Directions: Read the following passage carefully and then translate
the underlined sentences into Chinese and write your translation on the ANSWER
SHEET.
1. American hopes that pressure from the U S will force
Japan to suddenly dismantle its trade harriers are almost certain to evaporate
in disappointment. The fact is that Washington faces an obstacle far more
formidable than a few power brokers in Tokyo’s government offices. It must buck
centuries-old, deeply ingrained Japanese customs. To move the Japanese
government, Washington must move an entire nation. So far,
the U S has had only limited success despite congressional threats to retaliate.
In an April 9 nationwide broadcast, Prime Minster Yasuhiro Nakasone urged the
Japanese to buy more imported goods and unveiled a long-awaited three-year plan
to ease import restrictions. But his program was far short of what Washington
hoped to see. White House Chief of Staff Donald Regan said the
Japanese offered "few new or immediate measures." While the plan did promise
fewer curbs on imports of telecommunications gear, medicine and medical
equipment, it offered no relief for American forest products--which are among
the most contentious trade issues. Nakasone gives every sign of
being Sincere in his desire to reduce a Japanese surplus in trade with the U S
that hit 36.8 billion dollars in 1984 and could soon top 50 billion. 2. Yet
to rely on any one Japanese political leader, no matter how popular he is at
home, to reverse trade policies is to underestimate the culture and traditions
that weigh heavily against a breakthrough. Big business
and dozens of anonymous bureaucrats have as much power as Japan’s top selected
leaders. "The whole concept that we can turn this around
right now is patently ridiculous, "says an American trader who has lived and
worked here since 1952. "The vested interests are being shaken and slowly moved,
but at a pace too slow for the eye to follow." That view is
echoed by a U S diplomat closely involved in the efforts to open Japanese
markets to American goods, Washington’s stock solution to the ballooning trade
imbalance. 3. "Japan is a relationship society rather than a
transactional society", he says. "You cannot alter that kind of a system with a
television speech or a batch of general proposals, no matter how
well-intentioned they are." Beyond specific tariffs of other
official barriers to imports, experts here say that the U S faces these
obstacles: Nearly total domination of the Japanese market by a
few dozen giant conglomerates that strongly oppose even token competition--be it
from abroad or emerging domestic firms. An elite, thickly
layered bureaucracy that historically has drafted laws and regulations as well
as enforced them, and both of these powers would be threatened by trade
reforms. A longtime relationship between business and
government that critics say fosters collusion and hinders foreign entry into
domestic markets. Adamant support for import restrictions among
Japanese farmers, one of the most powerful political forces. 4.
A highly developed sense of loyalty to established practices and
relationships that often outweighs any "duty" to society as a whole or, in some
cases, even personal best interest. Esteem for caution and consensus in
decision-making at all societal levels and conversely, resentment of
governmental fiats or one-man decrees--even if that man is the head of
government. Compounding Washington’s problem is Nakasone’s
weak position within his own party, the Liberal Democrats, who have ruled Japan
for 30 years. His standing is so complex and fragile that he has been forced to
yield all but three of 2l cabinet positions to rival political factions. His
cabinet colleagues are far less committed than he is to trade reforms, making it
difficult for the Prime Minister to muscle proposals through either the
bureaucracy or the Diet, Japan’s parliament. The existence of
"Japan, Inc." --the concept of an entire nation conspiring to advance
economically at any cost--is a topic of debate among both Japanese and
outsiders. But there is no dispute over how the system actually works.