金融時報:智利為何左轉(zhuǎn)

智利為何左轉(zhuǎn)

盡管在中右翼的皮涅拉(Piñera)總統(tǒng)任期內(nèi)，智利的經(jīng)濟(jì)發(fā)展不錯，失業(yè)和貧困率都有降低，但智利人還是選擇中左翼的前女總統(tǒng)巴切萊特(Bachelet)重新上臺，這是為什么呢？

測試中可能遇到的詞匯和知識：

Pinochet 奧古斯特·皮諾切特將軍，1973年9月11日在國會的支持下發(fā)動政變，推翻了當(dāng)時的阿連德總統(tǒng)。隨后他的軍事獨裁政府一方面大規(guī)模迫害左翼人士，一方面實行新自由主義經(jīng)濟(jì)政策。對他的爭議延續(xù)至今。

Allende 薩爾瓦多·阿連德總統(tǒng)，馬克思主義者，他的財富再分配和土地國有化政策贏得了不少支持，但也帶來了社會動蕩和惡性通脹，最終在陸軍總司令皮諾切特的政變中被推翻并自殺身亡。

hysteria [h?'st??r??] 歇斯底里 OECD|經(jīng)合組織，是由30多個市場經(jīng)濟(jì)國家組成的政府間國際經(jīng)濟(jì)組織

rampant ['ræmp(?)nt] 奔放的

Chile swings left（477 words）

FT editorial: ……But a slowing economy may soon dull the election victory

Michelle Bachelet trounced her rivals in Chile's presidential elections this Sunday. Winning 47 per cent of the vote, the left-leaning 62-year-old and former president(2006-2010) did not quite achieve the landslide she had hoped for; still, a comfortable victory at the December run-off now looks assured.

(Mrs.Bachelet's main rival is Mrs. Evelyn Matthei of the centre-right camp who gained merely 25% of the vote. The fathers of the two candidates happened to be friends and neighbours both serving in the Chilean Air Force. Bachelet's father, a supporter of Marxist president Allende, was arrested after Pinochet's coup d'etat, before dying in prison. While Matthei's father, a supporter of Pinochet, later became Chilean Air Force Commander. In 1990, Pinochet stepped down as military government president.)

After 25 years of democracy, and four years of centre-right government, Chile is swinging back to the left. As this shift is not part of any particular global or regional trend, it is worth asking why.

It is not because the economy has done badly under the outgoing centre-right government of Sebastián Piñera. Unemployment is at record lows, poverty has continued to fall and productivity has risen after years of decline. Nor, in a sign of Chile's institutional maturity, has the political shift been accompanied by the hysteria that so often accompanies opposition wins in Latin American politics. Rather, it reflects a widespread desire in Chile for greater social equality amid the economic boom. That is quite understandable given that Chile is the most unequal member of the OECD.

Two promises stood out in Ms Bachelet's campaign. One is to reform the constitution, which originates in the Pinochet era – although her coalition has not won a sufficient majority in Congress to do that. Another is to boost education spending by raising corporate taxes to 25 per cent. This measure is likely to pass but does not spell the end of the Chilean free-market model as it only brings rates up to OECD averages.

Indeed, Chile's more pressing problems lie elsewhere. During Ms Bachelet's first term from 2006 to 2010, China was booming, the price of copper – which accounts for a fifth of gross domestic product and almost two-thirds of exports – was rising, and Chilean employment was surging. But now the cycle is turning.

The economy is slowing, future Chinese growth is uncertain, copper prices are falling and rampant domestic demand has opened a worrying current account deficit equivalent to 3.5 per cent of GDP. The all-important mining sector is also slipping behind as lower ore quality, combined with rising wage and energy bills, has doubled production costs in just five years.

“Chile is starting a new cycle,” Ms Bachelet proclaimed on Sunday night. Quite true – if perhaps not quite as she meant or her voters understood. Addressing Chile's looming potential economic problems, while also meeting high voter expectations, will be what defines her second term.

請根據(jù)你所讀到的文章內(nèi)容，完成以下自測題目：

1.There's little doubt that the next president is from the left, why “it is worth asking why”?

A.Left-leaning parties can hardly win in Chile.

B.The current centre-rigth president is doing well.

C.The global and regional political trend is right-leaning.

D.Why the two childhood playmates are now competing.

答案(1)

2.Why do many Chileans vote for Bachelet?

A.There's a widespread desire for more social equality.

B.Many want to reform the constitution.

C.Her promise to boost education spending is welcome.

D.All of above.

答案(2)

3.Chilean economy has quite some challenges, which of the following is not one of them?

A.Copper prices are falling and demand from China is uncertain.

B.Energy and labor costs are mounting up.

C.Free-market Chile is threatened by Bachelet's tax hike plan.

D.Chile's copper ore quality is not as good as before.

答案(3)

4.What do we know about Chile?

A.Chilean democracy is often accompanied by hysteria.

B.Copper industry is no longer a pillar industry.

C.Chile has long been haunted by huge current account deficit.

D.Pinochet's legacy is still influencing Chile.

答案(4)

* * *

(1)答案：B.The current centre-rigth president is doing well.

解釋：“值得問個為什么”，就是說有讓人不解的地方，AC是錯誤的，而D顯然不是文章關(guān)心的問題。

(2)答案：D.All of above.

解釋：ABC都是正確的。第五段中說Two promises stood out in Ms Bachelet's campaign，意思是，她的諸多競選綱領(lǐng)中，有兩個承諾最受歡迎，一個是修憲，一個是增加公司稅以追加教育經(jīng)費。

(3)答案：C. Free-market Chile is threatened by Bachelet's tax hike plan.

解釋： ABD都是正確的。D比較隱晦：as lower ore quality, combined with rising wage and energy bills, has doubled production costs in just five years. C是錯誤的，25%的公司稅是OECD的平均水平，提升到這個水平不會威脅智利模式。

(4)答案：D.Pinochet's legacy is still influencing Chile.

解釋：D正確。AB與事實相反，智利是南美罕見的和平而有秩序的國家，而銅業(yè)規(guī)模達(dá)GDP的五分之一和出口的三分之二。 C也不正確，近年來由于銅價下跌，智利錄得3.5%的經(jīng)常賬戶逆差。皮諾切特的政治遺產(chǎn)一直延續(xù)至今，文中提到智利今天的憲法和經(jīng)濟(jì)模式就是他的遺產(chǎn)。