The price system allocates goods according to?people’s preferences; it doesn’t assess those preferences as worthy or?admirable or appropriate to the circumstance. But despite their protestations,?economists increasingly find themselves entangled in moral?questions.
價(jià)格手段根據(jù)人們的偏好分配商品，其中并不評(píng)估偏好的優(yōu)劣性。可是，經(jīng)濟(jì)學(xué)家也在面臨道德問(wèn)題的拷問(wèn)。
原因有二：1. 市場(chǎng)思維侵占了公民生活 2.經(jīng)濟(jì)學(xué)家economists have been recasting their discipline,?making it more abstract and more ambitious.
他們認(rèn)為經(jīng)濟(jì)中的許多理論也可以用于解釋人類(lèi)行為。
一個(gè)非常受關(guān)注的理論是：人類(lèi)行為的成本效益法則，也就是，人們的選擇建立在對(duì)于成本效益分析后勝出的那一方。
At the heart of this science is a simple but sweeping idea: In all domains of life, human behavior can be explained by assuming that people decide what to do by weighing the costs and benefits of the options before them, and choosing the one they believe will give them the greatest welfare,or utility. According to Becker, people act to maximize their welfare, whateveractivity they’re engaged in.
他們就此提出了解決一些棘手的社會(huì)問(wèn)題的方法。比如給肥胖患者提供的減肥計(jì)劃，如果完成就給予獎(jiǎng)勵(lì)。而無(wú)論是保守主義者還是自由主義者都對(duì)此有所異議。保守主義者認(rèn)為政府不應(yīng)該資助這些肥胖癥患者，因?yàn)檫@是在用納稅人的錢(qián)去獎(jiǎng)勵(lì)一些本應(yīng)該由公民自己承擔(dān)的問(wèn)題。這建立在每個(gè)人都可以控制好自己身體的理論上。
Paying someone to ditch bad habits is the ultimate in nanny state mentality, absolving them of any responsibility for their health.
而自由主義者則對(duì)另一種形式的健康計(jì)劃提出了反駁。因?yàn)榭傆腥丝陀^上無(wú)法控制自己的健康狀況。如果據(jù)此來(lái)設(shè)定不同人群的保費(fèi)費(fèi)率是不公平的，讓這部分人群處于不利地位。
作者認(rèn)為用錢(qián)來(lái)激勵(lì)是一種賄賂。因?yàn)闉榱送獠开?jiǎng)勵(lì)的女人愿意喪失自己的生育能力，并不是為自己著想，在很多時(shí)候甚至是違背他們意愿的。在減肥計(jì)劃中，這個(gè)論斷似乎不成立。因?yàn)橐环矫嫠麄兊玫搅隋X(qián)，同時(shí)又變得更加健康。這似乎不能稱(chēng)作賄賂。但是仔細(xì)想想，我們覺(jué)得擔(dān)憂的原因可能在于，這實(shí)際上排擠走了更好的動(dòng)機(jī)。也就是說(shuō)，如果我們能夠用正確的態(tài)度對(duì)待自己的健康，自尊自愛(ài)，那么用錢(qián)來(lái)保證這一行為就是在損害這一動(dòng)機(jī)。為什么呢？
This is because bribes are manipulative. They bypass persuasion and substitute an external reason for an intrinsic one.
因?yàn)橘V賂具有控制和依賴(lài)性。這是用外部激勵(lì)措施取代通過(guò)勸導(dǎo)而產(chǎn)生的內(nèi)部動(dòng)機(jī)，可能發(fā)生的情況是：這種被動(dòng)的態(tài)度并不會(huì)產(chǎn)生持續(xù)的效果，甚至?xí)a(chǎn)生負(fù)作用。
Some think this calculating view takes the romance out of marriage.?They argue that love, obligation, and commitment are ideals?that can’t be reduced to monetary terms.
The idea that cash incentives can?cure what ails our schools looms large in the movement for educational?reform.
One might acknowledge the degrading effect of a market in refugees and still conclude that the scheme does more good than harm. But what the example illustrates is that
一些例子：美國(guó)cash-for-Green card scheme; assign each country a yearly refugee?quota, based on national wealth.
一些人會(huì)argue , they do more good than harm ,但作者認(rèn)為，markets are not mere mechanisms. They embody certain norms. They presuppose— and promote— certain ways of valuing the goods being exchanged.
Fines Versus Fees
Finland’s $217,000 speeding ticket?shows that society not only wants to cover the costs of risky behavior;?it also wants the punishment to fit the crime— and the bank balance?of the perpetrator.
In most places, being pulled over and issued a?speeding ticket still carries a stigma.
有個(gè)競(jìng)選者提出，讓司機(jī)購(gòu)買(mǎi)超速券，這是把fines變成了fees，當(dāng)然最終被認(rèn)為imperil public safety，而went down to defeat.
一些有爭(zhēng)議，或者值得debate的例子還有
法國(guó)一群抗議公共交通費(fèi)用機(jī)制的人建立了保險(xiǎn)fund，為那些逃票被抓的人提供保險(xiǎn)。
在Video Rentals 還overdue的東西就不會(huì)有這種guilty，因?yàn)檫@是business，而不是公共圖書(shū)館的公眾資源。
所以，To decide whether a fine or a fee is appropriate, we have to figure?out the purpose of the social institution in question and the norms?that should govern it.
在中國(guó)，in China, the fine?for violating the government’s one- child policy is increasingly regarded?by the affluent as a price for an extra child.
Family- planning officials have sought to reassert ? 重新發(fā)揮作用:the punitive aspect of the sanction by increasing fines for affluent offenders, denouncing celebrities who violate the policy and banning them from appearing on television, and preventing business executives with extra kids from receiving government contracts.
What’s at stake is the norm underlying the policy.
hopelessly high-minded徹底的情操高尚
suffer sth 經(jīng)受... （the consequences ;blow）
suffer from 受...苦 （疾病）
ail
[e?l]verb
CAUSE?DIFFICULTY造成困難
■to cause difficulty and problems for困擾，使苦惱；使處境困難
?The government seems to have no understanding of what ails the country.政府好像不了解國(guó)家問(wèn)題的癥結(jié)所在。
honor roll
2. a list of the best students in a college or?high school
?(大、中學(xué)的)優(yōu)秀生名單,光榮榜
boondoggle
UK['bu:n?d?g.l]US[-?dɑ:.gl]USinformal
nouncountable
■an unnecessary and expensive piece of work, especially one which is paid for by the public（尤指由公眾支付費(fèi)用的）耗資巨大而無(wú)意義的工作
?The senator called the new highways proposal "...a fraud and aboondogglethat the taxpayer should not tolerate".參議員稱(chēng)新的道路建設(shè)計(jì)劃是“…毫無(wú)意義的騙錢(qián)工程，納稅人不應(yīng)該容忍”。
carrot and stick[ADJ: ADJ n]
If an organization has acarrot and stickapproach or policy, they offer people things in order to persuade them to do something and punish them if they refuse to do it.
Congress also wants to use a carrot and stick approach to force both sides to negotiate an end to the?war.
repeated or infrequent decisions, large or?minor decisions, emotional or mechanical ends
[m?'k?n.?.k?l]
adjective
WITHOUT?THOUGHT沒(méi)有思考?disapproving
■without thinking about what you are doing, especially because you do something often機(jī)械的；習(xí)慣性的
?I was taught to read in a mechanical way.我接受的教育是機(jī)械地閱讀。
brazen 對(duì)比bluntly
['bre?.z?n]adjective
■obvious, without any attempt to be hidden毫不隱瞞的，明目張膽的
?There were instances ofbrazencheating in the exams.考試中有人明目張膽地作弊。
?He told me abrazenlie.他恬不知廉恥地向我撒謊。
['bre?.z?n]verb
Phrasal?Verbs[M]brazen?sth?out
■to act confidently and not admit that a problem exists厚著臉皮
?I decided tobrazenitout and hoped they wouldn't notice the scratch on the car.我決定厚著臉皮混過(guò)去，希望他們不會(huì)注意汽車(chē)上的刮痕。
3.keep (somebody) off somethingto not eat, drink, or take something that is bad for you, or to stop someone else from eating, drinking, or taking it:
a programme aimed at keeping teenagers?off drugs
?voice ?to talk publicly about your feelings or about whether you approve or disapprove of somethingformal:voice?concern/support/doubt/fears etc:The?president has already voiced his support for the proposal.|She voiced concern for the safety of the?hostages.
Lines?
Remark?
countable a remark that is intended to entertain, persuade or deceive
?a speech full of memorable lines
?He keeps giving me that line?about?not being able to do any work because his computer isn't working properly.
?Who was it who came up with that?famous line about "lies, damned lies and statistics"?
steep?sth/sb?in?sth
[sti:p]
Phrasal?Verbs[usually passive]?
■If something or someone is steeped in something, they are completely surrounded by or involved in it, or they know a lot about it使沉浸于；使深深浸入；使精通
?The college is steeped in history/tradition.這所學(xué)院有著濃厚的歷史／傳統(tǒng)氣息。
?These ancient scholars were steeped in poetry and painting, as well as maths and astronomy.這些古代學(xué)者精通詩(shī)歌和繪畫(huà)，同時(shí)對(duì)數(shù)學(xué)和天文學(xué)也深有研究。
sustain
[s?'ste?n]verb transitive
CONTINUE繼續(xù)
■to cause or allow something to continue for a period of time保持，維持，使持續(xù)，使繼續(xù)
?The economy looks set to sustain its growth into next year.看來(lái)經(jīng)濟(jì)增長(zhǎng)會(huì)持續(xù)到明年。
?He seems to find it difficult to sustain relationships with women.他似乎覺(jué)得和女人維持關(guān)系并不容易。
?US The judge sustained(= accepted) the lawyer's objection.法官接受了律師的反對(duì)意見(jiàn)。
■to keep alive維持…的生命，供養(yǎng)
?The soil in this part of the world is not rich enough tosustaina large population.這里的土地不夠肥沃，無(wú)法供養(yǎng)大量人口。
[s?'ste?n]verb transitive
SUFFER遭受formal
■to suffer or experience, especially damage or loss經(jīng)歷，遭受（尤指破壞或損失）
?She sustained multiple injuries in the accident.她在這次事故中有多處受傷。
?Most buildings sustained only minimal damage in the earthquake.在這次地震中，大多數(shù)建筑物受到的破壞都很小。
?The company has sustained heavy losses this year.公司今年遭受?chē)?yán)重的虧損。
[s?'ste?n]verbtransitive
SUPPORT支持
■to support emotionally（情感上）支持
?She was sustained by the strength of her religious faith.宗教信仰的力量支撐著她。
?The love of my family and friends sustained me through my ordeal.家人和朋友的愛(ài)支撐著我渡過(guò)難關(guān)。
accommodate
UK[?'k?m.?.de?t]US[-'kɑ:.m?-]verbtransitive
SUIT滿(mǎn)足
■to give what is needed to someone為…提供方便；對(duì)…予以照顧性考慮
?The new policies fail to accommodate the disabled.新政策沒(méi)有照顧到殘疾人士的利益。
?We always try to accommodate(= help) our clients with financial assistance if necessary.必要時(shí)，我們總是盡力為我們的客戶(hù)提供財(cái)政援助。
accommodate?yourself
■to change yourself or your behaviour to suit another person or new conditions使適應(yīng)，使順應(yīng)
?Some find it hard to accommodate themselves to the new working conditions.有些人覺(jué)得很難適應(yīng)新的工作環(huán)境。
flout
[fla?t]verbtransitive
■to intentionally not obey a rule, law, or custom公然藐視，無(wú)視，違背（規(guī)定、法律或習(xí)俗）
?Many motorcyclists flout the law by not wearing helmets.許多騎摩托車(chē)的人無(wú)視法律，不戴頭盔。
?The orchestra decided to flout convention/tradition, and wear their everyday clothes for the concert.管弦樂(lè)隊(duì)決定一改傳統(tǒng)，在音樂(lè)會(huì)上穿日常服裝。
habitual fare dodger逃票慣犯
absolve
To be absolved is to be let off the hook, to be set free from a certain obligation or to be forgiven for a wrongdoing. The Church may absolve you of your sins, but that won't absolve you of the need to attend mass.
The Latin?absolvere, which means "to set free," is the root of the wordabsolve. In the religious sense, to be absolved means to be truly forgiven in the eyes of the Lord, which must feel like being set free. In a more mundane everyday usage,absolve?can be used to describe being let off the hook. For instance, putting a campaign poster in your window does not absolve you of the responsibility to vote.
pieceworkalsopiece-work.[N-UNCOUNT]
If you do?piecework, you are paid according to the amount of work that you do rather than the length of time that you work.
All my men are on?piece-work.
The tobacco workers?were paid on a piecework basis.
compliance
[k?m'pla?.?nts]noununcountableformal
■when people obey an order, rule or request服從；遵守；依從
?It is the job of the inspectors to enforce compliance with the regulations.強(qiáng)制人們遵守法規(guī)是督察的責(zé)任。
?The company said that it had always acted in compliance with environmental laws.該公司稱(chēng)其一向遵守環(huán)境法。
persistence
UK[p?'s?s.t?nts]US[p?-]noununcountable
■when someone or something persists持續(xù)存在；堅(jiān)持不懈，執(zhí)意
?Most financial analysts have been surprised by the persistence of the recession.大多數(shù)金融分析師都對(duì)這種持續(xù)的衰退感到驚訝。
?Her persistence and enthusiasm have helped the group to achieve its international success.她的堅(jiān)持不懈和滿(mǎn)腔熱忱幫助該集團(tuán)在國(guó)際上獲得成功。
?'wean sb off / from sth
? to make sb gradually stop doing or using sth
?使逐漸戒除惡習(xí)(或避免依賴(lài)…):
?The doctor tried to wean?her off sleeping pills.
醫(yī)生設(shè)法使她逐漸停止服用安眠藥片。
The obvious worry is that the payment may habituate children?to think of reading books as a way of making money, and so erode, or?crowd out, or corrupt the love of reading for its own sake.
be far removed from?sth?formal
■to be very different from something與…大相徑庭；與…迥然不同；和…有天壤之別
?It's a wonderful experience but it's far removed from reality.這是一次美妙的經(jīng)歷，但是和現(xiàn)實(shí)生活有天壤之別。
Relentless?is sometimes close to?remorse less?in this sense, but it is usually less severe and is not always damning by any means. In general use, it may apply to anyone or anything that shows no mercy and cannot be stopped by entreaty or appeal: a?relentless?prosecutor; the?relentless?passing of time. Specifically,relentless?is sometimes used as in intensification of tireless. As such, it can imply a refusal to yield under punishing pressure: He pressed on?relentlessly, trying to meet the deadline.
un?flinch?ing
?adj.
? remaining strong and determined, even in a difficult or dangerous situation
? 不屈不撓的；果敢的；堅(jiān)定的；不畏縮的
【SYN】steadfast:
?unflinching loyalty
堅(jiān)貞不渝的忠誠(chéng)
?an unflinching stare
毫不畏懼的注視
wellspring
['wel.spr??]literary
nounonly singular
■the place something comes from or starts at, or the cause of something; thesource源頭；泉源
?thewellspringof the creative spirit創(chuàng)新精神的泉源
vogue
UK[v??g]US[vo?g]noun[S or U]
■a fashion or general liking, especially one which is temporary流行；時(shí)尚；時(shí)髦
?In the 1920s, short hair for women became the vogue.20世紀(jì)20年代，女性留短發(fā)成為時(shí)尚。
?The postwar vogue fo rtearing down buildings virtually destroyed the city's architecture.戰(zhàn)后盛行的拆毀建筑行為實(shí)際上破壞了該城市的建筑風(fēng)格。
?The short hemline is very much in vogue(= fashionable) this spring.今年春天短裙非常時(shí)興。
?"Community" is one of the vogue words of the new government.“社區(qū)”是新政府使用最多的詞語(yǔ)之一。
