之之

This year's session of the National People's Congress is taking place amidst renewed government exhortations for people to study Lei Feng, a humble young man Mao turned into an icon of model behavior, whose only goal was to serve the party.



Congress delegate and lieutenant general, Zhao Gang, says he admires Lei Feng's love of country and mankind, qualities that outshine the actual things he did.



"We can see great things from what Lei Feng did, even though they were just small things. It's just like the reflection of the sun in a drop of water," said Zhao.



Last year, 27 year old Zhang Liangliang and his friends made a movie where an ordinary guy tries to become a superhero by emulating Lei Feng.



"People born in the 1960s or 1970s, perhaps they believe in Lei Feng. Now, though, young people born in the 1980s or 1990s doubt that he was able to actually do all the selfless good deeds that he is credited with," said Zhang.



The film Lei Feng Xia (or Lei Feng Man) has been seen by millions of people online. Zhang says his favorite part is when Lei Feng struggles to clean up his neighborhood.



"He uses a spatula to scrape off advertisements that were stuck on the ground. I've done that before. It's like someone comes to glue the ad there, then another person comes to clean it up, then someone puts something else on top of the same spot," Zhang noted.



As modern Chinese society grows wealthier, official media bemoan a national decline in morality because of things like official corruption and public apathy.



Guangxi delegate Wang Aiqing says this is why China still needs Lei Feng's spirit of selflessness.



"People these days are only pursuing success, fame, their own interests and money, which means they're not really well-grounded," said Wang.  "They need to go back to a good starting point."



Lei Feng died in 1962, at the age of 21. A complete edition of writings attributed to him was recently published, as part of more than 100 new Lei Feng-themed publications planned for this year that include poems, speeches, letters and analyses of his life.



今年的全国人大会议，正值政府鼓励人民学雷锋，这位普通的年轻人被毛泽东推为行为样板，因为他的目标就是为党服务。

人大代表兼中将赵刚说，他仰慕雷锋爱国爱人民的精神，这些品质比他干的实事更加闪光。

“雷锋做的虽然只是一些小事，但可以从中看到伟大的东西。他的精神就像是太阳照在水滴上一样光芒四射。”

去年，27岁的张亮亮和朋友拍了一部电影，讲述一个普通人想通过学雷锋成为超级英雄的故事。

“生在六七十年代的人可能会相信雷锋，不过，如今的80后和90后会怀疑他是否真的做过这些被表彰的好事。”

数百万人在线观看了电影《雷锋侠》，张说他最喜欢的部分，就是雷锋设法清洁社区的情节。

“他用铲刀去铲掉粘贴在地上的广告，我以前也干过。某人在那里贴广告，另一个人把广告清除，然后这人又在同样的地方再贴上广告。”

随着当代中国越来越富裕，官方媒体哀叹诸如官员腐败和公众冷漠造成全国道德水平的下降。

广西代表王爱清说，这就是为什么中国现在仍然需要雷锋这种无私的精神。

“如今的人们只会追名逐利，只管追求成功和金钱，这说明他们很浮躁，需要回到更好的起点上。”

雷锋于1962年去世，享年21岁。最近出版了一全套赞美雷锋的作品出版，今年计划以雷锋为主题出版100多部作品，这是其中的一部分。这些将出版的作品包括诗集，演讲，信件和对雷锋生命的解析。

之之

The SpareOne mobile phone is absolutely unique — running on one AA battery, it keeps its charge for up to 15 years.

待机时间超长的“节约一号”手机非常独特：只需一节AA电池，就能保持电量长达15年。

It has no camera, web browser or other hi-tech extras such as touchscreens.

这款手机没有摄像头、网络浏览器、或者触摸屏等高科技附加设备。

It's designed simply to work as a phone — and built to last.

手机只设计了通话等最基本功能，最大限度地延长待机时间。

The phone goes on sale on March 15, priced at £60 in the UK and $70 in the US.

这款手机定于3月15日发售，在英国的售价60英镑，在美国售价70美元。

The phone is designed as a "backup" phone you can keep in the glove compartment for emergencies.

这款手机是作为“备用”手机设计的，你可以把它放在汽车储物箱里应急。

The idea is that you can keep it there without worrying if it's charged or not.

创意之处就在于，你可以把它放在那里，不用担心有没有电。

Many modern mobiles will lose their charge over time, even if switched off.

很多现在的手机不管是不是关着机，时间久了都会损失电量。

Its makers say that SpareOne is ideal to leave in the car for emergencies, or to pack in travel luggage – especially if you or your loved ones plan to go off the beaten track (or off—piste).

制造商称，“节约一号”放在车里应急用，或者装进旅行包再理想不过了，特别是你和心爱的人要去比较偏僻的地方时（或者去野外滑雪）。

The SpareOne can be pre—programmed for instant access to phone numbers of key contacts, including the relevant emergency services in any location.

人们还可以通过设定“节约一号”的程序，使其能够立即接通紧急联系人，包括在任何地点接通相关的应急服务。

That single battery offers a talk time of up to 10 hours.

单块电池的最长通话时间可达10小时。

As the phone's developer, XPAL Power, says: "It's essentially designed to make and receive the most important calls, no matter what."

手机制造商XPAL能量公司表示：“这款手机本质上是用来接打最重要的电话的，不管是什么。”

The SpareOne's is also able to automatically transmit its location via its mobile ID, plus has a built—in torch.

这款手机还可以通过手机ID自动发送位置信息，此外还有一个内置电筒。

之之

Dream on, Athens. When Beijing presented its 2012 budget this week, the main concern from investors was that the government was not going to run a big enough deficit.

希腊人做梦也不敢想，中国政府本周发布2012年预算时，投资者的主要担忧竟是——政府的预算赤字不够大。

But a closer look at the spending plan reveals that China may have a couple of accounting tricks up its sleeve: its true deficit is likely to be quite a bit larger than the finance ministry claimed.

但更细致地阅读这份预算草案，就会发现中国政府偷偷运用了一些会计技巧。中国真正的赤字规模可能比财政部声称的数字大很多。

Before delving into the numbers, it is worth emphasising why a bigger deficit in China would actually be a good thing, both in the short term and the long term.

探究具体数字之前，我们有必要强调一下，为什么中国扩大财政赤字规模，无论从长期还是短期来看，其实是件好事。

This year, with exporters facing global headwinds and the domestic property market dipping, Chinese growth is bound to slow. The question is whether the government will be able to ensure that this slowdown is moderate and not sharp.

今年，中国出口部门在全球市场面临巨大压力，国内房地产市场也转冷，中国经济增长势必放缓。因此问题就成了政府能否确保经济放缓过程是温和的，而不会太过剧烈。

The weight of that task is going to fall on fiscal policy, because the central bank is unwilling to loosen monetary policy too much for fear of stoking inflation. Hence the disappointment among investors when the finance ministry announced that it was targeting a deficit of 1.5 percent of GDP, just a touch higher than last year. More spending is needed to make up for the gaps left by weak exports and sluggish construction. And with low levels of public debt, China can also easily afford this.

由于央行担忧刺激通胀，不愿过多放松货币政策，因此这项任务会落在财政政策上。所以，当中国财政部宣布将预算赤字设为相当于国内生产总值(GDP)的1.5%之时，投资者颇为失望，这个水平仅比去年略高。中国需要更大的开支力度，才能填补出口走软、建设乏力造成的经济增长缺口。目前较低水平的公共债务水平，意味着中国能够负担得起更大的开支。

From a longer-term perspective, a bigger fiscal deficit is also a vital ingredient in the economic rebalancing that is required to keep Chinese growth on track. As Mark Williams with Capital Economics wrote this week: “Many inside and outside of government have agonised for years over what policy changes are needed to boost domestic demand. There is a straightforward answer: government should simply spend more itself.”

从长远来看，扩大财政赤字也是中国实现经济再平衡的一个关键手段之一，而再平衡则是维持中国经济增长不脱离正轨的必要措施。凯投宏观(Capital Economics)的马克?威廉姆斯(Mark Williams)本周撰文称：“政府内部和外部的许多人，多年来一直在为需要作出哪些政策转变来推动内需而困扰。有一个直截了当的答案，就是政府自己应该花更多的钱。”

We can be thankful, then, that the government appears to have under-reported its spending plans. Its forecast deficit of 1.5 percent of GDP looks more like a 2.4 percent shortfall on closer inspection, according to Citigroup economists.

那么，对于政府在公布预算草案时似乎对赤字打了折扣的做法，我们应该心存谢意才对。花旗集团(Citigroup)经济学家分析道，尽管中国政府宣布的预计赤字相当于GDP的1.5%，但经过更细致的研究，赤字将实际上相当于GDP的2.4%。

They highlighted two accounting oddities that explain this discrepancy.

这些经济学家们指出了两项反常规的会计操作，可以解释二者的差距。

First, excess revenue of Rmb270bn last year was plunked into a "fiscal stabilisation fund", allowing Beijing to leave it out of the 2011 accounts and count it as revenue this year. If counted as 2011 revenue, which it clearly was, this year's deficit would be higher by 0.5 percent of GDP.

第一，去年2700亿元人民币的额外财政收入，被划入“预算稳定调节基金”。这使得北京方面得以将其列在2011年财政收入之外，计入今年的收入。如果将这笔资金计入2011年的收入（显然应该如此），那么今年财政赤字规模将会增加GDP的0.5%。

Second, Rmb192bn of local spending was booked last year but will not actually happen until this year. Accounted for as 2012 expenditure, which it is, China's deficit would rise by a further 0.35 percent of GDP.

第二，计入去年支出的1920亿元人民币地方政府财政开支，实际上今年才会发生。如果计入2012年支出（显然应该如此），那么财政赤字还会再增加GDP的0.35%。

Citi's conclusion? That premier Wen Jiabao's forecast of 7.5 per cent GDP growth this year could prove conservative — as Chinese official forecasts generally have done in recent years. Citi says: “The proactive fiscal policy should be supportive of above 8 percent growth in 2012.”

花旗集团的结论是，温家宝总理对中国经济今年增长7.5%的预期，可能有些保守，近几年中国的官方预测通常如此。花旗集团表示：“积极的财政政策应当能在2012年支撑超过8%的经济增长。”

So rest assured, China has plenty of fiscal fire-power in reserve and is preparing to deploy more of it than the finance ministry would have you believe.

所以投资者可以放心了，中国有充足的财政火力，而且准备部署的火力规模比财政部愿意让你相信的更多。

之之

Nothing succeeds like confidence. When you are truly and justifiably confident, it radiates from you like sunlight, and attracts success to you like a magnet.

信心成就一切。当你真正自信时，它就像灿烂的阳光一样从你身上散发出来，就像磁铁一样将成功吸引到你身上。

It's so important to believe in yourself. Believe that you can do it under any circumstances, because if you believe you can, then you really will. That belief just keeps you searching for answers, and then pretty soon you can get it (them).

相信自己非常重要。要相信自己无论在任何情况下都会成功。因为如果你相信你能做到，那么你就真的会做到。这种信念促使你不断的去寻找答案，而不断的探索就意味着你很快就会找到答案。

Confidence is more than an attitude. It comes from knowing exactly where you are going, exactly how you are going to get there. It comes from a strong sense of purpose. It comes from a strong commitment to take responsibility, rather than just let life happen.

信心不只是一种态度，它来源于你确切地知道自己要去干什么并且确切地知道怎么去干。它来源于强烈的目标感。它来源于勇于承担责任的许诺，而不是让生命放任自流。

One way to develop self-confidence is to do the thing you fear and get a record of successful experience behind you.

培养自信的一种方法是去做你害怕做的事情，并取得成功。

Confidence is compassionate and understanding. It is not arrogant. Arrogance is born out of fear and insecurity, confidence comes from strength and integrity.

信心是富有同情心和善解人意的。它一点都不傲慢自大。傲慢是由于害怕和缺乏安全感才产生的，而信心则出于坚强和正直。

Confidence is not just believing you can do it. Confidence is knowing you can do it. Knowing that you are capable of accomplishing anything you want, and live your life with confidence.

信心并不是仅仅认为你可能会成功，而是确信你一定能成功。确信你有能力实现自己的愿望，并充满信心的生活着。

Anything can be achieved through focused, determined effort, commitment and self-confidence. If your life is not what you want it to be, you have the power to change it, and you must make the changes on a moment by moment basis. Live your priorities, live with your goals and your plan of action, live each moment with your priorities in mind. Act with your own purpose, and you will have the life you want.

如果你足够专心、坚决和自信，那么任何事都能做成。如果生活不像你预想的那样，你有力量去改变它，但是你必须一步一步的去实现这些改变。铭记你生命中最重要的事情。有目标有计划地去生活。为你的目标而奋斗，你就会拥有自己想要的生活。

之之

An estimated 10 million Chinese women are married to gay men, according to retired Qingdao University professor Zhang Beichuan. The wives are often trapped in unhappy unions since they can't easily leave due to Chinese law and the social stigma this would hold, Reuters reported.

据路透社报道，青岛大学退休教师张北川称，中国约有1000万妇女与同性恋男子结婚。这些妻子受困于不幸的婚姻，而受中国法律和社会名声的束缚，她们又不易脱身。

Zhang, citing a survey of more than 1,500 Chinese gay men, estimates that 80 to 90 percent of gay men in China intend to marry or have already married.

张北川援引对中国1500余名同性恋男子的调查，估算80%至90%的同性恋男子打算或已经结婚。

China's Confucian tradition, together with its one-child policy, has increased pressure on homosexual men to conform to heterosexual norms, Zhang said. But breaking free from such marriages is not easy in China. Divorce rates are rapidly rising but divorce is still considered shameful, especially for women.

张北川表示，中国的儒家传统思想以及独生子女政策迫使同性恋男子接受异性婚姻。但是，从此类婚姻中解脱在中国并不容易。虽然离婚率越来越高，但是离婚还是被认为是可耻的，特别是对妇女来说。

Chinese law is quite vague on this issue and offers little help to women who might have difficulties proving their husbands are in homosexual relationships and thus the women can't find a way out through divorce.

中国法律在这个问题上很模糊，而对于那些很难证明丈夫是同性恋的妇女，法律提供不了帮助，因此，这些妇女并不能通过离婚找到解脱的途径。

之之

Contented Married Life

A man was telling one of his friends the secret of his contented married life, "My wife makes all the small decisions," he explained, "and I make all the big ones, so we never interfere in each other's business and never get annoyed with each other. We have no complaints and no arguments."

"That sounds reasonable," answered his friend sympathetically. "And what sort of decisions does your wife make?"

"Well," answered the man, "she decides what jobs I apply for, what sort of house we live in, what furniture we have, where we go for our holidays, and things like that."

His friend was surprised. "Oh?" he said. "And what do you consider important decisions then?"

"Well," answered the man, "I decide who should be Prime Minister, whether we should increase our help to poor countries, what we should do about the atom bomb, and things like that."

令人满意的婚姻生活

一个男人告诉他的朋友自己婚姻幸福美满的秘密，“小事都由我妻子决定，”他解释说：“而我只管大事，我们从不互相干涉，从不生对方的气。我们从来没有抱怨、没有争吵。”

“听起来很有道理，”他的朋友深有同感，“有哪些事情由你妻子作决定呢？”

“嗯，”那个人回答说：“她决定我申请什么工作，我们住什么房子，买什么家具，去哪里度假这些事情。”

他的朋友很惊奇的问道：“哦？那么你决定哪些重要事情？”

“嗯，”他回答：“我决定谁来当首相，我们是否要增加对贫困国家的援助，怎么处理原子弹等等这些问题。”

之之

It is no secret that it is no longer that cheap to make things in China. But now, it is becoming expensive to sell there, too.

中国的制造业成本已经不再那么低廉，这并非什么秘密。但现在，中国市场的销售成本也变得越来越高。
Neiman Marcus, the US multi-brand luxury retailer, plans to enter China via e-commerce rather than traditional bricks-and-mortar. And it is not the only one. A report due to be published on Friday shows that the spiraling cost of doing business in the country is driving other foreign companies with new products away from traditional retailers and into the arms of e-commerce firms.
销售多个品牌奢侈品的零售企业奈曼-马库斯(Neiman Marcus)，计划以电子商务方式进军中国，而不打算在那里建立传统的实体店。奈曼-马库斯并不是唯一一家这样做的企业。上周五发布的一份报告显示，受中国营商成本飞涨的影响，一些手中拥有新产品的外国企业正在远离传统零售商，转而投入电子商务企业的怀抱。
The problem for retailers looking to get into China may be two-fold. Listing costs are high — but brand recognition may not travel online. The Neiman Marcus news was greeted with scepticism by local retail analysts. Shaun Rein of China Market Research in Shanghai said: "nobody knows who Neiman Marcus is in China."
希望进入中国市场的零售商面临两重问题。一方面，开店的成本很高；另一方面，若只在网上销售，恐怕难以树立品牌知名度。中国当地的零售业分析师对奈曼-马库斯的做法持怀疑态度。位于上海的中国市场研究集团(China Market Research)的雷小山(Shaun Rein)表示：“在中国，没人知道奈曼-马库斯是谁。”
Rumours have been swirling for years about Neiman trying to get retail space on the Shanghai Bund for a large new store. Most analysts see it as essential for foreign brands — especially luxury brands — to have bricks and mortar shops to bolster their credibility in a country where seeing is still believing.
数年来一直有传言称，奈曼-马库斯试图在上海外滩搞块零售店面，开一家新的大型门店。多数分析师认为，对外国品牌、尤其是奢侈品品牌来说，开设实体店是至关重要的，这样做可以提升可信度，毕竟这仍是个讲究“眼见为实”的国家。
"Customers really need to be able to see and touch the product and feel the brand heritage in a physical environment," said Rein. "Luxury sales are booming online but people still tend to equate e-commerce with cheap," he said, adding "I don't think it's possible for a foreign brand to come in and sell at high prices just online".
“顾客们真的需要能够看到、摸到产品，在现实环境里感受品牌的底蕴。”雷小山说，“奢侈品的在线销量增长很快，但人们仍倾向于认为电子商务等同于廉价。我认为，若只靠网上销售，外国品牌是不可能进入中国市场并卖出高价的。”
But the costs of physical retail space may force a rethink. According to the report by Data Driven Marketing Asia, the marketing consultancy, the cost of listing one new product "with an established supermarket chain can be as high as $27,000".
但实体零售店的成本可能会迫使外国品牌重新做出考虑。营销咨询公司数达企业管理咨询（Data Driven Marketing Asia，简称DDMA）发布的报告显示，一种新产品在“成熟连锁超市”上架的成本或“高达2.7万美元”。
This adds to steep rises in labour, rental, logistics and marketing costs. Distribution costs increased 200 per cent over the past five years. Warehousing cost was up 23 per cent last year, while the cost for advertising on CCTV, the national broadcaster, has risen almost 50 per cent since 2007. And retail rents in China's largest cities are forecast to increase by an average 12 per cent this year, according CB Richard Ellis. The cost of employing more experienced white-collar staff in the more affluent parts of China has risen almost 60 per cent over the past three years.
此外，劳动力、场租、物流和营销成本也在急剧上涨。过去五年间，分销成本上升了200%。仓储成本去年提高了23%。而在中国中央电视台(CCTV)做广告的成本自2007年以来已提高了近50%。世邦魏理仕(CB Richard Ellis)称，预计中国最大型城市的零售店铺租金今年将平均上涨12%。过去三年里，在中国较富裕地区雇佣较有经验白领的成本提高了近60%。
Sam Mulligan, China Director at DDMA, said: "Over the past three years, these costs have started to become prohibitive. When we work with customers on a new market entry, once we get to formulating a retail strategy, the metrics fall out of the window."
DDMA中国总经理萨姆?穆里根(Sam Mulligan)说：“过去三年里，这些成本已开始变得令人望而却步了。我们在与客户讨论进入市场的新尝试时，一到制定零售战略这一步，就感慨各项成本高得离谱。”
As a result, companies are shying away from traditional retailers. Yihaodian, the online grocer in which Walmart recently raised its stake to 51 per cent, is trying to grab that business by offering a one-stop-shop service for new market entrants. It helps them register their brands, deals with import formalities, transport, logistics and advertising.
因此，企业开始避开传统零售商。在线零售商“一号店”正在努力抓住这个商业机遇，手段是为新进入市场的企业提供一站式店铺服务。一号店会帮助它们注册品牌、处理进口手续、运输、物流和广告等事宜。沃尔玛(Walmart)最近刚把在一号店的持股比例提高到51%。
Yihaodian has already seen a steep increase over the past six months in requests from foreign companies that want to bring new products into the Chinese market. The online retailer saw the number of products available in its store jump to 180,000 in the fourth quarter of 2011 from just 50,000 a year earlier.
想将自己的新产品引入中国市场的外国企业，纷纷请求进驻一号店。最近六个月，这类请求的数量大幅增长。2011年第四季度，这家在线零售商的网店中出售的产品已激增至18万种，而一年之前只有区区5万种。 译者:王柯伦

之之

A proverb is a short, well known saying that expresses a common truth or belief. Many proverbs give advice about the best way to live.

谚语是一个短语，众所周知，表达一个共同的真理或信仰。许多谚语生活的最佳方式的意见。
Recently, we presented a program about proverbs. We asked our listeners to send us their favorite proverbs. A short time later, we received suggestions from around the world. We heard from listeners in Africa, Asia, Europe and South America.
最近，我们提出有关谚语方案。我们要求我们的听众发来自己喜欢的谚语。很快，我们收到了来自世界各地的建议。我们听到的是来自非洲，亚洲，欧洲和南美洲的听众。
The top proverb among these listeners is this one: "Where there is a will, there is a way." This means that you can rise above your problems if you have a goal and work very hard.
这些听众之间的顶部有句谚语是这样一句：“哪里有意愿，就有一种方法。” （有志者，事竟成。），这意味着，你可以超越你的问题，如果你有一个目标，工作很辛苦。
Some listeners liked another proverb: "Strike while the iron is hot." This means it is best to take action quickly and at the right time. Another favorite proverb was, "God helps those who help themselves."
一些听众喜欢另一句谚语：“趁热打铁。” （趁热打铁），这意味着它是最好迅速采取行动，并在合适的时间。另一个最喜欢的格言是“上帝帮助那些能自己帮助自己的。” （自助者天助之。）
Xu Da-ju from China wrote that his country has thousands of proverbs. Several of them are also used in the United States. One example is "Birds of a feather flock together." This means that people who are alike often become friends or spend time together.
徐大柱从中国写道，他的国家有成千上万谚语。其中有几个是在美国使用。一个例子是“物以类聚，人以群分。” （物以类聚，人以群分。）这意味着，人们都经常成为朋友一起消磨时光。
Another proverb is "Blood is thicker than water." This means family ties are stronger than other relationships. A similar proverb states "Charity begins at home." A person should help his family or close friends before helping others.
另一句谚语：“血是血浓于水。”（血浓于水），这意味着家庭关系是强于其他关系。类似的谚语状态“仁爱从家里开始。”（仁爱始于家）。在帮助别人之前，一个人应该帮助他的家人或亲密的朋友。
Alina from China sent us this proverb: "He who would climb a ladder must begin at the bottom." That is good advice when working around your home or looking for a job.
阿丽娜从中国送给我们这个谚语：“他会爬上梯子，必须从底层开始。”（千里之行，始于足下。）这是个好建议，工作时在你的家里或找工作。
Antonio Jose from Brazil says his favorite proverb is "Tell me who walks with you, and I'll tell you who you are." Didier Vermeulen of France sent us this one: "It does not matter the speed you go. The most important thing is to never stop."
来自巴西的何塞·安东尼奥说，他最喜欢的格言是：“告诉我，你与谁走，我会告诉你，你是谁。”（观其友知其人。）迪迪埃韦尔默朗从法国给我们送来了一句：“它不会管你走的速度，最重要的事情是永远不会停止。“（重要的不是速度，而是永不放弃。）
Wafaa from Egypt says his favorite proverb is, "Think twice, act wise." He also says he is making an effort to use this saying in his life.
来自埃及的wafaa说，他最喜欢的格言是“三思而后行，明智的行为。”（三思而后行）他还说，在他的生命中他正在努力使用此说。
Another favorite proverb among our listeners is "Practice makes perfect." This means you will become good at something if you keep doing it. Another popular proverb is: "If you want something done right, do it yourself."
另一个在我们的听众中喜爱的谚语是“熟能生巧。”（熟能生巧），这意味着你将成为更好，如果你继续做下去。另一种流行的谚语是：“如果你得到想要的东西，你自己做”（自己动手，丰衣足食）
Najeeb from Afghanistan sent us this proverb: "If you risk nothing, then you risk everything."
Najeeb从阿富汗带给我们这样的谚语：“如果你没冒任何风险，那么你的风险是一切没有。”（万事不冒险将一事无成。）
And, here is the favorite proverb of Marius Meledje in Ivory Coast: "Your defeat now is your victory in the future." He says it means you can learn from your mistakes. This will help you do better when facing similar situations in the future.
这里是马吕斯在象牙海岸Meledje最喜欢的谚语：“你失败的现在，是你未来的胜利。”他说，这意味着你可以从错误中吸取教训（失败是成功之母。）。这将帮助您做的更好时，在未来面临类似的情况。

之之

Robert Zoellick announced on February 17 that he would not seek a second mandate as president of the World Bank. Little has been heard since from Washington or Brussels about possible replacements. Does this mean there is some hesitation in the US administration about which American to nominate? Or does it mean that the unwritten convention, Robert Zoellick announced on February 17 that he would not seek a second mandate as president of the World Bank. Little has been heard since from Washington or Brussels about possible replacements. Does this mean there is some hesitation in the US administration about which American to nominate? Or does it mean that the unwritten convention, allocating the leadership of the IMF and the Bank respectively to Europe and the US, is at last giving way to the idea that the World Bank should be managed by the most qualified person, whatever his or her origin?
罗伯特·佐利克(Robert Zoellick)在2月17日宣布不再寻求连任世界银行(World Bank)行长职务。从那以后，华盛顿和布鲁塞尔对可能的接替人选都几乎没有做出任何表态。这是否意味着美国政府对提名哪个美国人有些犹豫？还是意味着国际货币基金组织(IMF)和世界银行的领导职务分别由欧洲人和美国人担任的不成文惯例终于开始松动，取而代之的观点是世界银行应当由最有资格的人领导，无论他来自哪个国家？
As chief economists and senior vice-presidents of the World Bank from 1997 to 2007, we urge the US administration and the international development community to end an outdated and counterproductive monopoly on selecting the head of that global institution. We believe it is time to adopt an open and efficient selection procedure, clearly open to candidates from developing countries. And it is time that the pious declarations of commitment to such a process showed some sincerity. To say it is merit-based, and to choose an American repeatedly, shows scant respect to the citizens of other countries.
作为1997年至2007年间世界银行的首席经济学家和高级副行长，我们敦促美国政府和该国际发展机构，终止对这家全球性机构负责人选择程序的垄断，这种垄断已经不合时宜，且产生了负面的作用。我们相信，采取一种公开、高效的，对发展中国家候选人明确开放的遴选程序的时机已经到来。对这样一种程序的庄严承诺，现在也该显示出一些诚意了。一边声称遴选程序“任人唯贤”，一边却总是选择美国人，并没有对其他国家的公民显示足够的尊重。
Developed countries have a majority of voting shares in the World Bank and the IMF, and so control the leadership of these institutions. We are now close to the turning point where developing countries will represent half of real global output. They already drive global growth. More important, the developing countries represent 6bn of the 7bn world population.
发达国家在世界银行和IMF中拥有多数的投票权份额，因而控制着这两家机构的领导权。我们现在已经逼近发展中国家在全球实际经济产出中贡献一半的时刻。它们已经是全球经济增长的推动力量。更重要的是，发展中国家代表着70亿全球总人口中的60亿人口。
Our recommendation is not to swap an arbitrary rule, by which the president of the World Bank must be American, for another, only slightly less arbitrary, by which he or she should come from a developing country. It is to allow the best people to be considered for that position, whatever their origin.
我们的建议并不是把一种随意的规则（世界银行行长必须是美国人），替换成另一种没那么随意的规则（行长应当来自发展中国家），而是允许考虑让最佳人选担任行长职务，无论他来自哪个国家。

The developed countries have declared the importance of an "open, transparent and merit-based process" many times. They have recognised the importance of trust, credibility and collaboration in overcoming global challenges, particularly that of poverty. Yet when the moment comes for decision, they cannot resist the temptation to perpetuate the monopoly. This is not only hypocritical, it also destroys the trust and spirit of collaboration needed to manage the profound problems facing the world.
发达国家已经多次公开强调一种“开放、透明、任人唯贤”的程序的重要性。它们认识到，要想克服全球挑战，尤其是贫困的挑战，互信、公信力以及协作具有重要意义。然而到了做出决定的时刻，它们却难以抵挡继续垄断的诱惑。这不仅虚伪，而且还会破坏应对当前世界面临的深远问题所需的信任和协作精神。
Developed countries' control of the selection process also discourages developing countries from putting forward a candidate who might have broad support among them. As a result, there is a risk that the choices offered the Executive Board will, in practice, be very limited.
发达国家对选择程序的控制，也会打击发展中国家提名本来可能在发展中国家中拥有广泛支持的候选人的积极性。结果，提交给理事会(Executive Board)的候选人名单也会十分有限。
A more open procedure could rely, as with some other international organisations, on a small selection committee appointed by the board of the Bank. Its task would be to draw up a shortlist from candidates nominated by member countries or by others. The final choice would then be made by the World Bank's board according to its usual voting rules. This simple procedure would be consistent with the institution's present governance and with the plurality of well-qualified candidates.
更开放的程序，可以像其他国际组织一样，依靠一个由世界银行理事会任命的、小型的遴选委员会来执行，其任务将是从各成员国及其他各方提名的候选人中，挑选出入围名单。最终人选则由世行理事会按照正常的投票规则确定。这个简单的程序，既符合世界银行当前的治理方式，也能实现胜任的候选人的多样性。
Criteria for shortlisting candidates could be similar to those listed by the IMF board in the procedure that led to the appointment of Christine Lagarde: distinguished record as an economic policymaker, outstanding professional background, familiarity with banking and finance, diplomatic and managerial skills. In the case of the World Bank, solid knowledge and experience of development policy should be added to this list.
挑选入围候选人的标准，与IMF理事会任命克里斯蒂娜·拉加德(Christine Lagarde)为总裁的程序相似：作为经济政策制定者的杰出履历、出色的专业背景、熟悉银行和金融业、拥有外交和管理技巧。对于世界银行而言，除了以上这些标准，还应加上在发展政策方面需具备扎实知识和丰富经验这条要求。
This last requirement means that suitable candidates are more likely to come from developing countries, where there are leaders who combine the other qualifications with proven ability to put development into practice and international experience.
最后一项要求意味着合适的候选人更有可能来自发展中国家。发展中国家有一些领导者，既拥有其他领域的能力，在将发展政策应用到实践方面又有公认的能力，同时还具有国际经验。
We do not wish to name candidates; we simply note that there is an important principle at stake, that breaking it is destructive, that the appropriate criteria are reasonable and clear, and that there are first-class people from developing countries with skills and experience that are difficult to match. Let the competition be open; let the US and Europe live up to their words and let them behave as if it really is a World Bank.
我们不想给出候选人的名字。我们只是想指出，一个重要的原则正在动摇，如果这个原则被打破，会有破坏性的后果，恰当的选择标准应当合理、明确，而且发展中国家拥有一些能力和经验都令人难以匹敌的一流人才。竞争应当公开。美国和欧洲也应当遵守诺言。应当把世界银行当作真正的“世界”银行。
The writers are former chief economists and senior vice-presidents of the World Bank
作者曾任世界银行首席经济学家和高级副行长

之之

The story. Taobao.com was founded in 2003 by Alibaba, the Chinese e-commerce company, as a defensive move against its US rival Ebay, which had set up in China the previous year.
故事。2003年，中国电子商务企业阿里巴巴(Alibaba)创建了淘宝网(Taobao.com)，此举旨在防御2002年进入中国市场的美国竞争对手eBay。
The challenge. When Ebay launched in China it had global revenues of more than $2bn. As a young, domestic entity, Taobao was taking on a huge rival while also fending off many similar small competitors in the sector, where barriers to entry were low.
挑战。eBay进入中国之际，其全球收入已经超过了20亿美元。淘宝则是一家年轻的本土企业，在面对来自eBay的强大竞争的同时，还要应对业内众多与自身类似的小型竞争对手。电子商务行业那时的进入门槛很低。
The strategic response. Noting that Ebay in China was charging users to list products and services, Taobao allowed them to list for free in order to build a big cohort of sellers and buyers. Critical mass would eventually attract revenue-generating activities, such as online advertisements.
战略对策。淘宝注意到，eBay在中国向在其网站上展示产品和服务的用户收取费用，而淘宝却不收费，以此建立起庞大的卖家和买家用户群。只要用户数量达到一定规模，就会最终带来能够产生收入的业务，如在线广告等。
Taobao also presented itself as very much a Chinese enterprise. For instance, the screen names of online moderators were derived from characters in popular Chinese kung-fu novels.
淘宝还强调自己是一家土生土长的中国企业。例如，淘宝在线客服的“花名”，就取自中国流行武侠小说中的人物。
Next, Taobao aimed to be more innovative than Ebay in customer service. In 2003 Taobao started Aliwangwang, its instant communication tool, to help buyers and sellers interact.
下一步，淘宝的目标是推出比eBay更具创新性的客户服务。2003年，淘宝推出即时通讯工具阿里旺旺(Aliwangwang)，帮助卖家和买家进行互动。
It also introduced the online payment system Alipay a year later. Online credit card or debit card payment was very rare in China and customers usually paid cash on delivery. Alipay formed partnerships with leading Chinese banks and signed a long-term agreement with China Post, which meant customers without a debit or bank card could fund their Alipay accounts at any of its 66,000 offices.
2004年，淘宝推出了在线支付系统支付宝(Alipay)。那时，中国人很少使用信用卡或者借记卡进行在线支付，客户通常在收货时用现金支付。支付宝和中国的大银行达成合作，并且和中国邮政(China Post)签署了长期协议，如此一来，客户即使没有借记卡或者银行卡，也可以通过中国邮政遍布各地的66000家邮局向支付宝账户汇款。
What happened. Taobao developed into a diverse e-commerce platform where businesses sell a very wide range of items to online shop owners who then sell on to consumers.
结果。淘宝发展成为多元化的电子商务平台，在这个平台上，企业向在线商店店主销售各式各样的产品，店主再卖给消费者。
At the end of 2006, Ebay shut its main website in China and formed a joint venture with Hong Kong- headquartered Tom Online.
2006年底，eBay关闭了在中国的主站，与总部位于香港的Tom在线(Tom Online)建立了一家合资企业。
Taobao continued to build a network of ventures around its core operations. In 2007 it set up Alisoft.com, where small Taobao sellers could buy customised software from independent vendors to help with functions such as customer relations or managing inventory.
淘宝则继续围绕核心业务，建立起业务网络。2007年，淘宝软件(Alisoft.com)成立，淘宝上的小卖家可以在此向独立供应商购买定制软件，用于客户关系或库存管理等。
In 2008 Taobao integrated Alimama.com, an online ad company with a network of more than 400,000 specialised websites where Taobao sellers could affordably post ads to reach their target audiences.
2008年，淘宝整合了在线广告公司淘宝联盟(Alimama.com)。淘宝联盟拥有覆盖40多万家专业网站的网络，淘宝卖家可以以不贵的价格向目标受众发布广告。


These complementary ventures formed a network, with Taobao at the centre surrounded by interlinked companies. All cross-sold and cross-marketed each other's services and offered packaged deals to Taobao sellers.
这些业务相互补充，形成网络，淘宝位于网络的核心，被各个相互联系的企业所围绕。这些企业互相进行服务的交叉销售和交叉营销，把众多服务打包起来提供给淘宝卖家。
As this "ecosystem" developed it attracted other businesses to use Taobao, Alipay, Alisoft and Alimama's platforms to provide further customised services to Taobao sellers.
这套“生态系统”逐渐发展起来，又吸引了其他企业使用淘宝、支付宝、阿里软件和淘宝联盟的平台，向淘宝卖家提供更加深度定制的服务。
The extent and reach of the ecosystem became too hard for rivals to replicate.
这套生态系统的规模和影响之大，竞争对手已经无力模仿。
By 2010 Taobao served more than 80 per cent of China's e-commerce market, with 170m registered users and revenues of more than Rmb20bn from online advertising and fee-paying services such as shop design and sales training.
截至2010年，淘宝占有中国电子商务市场80%以上的份额，注册用户达1.7亿，在线广告和店铺设计、销售培训等付费服务的收入超过了200亿元人民币。
Meanwhile, Ebay moved its business focus to cross-border e-commerce, where Chinese consumers sell to overseas consumers. It holds a leading position in that segment.
与此同时，eBay的业务重心转移到跨境电子商务方面，中国的商家利用它向海外消费者销售产品。它在这个领域处于领先地位。
Key lessons. How Taobao kept Ebay out of the market and became China's dominant e-commerce platform in a relatively short space of time holds lessons for Chinese and western companies alike.
关键经验。淘宝如何在相对较短的时间内，把eBay拒于中国市场之外，成为中国最重要的电子商务平台，其经验值得中国和西方企业学习。
First, Taobao provided services and solved problems for the smaller businesses that are the driving force behind China's economic boom. For instance, Alipay enabled people to pay for goods and services easily.
首先，小企业是中国经济繁荣的推动力量，淘宝为这些小企业提供服务、解决问题。例如，支付宝让人们可以轻松地进行支付，购买商品和服务。
Second, Taobao set up or integrated services that complemented each other and used this ecosystem to create a bar to competition.
第二，淘宝创建或者整合了互补的服务，并用这套生态系统筑起竞争壁垒。
Third, Taobao identified how to help people buy and sell. By making online shopping easy, safe and fun it helped many first-time online buyers build confidence in e-commerce.
第三，淘宝找到了帮助卖家销售和买家购物的办法。淘宝使网上购物变得简单、安全和有趣，让很多初次接触网上购物的买家对电子商务树立起信心。
Mark Greeven, Shengyun Yang, Tao Yue, Eric van Heck and Barbara Krug
本文作者马克·格雷芬(Mark Greeven)、杨盛赟、岳韬、埃里克·范埃克(Eric van Heck)和芭芭拉·克鲁格(Barbara Krug)是伊拉斯谟大学(Erasmus University)鹿特丹管理学院(Rotterdam School of Management)的教师
The writers are faculty members at the Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University
译者:倪卫国