《经济学家》读译参考：不买欧委会的帐－欧洲邮政改革受阻

文章作者 100test 发表时间 2007:09:06 13:12:01
来源 100Test.Com百考试题网

Return to sender
不买欧委会的帐

Protectionism hampers the reform of Europes postal services

贸易保护主义阻碍欧洲邮政业改革

（1）THE romantic image of the trusty postman, delivering letters to the farthest-flung corners of the land, makes the reform of postal services a sensitive subject. This is especially true when the impetus for reform comes from the European Union. This month the European Parliament starts work on a directive, drawn up by the European Commission, to remove the last monopolies in postal markets by 2009—the final stage in a slow and laborious liberalisation that began in 1992. Directives in 1997 and 2002 chipped away at[1] the centuries-old monopolies enjoyed by national operators, and the proposed new law will open the whole market to competition by abolishing the “reserved area” on mail weighing less than 50 grams. But although the legislative wheels are in motion, some countries are as sceptical as ever.

值得信赖的邮递员给人的印象是动人的：他们总能千里迢迢把信件送到无论多么偏僻的地方。正因为此，邮政业改革也成为一个敏感的话题，如果推动力来自于欧盟，改革就尤为敏感了。本月欧洲议会开始启动欧洲委员会起草的一项指令，期望到2009年废除邮政市场所有垄断。这标志着始于1992年、经年累月的自由化进程进入了尾声。1997年和2002年颁布的指令废除了国有运营商享有了数百年之久的垄断权，这次新发布的指令提出要立法取消重量在50克以内邮件的“专营领域（reserved area）”，从而放开整个邮政市场，引入竞争。然而，虽然立法已纳入议事日程，但有些国家仍然一如既往地持有怀疑态度。

The commission says it has deliberately pursued postal liberalisation at a slower pace than other market openings. This is partly due to its technical complexity. Unlike in telecoms, post has no physical network to share. Many countries had to create independent regulators from scratch in order to monitor market access and prices. The size of the heavily unionised postal industry also prompted caution. It employs some 5m people directly and indirectly, and its turnover is roughly 1% of Europes combined GDP.

欧委会称其是有意放慢邮政市场（相比其它市场）自由化进程，部分是因为邮政业在技术上的复杂性。邮政与通信不一样，它没有可以共享的硬件网络。许多国家为了监控市场准入和价格，被迫从零开始设立独立的监管部门。邮政从业人员的超大规模也引起了有关方面对自由化的担心。它直接或间接雇用的人数达500万，并且其营业额大约相当于欧洲GDP总值的1%。

（2）But arguably the biggest drag on liberalisation is old-fashioned resistance to open markets, plus a dash of reverence for letter writing. One opponent of the 2009 deadline talks of “a noble industry that we want to protect” and lauds the virtues of pen and paper. All postal operators recognise, however, that the epistolary[2] habit has taken a hit from the internet. With deadening pragmatism, the commission says liberalisation will improve quality and choice and reduce state subsidies.

不过，事实上自由化进程缓慢的最主要原因是保守人士对市场开放的抵触以及一定程度上对书信的看重。一位反对将2009年定为自由化最后期限的人士指出，邮政业是“一个需要保护的尊贵产业”，并对钢笔和纸的优点赞不绝口。然而所有邮政运营商均意识到，书信传统已经受到互联网的冲击。欧委会也逐渐把实用主义放到一边，称自由化将改进（邮政）服务质量，增加服务多样性，并能减少国家补贴。

Countries that have already opened their markets, such as Sweden and Britain, agree. Since Swedens Posten AB was privatised in 1993, prices for business customers have fallen by 30%, though they have risen for consumers. The postal network has been extended, with new outlets in supermarkets and longer opening hours. （3）Proponents of reform argue that Sweden, which has one of the lowest population densities in the EU, disproves the argument that rural countries cannot both have open markets and provide a standard service for everyone.

瑞典、英国等已经放开邮政市场的国家同意这一看法。自从瑞典Posten AB 1993年实现私有化以来，虽然普通信函价格上涨，但商务信函价格却降低了30%。邮政网络扩大了，超市里有了邮政营业点，营业时间也延长了。改革支持者认为，瑞典是欧盟人口密度最低的国家之一，它的经验证明，（人烟稀少的）农村地区也可以开放邮政市场与为每个人提供标准化服务二者兼而有之。

But France, Spain, Italy and other countries worry that abolishing the “reserved area” will damage this universal-service obligation. Last month Franç.ois Loos, Frances industry minister, said 2009 was “an indicative date” for competition rather than a firm deadline. A spokesman for PostEurop, a lobby group representing European postal operators, says several countries would prefer a deadline of 2012 at the earliest, with the wholly implausible argument that more time is needed to research the impact of liberalisation.

不过，法国、西班牙、意大利和其它一些国家担心取消“专营领域”会不利于履行这一“普及服务”义务。上个月，法国工业部部长弗朗索瓦•.罗斯说，2009年只是引入竞争的“一个指示性年份”，并非雷打不动的最后期限。PostEurop（一个代表欧洲邮政运营商的游说组织）发言人称，有好几个国家希望把最后期限最早定到2012年，他们认为需要更多时间来调查自由化的影响，而这一理由不太能站得住脚。

（4）The commission knows a delaying tactic when it sees one. Operators have had years to prepare for liberalisation. But some countries, such as Greece and Luxembourg, seem to want to protect their national monopolies at any cost. The attitudes of central European countries are more difficult to predict. Their governments supported the liberal services directive, which favoured their mobile, comparatively cheap workforces, but have expressed doubts about opening protected home markets to competition.

欧委会眼睁睁地看着一个个国家不肯走向自由化。各运营商筹备自由化已经花去了多年时间，可有些国家如希腊、卢森堡却似乎要不惜一切代价保护其国有垄断者。中欧国家的态度更为暧昧，它们的政府拥护自由化指令（因为这一指令有利于它们流动性大、相对廉价的劳动力），可他们对放开受保护的国内市场却又迟疑不决。

Incumbents[3] may have less to fear from competition than they think, however. In countries with open markets, the former monopolists have remained dominant. In Britain the Royal Mail has 96.5% of the market. in Sweden Posten AB has 91.5%. Regulators do not expect big changes in either country. （5）Indeed, some advocates of liberalisation worry that open postal markets will fail to attract new entrants and that eliminating the reserved area will not guarantee competition.

不过，邮政业在职人员可能无需过多担心竞争。在已经开放市场的国家，曾经的垄断者继续占据着主导地位。在英国，皇家邮政（Royal Mail）拥有96.5%的市场份额，而Posten AB在瑞典的市场占有率则达到91.5%。两国的监管部门都不希望进行大刀阔斧的改革。事实上，有些自由化倡议人士也担心开放的邮政市场会失去对新加入邮政业者的吸引力，而且取消“专营领域”也并不会确保实现竞争。

The debate over market opening is an opportunity to find out what people really want from their postal services and a chance to rethink how they work, says Michael Critelli, the boss of Pitney Bowes, a company that makes postal equipment and software. Some people might, for example, choose to have domestic mail delivered to their offices on weekdays, he suggests. （6）But such innovations will happen only if national governments can be discouraged from stamping[4] the commissions proposals “return to sender”.

Pitney Bowes公司（一家生产邮政设备和软件的公司）老总迈克尔•.克利特里说，通过这场关于市场开放的争论，正好能够有机会弄清人们对邮政服务的真正需求，并重新审视邮政业的运作方式。他指出，比如有些人可能会选择在工作日（周一至周六）时让寄往家里的信件直接送到办公室，不过只有欧委会的自由化提议在各国政府那里不会“吃到闭门羹”，这种新业务才会出现。

[NOTES]

1. chip away at sth. continuously break off small pieces from sth 从某物上不断除去小块: chipping away at a block of marble with a chisel 用凿子在大理石上不停地凿 * (fig 比喻) He kept chipping away at the problem until he had solved it. 他一直在琢磨这一问题, 直到把它解决为止.

2. epistolary adj. (fml 文) of, carried on by, or written in the form of letters 书信的. 用书信进行的. 书信体的: an epistolary friendship 书来信往的友谊 * an epistolary novel 书信体小说.

3. incumbent n. person holding an official position, esp in the church 现任者, 在职者（尤指神职）: the present incumbent of the White House, ie the US President 现任美国总统.

4. stamp v. ~ A (on B). ~ B (with A) print (a design, the date, lettering, etc) on paper, cloth or some other surface. mark (paper, etc) with a design, an official seal, etc 在纸、布或其他物体表面印上（图案、日期、文字等）. 在（纸等）的上面盖图案、公章等: They didnt stamp my passport. 我的护照上没盖章. * The librarian forgot to stamp my library books, ie with the date on which they should be returned. 图书管理员忘了在我借的书上盖日期了. * stamp ones name and address on an envelope/stamp an envelope with ones name and address 把自己的姓名地址盖在信封上 * crates of oranges stamped with the exporters trademark 印有出口商牌子的装着橙子的板条箱.