搜索
【翻译硕士二外】一、完形填空（全文录入，题目省略）Duringthefirstmanydecadesofthisnation’sexistence,theUnitedStateswasawide-open,dynamiccountrywitharapidlyexpandingeconomy.Itwasalsoacountrythattoleratedalargeamountofcrueltyandpain—poorpeoplelivinginmisery,workerssufferingfromexploitation.Overtheyears,Americansdecidedtheywantedalittlemoresafetyandsecurity.Thisiswhathappensasnationsgrowwealthier;theyusemoneytobuycivilization.Occasionally,ourancestorsfoundthemselvesinasweetspot.Theycouldpasslegislationthatbroughtsecuritybutwithoutacosttovitality.Butadultsknowthatthissituationisrare.Intherealworld,there’susuallyatrade-off.Theunregulatedmarketwantstodirectcapitaltotheproductiveandtheyoung.Welfarepoliciesusuallydirectresourcestothevulnerableandtheelderly.Mostsocialwelfarelegislation,evensuccessfullegislation,siphonsmoneyfromtheformertothelatter.Earlyinthishealthcarereformprocess,manyofusthoughtwewereinthatmagicalsweetspot.Wecouldextendcoveragetotheuninsuredbutalsoimprovethesystemoveralltolowercosts.Thatis,wethoughtitwouldbepossibletoreducethesufferingofthevulnerablewhilesimultaneouslysqueezingmoneyoutofthewastefulsystemandfreeingitupformoreproductiveuses.That’swhatthemanagementguruscallawin-win.Ithasn’tworkedoutthatway.ThebillsbeforeCongresswouldalmostcertainlyeasetheanxietyoftheuninsured,thosewhowatchwithterrorastheirchildorspousegrowsill,whofacebankruptcyandruin.Andthebillswouldprobablydoitwithoutdamagingthecaretherestofusreceive.Ineveryplacewherereformshavebeentried—fromMassachusettstoSwitzerland—peoplecometocherishtheirnewbenefits.Thenewplansbecomepoliticallyuntouchable.But,alas,therewouldbetrade-offs.Insteadofreducingcosts,thebillsinCongresswouldprobablyraisethem.Theywouldmeanthatmoreofthenation’swealthwouldbesiphonedofffromproductiveusesandshiftedintoastillwastefulhealthcaresystem.Theauthorsofthesebillshavetriedtofosterefficiencies.TheSenatebillwouldinitiateseveralinterestingexperimentsdesignedtomakethesystemmoreeffective—givingdoctorsincentivestocollaborate,rewardinghospitalsthatprovidequalitycareatlowercost.It’spossiblethatsomeoftheseexperimentswillbloomintopotentsystemicreforms.Butthegeneralviewamongindependenthealthcareeconomistsisthatthesechangeswillnotfundamentallybendthecostcurve.Thesystemafterreformwilllookasitdoestoday,onlybiggerandmoreexpensive.Ratherthanpushingallofthenewcostsontofuturegenerations,aspastgovernmentshavedone,theDemocratshaveadmirablyagreedtoraisetaxes.Overthenextgeneration,thetaxincreasesinthevariousbillscouldfunneltrillionsofdollarsfromthegeneraleconomyintothemedicalsystem.Moreover,thecurrentestimatesalmostcertainlyunderstatetheshareofthenation’swealththatwillhavetobeshifted.Inthesebills,thepresentCongresspledgesthatfutureCongresseswillimposepainfulmeasurestocutMedicarepaymentsandimposeefficiencies.FutureCongressesrarelyliveuptothesepledges.Somebodyscreams“Rationing!”andthereisabipartisanrushtokilleventhemosttepidcost-savingmeasure.Afterall,ifthecurrentCongress,withprideofauthorship,couldn’treducecosts,whyshouldweexpectthatfutureCongresseswill?Thebottomlineisthatwefaceabrutalchoice.Reformwouldmakeusamoredecentsociety,butalsoalessvibrantone.Itwouldeasetheanxietyofmillionsatthecostoffuturegrowth.Itwouldhealawoundinthesocialfabricwhilepilinganotherexpensiveanduntouchablepromiseontopofthemanysuchpromiseswe’vealreadymade.Americawouldbealessyouthful,raggedandunforgivingnation,andamoremiddle-aged,civilizedandsedateone.Weallhavetodecidewhatwewantatthismomentinhistory,vitalityorsecurity.Wecandebatethisorthatprovision,butwherewecomedownwilldependonthatmoralpreference.Don’tgetstupefiedbytechnicaldetails.Thisdebateisaboutvalues.二、阅读理解，回答问题ObamaLosesaRoundWhilethejuryisstilloutonwhatPresidentObama’sChinavisithasachievedforthelongterm,thepresidenthasmostdecidedlylostthewarofsymbolisminhisfirstcloseencounterwithChina.Instatus-consciousChina,symbolismandprotocolplayarolethatislargerthanlife.U.S.diplomaticblunderscouldreinforceBeijing’smindsetthatblatantinformationcontrolworks,andthatarisingChinacantrumpuniversalvaluesofopen,accountablegovernment.DuringMr.Obama’svisit,theChineseoutmaneuveredtheAmericansinallpublicevents,fromthedisastroustownhallmeetinginShanghaitothestuntedpressconferenceinBeijing.Incharacteristicmanner,theChinesetriedtoshutoutthepublic,whiletheU.S.unwittinglycooperated.ThefinalimageofPresidentObamainChinathatcirculatedaroundtheworldistelling:AlonemanwalkingupthesteepslopeoftheGreatWall.ThepictureisinstarkcontrasttothoseofotherU.S.presidentswhohadtheirphotographstakenattheGreatWallsurroundedbyflag-wavingchildrenoradmiringcitizens.MaybeMr.Obamawantedaquietmomentforhimselfbeforereturninghome.Butapresident’sfirstvisittothewallisaritualthatneedstobeproperlyframed.Mr.Obamacouldhavewaiteduntilthenextvisit,whenhecouldbringthefirstladyandthechildren.Instead,hewentaheadbyhimselftopaytributetoChina’sancientculture.Inreturn,theChineseofferednothing,nopopularreceptions,noteventhecompanionshipofaseniorChineseleader.ThetroublefortheU.S.startedatthetownhallmeetingtwodaysearlier—amorescriptedeventthanthoseorganizedwithstu