经济学人181:比哈尔的利商改革 雷声大雨点小

 　　Business

　　商业报道
　　Bihar's pro-business reforms
　　比哈尔的利商改革
　　Paper tiger
　　雷声大，雨点小
　　There is more talk about reform than action in India's poorest state
　　印度的贫困之邦，改革都是浮云
　　It's difficult to stir up business
　　刺激商业谈何容易
　　IT IS surely no coincidence that Bihar, besides being India's poorest state, has also been its least inviting 1 for entrepreneurs.
　　比哈尔既挂着印度贫困邦的名头，那它的招商引资做得最差，自然是情理之中的事。
　　That is supposed to be changing. Nitish Kumar, Bihar's chief minister, has spent his five years in office fixing the roads and other infrastructure 2.
　　这种现象本应得到改善，比哈尔邦首席部长Nitish Kumar于其任上的5年中，都在大兴土木，改善基础设施。
　　Crime has fallen, so the bright and wealthy are no longer frightened off by the threat of kidnapping, extortion and murder.
　　犯罪率降低了，显贵们不会再被绑架、勒索和谋杀的威胁吓跑。
　　Stability has allowed local trade to flourish.
　　稳定带来地区经济繁荣。
　　A state official reels off an impressive-sounding list of 398 approved investment proposals—from sugar mills to power plants—worth $4.8 billion.
　　当地官员甩出398份华丽丽的投资意向书，总值48亿美元，内容从糖厂覆盖到能源。
　　That all sounds rosy 3, until you look for success on the ground.
　　看上去很美，实际都是浮云。
　　India's tycoons 4 have visited, and left.
　　连一个大型工业投资的案例都拿不出来，
　　There is not one example of a big industrial investment to show for it.
　　无怪乎印度的商业大亨们在此地来去匆匆不留银了。
　　Perhaps local officials are failing to spot the brightest entrepreneurs—those deft 5 enough to avoid the bureaucrats 6.
　　也许当局没有淘金的眼光，他们需要的是对避免官僚主义驾轻就熟的企业。
　　Take the case of Husk Power Systems, formed in 2007 by three young Biharis and an American friend.
　　拿“米糠发电系统”为例，2007年，3个年轻的哈比尔人和一位美国朋友将该计划成形。
　　It runs 50 micro power plants in rural areas fired by burning otherwise useless rice husks.
　　仅仅靠燃烧无用的米糠，他们在农村地区经营起50家小型发电厂。
　　Now employing more than 250 people, the firm sells cheap electricity to 200,000 rural folk, who previously 7 relied on kerosene 8 lamps or candles.
　　现在，这家拥有250多名员工的公司，为20多万农村人口提供低价电，此前人们离不开的煤油灯和蜡烛，都退出了历史舞台。
　　Each power plant turns a profit in a few months, and Husk plans to build hundreds more in the next two years.
　　几个月后，每个发电厂都开始盈利，稻壳公司计划在未来两年增建100多个发电厂。
　　But that is no thanks to Bihar's pen-pushers.
　　然而，比哈尔的官员们对这些成绩毫无帮助。
　　Scientific advisers 9 in Delhi were “very helpful” with permits and business contacts.
　　德里的科学顾问们在办许可证和业务往来上称得上是“砖家”，
　　But the entrepreneurs try to avoid contact with the Bihar government as much as possible.
　　但要和比哈尔政府打交道，企业家们都是唯恐避之不及。
　　An early brush-off from one of Mr Kumar's deputies set the standard for their treatment.
　　一个前车之鉴就是，他们曾被Kumar先生的众多副手之一不友好地拒绝过。
　　Ratnesh Yadav, one of Husk's founders 10, describes constant struggles with local corruption 11.
　　与地方腐败的斗争已是家常便饭，稻壳公司的创始人之一Ratnesh Yadav，有着如下讲述。
　　A village policeman grabbed a bundle of cables for one of the first plants, demanding a bribe 12: the company refused, opting 13 to bore him into submission 14 instead.
　　一名“村警”从最早期的发电厂强占了一大捆电缆，以此向公司索贿，公司不但没有接受，反而迫使他屈服。
　　When Husk started building a centre to train its workers near the state capital, Patna, a neighbourhood tough-guy demanded 100,000 rupees in protection money.
　　当公司在邦首府巴特那附近建设员工训练中心时，附近的无赖寻上门来，索要10万卢比的保护费。
　　This was refused, so the builders were threatened, then beaten, and a mob flattened 15 the construction site.
　　这一要求遭到拒绝，于是施工人员先是被威胁，接着被殴打，一群暴民还扫荡了施工场地。
　　A Bihari property developer, while accepting that official corruption is a fact of life, laments 16 how crooked 17 officials in his state prefer “taxing” inputs—the first investments made—to demanding a share in the output of an enterprise, a practice he says is more common in Bengal.
　　比哈尔的一个房地产开发商，一边接受官员腐败的现实，一边感慨着当地政府如此狡诈，官员们倾向于投入“课税”，从而要求在其企业的产出中盘剥。
　　Bengal-style graft 18 at least means officials have a long-term interest in seeing the business thrive.
　　开发商说，在孟加拉，这种现象更为普遍。“孟式”贪污至少表明政府长期乐见于商业的繁荣。
　　The state government talks some fine talk about having made things easier for businesses, such as creating a “one-stop window” for them to submit all their paperwork.
　　邦政府曾有精彩言论，说要降低商业事务办理难度，例如开设“一站式窗口”，以便商人们投放文件资料。
　　But half a dozen businessmen, asked about the window, hoot 19 with laughter.
　　然而，有6位商人在窗口咨询时，遭遇了呵斥和嘲笑。
　　It is nothing more than a postbox, says one; the papers are simply shuffled 20 on to the same old unresponsive departments.
　　一名商人说，这窗口充其量也就是个邮筒，那些文件被简单的混在得过且过的部门里。
　　An investor 21 with political clout 22 can get things done in perhaps four visits.
　　政商也许4次登门拜访就能把事情搞定，
　　Otherwise, it's a long wait.
　　其他投资者，就只有“等到花儿也谢了”。
　　1.reform n.改革；改良
　　Our reform made an inexorable march of progress.
　　我们的改革取得了势不可挡的进展。
　　2.coincidence n.巧合；一致
　　What a coincidence!
　　真是太巧了！
　　3.minister n.外交使节；部长；大臣
　　The president gave his minister carte blanche in foreign affairs.
　　总统把处理外交事务的全权授予他的公使。
　　4.frighten v.使惊吓；害怕
　　It is illegal to frighten a pigeon.
　　惊吓鸽子是违法的。
　　5.impressive a.给人深刻印象的
　　His collection of paintings is the most impressive.
　　他的绘画收藏令人叹为观止。