曼昆《经济学原理》（英文版）导读5

【原文】Ten Principles of Economics 5: Trade Can Make Everyone Better Off

【译文】十大经济学原理5：贸易可以使每个人变得更好

【原文】You may have heard on the news that the Chinese are our competitors in the world economy. In some ways, this is true because American and Chinese firms produce many of the same goods. Companies in the United States and China compete for the same customers in the markets for clothing, toys, solar panels,automobile tires, and many other items.

【firm】一般我们翻译为企业、厂商。在经济学中，firm指的是现有或潜在的生产能力。即不只包括现有的生产能力，还包括潜在的生产能力。

【译文】你可能听过这样的新闻：中国人是我们在世界经济中的竞争者。在某种程度上，这话是正确的，因为美国和中国的企业生产很多相同的产品。这些公司在服装，玩具，太阳能电池板，汽车轮胎和许多其他产品上争夺相同的顾客。

【原文】Yet it is easy to be misled when thinking about competition among countries. Trade between the United States and China is not like a sports contest in which one side wins and the other side loses. In fact, the opposite is true: Trade between two countries can make each country better off.

【one side wins and the other side loses】一方的胜利必然伴随着另一方的失败。这在经济学上属于零和博弈，一方的胜利以另一方的失败为代价，如体育比赛、战争。

【译文】然而，以这种方式思考国家间的竞争，很容易产生误导。中美贸易不同于体育比赛——一方的胜利必然伴随着另一方的失败。事实上，情况正好相反：两国之间的贸易可以使双方都变得更好。

【原文】To see why, consider how trade affects your family. When a member of your family looks for a job, she competes against members of other families who are looking for jobs. Families also compete against one another when they go shopping because each family wants to buy the best goods at the lowest prices. In a sense,each family in an economy competes with all other families.

【each family wants to buy the best goods at the lowest prices】以最低的价格买到最好的产品。这正是经济学对理性人的假设，即总是力图以最小的代价获取最大的利益。

【译文】为了说明原因，我们考虑贸易如何影响家庭。当一个家庭成员找工作时，他要和其他家庭成员竞争工作机会。家庭之间也要互相竞争，以便能够以最低的价格买到最好的产品。从某种意义上来说，在整个经济体中，每个家庭都和其他所有家庭竞争。

【原文】Despite this competition, your family would not be better off isolating itself from all other families. If it did,your family would need to grow its own food, make its own clothes, and build its own home. Clearly, your family gains much from its ability to trade with others. Trade allows each person to specialize in the activities she does best, whether it is farming, sewing, or home building. By trading with others, people can buy a greater variety of goods and services at lower cost.

【grow its own food, make its own clothes,and build its own home】自己种植粮食，自己做衣服，自己建造房屋。这是封建社会小农经济，相比较于市场经济，效率较低。

【Trade allows each person to specialize in the activities she does best, whether it is farming, sewing, or home building.】贸易可以让每个人只做自己最擅长的事，种植，织布，亦或建造房屋。市场经济通过专业分工提高效率。

【译文】尽管存在这些竞争，但是，把自己的家庭和其他所有家庭孤立出来并不会给自己家庭带来好处。如果你这样做，你的家庭需要自己种植粮食，自己做衣服，自己建造房屋。很明显，你的家庭在和别的家庭进行贸易时，获益良多。贸易可以让每个人只做自己最擅长的事，种植，织布，亦或建造房屋。通过和他人贸易，人们能够以更低的价格购买到更多种类的商品和服务。

【原文】Countries as well as families benefit from the ability to trade with one another. Trade allows countries to specialize in what they do best and to enjoy a greater variety of goods and services. The Chinese, as well as the French and the Egyptians and the Brazilians, are as much our partners in the world economy as they are our competitors.

【译文】国家和家庭一样，也能从贸易中获利。贸易可以让一个国家只生产自己最擅长的产品，并可以享受更多种类的商品和服务。中国人和法国人，埃及人，巴西人一样，在世界经济中即是我们的合作伙伴，也是我们的竞争对手。

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