主题：【原创】翻译：CNNyy文章：中国能控制俺们美国吗？ -- 忧心

【2009.5.21 CNN】Clark Howard: Can China own us？外链出处

作者：理财专家克拉克霍华德（Clark Howard, Money Expert）

ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- Back in the 1970s, Americans saved 14 cents out of every dollar. But as the years wore on, our savings rate dropped and we bought more than we could afford when it came to housing, furniture, TVs, cars -- just about everything!

（有线电视新闻网，于佐治亚州首府亚特兰大）-- 回想上世纪70年代，那时的美国人从拥有的每个美元中储蓄14美分。但是，随着时间的推移，我们的储蓄率在下降，我们买了远远超出我们能负担得起的东西：房屋，家具，电视机，汽车——所有的一切！

Four years ago, it got to the point where we spent three cents more than we made. So for every dollar we brought in, $1.03 went out, thanks to borrowed money.

四年前，就到了我们平均花的比挣的要多3美分的时侯。也就是说，“多亏”有了借来的钱，我们每挣得一美元就会花掉1.03美元。

Yet the current down economy has made us call a "timeout" on spending, whether we want to or not. Today we actually save four cents on every dollar, according to recent economic statistics. We're starting on the right path again.

然而，滑坡的经济让我们愿不愿意都得对消费叫暂停。实际上，近期的经济统计显示，如今我们在每1美元中要储蓄4美分。我们正开始重回正确的道路。

Now to give you a comparison, in the People's Republic of China, people save an average of 25 percent of their paycheck. And they're pouring it into development.

现在给你看个对照：在中华人民共和国，人民平均储蓄其收入的百分之二十五。他们把这笔钱投入到发展中去。

I've been to China three times. I was there once in 1983. Back then, people had to walk for transportation. Only the privileged had bicycles. There were dirt roads. Most people lived in shacks and the Red Army was everywhere. In fact, I could only go around with a Red Army escort. It was a scary kind of place.

我曾去过中国三次，第一次是在1983年。那时，人们的交通主要靠走，只有特权阶级才拥有自行车。哪儿都是土路。绝大多数人住在小破屋里，红色军队到处都是。事实上，我去哪里都得有个军队的人跟着。那是个令人恐惧的地方。

Then I went back in 1994 and things had changed so much. There were nicely paved roads, nice buildings and one of the towns I visited even had a McDonald's. Having been in China before where the food was inedible, as soon as I saw that McDonald's I was in that place having my double cheeseburger!

然后我1994年又去了一回，中国发生了翻天覆地的变化。道路铺设得很好，楼房也不错，我去过的一个小镇上甚至有麦当劳！我曾到过中国，知道那里的饭都不能吃。因此当我看到麦当劳时就马上坐进去吃起巨无霸来！

I had an opportunity to go back to China earlier this year. Once each year, I take my staff on a trip somewhere in the world -- wherever goes on sale. We pick the dates and then wait for someplace to go on discount and that's where we go. This year it was Shanghai on Delta Airlines for $850 round-trip.

今年早些时候，我又有了个回到中国的机会。我每年带着员工到世界上某个地方去旅行一次——只要去那儿能优惠就行。我们定好日期，然后等着看哪个地方打折就去哪儿。今年，正赶上德尔塔航空公司去上海的机票往返只要850美元。

The changes I saw this time blew me away even more than ever. I stepped off the plane in Shanghai and I was in the most modern airport terminal I've ever set foot in. Shanghai has a population of 22 million. In 1988, the tallest building in the city was 20 stories. Since then, more than 5,000 buildings expanding 15 stories or taller have been constructed.

这次我看到的变化给我带来的震撼甚至比以往更大。我在上海一下飞机就进入了我双脚踩过的最现代化的候机楼。上海有二千二百万人口。1988年，这个城市最高的楼有20层。从那时起，又有超过5000栋高于15层的大厦已经建成。

The Chinese are working their tails off. I want you to know we have some serious competition in the world.

中国人正在勤奋努力地工作。我想让你知道，我们在这个世界上有一些真正的对手。

But we will be fine because we have something they don't have: We have freedom. And the power of that freedom is unbelievable. To do what you want, say what you want, live where you want.

但是我们将不会有事，因为俺们有一样他们没有的东西：俺们拥有自由！而自由有着令人难以置信的力量！想干嘛就干嘛，想说啥就说啥，想住哪就住哪。

In America, whenever we have felt like we were looking in the rearview mirror to see good stuff, we always manage to figure out a way to have good stuff happen to us in the future.

在美国，每当我们感觉像是在通过后视镜看好玩意儿的时候，我们总能琢磨出怎么让这些好事儿以后也发生在自己身上。

I think back to 1980. We were in the worst recession since the Great Depression, and Japan was on the rise. At the time, we thought Japan was going to have us for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

回头想想1980年，那时我们正处于大萧条以来最严重的衰退中，而日本正处于上升期。当时我们觉得要向日本人讨生活了。

I remember we used to have the Detroit autoworkers beat up an old Japanese car with sledgehammers. Like that would stop Toyota! We were just sure they were going to own all of us -- "Japan Inc." they used to call it.

我记得曾有底特律汽车工人用大铁锤去砸一辆旧的日本车。好像这样做就能阻止丰田似的！我们曾经就是那么确信他们快要控制我们所有人了——“日本集团”人们曾经这样称呼它。

（译者：原文“Japan Inc.”一语双关，既指Japan Incorporated日本公司，又指Japan Increase日本扩张。）

Well, guess what happened? We came back from those tough times and did great. And we'll do so again. Just as the Japanese were tough competition 29 years ago, I can tell you the Chinese are tough competition today.

猜猜后来怎么着了？我们走出了艰难时刻，又做得很棒。而且俺们将再这么干一回！就像29年前日本人是我们顽强的对手一样，我可以告诉你现在中国人是我们顽强的对手。

But we'll do fine because we have that freedom and we know how to innovate and educate. Those things truly matter.

但是我们会做得很好，因为俺们拥有自由，还知道怎样创新和教育！这些东西真的很要紧。

文章比较yy，但后面的评论有些不错，有兴趣的筒子可以去看看。