The Backward Society

This may be illustrated by comparing the position of a nation with that of a private business enterprise. An enterprise has to incur certain costs and expenses in order to stay in business. For our purposes, we are concerned only with one kind of cost--the cost of managing and administering the business. Such administrative overhead in a business is analogous to the cost of government in a nation. The administrative overhead of a business is low to the extent that everyone working in the business can, be trusted to behave in a way that best promotes the interests of the firm. If they can each be trusted to take such responsibilities, and to exercise such initiative as falls within their sphere, then administrative overhead will be low. It will be low because it will be necessary to have only one man looking after each job, without having another man to check upon what he is doing, keep him in line, and report on him to someone else. But if no one can be trusted to act in a loyal and responsible manner towards his job, then the business will require armies of administrators, checkers, and foremen, and administrative overhead will rise correspondingly. As administrative overhead rises, so the earnings of the business, after meeting the expense of administration, will fall; and the business will have less money to distribute as dividends or invest directly in its future progress and development.

It is precisely the same with a nation. To the extent that the people can be relied upon to behave in a loyal and responsible manner, the government does not require armies of police and civil servants to keep them in order. But if a nation is disunited, the government cannot be sure that the actions of the people will be in the interests of the nation; and it will have to watch, check, and control the people accordingly. A disunited nation therefore has to incur unduly high costs of government.

New words and expressions

Disunited a.分裂的

Economic resource经济实力

Incur vt.承担

Backward a.落后的

Administrative a.行政管理的 Overhead a.一般费用

Analogous a.类似的

Behave vi.行动

Sphere n.范围

Keep sb. in line 使某人协调

Checker n.检查人员 Foreman n.监工

Dividend n.红利

Civil servant 文职人员

Notes on the text

Unite ~all the people 团结所有的人民

Unify （思想）统一 Union Unification Reunion团聚

In China, spring festival/mid autumn day is a good time for reunion.在中国，中秋节/春节是团聚的好时间

Chinese people are hoping/expecting the reunion between the mainland and Taiwan Island.中国人希望大陆两岸统一。

In 199x, the two Germanies reunifaction. 在199X年东西德统一

Incur 承担 后面跟抽象名词 （费用，成本）I have a family to support/feed/bear.

招致，导致 （不好的恶果） Pride incur failure.=invite,lead to

Backward Forward 先进的 Backward nation Forward country

Under developed 欠发达 Developing 发展中

Organ 机构 Administrator 管理者

Administration

Bush administration bush当局（西方用人名，中国用地名）

Beijing administration MBA master of business and administration

Sphere Hemisphere 半球 Eastern hemisphere 西半球Western hemisphere 东半球

Semi-colony 半殖民Feudal society 封建社会Semi-feudal 半封建Semifinal 半决赛

Domain 域 Field  scope 眼界province 领域He is very provincial 他没有远见

Dividend （入股的）红利 Allowance 津贴Bonus 奖金

Civil marriage 不在教堂举行的婚礼

She keeps the family in line.她把家打理得井井有条。

State 有政治概念State law  State visit 政事访问

Correspondingly; therefore so

He wrote me 5 letters, correspondingly I answered 5.

Where the cost of government is high, resources for development are correspondingly now.Where 可当作if 翻译Where there is life, there is hope

Compare with 与….. 比较

Contrast 比较，侧重异 compare 侧重 相同 Compare to 比作

Private (business) enterprise /individual enterprise /one man enterprise 私企

Out of business 破产

Concern with :talk about

Concern for/about 关心

I concern for your health.

Is low to the extent/degree that ……..= is so low that

Exercise initiative 发挥能动性 Initiative stage 初级阶段

Within their sphere/ to their utmost 尽其最大力量

Report sth 报道 Report on 汇报

I'm reading carefully. I'm reading with care. I'm reading in a careful manner.

An army (group) of

Meet expense 收支相抵

On one's behalf For one's benefit 代表某人的利益

It's in your interest to tell truth (be honest).