國家繁榮的關鍵
By Jeffrey D. Sachs
What we can say is that all of the happiest countries emphasize equality, solidarity, democratic accountability, environmental sustainability, and strong public institutions.
有一個完美狀態的標準的經濟模型：德國勞動力市場政策，瑞典的退休金，法國的低碳能源，加拿大的醫療保健，瑞士的能源效率，美國的科學好奇心，巴西的扶貧項目以及哥斯達黎加的熱帶幸福感
NEW YORK - In many of history's most successful economic reforms, clever countries have learned from the policy successes of others, adapting them to local conditions. In the long history of economic development, eighteenth-century Britain learned from Holland; early nineteenth-century Prussia learned from Britain and France; mid-nineteenth-century Meiji Japan learned from Germany; post-World War II Europe learned from the United States; and Deng Xiaoping's China learned from Japan.
發自紐約——在歷史上許多最為成功的經濟改革過程中，明智的國家都會藉鑑其他國家的成功政策並使之適應本國國情。在經濟發展的歷史長河中，18世紀的英國拜荷蘭為師；19世紀初的普魯士王國向英國和法國學習；19世紀中明治維新時期的日本借鑒德國；二戰後歐洲向美國看齊；而鄧小平時期的中國則效仿日本。
Through a process of institutional borrowing and creative adaptation, successful economic institutions and cutting-edge technologies spread around the world, and thereby boost global growth. Today, too, there are some great opportunities for this kind of "policy arbitrage," if more countries would only take the time to learn from other countries' successes.
通過制度上的借鑒和創造性的適應過程，成功的經濟制度以及前沿技術得以向全世界擴散，從而促進了全球經濟增長。只要更多的國家都能花點時間來學習別國的成功經驗，對它們來說當前這種“政策套利”的巨大機會就依然存在。
For example, while many countries are facing a jobs crisis, one part of the capitalist world is doing just fine: northern Europe, including Germany, the Netherlands, and Scandinavia. Germany's unemployment rate this past summer was around 5.5%, and its youth unemployment rate was around 8% - remarkably low compared with many other high-income economies.
例如，當許多國家正在面對就業危機的時候，資本主義世界的某些部分——北歐，包括德國，荷蘭和斯堪的納維亞半島地區——表現尚可。今年夏季德國的失業率約為5.5%，其中年輕人的失業率約為8%——跟其他許多高收入國家相比，這算非常低的。
How do northern Europeans do it? All of them use active labor market policies, including flex time, school-to-work apprenticeships (especially Germany), and extensive job training and matching.
這些北歐國家是怎麼做到這一點的？它們都採用積極的勞動力市場政策--這些政策包括彈性工作時間，“從學校到職場”的職業教育（尤其是德國），以及大量的就業培訓和人員/崗位配對。
In an age of rising health-care costs, most high-income countries - Canada, the European Union's Western economies, and Japan - manage to keep their total health-care costs below 12% of GDP, with excellent health outcomes, while the US spends nearly 18% of GDP, yet with decidedly mediocre health outcomes. And, America's is the only for-profit health system of the entire bunch. A new report by the US Institute of Medicine has found that America's for-profit system squanders around $750 billion, or 5% of GDP, on waste, fraud, duplication, and bureaucracy.
同樣，在這個長期預算危機的時代，德國，瑞典和瑞士都能基本實現預算平衡。這三個國家依靠週期性調整財政收支平衡的預算規則。三國都採取了基本的預防措施以控制津貼開支——退休年齡至少為65歲。這就使得這些國家的津貼支出比退休年齡為60歲或以下的國家——例如法國和希臘——要低得多，而後者的退休金支出正在不斷膨脹。在這個醫療保健費用不斷上升的年代，大部分高收入國家——加拿大，歐盟內部的西歐國家以及日本——都設法將其總醫療成本控制在GDP的12%以下並保持著良好的國民健康狀況，然而美國在這方面的支出了幾乎佔GDP的18%，但國民健康狀況依然處於中下水平。美國是這些國家中惟一擁有營利性醫療系統的國家。對此美國醫學研究所發布的一份新報告指出：這些營利性系統已經在浪費、欺詐、無謂重複和官僚行為上揮霍了大概7500億美元——相當於GDP的5%。
In an age of soaring oil costs, a few countries have made a real difference in energy efficiency. The OECD countries, on average, use 160 kilograms of oil-equivalent energy for every $1,000 of GDP (measured at purchasing power parity). But, in energy-efficient Switzerland, energy use is just 100 kg per $1,000 of GDP, and in Demark it is just 110 kg, compared with 190 kg in the US.
在這個油價上漲的時代，一些國家在能源效率上取得了不俗的成就。經濟合作及發展組織成員國每創造1000美元的GDP（以購買力平價來衡量）平均消耗相當於160公斤石油的能源。但是，在高能效的瑞士，創造每一千美元的能源使用量僅為100公斤，丹麥為110公斤，相比之下美國的能源使用量高達190公斤。
In an age of climate change, several countries are demonstrating how to move to a low-carbon economy. On average, the rich countries emit 2.3 kg of CO2 for every kg of oil-equivalent unit of energy. But France emits just 1.4 kg, owing to its enormous success in deploying safe, low-cost nuclear energy.
在這個氣候變化的時代，一些國家正在演示如何向低碳經濟轉型。富裕國家每消耗1千克與汽油等價的單位能源平均排放2.3千克的二氧化碳。而法國僅排放1.4千克，這得益於其在推廣安全低成本核能上所取得的巨大成功。
Sweden, with its hydropower, is even lower, at 0.9 kg. And, while Germany is abandoning domestic production of nuclear energy for political reasons, we can bet that it will nonetheless continue to import electricity from France's nuclear plants.
利用水力發電的瑞典的二氧化碳排放量更低，只有0.9千克。由於德國出於政治原因放棄了國內核能生產，我們可以打賭它將繼續從法國核電廠進口電。
In an age of intense technological competition, countries that combine public and private research and development (R&D) financing are outpacing the rest. The US continues to excel, with huge recent breakthroughs in Mars exploration and genomics, though it is now imperiling that excellence through budget cuts. Meanwhile, Sweden and South Korea are now excelling economically on the basis of R&D spending of around 3.5% of GDP, while Israel's R&D outlays stand at a remarkable 4.7% of GDP.
在這個技術競爭極為激烈的年代，公共和私人研發融資相結合的國家表現優於其他國家。近期美國在火星探索和基因學上的巨大突破使其繼續傲視同儕，但預算削減已經威脅到了這一點。與此同時，瑞典和韓國的研發支出約為GDP的3.5%並以此取得了經濟上的極佳表現，而以色列的研發支出佔GDP比例則達到了令人矚目的4.7%。
In an age of rising inequality, at least some countries have narrowed their wealth and income gaps. Brazil is the recent pacesetter, markedly expanding public education and systematically attacking remaining pockets of poverty through targeted transfer programs. As a result, income inequality in Brazil is declining.
在這個貧富差距日益擴大的時代，至少有一些國家縮小了國內的財富和收入差距。巴西是近期的榜樣，它大幅擴大了公共教育並通過針對性的轉移支付計劃有系統地處理剩下的貧窮地區。因此巴西的收入差距正在縮小。
And, in an age of pervasive anxiety, Bhutan is asking deep questions about the meaning and nature of happiness itself. In search of a more balanced society that combines economic prosperity, social cohesion, and environmental sustainability, Bhutan famously pursues Gross National Happiness rather than Gross National Product. Many other countries - including the United Kingdom - are now following Bhutan's lead in surveying their citizenry about life satisfaction.
而且在這個人們普遍焦慮的時代，不丹正在探索幸福的本質及其深層意義。為了尋找一個經濟繁榮、社會團結和環境可持續發展三者相結合的更加平衡的社會，不丹以追求國民幸福總值而非國民生產總值聞名天下。很多其它的國家——包括英國——都在以不丹為榜樣，考察本國公民的生活滿意度。
The countries highest on the ladder of life satisfaction are Denmark, Finland, and Norway. Yet there is hope for those at lower latitudes as well. Tropical Costa Rica also ranks near the top of the happiness league. What we can say is that all of the happiest countries emphasize equality, solidarity, democratic accountability, environmental sustainability, and strong public institutions.
在生活滿意度上排名最高的國家是丹麥，芬蘭和挪威。然而那些處於低緯度的國家不乏希望。熱帶的哥斯達黎加在幸福度排名上也相當靠前。我們可以推斷出幸福感最高的這些國家都強調平等，團結，民主問責，環境可持續性和強大的公共機構。
So here is one model economy: German labor-market policies, Swedish pensions, French low-carbon energy, Canadian health care, Swiss energy efficiency, American scientific curiosity, Brazilian anti-poverty programs, and Costa Rican tropical happiness.
這裡有一個標準的經濟模型：德國勞動力市場政策，瑞典的退休金，法國的低碳能源，加拿大的醫療保健，瑞士的能源效率，美國的科學好奇心，巴西的扶貧項目以及哥斯達黎加的熱帶幸福感。
Of course, back in the real world, most countries will not achieve such bliss anytime soon. But, by opening our eyes to policy successes abroad, we would surely speed the path to national improvement in countries around the world.
當然，在真實的世界中，大部分國家都難以很快實現這樣完美的狀態。但是通過觀察學習國外的成功政策，全世界各國無疑都能加快其國家發展速度。
Jeffrey D. Sachs is Professor of Economics and Director of the Earth Institute at Columbia University. He is also Special Adviser to the United Nations Secretary-General on the Millennium Development Goals.
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