Lesson 36 The cost of government 政府的开支

First listen and then answer the following question.

听录音,然后回答以下问题。

What is the most important factor, both in government or business, for keeping running costs low?

If a nation is essentially disunited, it is left to the government to hold it together. This increases the expense of government, and reduces correspondingly the amount of economic resources that could be used for developing the country. And it should not be forgotten how small those resources are in a poor and backward country. Where the cost of government is high, resources for development are correspondingly low.

This may be illustrated by comparing the position of a nation with that of a private business enterprise. An enterprise has to incur certain costs and expenses in order to stay in business. For our purposes, we are concerned only with one kind of cost-the cost of managing and administering the business. Such administrative overheads in a business are analogous to the cost of government in a nation. The administrative overheads of a business are low to the extent that everyone working in the business can be trusted to behave in a way that best promotes the interests of the firm. If they can each be trusted to take such responsibilities, and to exercise such initiative as falls within their sphere, then administrative overheads will be low. It will be low because it will be necessary to have only one man looking after each job, without having another man to check upon what he is doing, keep him in line, and report on him to someone else. But if no one can be trusted to act in a loyal and responsible manner towards his job, then the business will require armies of

15 administrators, checkers, and foremen, and administrative overheads will rise correspondingly. As administrative overheads rise, so the earnings of the business after meeting the expense of administration, will fall; and the business will have less money to distribute as dividends or invest directly in its future progress and development.

It is precisely the same with a nation. To the extent that the people can be relied upon to behave in a loyal 20 and responsible manner, the government does not require armies of police and civil servants to keep them in order. But if a nation is disunited, the government cannot be sure that the actions of the people will be in the interests of the nation; and it will have to watch, check, and control the people accordingly. A disunited nation therefore has to incur unduly high costs of government.

RAYMOND FROST The Backward Society

New words and expressions 生词和短语

disunited (1.1) / , dIsju'naɪtɪd/ adj. 分裂的

correspondingly (1.2) $/$ kDrI'spɒndɪŋli/ adv. 相应地

backward (1.3) /'backwəd/ adj. 落后的

incur (1.6) /in’ ${k3}$ 😕 $v$ . 承担

administer (1.7)/əd'mɪnɪstə/v. 管理

administrative (1.8) /əd'ministrətɪv/ adj. 行政

管理的

analogous (1.8) /ə'næləɡəs/adj. 类似的

overheads (1.8)/’əʊvəhedz/n. 一般费用

initiative (1.11) $/{I}^{\prime }\mathrm$ / $\mathrm{I}$ at $\mathrm/n$ . 主动,积极性

checker (1.15)/"tfeks/n. 检查人员

foreman (1.15)/’fɔːmən/n. 监工

dividend (1.17) ${1}^{\prime }$ dıvɪdˌənd/ $n$ . 红利

unduly (1.23) $/\Delta {n}^{\prime }$ djuːli/adv. 过度地

The Ministry of Natural Resources and The Home Office, Whitehall, London Local Government, Zomba, Malawi

Notes on the text 课文注释

1 economic resource, 经济实力。

2 stay in business, 维持营业。

3 be analogous to..., 与 ……类似。

4 as falls within their sphere, 属于他们分内的。

5 keep someone in line, 控制住某人。

6 keep them in order, 管理他们。

7 be in the interests of..., 符合 …… 的利益。

参考译文

如果一个国家实际上处于分裂状态,使之联合起来就是政府的事了。这样一来就增加了政府的开支,从而相应地减少了可以用来发展国家的那部分经济资源。不应忘记, 在一个贫穷落后的国家里, 那部分财力是很有限的 $\mathcal{A}$ 是政府管理费用高的地方,用于发展国家经济的资金就会相应地减少。

把国家的状况同私人企业的状况加以比较, 就可以看清这个问题。一个企业为了继续经营. 不得不支出一定的费用和开销。就我们的目的而言,我们只关心一种费用一企业行政管理费。一家企业的这种行政管理开文类似于一个国家的政府管理所用的开支。如果企业中的每个人都在真诚地为提高企业利润而工作,那么企业的管理费用就会降低到相应的程度。如果企业的每个人都信得过, 人人都认真负责, 在各自的工作范围内发挥王动性,行政管理费用就会降低。行政管理费用降低的原因是:每项工作只需一个人去完成,用不着另外再有一个人检查他的工作,督促他遵守章程,或向有关人士汇报他的工作。但是,如果企业中谁也不可信赖会对工作尽忠守职,那么企业就会需要大批的管理人员、检查人员和带班人员,管理费用就会相应地增加。管理费用增加了,那么在扣除管理费用后,企业的收入就降低了。因而用于分红的金额或直接用于将来开拓和发展的投资就相应地减少了。

一个国家的情况也完全相同。如果人民忠于职守, 举止规矩, 能受到政府的信赖, 那么政府就不需要大批的警察和文职人员去促使人民遵纪守法。但是,如果一个国家处于分裂状态,政府不能相信人民的行动有利于国冢,那么政府就不得不对人民进行监督、检查和控制。因此,一个处于分裂状态的国家必然要支付过高的行政管理费用。 Unit 5 Lesson 36

Comprehension 理解

Answer these questions:

1 Why is the expense of government increased if a nation is disunited?

2 What do you understand by the phrase 'administrative overheads'? (ll.8-9)

Vocabulary 词汇

Refer to the text to see how the following words have been used, then write sentences of your own using these words: reduces correspondingly the amount of economic resources (1.2); incur (1.6); analogous (1.8); promotes (1.10); distribute as dividends (1.17); precisely (1.19); unduly (1.23).

Summary 摘要

Drawing your information from lines 5-23 ('This may be ... costs of government'), show how the running of a business enterprise can be compared with the running of a country. Do not write more than 120 words. Your answer should be in one paragraph.

Composition 作文

A Write a list of ideas in note form which could be used to discuss this subject:

Ideally, a civil service should consist of a permanently appointed body of men who are not necessarily affiliated to the political party that is in power at any particular time.

B Drawing on your list of ideas, write a composition of about 400 words.

Key structures 关键句型

A Supply the correct form of the verbs in parentheses in the following sentences. Do not refer to the passage until you have completed the exercise:

1 This reduces the amount of economic resources that could be used for _____ (develop) the country. (II.1-3)

2 This may be illustrated by _____ (compare) the position of a nation with that of a private business enterprise. (1.5)

3 We are concerned only with the cost of _____ (manage) and _____ (administer) the business. (II.6-7)

4 It will be low because it will be necessary to have only one man_____(look) after each job, without _____ (have) another man to check upon what he is doing. (ll.11-13)

5 The earnings of the business, after _____ (meet) the expense of administration, will fall. (1.16)

B Write these sentences again so that they begin with the words given in parentheses. Make any other necessary changes. Do not refer to the passage until you have completed the exercise:

1 We should not forget how small these resources are. (It) (I.3)

2 We may illustrate this by comparing the position of a nation with that of a private business enterprise. (This) (1.5)

3 Only one kind of cost concerns us. (We) (II.6-7)

4 We can trust each of them to take such responsibilities. (They) (I.10)

5 We cannot trust anyone to act in a loyal and responsible manner. (No one) (II.13-14)

6 We can rely upon the people to behave in a loyal and responsible manner. (The people) (II.19-20) Unit 5 Lesson 36

C In which of the following sentences would it be possible to use in order to in place of to? Do not refer to the passage until you have completed the exercise:

1 An enterprise has to incur certain costs and expenses to stay in business. (1.6)

2 They can be trusted to take such responsibilities. (1.10)

3 No one can be trusted to act in a loyal and responsible manner. (II.13-14)

4 The government does not require armies of police and civil servants to keep them in order. (II.20-21)

D Note the use of best in this sentence:

Everyone working in the business can be trusted to behave in a way that best pormotes the interest of the firm. (ll.9-10)

Write sentences using the following expressions:

best illustrates; best describes; best explains.

Special difficulties 难点

A Study the following pairs of words and then write sentences of your own to bring out the difference.

1 earnings (1.16) - profits

The foreign earnings of the company this year are down because of the high exchange value of the dollor. (= money

from work or trade)

Our profits figure for the current year will be sharply reduced by provision for bad debts arising from war in Africa.

(= money earned from trade after all costs have been deducted)

2 watch(1.22)- follow

I'm watching the game on TV.

The dog followed me all the way home.

Sorry! The phone rang, and I haven't quite followed what you were saying. (i.e. with the mind: understood)

3 check (1.22) - control (1.22)

Check the tyres before you leave.

The state no longer controls the price of grain.

B Explain the meaning of the words in italics:

1 And it should not be forgotten how small those resources are in a poor and backward country. (II.3-4)

2 The train had to go backwards for half a mile.

3 She is concerned with the care of backward children.

C How does the position of only affect the meaning of the following sentences:

1 We are concerned only with one kind of cost. (11.6-7)

2 We only are concerned.

3 We are concerned with only one kind of cost.

4 We are concerned with one kind of cost only.

Unit 5 Lesson 36

Multiple choice questions 多项选择题

Choose the correct answers to the following questions. Comprehension 理解 1 If a country has to spend a lot of money on government, it _____ . (a) won’t have much over for other expenditure (b) will remain essentially disunited (c) will become a poor and backward nation (d) will be able to develop rapidly 2 A private business enterprise can only stay in business _____ (a) by relating to the cost of government in a nation (b) if it distributes dividends on a regular basis (c) by spending money (d) by assessing the cost of each job 3 The costs of running a business can be kept low, if _____ (a) business earnings remain high (b) there is an atmosphere of trust in a company (c) people enjoy their jobs (d) there is a good system for checking all employees 4 The cost of government _____. (a) includes the employment of armies of administrators (b) cannot be compared in any way with running a business (c) is in direct proportion to the responsible behaviour of its citizens (d) always rises regardless of circumstances

Structure 句型

5 You can illustrate this _____ compare the position of a nation ... (1.5)

(a) though you (b) would you (c) if you (d) to

6 For our purposes, what _____ us is only one kind of cost. (ll.6-7)

(a) concerns (b) is concerned (c) is concerning (d) concerning

7 The administrative overheads in a business are low _____ everyone ... (II.8-9)

(a) even if (b) however much (c) in so far as (d) supposing

8 _____ the people can be relied upon to behave ... (1.19)

(a) Even if (b) However much (c) As long as (d) Supposing Vocabulary 词汇

9 This increase reduces _____ the amount that could be used for ... (11.1-2)

(a) together (b) in response (c) in writing (d) proportionately

10 We are concerned only with the cost of managing and _____ the business. (II.6-7)

(a) organizing (b) conducting (c) establishing (d) developing

or invest ... (ll.17-18)

(a) share out (b) acquire (c) dispose (d) amass

12 A disunited nation has to incur _____ high costs of government. (11.22-23)

(a) unacceptably (b) unexpectedly (c) excessively (d) extremely