課文36 政府的開支
654. If a nation is essentially disunited, it is left to the government to hold it together.
如果一個國家實際上處于分裂狀態(tài),使之聯合起來就是政府的事了。
655. This increases the expense of government, and reduces correspondingly the amount of economic resources that could be used for developing the country.
這樣的一來就增加了政府的開支,從而相應地減少了可以用來了展國家的那部分經濟資源。
656. And it should not be forgotten how small those resources are in a poor and backward country.
不應忘記,在一個貧窮落后的國家里,那部分財力是很有限的。
657. Where the cost of government is high, resources for development are correspondingly low.
凡是政府管理費用高的地方,用于發(fā)展國家經濟的資金就會相應地減少。
658. This may be illustrated by comparing the position of a nation with that of a private business enterprise.
把國家的狀況同私人企業(yè)的狀況加以比較,就可以看清這個問題。
659. An enterprise has to incur certain costs and expenses in order to stay in business.
一個企業(yè)為了繼續(xù)經營,不得不支出一定的費用和開銷。
660. For our purposes, we are concerned only with one kind of cost -- the cost of managing and administering the business.
就我們的目的而言,我們只關心一種費用 -- 企業(yè)行政管理費。
661. Such administrative overheads in a business are analogous to the cost of government in a nation.
一家企業(yè)的行政管理開支類似于一個國家的政府管理所用的開支。
662. The administrative overheads of a business are low to the extent that everyone working in the business can be trusted to behave in a way that best promotes the interests of the firm.
如果企業(yè)中的每個人都在真誠地為提高企業(yè)利潤而工作,那么企業(yè)的管理費用就會降低到相應的程度。
663. If they can each be trusted to take such responsibilities.
如果企業(yè)的每個人都信得過,人人都認真負責,
664. and to exercise such initiative as falls within their sphere, then administrative overheads will be low.
在各自的工作范圍內發(fā)揮主動性,行政管理費用就會降低。
665. It will be low because it will be necessary to have only one man looking after each job,
行政管理費用的降低的原因是:每項工作只需要一個人去完成,
666. then the business will require armies of administrators, checkers, and foremen and administrative overheads will rise correspondingly.
用不著另外再有一個人檢查工作。督促他遵守章程,或向有關人士匯報他的工作。
667. As administrative overheads rise, so the earnings of the business after meeting he expense of administration, will fall;
但是,如果企業(yè)中誰也不可信賴會對工作盡忠守職,那公企業(yè)就會需大批的管理人員、檢查人員和帶班人員,管理費用就會相應在增加。
668. and the business will have less money to distribute as dividends or invest directly in its future progress and development.
管理費用增加了,那么在扣除管理費用后,企業(yè)的收入就降低了。因此用于分紅的金額就用于將來開拓和發(fā)展的投資就相應地減少了。
669. It is precisely the same with a nation.
一個國家的情況也完全相同。
670. To the extent that the people can be relied upon to behave in a loyal and responsible manner,
如果人民忠于職守,舉止規(guī)矩,能受到政府的信賴,
671. the government does not require armies of police and civil servants to keep them in order.
那么政府就不需要大批的警察和文職人員運去促使人民遵紀守法。
672. But if a nation is disunited, the government cannot be sure that the actions of the people will be in the interests of the nation; and it will have to watch, check, and control the people accordingly.
但是,如果一個國家處于分裂狀態(tài),政府不能相信人民的行動有利于國家,那么政府就不得不對人民進行監(jiān)督、檢查和控制。
673. A disunited nation therefore has to incur unduly high costs of government.
因此,一個處于分裂的國家必須要支付過高的行政管理費用。