The Big Picture for Importers and Exporters: Globalization and Trade Agreements 进出口业者的大愿景：全球化与贸易协议
- 详细资料
- 创建于 2004年9月24日
- 最后更新于 2024年5月25日
- 发布于 2011年7月23日
- 作者：Mike Lee
- 点击数：426
课文朗读
课文讲解
Importers and exporters work within a global movement towards free trade. This globalization movement seeks the multilateral elimination of trade barriers, thereby allowing commerce to operate freely; according to the economic law of comparative advantage, free trade enhances the net economic advantage for all participants. The WTO, ASEAN, NAFTA, and EU are all products of this movement.
进出口业者在全球自由贸易运动的架构下从事贸易，这项全球化运动的目的在消弭多边贸易的障碍，好让贸易能自由运作；根据比较优势的经济法则，自由贸易能提升所有全球化经济体的整个经济优势。世界贸易组织、东南亚国协、北美自由贸易协议、和欧盟【注】都是这运动的产物。
Since April, 1995, the WTO has been committed to increasing international trade by eliminating tariffs, quotas, and duties. Many of its 147 member countries are also involved in regional trade blocs like NAFTA and ASEAN. Member countries in each of these blocs reduce trade barriers for each other, but retain barriers for non-members. The EU goes even further by agreeing on a common tariff for non-member countries, in addition to allowing the free movement of labor and capital within the EU.
自从1995年4月，世界贸易组织就致力于促进国际贸易，力行取消关税、配额和赋税。该机构147个会员国中，有许多国家也都参与了区域性的贸易组织，例如北美自由贸易协议和东南亚国协。这些贸易组织的会员国彼此之间降低贸易障碍，但却对非会员国保留贸易障碍。欧盟甚至更进一步，不但允许在欧盟境内人力与资金自由流通，还同意对非会员国施以共通的关税。
Trading companies must be knowledgeable about such trade agreements. For example, the recent EU expansion into Eastern Europe means European access to a new market of over 74 million people. Consequently, the cost of French exports to Latvia decreased overnight. By contrast, for American exporters to Latvia, EU expansion means increased competition.
贸易公司必须熟悉这些贸易协议。譬如，最近欧盟的版图扩张至东欧，意谓着欧洲市场扩张至一个拥有七千四百多万人口的新市场。因此，法国货物出口至拉脱维亚的成本一下子就降下来了。相对地，对出口货物至拉脱维亚的美国贸易商而言，欧盟的扩张意谓着要面临更多的竞争。
By understanding the big picture, traders can capitalize on new opportunities and avoid costly misadventures.
藉由掌握整个国际局势，贸易商便能利用它的商机，并避免发生昂贵的惨痛教训。
Vocabulary
单词发音
big picture 大视野；大局观
multilateral [ˋmʌltɪˋlætərəl] adj. 多边的; 多国间的；多方的
elimination [ɪ͵lɪməˋneʃən] n. 排除；除去
comparative advantage 相对优势
net [nɛt] adj. 实的，净值的
participant [pɑrˋtɪsəpənt] n. 参加者﹐参与者
be committed to 致力于..
committed [kəˋmɪtɪd] adj. 忠诚的，坚定的
tariff [ˋtærɪf] n. 关税
quota [ˋkwotə] n. 配额；限额
duty [ˋdjutɪ] n. 税
bloc [blɑk] n. 团体；联盟
capital [ˋkæpət!] n. 资本；本钱
knowledgeable [ˋnɑlɪdʒəb!] adj. 有知识的，博学的；有见识的[（+on/about）]
access [ˋæksɛs] n. 通道，入口，门路[C][U][（+to）]
Latvia [ˋlætvɪə] n. 拉脱维亚（原苏联共和国之一，1991年8月宣布独立）
capitalize on 利用…
capitalize [ˋkæpət!͵aɪz] v. 利用
misadventure [ˋmɪsədˋvɛntʃɚ] n. 运气不佳的遭遇；灾祸
Sentence of the Day
The free trade movement hopes to encourage a roaring trade in just about everything.
自由贸易运动的目的是希望促进所有商品都能交易热络。
roaring trade 兴隆的生意
课文讲解
Steve is updating Kay, his co-worker in a kitchen appliance company, on export markets: 史提夫和凯是厨具公司的同事，史提夫正在向凯说明外销市场的最新动态：
S: I’ve got good news and bad news. Which do you want to hear first?
我有好消息也有坏消息。妳想先听哪一种？
K: Let’s get the bad news out of the way.
先把坏消息解决掉吧。
S: All right. We have competition in the States. A Mexican competitor has emerged and taken a chunk out of our market share.
好的。在美国我们有竞争对手了，是一家刚崛起的墨西哥公司，把我们的市场给瓜分掉一大块了。
K: That is bad news! But it was bound to happen, since NAFTA makes it cheaper for Mexican exporters to enter the U.S.
真是坏消息！不过这是迟早的事，因为北美自由贸易协议使墨西哥出口至美国的产品变得比较便宜。
S: It’s not just cheaper, but also easier for NAFTA member countries to trade with each other. Member-country trading companies face fewer delays at customs and are given more government support.
不只比较便宜而已，也使得北美自由贸易协议会员国之间的相互贸易更加容易。会员国的贸易公司通关时会比较顺畅，而且会得到政府更多的支持。
K: Right. Governments usually follow up on these trade agreements by improving their infrastructures to facilitate trade. For example, they might offer low-interest loans to exporters looking to trade with other member countries.
没错。政府通常会依照这些贸易协议所载，改善基础建设以方便业者进行贸易。譬如说，政府可能会提供低利贷款给想要和其他会员国业者做生意的出口商。
S: Enough bad news. Some trade agreements are a blessing for us, like Taiwan’s bilateral trade agreement with Panama.
坏消息接踵而至。但有些贸易协议对我们有利，例如台湾与巴拿马签的双边贸易协议。
K: But we don’t have a market for our kitchen appliance in Panama!
但是我们的厨具在巴拿马没有销路！
S: No. But we can import motors for our range hoods from Panama instead of Australia. It’s cheaper and should reduce our production costs.
是没有。但我们可以从巴拿马进口排油烟机的马达，而不要从澳洲进口。这样会比较便宜，应该能降低我们的生产成本。
K: Great! Hopefully, that will offset bad news.
赞！希望这能够弥补先前的坏消息。
－by Howe Phuong
Vocabulary
单词发音
update [ʌpˋdet] v. 为……提供（或补充）最新信息
get something out of the way 除去…
chunk [tʃʌŋk] n. 相当大的部分（或数量）
be bound to 一定会（做）be certain or destined to
custom [ˋkʌstəm] n.（常大写）海关
follow up 把...贯彻到底
infrastructure [ˋɪnfrə͵strʌktʃɚ] n. 基础设施〈如运输﹑通讯﹑银行制度等〉; 基础结构
facilitate [fəˋsɪlə͵tet] v. 促进；帮助
blessing [ˋblɛsɪŋ] n. 好处，幸事
bilateral [baɪˋlætərəl] adj. 双方的；双边的
Panama [ˈpænəˌmɑ] n. 巴拿马
range hood 抽油烟机
offset [ˋɔf͵sɛt] v. 补偿；抵销
Sentence of the Day
Trade agreements grease the wheels of importing and exporting.
贸易协议能让进出口运行更顺畅。
grease the wheels 使..顺利进行
range hood
