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Lesson 36 The cost of government
First listen and then answer the following question.What is the most important factor, both in government or business, for keeping running costs low?
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.
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, 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 he 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.
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.
RAYMOND FROST The Backward SocietyNew words and expressions生词和短语
disunited adj. 分裂的
dis + united
united [juˈnaɪtɪd] adj.联合的;统一的;和谐的;一致的;团结的;用于团队和公司名称 v.(为某事)联合，联手，团结;(与某人或集体)联结，联合;统一unite [juˈnaɪt] v.团结;统一;(为某事)联合;联手;(与某人或集体)联结un〔= uni一个〕+ ite 动词后缀 → 使成为一个整体 → 统一A disunited nation therefore has to incur unduly high costs of government.
correspondingly [ˌkɔːrəˈspɑːndɪŋli] adv. 相应地corresponding [ˌkɔːrəˈspɑːndɪŋ] adj.符合的;相应的;相关的 v.相一致;符合;类似于;相当于;通信correspond [ˌkɔːrəˈspɑːnd] vi.相一致;符合;类似于;相当于;通信cor 共同 + respond 回答；反应 → 承诺保持一致 → 协调；通信respond [rɪˈspɑːnd] v.回应;响应;作出反应;(口头或书面)回答;反应灵敏;作出正确反应 vi.响应;作出反应;反应灵敏;作出正确反应 n.(支承拱或闭合连拱廊列柱的)附墙柱，壁联;应唱圣歌re 回 + spond 承诺；约定 → 回应 → 回答As his political stature has shrunk, he has grown correspondingly more dependent on the army.backward [ˈbækwərd] adj. 落后的back 后边 + ward 向…，朝… → 向后（的）She strode past him without a backward glance .in 使… + cur 跑；引申为发生 → 使发生 → 招致，遭受She had incurred the wrath of her father by marrying without his consentadminister [ədˈmɪnɪstər] v. 管理ad 去 + minister 大臣 → 去掌管 → 管理minister [ˈmɪnɪstər] n.部长;牧师;公使;(英国及其他许多国家的)大臣;外交使节 v.辅助;服侍;照顾;帮助;服务在中国历史上，再大的官见了皇帝也得自称“奴才”、“小的”。西方也一样，大臣在国王面前自称minister。mini表示“小”，如miniskirt（迷你裙）；后缀ster表示“人”，所以minister其实就是“小人”的意思。因此，在英语中，minister就逐渐变成了对辅助国王的大臣的称谓。虽然后来英国实行了君主立宪制，但minister的称呼并没有变化，只是翻译时一般翻成“部长”而不是“大臣”。prime minister就是首相、总理。minister作为动词时，表示“辅助、伺候”。单词administer、administrate跟minister同源，前面的ad是表示“to”的希腊语。所以这两个单词虽然也表示“管理”的意思，但跟management还是有所区别，一般翻译为“行政管理”，说白了就是辅助主人料理日常事务的，跟“管家”有点接近。而management中的manage本意是“驾驭马”，含有“想方设法控制、操纵，努力实现”的意思。ministry：['mɪnɪstrɪ]n.政府部门administer：[əd'mɪnɪstə]v.管理，治理，实施administrate：[əd'mɪnɪstreɪt]v.管理，经营，实施administration：[ədmɪnɪ'streɪʃ(ə)n]n.管理，行政，实施，行政机构The pension funds are administered by commercial banks.administrative [ədˈmɪnɪstreɪtɪv] adj.管理的;行政的analogous [əˈnæləɡəs] adj. 类似的ana 在旁边；类似 + log 说话 + ous 形容词后缀 → 类似的analogy [əˈnælədʒi] n.类比;比拟;比喻;类推ana 在旁边；类似 + log 说话 + y 表行为 → 类似的说话行为 → 类似Marine construction technology like this is very complex, somewhat analogous to trying to build a bridge under water.像这样的海底建造技术很复杂，与尝试在水下建桥有些相似。overheads [ˈoʊvərhedz] n. 一般费用overhead [ˌoʊvərˈhed , ˈoʊvərhed] n.开销;经常费用;经常开支;用于高射投影器的幻灯片;（尤指飞机的）顶舱 adj.头上方的;地面以上的;高架的;经费的;管理费用的 adv.在头上方;在空中over 在…之上，凌驾 + head 头 → 在头顶上We are having to cut our costs to reduce overheads and remain competitive.initiative [ɪˈnɪʃətɪv] n. 主动，积极性initiate [ɪˈnɪʃieɪt , ɪˈnɪʃiət] vt.开始;发起;创始;使了解;传授;教…开始尝试;(尤指在秘密仪式上)使加入，接纳，吸收 n.新加入某组织(或机构、宗教)的人;新入会的人 adj.被传授初步知识的;新入会的in 进入 + it 行走 + i + ate → 使行走〔起来〕→ 开始You won't get much help. You'll have to use your initiative .a United Nations peace initiativechecker [ˈtʃekər] n. 检查人员He still visited the dairy daily, but left most of the business details to his manager and foreman.他仍然每天到乳品场看看，但把生意上大部分琐碎事务交给经理和工头打理。dividend [ˈdɪvɪdend] n. 红利di 二，两 + vid 分开 + end 表抽象名词 → 一变二，二变多 → 股息The first quarter dividend has been increased by nearly 4 per cent.unduly [ˌʌnˈduːli] adv. 过度地duly [ˈduːli] adv.适当地;适时地;恰当地;按时地;准时地The levels of pollution in this area are unduly high. 参考译文
如果一个国家实际上处于分裂状态，使之联合起来就是政府的事了。这样的一来就增加了政府的开支，从而相应地减少了可以用来了展国家的那部分经济资源。不应忘记，在一个贫穷落后的国家里，那部分财力是很有限的。凡是政府管理费用高的地方，用于发展国家经济的资金就会相应地减少。
把国家的状况同私人企业的状况加以比较，就可以看清这个问题。一个企业为了继续经营，不得不支出一定的费用和开销。就我们的目的而言，我们只关心一种费用 -- 企业行政管理费。一家企业的行政管理开支类似于一个国家的政府管理所用的开支。如果企业中的每个人都在真诚地为提高企业利润而工作，那么企业的管理费用就会降低到相应的程度。如果企业的每个人都信得过，人人都认真负责，在各自的工作范围内发挥主动性，行政管理费用就会降低。行政管理费用的降低的原因是：每项工作只需要一个人去完成，用不着另外再有一个人检查工作。督促他遵守章程，或向有关人士汇报他的工作。但是，如果企业中谁也不可信赖会对工作尽忠守职，那公企业就会需大批的管理人员、检查人员和带班人员，管理费用就会相应在增加。管理费用增加了，那么在扣除管理费用后，企业的收入就降低了。因此用于分红的金额就用于将来开拓和发展的投资就相应地减少了。
一个国家的情况也完全相同。如果人民忠于职守，举止规矩，能受到政府的信赖，那么政府就不需要大批的警察和文职人员运去促使人民遵纪守法。但是，如果一个国家处于分裂状态，政府不能相信人民的行动有利于国家，那么政府就不得不对人民进行监督、检查和控制。因此，一个处于分裂的国家必须要支付过高的行政管理费用。
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