The Economist 翻譯系列 NO. 2

原文摘自The Economist雜志，APRIL 1ST-7TH 2017

It is time to impose a tax on efficiency

是時(shí)候?qū)π收鞫惲?/b>

EFFICIENCY is at the heart of progress. Yet just as too much of a good thing (travel, say) can yield a bad (congestion), so excessive ease in transactions can generate costs, known in the jargon as a “facile externality”, such that less efficiency would actually be more efficient. In academic circles, especially Scandinavian ones, the notion is well established that innovations which eliminate too much hassle could do society harm.

效率是進(jìn)步的核心。但正如好事（比如說，出行）過頭可能會(huì)變壞事（擁堵），交易的過度便利有可能會(huì)產(chǎn)生額外成本。正如行話所說的“簡(jiǎn)單外部性”，更低的效率實(shí)際上會(huì)更有效。在學(xué)術(shù)圈，尤其是北歐的學(xué)術(shù)圈，人們很好地認(rèn)識(shí)到，消除太多麻煩的創(chuàng)新有可能會(huì)帶來社會(huì)危害。

True to their cause, the high-minded theorists of facile externality go out of their way to make their ideas hard to understand. The effort required to master them has the happy effect of increasing their value, as intended. But it has also held them back from broad application. The good news is that this may at last be about to change.

簡(jiǎn)單外部性的志存高遠(yuǎn)的理論家們忠于他們的目標(biāo)，已盡力讓他們的觀點(diǎn)難以理解了。正如他們所期待的，掌握這些觀點(diǎn)所需的努力，有提升它們價(jià)值的可喜作用。但這也阻礙了它們的廣泛應(yīng)用。好消息是：這種狀況可能最終會(huì)變。

In the past year facile externality has started to gain traction (a term that, in itself, demonstrates the centrality of friction to progress). This is in part thanks to some well-placed disciples, such as Danilov P. Rossi of the UN’s “Don’t Nudge—Tell” office (DoNuT). But it is also because technology is prompting an exponential loss of friction. Some experts fear a slippery slope.

過去一年間，簡(jiǎn)單外部性已然發(fā)力（事實(shí)上，traction發(fā)力，這個(gè)詞本身，證明摩擦主導(dǎo)了進(jìn)步）。某種程度上，這要感謝一些有地位的信徒，比如聯(lián)合國(guó)“別暗示，直接說”辦公室(DONUT)的Danilov P. Rossi。但同時(shí)，這也因?yàn)榧夹g(shù)正在驅(qū)動(dòng)麻煩的指數(shù)性降低。一些專家擔(dān)心會(huì)出現(xiàn)災(zāi)難性滑坡。

Firms want to erase the sources of inconvenience and delay that irritate consumers. Technology has made this easy for them. Ride-hailing services allow passengers to walk off without fumbling for money. Streaming video brings the next episode to viewers just before the previous one ends. As Jerry Seinfeld once observed: “I love Amazon 1-click ordering. Because if it takes two clicks, I don’t even want it any more.”

公司們想要消除所有造成客戶不滿的不便和延遲因素。技術(shù)已經(jīng)使他們能夠輕易做到這點(diǎn)。即時(shí)用車服務(wù)使得乘客們不用掏錢就可以直接下車。流媒體視頻能在上一集剛結(jié)束就開始播放下一集。正像Jerry Seinfeld所說：“我喜歡亞馬遜的一鍵下單。因?yàn)槿绻c(diǎn)擊兩下，我根本就不想買了。”

In all this indulgence, the forgone benefits of hassle (slygge in Danish) go largely unrecognised. Frictionlessness encourages bad habits. For those who resent the time suck of 1-click ordering, Domino’s has pioneered “zero-click” pizza-buying. Simply open the app and, after ten seconds, it automatically places a pre-set order. Domino’s competitors are working on a “direct-to-mouth” drone-delivery service that will send individual slices of pizza into your home via an electronic flap. Pizza experts are seeking ways around the “chewing bottleneck”.

在所有這些享受中，放棄的麻煩的好處大部分未被意識(shí)到。順暢助長(zhǎng)了壞習(xí)慣。對(duì)于那些連一鍵下單的時(shí)間都不耐煩的人，Domino's率先推出了“零點(diǎn)擊”披薩購(gòu)買服務(wù)。只要打開APP并等待10秒鐘，會(huì)自動(dòng)下一個(gè)預(yù)設(shè)的訂單。Domino's的競(jìng)爭(zhēng)對(duì)手們正致力于“直接到嘴”的無人機(jī)送貨服務(wù)，可以通過一個(gè)電子振動(dòng)將各人的披薩塊送進(jìn)家中。披薩專家們正在尋找方法解決“咀嚼瓶頸”。

Payments are also subject to facile externality. Three in five Britons say they spend more with a wave of the plastic than they would with cash. Ordering goods using Alexa, a voice-activated assistant, is as easy as saying its name. Tech firms are working on gesture-controlled devices that could enable payments with just a furtive glance of desire.

付款也受簡(jiǎn)單外部性的影響。3/5的英國(guó)人說他們?cè)谒⒖〞r(shí)比用現(xiàn)金時(shí)花得更多。用Alexa，一個(gè)語音助手，訂貨時(shí)，就好像叫了下名字那么簡(jiǎn)單。技術(shù)公司們正致力于開發(fā)手勢(shì)控制的設(shè)備，只要一個(gè)悄悄的、想要的眼神，就能觸發(fā)支付。

But the great curse of facile externality is value-erosion. Persistent need is the world’s great motivator. With instant gratification, consumers end up alienated and economies worse off.

但是簡(jiǎn)單外部性的大災(zāi)害是價(jià)值腐蝕。持續(xù)的需求是世界發(fā)展的重大發(fā)展動(dòng)力。隨著即時(shí)滿足的實(shí)現(xiàn)，顧客們最終變得疏離，而經(jīng)濟(jì)也開始惡化。

Take back control

拿回控制權(quán)

A few companies have recognised the benefits of restoring friction. Research into “the Ikea effect”, named in honour of those happy hours spent with an Allen key, a Billy bookcase and a rising hatred of Sweden, shows that people put extra value on things when they devote their own labour to them.

一些公司已經(jīng)意識(shí)到找回麻煩的好處。對(duì)于“宜家效應(yīng)”（用以紀(jì)念與Allen鑰匙、Billy書柜所共度的美好時(shí)光，以及對(duì)瑞典人的日益厭惡之情）的調(diào)查表明，人們會(huì)對(duì)那些投入自己勞動(dòng)的東西賦予額外的價(jià)值。

But the market cannot solve this problem on its own. As Mr Rossi says, only government can properly defend the cause of inefficiency. DoNuT is calling for ideas. Since time-wasting is of the essence, it has imposed a deadline of April 1st next year.

但是市場(chǎng)無法自己解決這個(gè)問題。正像Rossi先生說的，只有政府才能恰如其分地捍衛(wèi)低效率事業(yè)。DONUT也在呼吁這些理念。既然浪費(fèi)時(shí)間極其重要，就把截止日期放在明年4月1日。

We at The Economist plan to lead by example. From next week, readers will need an extra tool: a paper knife with which to separate the pages of their copy. Henceforth, you will have to slit apart the folded pages of our folios to enjoy the words within. And you will, we are sure, thank us for it.

我們經(jīng)濟(jì)學(xué)人雜志則計(jì)劃以身作則。從下周起，讀者會(huì)收到一個(gè)額外的工具：一把裁紙刀，用于把雜志的頁面裁開。從此以后，你都需要把折疊裝訂的頁面裁開，才能品味里面的內(nèi)容。我們確信，你會(huì)感激我們這么做的。

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