評論
打印
How can Western ship owners react to undercutting of 40 per cent that would drive them out of business if they did the same?
如果西方船運公司也學蘇聯人那樣削價40%，它們就得關門大吉。那么，面對蘇聯的這一做法，西方船主們能采取何種對策呢?
There is a limit, of course, to what any British government can do on its own.
任何一屆英國政府單靠自己的力量所能夠發揮的作用當然都、-是有限的。
Shipping is an essentially international business, and Britain can only counter the challenges of the developing world and the Russians at an international level.
海運業從本質上說來畢竟是一項國際性商務活動，英國也只有通過發動國際社會的參與來抵御第三世界和俄國方面的挑戰。
But whom could we count on for support?
但我們能指望從哪兒獲得支持呢?
The EEC is so divided about shipping that it is almost powerless to act.
歐共體在海運問題上存在著嚴重分歧，幾乎無力采取任何行動。
Take the challenge of the developing world.
就以發展中國家的挑戰為例來說吧，
The French do not mind the UNCTAD code on liner shipping because it would help them to increase their share of the liner trade; the same is true for the Germans and the Belgians.
法國人對于聯合國貿易和發展會議有關海運方面的規定并不在意，因為這個規定可能還會有助于提高他們在海運生意中的分成比例。德國和比利時的情形也和法國一樣。
So Britain cannot rely on concerted EEC action on that issue.
所以，英國不能指望歐共體在這個問題上采取一致的行動。
As far as the Russians are concerned, Britain, along with West Germany and Denmark, has been calling for a coordinated response; the monitoring of Russian ship movements and restrictions on the number of Russian ships allowed to call at EEC ports.
在對待俄國方面，英國一直同西德和丹麥一道呼吁采取協調行動，監測俄國商船的動向，并限制停靠歐共體國家港口的俄國船只的數量。
But, last June, the French, because of their Russian ties, blocked plans along these lines. It will be November before the question is considered again.
但在6月份，法國人卻因其與俄國的特殊關系而阻礙這一計劃的通過。而要到11月份，這一計劃才能得到重新審議。
British ship owners are so far happy with the strength of the British government attempts to force the EEC into action.
迄今為止，英國船主們對于英國政府在敦促歐共體采取行動方面所具有的影響力是感到滿意的。
They believe that the Trade Department, which looks after shipping, understands their problems.
他們相信主管海運事務的貿易部對于他們面臨的困難是理解的，
But they are far less sure about other government ministers, especially those in the powerful Industry Department, which oversees shipbuilding.
但對于政府的其他各部門，尤其是對于主管著造船業的很有實權的工業部的大臣們的態度，并無多大的信心。
Ship owners fear that saving jobs in Britain's ailing shipyards comes well before saving its merchant fleet.
船主們擔心這些大臣優先考慮的是拯救英國的奄奄一息的造船廠，而不是如何拯救英國的商船隊。
British shipyard, s are currently churning out 24 vessels for Poland. The Poles were lured to Britain by the gift of a28 million subsidy and the promise that British shipbuilders would raise all the credit;
英國的造船廠目前正為波蘭制造著24艘輪船。波蘭人之所以傾向于英國是因為受到英國為他們提供2 800萬英鎊的資助款這一厚贈以及英國造船商將負責為他們籌集所有的貸款這一承諾的引誘。
so while our shipping fleet is under attack from communist ships, our government is using British taxpayers' money to out their shipbuilding costs.
所以，當我國商船隊正受到共產黨國家商船的威脅的同時，我們的政府卻在用英國納稅人的錢來幫助他們降低造船成本。
We are doing the same for developing countries' fleets.
對于發展中國家的商船隊，我們也在采取同樣的做法。
India is now a major Third World shipping power, yet Britain is to build six ships for the Indians-for nothing.
印度現在已經是第三世界的一個海運強國，但英國卻準備無償地為印度人打造六艘船只。
In the end, British companies could be driven out of shipping altogether.
英國海運公司最終將有可能被完全擠出海運行業。
Some, such as P & O, have already moved into other fields, from house building to oil.
有些海運公司，如東方遠洋船運公司，業已轉向從房屋建筑到石油開采等其他領域發展業務。
Smaller shipping lines do not have the resources to diversify.
而那些規模較小的海運公司卻沒有足夠的財力來從事多樣化經營，它們面臨著破產的命運。
They face extinction. And when they go, so does a huge slice of the few traditional industries worth keeping.
一旦這些海運公司破產，英國有限的幾個值得保留的傳統產業的一大部分也會隨之消亡。
