问答题 How does the stock market affect business investment? There are three direct effects. One is that the market has traditionally served as a general barometer of the expectations of the business-minded community as a whole. We say "business-minded" rather than "business" because the demand for, and supply of, securities mainly comes from securities dealers, stockbrokers, and the investing public, rather than from nonfinancial business enterprises themselves. When the market is buoyant, it has been a signal to business that the "business climate" is favorable, and the effect on what Keynes called the "animal spirits" of executives has been to encourage them to go ahead with expansion plans. When the market is falling, on the other hand, spirits tend to be dampened, and executives may think twice before embarking on an expansion program in the face of general pessimism.
This traditional relationship is however, greatly lessened by the growing power of government to influence the trend of economic events. Business once looked to the market as the key signal for the future. Today it looks to Washington. Hence, during the past decade when the stock market has shown wide swings, business investment in plant and equipment has remained basically steady. This reflects the feeling of corporate managers that government policy will keep the economy growing, whatever "the market" may think of events.
【正确答案】
【答案解析】股票市场是如何影响企业投资的?有三种直接的影响方式。第一种方式里,市场表现一直被具有商业头脑的人用作衡量投资预期的晴雨表。我们说“商业头脑”而不是“商业”,因为对证券的需求和供给主要来自于证券交易商、股票经纪人和投资大众,而不是来自于非金融性的商业企业本身。市场繁荣时,对企业来说,这是一个“市场环境”利好的信号,那些颇具凯恩所称为“动物精神”的企业家们受到鼓舞,纷纷开始扩大投资计划。而当市场低迷时,相反,精神就会变得沮丧,在普遍的悲观情绪面前,企业家们决定扩大投资项目前往往会再三思考。
然而,日益强大的政府权力不断影响经济事件的发展趋势,这种传统的关系被逐渐淡化。企业曾将市场表现看作判断未来趋势的关键信号。而今天,他们却要将目光转向华盛顿的政策。因此,在过去的十年里,尽管股票市场大幅动荡,企业在设立工厂和购置设备方面的投资仍能基本保持稳定。这反映出企业经理们的一种感觉,不管“市场”对不同事件做何反应,政府的政策一定会保持经济增长。 [解析] One is that the market has traditionally served as a general barometer of the expectations of the business-minded community as a whole.
原句中的主语是“市场表现”,翻译时为了体现“市场表现”与“具有商业头脑的人”之间的关系,使用了被动结构,转换了主语,更符合中文的表达习惯。
第一种方式里,市场表现一直被具有商业头脑的人用作衡量投资预期的晴雨表。
This traditional relationship is however, greatly lessened by the growing power of government to influence the trend of economic events.
原句中by后边的名词结构包含的信息量很大,是造成前边所述状况的原因,翻译时根据前因后果的顺序将这部分提前,将这部分名词结构翻译为主谓结构,以免造成句子头重脚轻的情况。
然而,日益强大的政府权力不断影响经济事件的发展趋势,这种传统的关系被逐渐淡化。
Business once looked to the market as the key signal for the future. Today it looks to Washington.
这两句话对比了今天和之前市场与企业决策之间的关系,两者之间存在转折的逻辑关系,因此翻译时,加上“而”来体现,同时将两句合译为依据,加强了前后的联系。其次,在翻译“Washington”这个词时,我们应该明白,企业看的并不是华盛顿这个城市,而是华盛顿政府所颁发的经济政策,翻译时应该将信息补充完整。
企业曾将市场表现看作判断未来趋势的关键信号。而今天,他们却要将目光转向华盛顿的政策。
This reflects the feeling of corporate managers that government policy will keep the economy growing, whatever "the market" may think of events.
原句中“the market”之所以加上了双引号,是因为它的谓语是“think思考,想”,而我们都知道能够“思考”的只有人,因此这里采用了拟人的修辞手法,翻译时应该保留。
这反映出企业经理们的一种感觉,不管“市场”对不同事件作何反应,政府的政策一定会保持经济增长。