認(rèn)識稀缺

∷林巍 文／譯

原 文

[1] 自然資源的稀缺性與人欲望的無限性，這是經(jīng)濟(jì)學(xué)研究的核心，也是對我們?nèi)粘Ｉ畹膯⑹尽?/p>

[2] 在經(jīng)濟(jì)學(xué)上，人類的生存過程，就是不斷地利用有限資源創(chuàng)造出經(jīng)濟(jì)產(chǎn)品以滿足自身需要的過程。所謂稀有資源，主要是指土地、能源、勞動力、資金等；所謂經(jīng)濟(jì)產(chǎn)品，是指愜意人類所需但又無法從自然界中直接獲得的產(chǎn)品。

[3] 其實，面對人的“自身需要”，世上的資源幾乎都是有限的，石油、天然氣、礦產(chǎn)等自不必說（據(jù)科學(xué)家估算最多還有數(shù)百年的開采潛力），即便人們歷來認(rèn)為是無限的，如空氣、海洋、陽光等，其實就其質(zhì)量、可利用性和時期而言，也是有限的，不過是以不同的衡量方式。

[4] 同時，相對有限的資源來而言，人的“自身需要”永遠(yuǎn)是無限的，而且是各種形式、各個層次和處于不同階段的。解決這種有限和無限矛盾的過程，既驅(qū)動著人類社會的蓬勃發(fā)展，又可能導(dǎo)致其最終走向絕路。

[5] 鑒于此，對于人的自身需求要及早做出有意識的節(jié)制，而節(jié)制的主要方式，是要對自己的行為采取有效的選擇——有所為而有所不為，即以有限的資源取得最佳的效益。

譯 文

[1] The contradictions between finite natural scarcity and infinite human wants constitute the core issue in economics, and also have some relevance to our daily lives.

[2] In economics, human existence relies on scare resources, which are used to produce economic goods to satisfy people’s wants and needs. Scarce resources include land, energy, labor, capital and so on; economic goods are these goods that are desired but not directly obtainable from nature.

[3] Relative to human wants and needs, almost all resources in the world are in fact limited. Apart from familiar ones, such as oil, natural gas, mineral and so on, which scientists predict are finite (probably have a potential of a few hundred years), other resources like air,sea, sun and so on have long been deemed inexhaustible.In fact, those resources are all finite if they are measured differently in terms of quality, usage and timing.

[4] Relative to limited natural resources, however,human wants and needs are always unlimited, characterized by different forms, levels and stages. In bridging the gap between the two, human society may be motivated to prosper or be ruined.

[5] The natural fact of scarcity implies that we must practice self-restraint, which means satisfaction of one want may lead to non-satisfaction of one or more other wants.In other words, every choice involves giving up another opportunity to do or use something else for the purpose of achieving optimality based on limited resources.

譯 注

在[1] 中，對于“自然資源的稀缺性與人欲望的無限性”，為表述二者間的矛盾，特別加入了the contradictions between...；而在“這是經(jīng)濟(jì)學(xué)研究的核心”之前，加上了constitute...；對于“（對我們?nèi)粘Ｉ畹模﹩⑹尽保⑽从胷evelations,implications等詞語，而是have some relevance，其中relevance意為pertinence to the matter at hand（與手頭相關(guān)的事務(wù)），如：a governmental policy lacking relevance（沒有實用性的政府政策）等，故整句不妨譯為：The contradictions between finite natural scarcity and infinite human wants constitute the core issue in economics, and also have some relevance to our daily lives.

在[2]中，對于“在經(jīng)濟(jì)學(xué)上，人類的生存過程，就是不斷地利用有限資源創(chuàng)造出經(jīng)濟(jì)產(chǎn)品以滿足自身需要的過程”這句話，首先要認(rèn)清賓語，然后根據(jù)英文突出重點的句式，將其提前，即In economics, human existence relies on scare resources, 以強(qiáng)調(diào)人類對其的依賴，再緩而展開：...which are used to produce economic goods to satisfy people’s wants and needs. 同時，“所謂稀有資源，主要是指土地、能源、勞動力、資金等；所謂經(jīng)濟(jì)產(chǎn)品，是指愜意人類所需但又無法從自然界中直接獲得的產(chǎn)品”，其中的兩個“所謂”都未用the so-called, 以顯平實：scarce resources include...; economic goods are those goods that... 然而，卻不妨重復(fù)goods一詞，以示清晰。

在[3]中，“面對人的‘自身需要’，世上的資源幾乎都是有限的”, 對于括號中的“據(jù)科學(xué)家估算最多還有數(shù)百年的開采潛力”，可作適當(dāng)?shù)淖兺ㄌ幚恚鐚ⅰ翱茖W(xué)家估算”單獨譯出，而將“數(shù)百年的開采潛力”列入括號之內(nèi)，譯為：...which scientists predict are finite (probably have a potential of a few hundred years)，因“科學(xué)家估算”已獨立成意，而在括號中可進(jìn)一步詮釋其內(nèi)容?！熬推滟|(zhì)量、可利用性和時期而言，也是有限的，不過是以不同的衡量方式”，需強(qiáng)調(diào)those resources，quality, usage，timing等，故不妨譯為：those resources are all finite if they are measured differently in terms of quality, usage and timing.

同時，對于“石油、天然氣、礦產(chǎn)等自不必說”，其中的“不必說”，可理解為“除……之外”，故不妨用apart from familiar ones, such as oil, natural gas,mineral and so on...

在 [4]中，“人的‘自身需要’永遠(yuǎn)是無限的”，對“自身需要”這個說法, 用了兩個動詞wants and needs，以示強(qiáng)調(diào)；“而且是各種形式、各個層次和處于不同階段的”，若譯成but also have various forms, at various levels and stages, 未嘗不可，但可更加簡練，譯為：...characterized by different forms, levels and stages. “既驅(qū)動著人類社會的蓬勃發(fā)展，又可能導(dǎo)致其最終走向絕路”，其中“驅(qū)動著”，有多種譯法，如move, impel, drive，prompt，push等，但最確切的詞應(yīng)為motivate，該詞的主要含義為to provide with an incentive（提供某種激勵），如：What he has done was entirely motivated by his desire（他所做的完全是受欲望的驅(qū)使）。類似的，move則主要有“感動”之意，如：The news moved her profoundly（這消息深深地打動了她）；impel主要為to drive forward or propel（推動，推進(jìn)），如：The heart impels the blood through arteries（心臟使血液在動脈里流動）；而push則主要為to urge forward or urge insistently（逼迫向前推動或不斷鞭策），多為非自愿所為，如push a child to study harder（促使孩子更努力地學(xué)習(xí)）等。對于“又可能導(dǎo)致其最終走向絕路”，若按其字面意思，似可譯成：this may also reach his dead end / bring ruin upon themselves等，但結(jié)合前面的“既驅(qū)動著人類社會……”，此語可大大“簡化”為be ruined，故整句不妨為：In bridging the gap between the two, human society may be motivated to prosper or be ruined.

在[5]中，“鑒于此”一般可譯為to this end等，但這里可不必特意譯出，而不妨融合在后面的句子里；“有意識的節(jié)制”可為practice self-restraint。對于“要對自己的行為采取有效的選擇——有所為而有所不為，即以有限的資源取得最佳的效益”，似可譯成：to make their own choice—do or refuse to do something, that is to achieve the best results by using limited resources.其實，此句難以“對號入座”，而不妨綜合處理：...satisfaction of one want may lead to non-satisfaction of one or more other wants. In other words, every choice involves giving up another opportunity to do or use something else for the purpose of achieving optimality based on limited resources. 換言之，此類句子宜以段落為單位，交匯融通，以求整體效果。