--- url: https://gaojian.site/new-concept/book-4/36-the-cost-of-government.md description: 新概念英语第四册：The Cost of Government。精读、词块回忆、双向译练、句法、逻辑与FSRS复习。 --- # 政府的成本 ## 课文学习台 {#study} ### 第1段 If a nation is essentially disunited, it is left to the government to hold it together. This increases the expense of government, and reduces correspondingly the amount of economic resources that could be used for developing the country.And it should not be forgotten how small those resources are in a poor and backward country. Where the cost of government is high, resources for development are correspondingly low. 中文理解：如果一个国家实际上处于分裂状态，政府便需要使之统一。 这样一来势必增加政府开支，该笔开支本可以用于国家的发展。 需要理解的是，在一个贫穷落后的国家里，经济资源是很有限的。 政府的行政成本与用于发展国家的经济资源，此消彼长。 #### 1. If…it is left to the government. 复合句，主句为主谓宾结构，带有条件状语从句. 在经济学中，cost 即成本，开支是expense，对于专业领域文章的翻译一定要遵循学科的规范. #### 2. This increases the expense and reduces the amount…that… 复合句，主句为and 连接两个状语的主谓宾结构，第二个结构中，相当于省略了主语，且带有一个that 引导的定语从句，修饰经济资源. 经济资源的稀缺性是经济学理论大厦的假设，围绕资源的稀缺以及分配的效率，发展出了一系列的经济学理论. 定语从句中could be used for 表示本来可以，但实际上并没有发生. #### 3. it should not be forgotten how… 复合句，it 为形式主语，how small those resources are…整体承载“不应忘记”的内容。how small 表示“资源有多么有限”；其后 those resources are 是正常陈述语序，不是把系动词提前的倒装。 #### 4. Where… resources are low… 复合句，主句为主系表结构，从句为where 引导的条件状语从句. ### 第2段 This may be illustrated by comparing the position of a nation with that of a private business enterprise. An enterprise has to incur certain costs and expenses in order to stay in business. For our purposes, we are concerned only with one kind of cost—the cost of managing and administering the business. Such administrative overheads in a business are analogous to the cost of government in a nation. 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. If they can each be trusted to take such responsibilities, and to exercise such initiative as falls within their sphere, then administrative overheads will be low. It will be low because it will be necessary to have only one man looking after each job, without having another man to check upon what he is doing, keep him in line, and report on him to someone else. But if no one can be trusted to act in a loyal and responsible manner towards his job, then the business will require armies of administrators, checkers, and foremen, and administrative overheads will rise correspondingly. As administrative overheads rise, so the earnings of the business after meeting the expense of administration, will fall; and the business will have less money to distribute as dividends or invest directly in its future progress and development. 中文理解：把国家的状况同私人企业的状况进行类比，就可以看清这个问题。一个企业为了持续经营，一定的成本和支出不可或缺。就我们的目的而言，只有一种成本——企业行政管理成本需要考虑。一家企业的经常费用可与一个国家的政府管理成本类比。如果每位员工都值得信赖，并各展其能，提高利润，则企业的经常费用就会相应降低。 如果每位员工都认真负责，在各自的工作范围内发挥主动性，行政管理的经常费用也会降低。经常费用降低的原因在于每项工作只需要一位人手，而不用冗员复查工作，督促遵章守纪，或汇报员工的工作情况。但是，如果员工无法对工作尽忠守职，那么企业就会需要大量的行政、质检和领班人员，经常费用就会相应地增加。经常费用增加了，那么在扣除管理成本后，企业的利润就降低了。 本可以用于派息或者用于直接投资于未来发展的资金，也都相应地减少了。 * **in order to**：为了；说明做某事的意图；目的不等于已经发生的结果。 * **looking after**：期待 / 照顾 / 寻找 / 看；介词一变意思就变；look forward to 的 to 后接名词或 -ing。 #### 1. This may be illustrated by… 简单句，主谓结构，加一个by 引导的方式状语. #### 2. An enterprise has to incur costs and expenses… 简单句，主谓宾结构，加一个目的状语. #### 3. we are concerned with one kind of cost… 简单句，主谓宾结构，加一个同位语. #### 4. overheads are analogous to the cost of government… 简单句，主谓宾结构，谓语动词部分由动词词组构成. overheads 为会计学术语，经常费用. #### 5. overheads are low that… 复合句，主系表结构，后面跟了同位语从句解释说明具体是什么程度，该同位语从句的主题是主谓+主语补语，to behave 为动词不定式担任主语的补语，一般来说，含宾语补足语的句子，使用被动语态时，宾补就转换为主补了，非被动时态原句可以为 The business can trust everyone . 在该同位语从句中，that 引导的定语从句修饰具体的方式way，该定语从句是主谓宾结构. #### 6. If they can be trusted to take such responsibilities, and (can be trusted) to exercise such initiative then overheads be low. 复合句，主句是主系表结构. 前面是if 引导的条件状语从句，而且是并列句，该从句的第二句省略了can be trusted. 这里跟上句一样，也是主谓+主语补语的结构，所以第二句的补语，需要注意标记出来. as 引导的定语从句修饰initiative. (2.2.1) #### 7. It will be low because it will be necessary to have only one man…, without… 复合句，主句是主系表结构，然后由because 引导一个比较长的原因状语从句作解释为什么不需要另一个人员. 在该原因状语从句中，真正的主语是不定式to have only one man，而looking after each job 可以理解为主语补语. 这个原因状语从句里面还有without 引导的伴随状语，这个比较长的状语中，可以进一步细分予以剖析，without having another man 在后面两个结构中都省略了，完整是： without having another man (to) check upon what he is doing, without having another man (to) keep him in line, and without having another man (to) report on him to someone else. 需要留意，have sb. do sth. 才是固定搭配，动词不定式要省略to，让人做某事不能用 have sb. to do，原句中to check 分析为不定式作后置定语方符合语法规则. \[感谢@沧浪指出20210608] #### 8. if no one can be trusted the business will require armies and overheads will rise 并列复合句，最后一个and 连接两个句子. 第一句是if 引导的条件状语从句，里面包含主语补语，该句的主句是主谓宾结构 第二句是主谓结构. #### 9. As overheads rise the earnings will fall and the business will have less money… 并列复合句，第一句主句为主谓结构，as 开头的从句为原因状语从句. 第二句为主谓宾结构，加上目的状语，以解释资金的使用目的. ### 第3段 It is precisely the same with a nation. To the extent that the people can be relied upon to behave in a loyal and responsible manner, the government does not require armies of police and civil servants to keep them in order. 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. A disunited nation therefore has to incur unduly high costs of government. 中文理解：国家也是这种情况。只要人民的行为值得信赖，能够忠诚而负责地行事，那么政府就不需要雇佣大批的警察和公务员去确保人民遵纪守法了。但是，如果一个国家处于分裂状态，政府不能确保人民的举止符合国家利益，那么政府就必须要监督、检查和控制人民。因此，一个处于分裂状态的国家，需要承受过高的行政管理成本。 * **therefore**：因此；结果；结果必须由前文支撑；它不是让论述显得高级的装饰词。 #### 1. It is the same… 简单句，主系表结构. 理解起来可以把be the same with 当作谓语，以主谓宾的形式来看待会更易于理解. #### 2. To the extent that…, the government does not require… 复合句，主句为主谓宾+宾补结构. 前面的程度状语中有一个that 引导的同位语从句对extent 作解释说明，该从句是主谓+主语补语结构. #### 3. if a nation is disunited, the government be sure that the actions will be…and it will have to watch, check, and control the people… 并列复合句，分号将该长句分为两个句子，第一句为条件状语从句加主谓+宾语从 句结构. that 引导的宾语从句作be sure 的宾语，该从句为主系表结构. 第二句则是主谓宾结构. #### 4. nation has to incur high costs… 简单句，主谓宾结构. ## 学完这一课 选一个可以讨论的判断，说明依据，再加上一句限制或不同情况。 [Nce · 本册复习台](/new-concept/book-4/review) · [三册选择地图](/new-concept/) *译文与解析据吴应时整理资料及本站首轮审校稿；词伙与练习提示为本站学习设计。原PDF第153—157页，2022年2月第2版。*