新概念英語第四冊(含lrc文本)Lesson 36 The cost of government

[ti:δ?] [ar:] [al:] [by:https://www.lrc.com.cn] [00:02.73]Lesson 36 [00:04.48]The cost of government [00:11.91]What's the most important factor,both in government or business, [00:16.76]for keeping running costs low? [00:21.24]If a nation is essentialy disunited,it is left to the government to hold it together. [00:27.84]This increases the expense of government, [00:30.57]and reduces correspondingly the amount of economic resources [00:34.92]that could be used for developing the country [00:38.43]And it should not be forgotten [00:40.10]how small those resources are in a poor and backward country. [00:45.22]Where the cost of government is high, [00:47.31]resources for development are correspondingly low. [00:52.15]This may be illustrated by comparing the position of a nation [00:55.91]with that of a private business enterprise. [00:59.74]An enterprise has to incur certain costs and expenses in order to stay in business. [01:06.85]For our purposes,we are concerned only with one kind of cost-- [01:11.66]the cost of managing and administering the business. [01:17.06]Such administrative overheads in a business [01:19.47]are analogous to the cost of government in a nation. [01:23.67]The administrative overheads of a business are low to the extent [01:28.35]that everyone working in the business can be trusted to behave [01:31.77]in a way that best promotes the interests of the firm. [01:36.30]If they can each be trusted to take such responsibilities, [01:40.03]and to exercise such initiative as falls within their sphere, [01:44.78]then administrative overheads will be low. [01:48.92]It will be low because it will be necessary to have only one man looking after each job [01:54.97]without having another man to check upon what he is doing, [01:58.62]keep him in line,and report on him to someone else. [02:03.24]But if no one can be trusted to act in a loyal and responsible manner towards his job [02:09.98]then the business will require armies of administrators,checkers and foremen [02:16.22]and administrative overheads will rise correspondingly. [02:20.94]As administrative overheads rise, [02:23.66]so the earnings of the business after meeting the expense of administration,will fall; [02:29.58]and the business will have less money to distribute as dividends [02:33.75]or invest directly in its future progress and development. [02:38.55]It is precisely the same with a nation. [02:41.50]To the extent that the people can be relied on [02:44.71]to behave in a loyal and responsible manner [02:47.72]the government does not require armies of police and civil servants [02:51.74]to keep them in order. [02:53.60]But if a nation is disunited,the government cannot be sure [02:58.07]that the actions of the people will be in the interests of the nation; [03:02.13]and it will have to watch,check,and control the people accordingly. [03:07.69]A disunited nation therefore [03:09.76]has to incur unduly high costs of government.

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