河海大学研究生英语翻译Unit 5

Unit 5 Take a Lesson from the Economists Economics is the dismal science: so say the large number of people who heap sc orn on the intellectural merits of the discipline. Much of the criticism comes from "pu re" or "proper" scientist —— physicists, chemists and biologists. Now, economics cer tainly has its failings. But the general way in which economists approach and describe the world, and how they convey their message about it to others , carries lessons whic h pure scientists should learn from.

经济学是沉闷的科学:所以说,大量的人嗤之以鼻的方式的优点的纪律。大部分的批评来自于“纯”或“适当的”科学家——物理学家、化学家和生物学家。现在,经济学当然有其缺点。但是一般的方式方法和描述这个世界的经济学家,以及他们如何传达他们的消息对其他人,上了一课,纯科学家应该学习。

Economics has inexactitudes and vagueness built into it. The general lack of rel iable data about past events makes virtually impossible the accurate measurement of e ven the most basic economic variables, such as the total volume of output in a country , or the path of consumer spending, or inflation.

经济学是由不精确性和模糊性建成的。普遍缺乏对过去事件的可靠的数据使得几乎不可能有准确的测量,即使是最基本的经济变量,如一个国家的输出总量,或者消费支出的路径,或通货膨胀。

If economists are hazy about what is going right now, they are even less sure ab out the future. Due to the general measurement difficulties, as well as unforeseen even ts such as wars or natural disasters, economic forecasts are almost always wrong, som etimes by wide margins. As for economic theories, they change almost according to fa shion, with economists allowed to move effortlessly between them, sometimes holdin g several contrasting points of view at the same time.

如果经济学家朦胧的关于什么将会发生,现在他们更不确定的未来。由于通用测量困难,以及不可预见的事件,如战争或自然灾害,经济预测几乎总是错的,有时是由宽的利润率。至于经济理论,他们改变几乎根据时尚,经济学家可以毫不费力地移动它们之间,有时在同一时间持有多种截然相反的观点。

The contrast with scientists could not be starker. The tools of an economist's tra de are muddy data, loose theorising and a shambling approach to causality which says . that a set of interactions between A, B and C MIGHT lead to a conclusion Z (and on ly via a roundabout route which takes in P, Q and R as well) . Scientists have a harder-edged way of looking at the world, requiring a set of rigid theories and data based on painstaking experimental observation.

相比之下,科学家们有着天壤之别。经济学家的贸易工具是泥泞的数据,松散理论和呆滞的因果性说。这一组之间的交互,B和C可能导致结论Z(和只能通过一个迂回路线,需要在P,Q,R)。科学家们有一个硬朗的看待世界的方式,需要一套严格的理论和基于细心的实验观察的数据。

But the economists have been able to use the vagueness with which their subje ct is afflicted to their advantage. By concentrating on broad conclusions to problems a nd communicating these in terms that can be understood by the special interest groups they are dealing with, economists have had a generally good record in "assimilating t hemselves into positions of influence. Scientists have done rather less well by concent