经济学人344:汽车城熄火抛锚(2)

 　　The mayor of Detroit, Dave Bing, has seemed keen to negotiate a “consent agreement” between the city and the state. This would avoid a takeover, but would still set out exactly how the city must extricate¹ itself from the crisis and manage itself in future. However, the agreement had to be signed and sealed by April 5th; if the deadline was missed, an emergency manager would probably be appointed.

　　底特律市市长，Dave Bing似乎倾向于通过协商，使市政府与州政府达成“一致协议”。此举虽然可以避免被接管，但对于底特律城如何自我救赎，从危机中走出，以及如何安排城市的未来仍需做出明确的安排。然而，协议达成的最终期限是四月五日。一旦无法在最终期限内签属和生效，任命危机总长来接管城市，将势在必行。

　　Aspects of the agreement are controversial, particularly with the city’s labour unions. It would set up a Financial Advisory² Board to oversee³ the city’s restructuring, recommend cuts in services and appoint a chief financial officer (CFO). It imposes tough terms on future union contracts, a chief cause of Detroit’s financial malaise, and insists that all existing contracts, even those recently ratified⁴, can be reopened. The financial advisory board would be appointed by both city and state, and would have to approve new labour agreements before they went to the mayor and city council for ratification⁵. The CFO would be chosen by the mayor from a list of at least three names submitted by the governor. And if, after all this, the city failed to meet the required savings⁶ targets, Mr Snyder could still appoint an emergency manager.

　　协议中的某些部分，尤其是与底特律各公会有关的条款，颇具争议。协议规定要组建财政指导委员会，监督底特律重建工程；对该削减那些民政服务部门保有建议权；选出一名财务总监。鉴于公会合同是底特律财政顽疾的重要原因，协议中对未来公会合同条款做出了严格的规定。并坚持要求，所有仍在生效的合约，即使是在最近已做出修改，也都有重新协商的可能。财政指导委员会成员将由市政府和州政府共同任命，而且新的劳动协议必须在财政指导委员会得以通过后才能交由市长和市政委员会批准。至于财务总监，密西根州长将向底特律市市长推荐至少三人，并交由底特律市长从这些候选人中选出。即使以上条款如实通过，一旦无法达到所要求的财政节约目标，州长先生仍有可能会向底特律指派危机处理员。

　　The city council’s response to the consent agreement has ranged from resigned to downright hostile. As The Economist⁷ went to press early on April 4th, the nine members had delayed voting on it. One even asked,“What is the hurry?” The hurry was the next day’s deadline. Meanwhile, a coalition⁸ of unions has gone on the attack. They argue that the agreement was negotiated behind closed doors, rather than openly as the law requires, and want a federal judge to stop the city and state signing it. The judge said late on April 3rd that he will rule on the matter by April 9th: in other words, after the deadline.

　　市政委员们对此协议的反应是有人逆来顺受，有些则嗤之以鼻。截止到四月四日上午本刊即将出版发行之前，九位市政委员推迟就此议案进行投票。一位委员竟脱口问道：“为什么这么急？”着急的原因是四月五日就是截止期。与此同时，底特律公会间已达成联盟，开始进行反击。他们提出，协商议案属于暗箱操作，违反法律所规定公正公开的原则。他们希望联邦法官阻止市政府和州政府达成协议。而联邦法官在四月三日晚些时候给出的答复却是他会在四月九日就此事作出判决。换句话说，过了截止期再说。

　　Mr Snyder has laid out the state’s case on a new website, “Detroit can’t wait”. It includes a personal commitment from him to ensure that, “in the short term…the streetlights are on at night and trash is picked up”, and,that “buses run on a reliable schedule so people can get to work”. Whether by a consent agreement or an emergency manager, Detroit’s freedom of action is already tightly constrained⁹. The alternative, though, is bankruptcy¹⁰.

　　州长先生开通一个叫“底特律不能再拖下去了”的新网站，用于提供有关此事处理的相关消息。他本人也做出了承诺，保证 “短时间内，晚间照明仍能保证，市政清洁仍将继续。公共交通还将按时运营，以保障人们仍可乘车上下班。”不管是一致协议还是危机总长，底特律的命运已不能完全掌握在自己手中，再有何举动也要看别人的眼色行事。尽管面前还有另一条路，却是通向破产的深渊。

1 extricate   

v.拯救，救出；解脱

参考例句：

• How can we extricate the firm from this trouble?我们该如何承救公司脱离困境呢？
• She found it impossible to extricate herself from the relationship.她发现不可能把自己从这种关系中解脱出来。

2 advisory   

adj.劝告的，忠告的，顾问的，提供咨询

参考例句：

• I have worked in an advisory capacity with many hospitals.我曾在多家医院做过顾问工作。
• He was appointed to the advisory committee last month.他上个月获任命为顾问委员会委员。

3 oversee   

vt.监督，管理

参考例句：

• Soldiers oversee the food handouts.士兵们看管着救济食品。
• Use a surveyor or architect to oversee and inspect the different stages of the work.请一位房产检视员或建筑师来监督并检查不同阶段的工作。

4 ratified   

v.批准，签认（合约等）( ratify的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The treaty was declared invalid because it had not been ratified. 条约没有得到批准，因此被宣布无效。
• The treaty was ratified by all the member states. 这个条约得到了所有成员国的批准。

5 ratification   

n.批准，认可

参考例句：

• The treaty is awaiting ratification.条约正等待批准。
• The treaty is subject to ratification.此条约经批准后才能生效。

6 savings   

n.存款，储蓄

参考例句：

• I can't afford the vacation,for it would eat up my savings.我度不起假，那样会把我的积蓄用光的。
• By this time he had used up all his savings.到这时，他的存款已全部用完。

7 economist   

n.经济学家，经济专家，节俭的人

参考例句：

• He cast a professional economist's eyes on the problem.他以经济学行家的眼光审视这个问题。
• He's an economist who thinks he knows all the answers.他是个经济学家，自以为什么都懂。

8 coalition   

n.结合体，同盟，结合，联合

参考例句：

• The several parties formed a coalition.这几个政党组成了政治联盟。
• Coalition forces take great care to avoid civilian casualties.联盟军队竭尽全力避免造成平民伤亡。

9 constrained   

adj.束缚的,节制的

参考例句：

• The evidence was so compelling that he felt constrained to accept it. 证据是那样的令人折服，他觉得不得不接受。
• I feel constrained to write and ask for your forgiveness. 我不得不写信请你原谅。

10 bankruptcy   

n.破产；无偿付能力

参考例句：

• You will have to pull in if you want to escape bankruptcy.如果你想避免破产，就必须节省开支。
• His firm is just on thin ice of bankruptcy.他的商号正面临破产的危险。