了解客觀規(guī)律的基礎(chǔ)上“該出手時(shí)就出手”。
譯 文
[1] In the initial stage of reform some thirty years ago,we seemed to have a sudden realization of the benefits of the market, believing it was a recipe to clear up all flaws from a past that did not follow market forces.
[2] Indeed, China’s economic reform has had tremendous achievements from the market economy, and has stunned the world. However, serious problems have also occurred. The fundamental cause is, apart from anything else, precisely that we have put too much trust in the market.
[3] The core of market mechanism is competition,
which motivates individuals to allocate resources rationally,optimize investment and so on, operating ruthlessly according to the law of the jungle. The market can stimulate production,entrepreneurship and innovation, and at the same time polarize society, distort structures or even cause crises. In a sense, the market is indeed multifunctional, if not omnipotent.
[4] It has been proved that market forces are not applicable to every sector in our society, including public health, education, public transportation, public housing, as well as some research projects. The law of the jungle, if imported to these areas, will distort their nature and functions and inevitably result in complete failure. There is indeed such a thing as market failure.
[5] Therefore, either no market at all or everything as market believed before or after the reform is only part of truth. In a healthy society, both the invisible hands of market forces and the visible role of government are needed. The key question is how to let them function appropriately and effectively based on the objective laws.
譯 注
在[1]中,“好東西”,這里沒有譯成a good thing,而是從實(shí)際的有益作用出發(fā),用了the benefits?!胺▽殹保瑳]有直譯成talisman, sutras, magic weapon等,而用了recipe?!耙磺斜憧捎卸狻保坪蹩勺g成 everything can be solved easily,但為了更加具體,特別是與市場規(guī)律有關(guān),故可譯為 believing it was a recipe to clear up all flaws from a past that did not follow market forces.同時(shí),“現(xiàn)在好了”等可不必對(duì)應(yīng)譯出,因其意思已包含在該句的敘述中。
在[2]中,“沿著這條路,中國的經(jīng)濟(jì)發(fā)生了天翻地覆的變化”,其中似可譯成...along the path of market economy,但此處用了 ... from the market economy更顯直截了當(dāng)與通順。而“太相信市場了”,“相信”可不必用believe,因該詞含義為to accept as true or real(相信是真的或事實(shí)而以接受),而 trust 則意為reliance on something in the future(對(duì)某事未來的信賴),故這里用了put too much trust in the market。類似的還有faith,該詞主要指con fident belief in the truth, value, or trustworthiness of a person, an idea, or a thing(對(duì)真理、價(jià)值、人、意見或事物的確實(shí)性的堅(jiān)定不移的信仰),頗有理想和宗教色彩。同時(shí),“拋開其他因素”,實(shí)際是指“暫且不考慮其他事情”,故用了apart from anything else, 亦不可完全對(duì)譯。
在[3]中,“市場的核心是競爭,是調(diào)動(dòng)個(gè)人積極性,是資源合理調(diào)配、優(yōu)化組合”,此句是排比句“是……是……是”,而在翻譯成英文時(shí),若照搬此句式,便會(huì)顯得呆板,也不符合原意,因原文的實(shí)質(zhì)是講“競爭”的性質(zhì)及由此引發(fā)的效果,故需適當(dāng)變通,不妨為 The core of market mechanism is competition, which motivates individuals to allocate resources rationally, optimize investment and so on,由此進(jìn)一步詮釋了competition;而“弱肉強(qiáng)食、鐵面無情”指的是在市場經(jīng)濟(jì)下的行為,故增加了according to the law of the jungle,jungle在這里指的是“競爭之地”,英文意為:a place or milieu characterized by intense, often ruthless competition or struggle for survival,如 jungle warfare(叢林戰(zhàn)),the corporate jungle(公司競爭)等?!啊瓗韮蓸O分化、畸形結(jié)構(gòu)、甚至是危機(jī)動(dòng)蕩”, 其主語自然還是 “市場”,動(dòng)詞是“帶來”,但在翻譯時(shí)可直接用動(dòng)詞polarize,其意為to cause to concentrate about two conflicting or contrasting positions(使集中于兩個(gè)相互沖突或相對(duì)的位置),故此句不妨譯為polarize society, distort structures or even cause crises。“在這個(gè)意義上,市場具有多功能性(而并非萬能性)”,原文中以括號(hào)中內(nèi)容補(bǔ)充說明市場的性質(zhì),而在譯文中在可將其展開,In a sense, the market is indeed multifunctional, if not omnipotent,以示連貫、通順、達(dá)意。
在[4]中,“許多領(lǐng)域是不適宜完全引入市場機(jī)制的”,這里的“市場機(jī)制”可以是market mechanism,但更通俗的用法不妨為market forces,而“引入”也未必用import,因后面還有一“引入了”,亦避免重復(fù),故可譯為 ... market forces are not applicable to every sector in our society, ... if imported to these areas, will ... “市場的確也會(huì)失敗”,此處用了market failure這一經(jīng)濟(jì)學(xué)中的通用術(shù)語,該術(shù)語主要意指 a concept within economic theory describing when the allocation of goods and services by a free market is not efficient. That is, there exists another conceivable outcome where a market participant may be made better-off without making someone else worse-off.Market failures can be viewed as scenarios where individuals’ pursuit of pure self-interest leads to results that are not efficient—that can be improved upon from the societal point-of-view.(“市場失效”是經(jīng)濟(jì)學(xué)理論中的一個(gè)概念,即指自由市場中商品和服務(wù)配置的失效。實(shí)際完全有另外一種可能,即市場參與者中一部分人的富有不會(huì)導(dǎo)致另一部人的貧窮。市場失敗可被視為因個(gè)人只顧追求自身利益而導(dǎo)致的一種失效,而從社會(huì)角度則可予以彌補(bǔ)); 而 market force 則指 from an economic point of view the commonality of products is more important than that of persons because market forces,that is to say competition, operate most strongly between products of the same kind(從經(jīng)濟(jì)的觀點(diǎn)看,產(chǎn)品的共性比人員的共性更重要,因?yàn)槭袌鰴C(jī)制,亦即競爭,在同類產(chǎn)品中發(fā)揮作用最大)。
在[5]中,“一切不相信市場”和“一切相信市場”可簡化為no market at all 和 everything as market;“都是片面的”,似乎可用one-sided, lopsided view, take a one-sided approach to problems等,但這里是相對(duì)信任程度而言的,故不妨用part of truth。對(duì)于“該出手時(shí)就出手”這句中文俗語,可以用 let them play their own roles,但此處考慮到上下文的具體語境,用了to let them function appropriately and effectively,以轉(zhuǎn)化為更為正式的語句,同時(shí)將“在了解客觀規(guī)律的基礎(chǔ)上”簡譯為 based on the objective laws,置于句末。