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  • 第二届世界佛教论谈

    2009-5-08

    　第二届世界佛教论坛

    Second Session World Buddhism Forum in Lingshan Wuxi

    佛在灵山不远求

    Do not trouble to take long journey for pilgrim when facing the mountain of Buddhist

    《吉祥颂》演出结束后，十一世班禅额尔德尼·确吉杰布走上舞台，用藏语、汉语和英语祈祷世界和平。

    After the performance of Auspiciousness Ode, Bainqen Erdini Qoigyi Gyaincain, the Eleventh Panchen Lama comes to stage to pray for world peace Tibet, Chinese, and English respectively.  

    灵山胜会

    Great Gathering of Lingshan- the Mountain of Buddhist

    2009年3月28日，江南的早晨，清凉的春雨丝丝拂面，烟波浩淼的太湖，法相庄严的大佛，掀开了灵山梵宫的神秘面纱，恭迎出席第二届世界佛教论坛的逾50个国家和地区的僧侣。

    灵山胜会，是佛教中的典故。相传，佛祖当年在古印度王舍城外的灵山说法，四众弟子，十方诸佛，圣众如潮，人佛如海，天感花雨，地应雷音，全球佛弟子深心向往，称之为“灵山胜会”。

     

     

    On March 28 in the morning of South of Yangze River in China, cool silky spring rain licking face, ripple vast Taihu lake under the veil of filmy fog, Buddhist Palace comes to present her mysterious face in which sacred grand Buddhist status comes into view, awaiting the Buddhists from over 50 countries and regions to attend the second session world Buddhism Forum. Gathering of Lingshan is a legend of Buddhism. Then It is said that Buddha convened Buddhists and Buddhist followers across the world on on the Lingshan outside of Wagse Castle of ancient India to impart Buddhism power to a of crowd pious Buddha disciples, which shaped a grandeur spectacular picture: the tide pious disciples surrounding a large swarm of Buddhists in flowery saffron, thunderingly loudly reading Buddhism sutras; then Lingshan became the desired place for the Buddhists to come!  

         

    这一天早晨的梵宫，确因四众弟子而生动。梵宫两侧，手捧鲜花香炉的居士们，穿着黄海青，搭着红忏衣的学僧们，组成了世俗社会罕见的仪仗队，口呼“南无本师释迦牟尼佛”，迎候中国佛教协会会长一诚法师，台湾佛光山开山宗长星云法师，香港佛教联合总会会长觉光法师，十一世班禅额尔德尼·确吉杰布，澳门佛教理事会理事长健钊法师，以及南亚国家的僧王们。

     

    The Buddhist Palace of this morning is vigorous with the Buddhist disciples gathering. Along side of the Palace, Buddhist servants holding floral censer in hand and junior monks clad in saffron consist of a uncommon honour guard, hailing in Buddha greeting Master yicheng, president of Buddhism Association of China, Xingyue Master, the first generation Master of Foguangshan of Tai wan, Jueguang Master, Chairman of Buddhism Association of Hong Kong, Bainqen Erdini Qoigyi Gyaincain, the Eleventh Panchen Lama, Managing director of Buddhism Association in Macao, and Master Monks from South Asia.   

    十分钟后，经过特警严格的安检，南方周末记者随与会者步入梵宫。沿廊厅在梵宫中穿行，环顾上下左右，与会者鲜有不瞠目结舌者。

    Ten mintutes later, after strictly checked by special security guard, the correspondent of South Weekend Paper follows participants of forum, steps into the Palace.  Walking along corridor of the Palace, most viewers are surprised by what their eyes catch.  

     

    率先留住与会者脚步的，是“世界佛教传法图”中的“初转法轮图”，讲述公元前588年，菩提树下悟道成佛的释迦牟尼，为最早跟随过他的五位侍从说法剃度，建立第一个僧团的故事。

     

    The first view that drags forum participants steps is the painting Chuzhuan Falun, of that Buddha imparts power of Buddhism in the first time---one of imparting power of Buddhism by Buddha pictures over the world--- which is a descrīption of what Buddha under Buddha Tree that succeed in meditating Buddhism imparts Buddhism power, tonsures to the five first servants and established the first monk organization.     

    从“初转法轮图”，到表现不分国家种族肤色，共沐甘霖法雨的“当代世界佛教图景”，前后12幅巨型油画，勾勒了延绵两千多年，遍及全球各地的“世界佛教传法线路图”。

    除了西方的油画壁画，廊厅中，还有表征中国传统的木雕壁画和刻漆壁画。

    《净》、《信》、《孝》、《和》巨幅木雕壁画，是梵宫木雕壁画的代表作。它们用金丝楠木，用中国传统文化中象征吉祥的图案和花纹，诠释了清净心、信仰、孝道与和谐，强调“佛在人间”，“要学佛，先学做人”。

     

    The amount of twelve giant oil paintings that involve from the Chuzhuan Falun painting that says the birth of Buddhism to the Contemporary World Buddhism picture in which the complexion Buddhist disciples from different nations are learning power of Buddhism together , describe road map of Buddhism development across the world in the past of over 2000 years.

     

    Apart from oil paintings and murals in Western style, in corridor there have woodcarving murals and lacquered fresco in traditional Chinese style.    

     

    Among all paintings “Cleanness” “Faith” “Filialness” “Harmony” four giant woodcarving murals, are the magnum opus of woodcarving murals of the Palaces of Buddhism, made from golden nanmu( a kind of rare lumber) in employment of the various pattern and figure that symbolize auspiciousness in Chinese traditional culture, embody cleanness, faith, filialness and harmony, in stressing a theme: Buddhism in human life, and following Buddhism requires the must of kindness of humanity.

    《般若波罗密多心经》，是刻漆壁画中的经典。这幅巨型书法壁画，其文本来自奉旨翻译的唐玄奘，其篆书来自清代大书法家邓石如刻于扬州大明寺的石碑拓本，其工艺来自纯手工的刻漆贴真金，扬州独有。

     

    “Banrouboluomiduo Buddhism scrīpture” classic of lacquered frescos is a giant calligraphy fresco whose content was the text of the translation of Tang Xuanzang under the order of his emperor---the famous Buddhism academician in Tang Dynasty--- in seals handwriting style of the book of rubbings on stone tablet in Daming temple of Yangzhou city carved by Deng shiru, an eminent calligraphist in Qing Dynasty.  And the fresco is very unique for its craft: lacquered and gold clad.     

    廊厅的尽头，就是灵山梵宫的镇宫之宝，100平方米的琉璃壁画《华藏世界》，描绘了如来佛在华藏世界宣扬妙法的一场胜会，用皇家工艺“花丝镶嵌”而出的壁画，璀璨瑰丽。观赏于供满无数鲜花和水果的壁画前，驻足者惟余惊叹。祭台摆放

     

    A glazed fresco “Tibet Gathering by Buddha” covering 100 square metres that describe the gathering scene of what Buddha impart Buddhism in Huazang Shijie, is the most precious work of the Palace of Buddhism of Lingshan at the end of corridor screen. It is so dazzling and magnificent for its royal ornament flower inlaid style that won all viewers’ great admiration when they appreciates before the sacrifice table on which there put many flowers and fruits.    

    奇迹般从天而降的灵山梵宫，建设速度惊人地快。据说，早在论坛开幕前三天，一些工人还在擦拭一些油画的底座。

     

    Constructing this Palace of Buddhism is extraordinarily fast, like a miracle: erecting suddenly. Even someone saw as early as three days ago opening ceremony of the Forum, constructors brush bottom frame of some oil painting.

    8点半，本报记者进入“圣坛”，以圆形体现佛教平等理念的世界佛教论坛的主会场。当绚丽的帷幕静静地拉开，在敦煌飞天供养图画的背景前，“看到了犹如大唐盛世时期佛教史诗般的画卷，感受到精神信仰的高贵与虔诚。”地震灾区四川什邡罗汉寺住持素全法师在他的博客中说。

    这位虔诚中透着高贵的僧人说：有幸参加，欢喜无限。

     

    At 8:30 PM, the correspondent of our paper came into “chancel” ---the prime meeting place of this world Buddhism forum round-featured with the equal conception of Buddhism.  Along with gorgeous curtain slowly opening, the stage background against the flying fairies of Dunhuang painting came into view. The master Suquan the abbot of Shifang Arhat Temple of Sichuan quake zone acclaimed in his blog statement that was so spectacular as if I saw a Buddhism epic picture in prime time in Tang Dynasty and could experience the nobleness and devoutness of religious belief. And at that time, the pious and noble Buddhist cannot help saying that it is great honor and happy to have this meeting.                

    灵山梵宫的廊厅，陈示着巨幅的油画、木刻和漆刻壁画，圆雕的飞天，以及被称为镇宫之宝的一百平方米的琉璃壁画《华藏世界》。整幅《华藏世界》，共用了15公斤黄金，500公斤白银，镶嵌了超过12万件的珠宝。

     

    In the lobby of the Palace displays giant oil paintings, woodcarving lacquered murals, circular engravre flying fairy and the most precious work covering 1002 metres Huazangshijie that was ornamented in using 15 kg gold, 500kg silver and over 120,000 jewelries.

         　

    千僧过堂 Large number of monks dinering together

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  • 内需拉动乏力

    2009-5-08

    CHINESE CONSUMPTION IS A DISAPPEARING ACT

    中国消费需求拉动乏力

    In January, a remarkable thing happened: more cars were bought in China, the land of bicycles, than in the US, the land of – well – cars. US annual light vehicle sales skidded below 10m, fewer than in China where January sales ran at 10.7m a year. For those counting on the Chinese consumer to ride to the world's rescue, here, surely, was the news they had been waiting for.

    Unfortunately, those vehicle numbers were not quite what they seemed. Nor – not yet, at least – is the Chinese consumer.

     

    一月份,发生了一件怪事, 一个自行车王国的中国其汽车销量超过了有汽车王国的美国。美国去年轻型汽车的销量跌破了1000万辆，而同期中国的汽车销量略高于美国达到了1070万辆。对于那些指望中国消费者拯救世界的人来说，这无疑是他们一直期盼的消息。遗憾的是，不能单从表面上来看这些数字，对于中国的消费者也是如此—至少眼下来说。

     

    It turns out that China and the US count cars differently and that China's numbers were temporarily flattered by the lunar new year. Still, China remains a bright spot in the thickening gloom. Other industries too are counting on the Middle Kingdom, the largest market for television sets and mobile phones, steel and cement. Shiseido, a Japanese cosmetics company, has been racking up 30 per cent Chinese sales growth. Alex Salmond, Scotland's first minister, on a clean-energy-to-whisky sales tour of China this week, revealed there were more cashed-up Chinese than American students in Scottish universities.

     

    事实情况是，中国计算汽车销量的方法与美国有所不同， 而中国这个数字是暂由农历新年的销售旺季所推动的。然而，在当下经济低迷的情况，中国市场仍然可以保持良好的势头。而其它行业一样也在依赖中东市场，中东市场是电视机，手机，钢铁和水泥的最大消费市场。日本化装品公司，“资生堂”在中国的消费市场份额已下降了30%。苏格兰首席大臣，亚历山大，萨尔盟德本周从清洁能源到威士忌的中国销售一行中透露,在苏格兰大学，中国的学生比美国的学生拥有更多的现金去消费。

    The 19th-century Englishman who mused that, if every Chinese lengthened his shirttail by a foot, textile mills would spin year-round, has been replaced by 21st-century westerners hoping that Chinese will step in to buy their sedans and insurance products. But can they?

     

    19世纪的英国人就曾想过，要是每个中国人把他们的衣服加长一尺，纺织厂一年四季都不会停工。而现在这种想法改变了，西方人希望中国人可以买更多他们的轿车和保险产品，但是他们能吗？

    The picture is not easy to decipher. By some measures, Chinese consumers have in fact become relatively less important. In the 1980s, household consumption averaged slightly more than half China's gross domestic product. That proportion fell in the 1990s to 46 per cent, reached 38 per cent by 2005 and is about 35 per cent today. By comparison, in 2007 US household consumption was running at what we now know was an unsustainable 72 per cent of GDP.

    要解释这种现象也不是很容易。按某种标准来衡量，中国消费者实际上已不是很重要了。上世纪80年代，中国的家庭消费额度只是稍稍高于国内生产总值的一半，到了90年代，这个比例已降到了46%，到2005年已降到了38%，现在为止，已降到了35%。相比较而言，2007年，美国的家庭消费已上升到了难以维系的GDP的72%。

    Andy Rothman, China strategist at CLSA, says people should not get hung up on that comparison. Just as in 1950s Japan, he says, a much bigger share of China's GDP is today going to investment, something that changed in Japan only in the 1960s when consumers began to buy fridges and washing machines. Consumption rates tend to be higher in poorer countries than China where people spend a large part of their income to survive, and richer ones where discretionary spending takes hold.

     

    中国CLSA的战略家，安迪.露斯曼说：不应该做这样的比较。正如上世纪50年代的日本一样，中国现在GDP的很大一部分用于投资了，而日本在60年代的时候，这种情况就改变了，当时消费者开始购买冰箱，冼衣机了。欠发达国家的消费水平要高于中国，在中国收入的很大一部分用来养家糊口了，而富人手里却持有大量可支配的财富。

    Jonathan Garner, emerging markets strategist at Morgan Stanley, is another believer. In his 2005 The Rise of the Chinese Consumer, he predicted that by 2014 Chinese consumption would have risen from 9 per cent of US and 3 per cent of world consumption in 2004 to 37 per cent and 10.5 per cent respectively. By then, he forecast, the Chinese shopper would have displaced the US consumer “as the engine of world growth”. He says his prediction is still on track.

     

    摩根士丹利新兴市场战略家乔那森.戈勒却不认同这一观点。他在2005年的《中国消费者崛起》一书预测到2014年，中国的消费占比将从2004年美国的9%世界消费的4%分别上升到37%和10.4%。而现在他又预测，中国的消费者将会取代美国的消费者，作为世界经济发展有引擎，并说现在一切正按照他的预测在发展。

    Nicholas Lardy at the Peterson Institute in Washington is more circumspect. He applauds Beijing's attempt to rebalance a lopsided economy that is too dependent on capital investment and external demand. But so far, it has not worked. Investment probably reached a high of 43.5 per cent of GDP in 2008.

     

    对此，华盛顿彼得森研究院的尼古拉丝.拉迪就比较谨慎。他赞同北京方面正试图重新平衡过于依赖资本投资和外部需求的经济发展结构。但目前为止，这方面的努力还未取得成效。2008年的投资可能已占到了GDP比重的43.5%

    There are several factors holding back the Chinese consumer. First, people have for years witnessed the destruction of the “iron rice bowl”, as once-free health and education systems have been dismantled. Now the government is committed rhetorically – and, increasingly, in practice – to rebuilding the social safety net. But it will be years before people trust the state to look after them, and run down their precautionary savings.

     

    有几个因素阻碍中国消费者消费。首先，多年来他们目睹了打破了铁饭碗，再者，曾经的免费的教育，医疗体系告瓦解。现在政府已承诺建立全面的社会保障体系，并在逐步实施。但这要到多年以后，人民相信国家可以保障他们的生活后，他们才会减少预防性的储蓄。

    Second, most Chinese are what Dragonomics, a research firm, calls “survivors”, whose purchases of basic food and clothing are meaningless for multinationals or global demand. Only about 150m are part of “consuming China”, although this may double to 300m by 2015. Consuming China's median household income is about $6,000, against $45,000 in the US. The owner of a Beijing car does not spend like the owner of a Boston car.

     

    第二，正如龙经研究公司所称的大多数中国人为生存而奔波，他们只购买食品和服装基本必需品,这对于跨国公司或是国际需求来讲没有什么意义。只有1.5亿的人成为“消费中国”的一部分，虽然这个数字到2015年会翻番，达到3亿。消费中国的家庭收入的中值约6000美元，而美国是45000美元。北京的私家车主的消费，是不能和波士顿私家车主同日而语的。

    Finally, China's recent consumption boom has been predicated on rising income, itself a function of strong external demand. Growth should continue at 7-8 per cent, but the days of double-digit expansion may be over. So, rather than accelerate, Chinese household purchases may in fact slow. It turns out that Americans have been paying for everything with credit – even Chinese consumption.

     

    最终，中国近期的消费增长是基于个人收入的增加，后者得益于外部的强劲需求。经济增长速度应该继续保持在7%到8%，但是连续两位数的增长的时代已过去了。所以中国的家庭购习事实上并没有增加，反而下降了。结果就是美国在为其信用消费买单，甚至还包括中国的消费。

     

     

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  • Of Death

    2009-5-05

    Of Death

    By Francis Bacon 

    MEN fear death, as children fear to go in the dark; and as that natural fear in children, is increased with tales, so is the other. Certainly, the contemplation of death, as the wages of sin, and passage to another world, is holy and religious; but the fear of it, as a tribute due unto nature, is weak. Yet in religious meditations, there is sometimes mixture of vanity, and of superstition. You shall read, in some of the friars' books of mortification, that a man should think with himself, what the pain is, if he have but his finger's end pressed, or tortured, and thereby imagine, what the pains of death are, when the whole body is corrupted, and dissolved; when many times death passeth, with less pain than the torture of a limb; for the most vital parts, are not the quickest of sense. And by him that spake only as a philosopher, and natural man, it was well said, Pompa mortis magis terret, quam mors ipsa. Groans, and convulsions, and a discolored face, and friends weeping, and blacks, and obsequies, and the like, show death terrible. It is worthy the observing, that there is no passion in the mind of man, so weak, but it mates, and masters, the fear of death; and therefore, death is no such terrible enemy, when a man hath so many attendants about him, that can win the combat of him. Revenge triumphs over death; love slights it; honor aspireth to it; grief flieth to it; fear preoccupateth it; nay, we read, after Otho the emperor had slain himself, pity (which is the tenderest of affections) provoked many to die, out of mere compassion to their sovereign, and as the truest sort of followers. Nay, Seneca adds niceness and satiety: Cogita quamdiu eadem feceris; mori velle, non tantum fortis aut miser, sed etiam fastidiosus potest. A man would die, though he were neither valiant, nor miserable, only upon a weariness to do the same thing so oft, over and over. It is no less worthy, to observe, how little alteration in good spirits, the approaches of death make; for they appear to be the same men, till the last instant. Augustus Caesar died in a compliment; Livia, conjugii nostri memor, vive et vale. Tiberius in dissimulation; as Tacitus saith of him, Jam Tiberium vires et corpus, non dissimulatio, deserebant. Vespasian in a jest, sitting upon the stool; Ut puto deus fio. Galba with a sentence; Feri, si ex re sit populi Romani; holding forth his neck. Septimius Severus in despatch; Adeste si quid mihi restat agendum. And the like. Certainly the Stoics bestowed too much cost upon death, and by their great preparations, made it appear more fearful. Better saith he, qui finem vitae extremum inter munera ponat naturae. It is as natural to die, as to be born; and to a little infant, perhaps, the one is as painful, as the other. He that dies in an earnest pursuit, is like one that is wounded in hot blood; who, for the time, scarce feels the hurt; and therefore a mind fixed, and bent upon somewhat that is good, doth avert the dolors of death. But, above all, believe it, the sweetest canticle is', Nunc dimittis; when a man hath obtained worthy ends, and expectations. Death hath this also; that it openeth the gate to good fame, and extinguisheth envy. - Extinctus amabitur idem.

    论 死 亡

    培根（英）

    人对死亡之恐惧，有如稚童对黑暗中行走之惧怕。于随着闻之故事或传说之多，其恐惧之天性亦增，殊类同途。诚然，思之死亡，为罪之果，达异域之道之时，是为神圣而具有宗教色彩的。然，夸之对死亡之惧了于人之本性是为软弱之气。而在修道沉思之时，其间或混杂有迷信与虚荣之气。在一些修道的苦行记中，可晓，人应亲身体会一下痛为何物。如按压指尖，或刺痛它，然后想象，当人之驱壳腐化并分解时死亡之痛为何物。很多时候，死亡是随着痛苦的减轻而随之消失的，而，为身体最重要的部分而言，肢体的痛苦并非最快的被感知到。一位哲学习家曾说过这样的一句话“死亡只是一种让人恐惧的外在标志，而并非死亡本身”大悲，诧然失色，友人悲泣，黑纱，葬礼，以及诸如此类的场景证示了死亡之可怕。值得注意的是，在脆弱的人内心中是不存有痛苦的，这亦与对死亡之惧怕是相关的，而且这又能克服对死亡的恐惧。然而，当拥有无数的支持者并随从左右能够赢得死亡之战时，死亡又不是什么可怕的敌人。报服的心理可征服死亡，爱之切会削弱死亡，名誉会靠近死亡，悲伤会奔向死亡，惧怕可占据死亡；甚至还听说，奥赛大帝在刎杀了自己之后，无数人为之痛惜（情之切）而追随他而去。这些人只不过是出于对他们君主的惋惜，以证实他们是他的最忠实的支持者而已。甚至赛雷克对此补充得更为完整：“想想同样的事情已经做了多长时间，死亡不仅要求勇敢或痛苦地去面对，而且要求能够忍受这种厌烦”。尽管某个人既不是由于莽撞，也不是因为生活上的贫苦，他会死仅仅是因为厌烦于经常反复地去做同样的事情。值得关注的是，即使处在兴致高昂的状态之中，对死亡的态度亦无改变，因为直到生命力最后的那一刻，他们似乎还是一往如就的同一个人。奥古丝汀·凯撒大帝在一片赞扬声中死去“永别了，利维你永远与我们同在，”.托毕瑞斯遮遮掩掩的像是德斯特斯说到他似的：他的精力正在快速地消亡，但他却没有那掩饰的天分。 处于嘲弄之中的瓦森帕恩坐在登子上，好像是与上帝同在。说过这样一句话的加尔班“冲吧，如果这是为了罗马人民好的话”,勇敢地面对死亡。赛浦特默斯，赛喔诺斯在被处死时说：“来吧，如果有什么要我去做的”.以上这些，意义都很类似。亦然，斯多依可斯于死亡给予了太大的价值，并为其进行了充分的准备，使得死亡看起来愈发可怕。斯多依可斯说得很好：“死亡也是大自然给予的恩赐”。如同很自然的从尘世中来，也会很自然的回到尘世中去。可是，对一个孩子来说，或许，他和其它人一样要经历痛苦。而在满怀期待追求中死去的人就象在热血中受伤的人一样，曾何时，并无伤痛之感。因此，主意一定就会全力去做某件有益的事，这种人就不会为死亡而痛苦；总而言之，相信死亡吧！一个获得了具有价值结果和期待的人，，并完成了毕生追求和期望之后满足地告别尘世，那最甜美的圣歌就是“主啊，带我平静地离去吧”。死亡也如此：它向追求名誉的人敞开大门，同时也蚀灭了谗羡。

     

    评论：这篇培根的论死亡，从语言角度来说，原文语言凝炼，是中世纪未期英语语言的典型代表，里面有很多拉丁语引用语，莎士比亚时期的词形语言。就内容来说，更是一篇发人深思的哲学散文，表述了一种存世哲理—死亡是每个人都不可逃避的现实，但重要的是，死亡来临的时候，一个人是否完成了具有人生价值的东西。我在翻译时，译文也尽可能与原文的语言风格靠近，带一点古文的味道。由于其中涉及了大量的古希腊神话典故，所以有句子还没有通透的理解。请英语爱好者者多多批评指正！

     

    版权归Ｍichael Lee 作者所有！

     

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  • 中国失业的农民工

    2009-3-22

    Who could help the jobless farm workers indeed ?

    This year of  finance crisis created by traditional super power’s finance magnates has been giving birth of too much problems for this world, especially for China who are experiencing repaid economic growth for consecutive decades.

     

    Traditionally as an agriculture country, China is populous with over 1.3 billion population covering 800 million in countryside. After 30 years advancement, those farmers have created huge wealth for this country. Those industrial farmers not only produce survival grains but also contribute the physical effort for urban construction. However now they become aimless when the cities that had created many job positions could no longer provide a survival environment. In fact the problem of farm worker in cities has its own inevitablely will shape up for China, and the crisis makes it conspicuous, so the finance crisis is not immediate reason. But what is immediate one for this problem? In the following, several deep problems will be discussed to answer to this question.

     

    The population structure decided that majority of people living in rural area support themselves by farming. And originally such living way may keep for certain long time, but the repaid development in urban area is occupying too much resource from rural areas including arable land, forest, and so on. Additionally, lag behind production technology and increasingly expensive such production materials as fertilizer, pesticide, production tool, plus climate downgrade---cultivating majority of farmland still is in need of “providence”. All those factors contribute to one fact that farm landing is less than productive activities. Finally that force them to flow to cities for seeking efficient labor activity. Now when city is slowing down its developing step for the crisis or improvement and perfection of city to some degree, those industrial farmers without equipping with skills required in some professional work is out of work. And then those farmers will face survival problem in cities under the circumstance of no any social insurance.

     

    Well, without social insurance, those farmers in cities are facing two choices: to keep staying in city for next job opportunity, or to return to their land for farming.  Here problems for them is keeping staying in cities needs expensive life cost and may create some unconvenience for other citizen; returning to home for farming is not possible for land is gone because of economic development requirements. And even if there is land to cultivate, those farmers accustoming to city life may become green hand for farming, more importantly low efficiently farming cannot support family with high CPI.  Those jobless farm workers are falling into predicament.

     

    So how to solve the problem of jobless farm workers?

     

    The immediate cause is system problem: after experiencing 30 years repaid development, China is in the threshold of social transformation, and various social conflicts shape up and is deepening. Government should be in the position to find way out.

     

    Broadly, there is two aspects to solve problem completely: Firstly, constructing social insurance covering full population; secondly, accelerating urbanization.

     

    Social insurance is foundation of harmonious and stable society. Everyone in modern time may come across unemployment problem, and social insurance could provide some help for the temporary unemployed. That is to say, everyone in this wealth country could enjoy the fruit of work, and to do so also could reduce some social conflicts from the gap of wealth distribution. Acceleration of urbanization could absorb more population to live urban area, because it is necessary result of industrialization.

     

    Of course, everyone with social responsibility sense should join to our government to build a society with harmony.   

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  • 力拓并购案风波

    2009-3-22

     

      

    The Case of Chinalco’s offer to Rio

    力拓收购案风波

    Rio Tinto, the mining company with almost as many holes in its balance sheet as holes in the ground, upset some Australians when it established its headquarters in London following the 1995 union of RTZ and CRA. Now, rumblings Down Under suggest the Anglo-Australian mining giant is about to make an even more humiliating move: to Zhongnanhai, home of China's Communist party.

     

    负债累累矿产公司力拓继在1995年结盟（合并）RTZ和CRA之后又把它的总部设在了伦敦，这让某些澳大利亚人忧心忡忡。而现在，整个岛内都有传闻称力拓这家盎格鲁澳大利亚矿产公司又将做出一件更让人丢脸的举动：和中共的总部中南海合作。

     

    The swashbuckling decision by Chinalco, China's state-owned metals group, to lavish $19.5bn on debt-burdened Rio has not provoked quite the nationalistic backlash set off by CNOOC's aborted takeover of US oil company Unocal. That is partly because Chinalco would end up with just 18 per cent of Rio, and partly because – in these straitened times – it is impolite to question the kindness of strangers bearing billions of dollars in cash.

     

    作为国有冶金集团公司的中国铝业这次大胆的决议---耗资195亿美金,收购负债垒垒的力拓公司并没有激起强列的民族对立情绪，而中海油收购美国石油公司尤尼科计划流产时就曾有过样的对立情绪。这可能部分是因为中铝公司最终可能只持有力拓公司的18%股份，部分是因为在当前的困难时期质疑一个拥有几十亿现金客人的善意是有些失礼。

    Still, Chinalco's offer to buy $7.2bn worth of convertible bonds and to spend a further $12.3bn on minority stakes in Rio treasure – including iron ore, copper and bauxite mines – has been greeted by what one Chinalco advocate describes as “parochialism and low-level xenophobia”. Senator Barnaby Joyce of the opposition National party said: “The Chinese government involvement, via their vehicle Chinalco, is not a one-off.” Suggesting Chinalco's intentions were less than honourable, he added: “If they own the resources, they will just dig them up and cart them away.”

     

    目前为止，中铝先购买价值72亿美元的可对换债券，然后又耗费123亿美元购买力拓的一小部分包括铁矿石，铜矿和氧化铝矿的资产。这一举措得到了一位支持中铝的人士欢迎，他把澳洲国民的这种忧虑称之为是狭隘的惧外思想。澳大利亚反对党参议员巴拉贝.乔尹斯说：中国政府通过中铝进行投资并不是一蹲而就的。并认为中铝的这一做法不太磊落，他认为，一旦中铝拥有了这些资源，他会把这些资源挖出来并运走。

    Broadly, there are two possible objections to Rio accepting Chinalco's largesse. The first, that it has fallen for Beijing's plot to get low-cost minerals, is largely spurious. The second, that Rio is compounding previous managerial errors by betraying its own shareholders, deserves a hearing. The danger is that the two are conflated.

     

    广义地来讲，有两种可能性反对力拓公司接受中铝的收购。其一，就是北京低价购买矿产的计划落空这一说法是有误的。其二，就是力拓把管理方面的错误归结于是因为背叛了股东的利益，但这一说法需要听取更多的意见。而危险就是，这两种可能交织在一起。

    At first glance, the hand of Beijing in Chinalco's Australian adventure is not hard to detect. Chinalco got its shopping money from the China Development Bank. Its offer is part of a pattern of grabbing raw materials around the world. This month alone, Beijing-based Minmetals launched a A$2.6bn recommended bid for Oz Minerals, another down-on-its-luck Australian miner. Beijing agreed to provide Petrobras, Brazil's state oil company, with some $10bn in loans in return for up to 160,000 barrels of crude a day. China Development Bank signed a $25bn financing deal with Rosneft, Russia's state-controlled oil company, in return for two decades' supply of east Siberian crude. As if more evidence were needed that Chinalco was answering to a higher cause, days after it announced the Rio deal, its chairman, Xiao Yaqing, landed a top government job.

     

    乍一看，中铝在澳洲的这次冒险，政府有操纵之嫌是不难看出的。因为中铝是从中国发展银行获得这笔收购资金的。这也一惯是中国在全世界获取资源的一种模式。仅仅一个月，总部位于北京的五矿公司就起动了26亿美元推荐竞标运气不济的澳资公司。北京方面也同意给巴西的国有石油公司：佩特罗伯斯提供100亿美金的贷款以换取每天16万桶的原油。中国开发银行与俄罗斯国有石油公司：Rosneft签署了250亿美元的财务交易，以换取二十年的东西北利亚原油的供应。似乎需要更多的证据证实中铝这一做法的合理性。而就在中铝刚刚宣布力拓的交易之后的几天，其主席，肖亚庆调任中央政府任职。

    But to say there is state involvement is not the same as imagining a monolithic apparatus planning world domination. In any case, the west, whose banks, carmakers and god-knows-what else are underwritten by the state, is not in an ideal position to lecture others. If China wants to use its trade surplus to secure mineral resources, one response might be: so what? But Chinese companies, even state-owned ones, are as likely to be engaged in cut-throat competition as in cosy cartels or state-sponsored carve-ups.

     

    但是，要说政府参与商业运作，这在世界范围内也不是个案。不管怎样，西方国家银行，汽车制造商以及其它的公司都获得过政府的支持或担保，所以站在自己的立场上指责其它国家是不合适的。如果中国想通过贸易顺差而获取矿产资源，可能的回答就是，这样做又怎样呢？但是中国企业，甚至是国有企业就有可能通过企业联合的形式，或是政府支持的形式参与激烈的竞争。

    That undermines the idea that Chinalco, an aluminium maker with no need of iron ore, would seek to persuade Rio to sell cheaply to China Inc. Even if Chinalco were in a position to influence price negotiations – and with just two board members that seems doubtful – it is more likely to try to maximise prices for its own sake than to minimise them for China's good.

     

    收购后,有一个问题就是，由于中铝公司只生产铝，是不需要铁矿石，就可能说服力拓把铁矿石便宜地卖给中国的其它公司。即使中铝能够影响价格谈判，想要平衡双边利益似乎有点令人怀疑。因为中铝最可能做的就是为了自己的利益很可能把价格抬高而不是为了国家利益而把价格压低。

    Evidence that China's forays abroad have been led by companies, and not orchestrated by an all-knowing state, is plentiful. Chinese companies often compete for the same asset. Both Shanghai Automotive and Nanjing Auto bid for Rover when the UK carmaker went chassis-up. Fears that Beijing is making a huge asset grab while the world reels from financial crisis also ignore the fact that foreign adventures are out of vogue in China. State institutions that invested in sinking foreign banks have faced public outrage for squandering national resources.

     

    中国在海外获取资源都是通过公司来牵头的，而非是由国家出面，这样例证不胜枚举。例如，中国的很多公司通常为了同一份资产而展开竞争，英国的汽车生产商陆虎出现问题时，就竞相引来上汽和南汽同来竞标。正当世界都在忙于应付金融危机，而中国却在海外进行资源争夺的时候，忧虑之时却忽略了一个事实那就是海外在中国的投资热已过去了。而此时那些投资于陷入困境的银行的国家机构现已召致了公众的一片愤怒，说这是乱用国家资源。

    A more plausible reason for opposing Chinalco's offer is that Rio's shareholders deserve better. UK institutional investors are furious they were not offered the chance to participate in a rights issue. They have lost faith in a management that rejected a hostile approach by BHP Billiton shortly after splashing out $44bn – in cash – for Alcan. That particular rush of blood to the brain leaves Rio owing two tranches of debt totalling $20bn, a sum conveniently provided by Chinalco. Even then, the board was divided; Jim Leng, chairman-designate, quit in protest.

     

    说力拓的股东反对中铝的此次收购，这个理由似乎更合理一些。英国的金融投资机构就抱怨他们没有参与增持力拓股份的机会。而就在英国的这些金融机构花去了440亿美元的现金投资加铝之后的不久却拒绝了BHP勿里洞公司的敌意举措，他们的管理层就已经失去了信心。而力拓就是因为一时的冲动导致欠下两笔总额达200亿美元的债务，而此时中铝公司却及时地为其解决了这笔债务困境。尽管这样，力拓董事会内部还是存在分歧，时任董事会主席基姆-林就通过辞职以示抗议

    。

    Rio says it could have raised $10bn from a rights issue. But that would have left it needing more, forcing it to sell prized assets at firesale prices. Chinalco's bid, it argues, is generously priced and offers access to Chinese cash and minerals, claims the deal's opponents dispute. Angry Rio shareholders see little in it for them, save dilution. The Association of British Insurers, which represents institutional investors owning roughly a fifth of Rio, says Chinalco should instead offer to underwrite a rights issue. That would prove its good faith, it says.

     

    力拓方面说通过增发新股融资了100亿美元，但是这还远远不够，所以他们就不得不以转卖的价格卖掉部分优良资产。而且中铝这次出价也很不错，双方都有利可图：力拓可以获得中方的现金，而中方可以获得矿产资源。然而这次交易的反对者却提出抗议。但是愤怒的力拓股东并没有把此放在心上，才得以化解反对者的不满。代表金融机构投资者的英国保险协会持有力拓约五分之一的股份，其表示，中铝不应该认购那些没有签署保证的新股，但这反而证明中铝对力拓充满信心。

     

    Investors have every right to be wary. If Rio's accident-prone board is recommending the deal, there must be a prima facie case for doing something else. But if shareholders reject Chinalco's offer, they should make clear they mistrust the judgment of Rio's management, not the motives of China.

     

    如果是粗心大意的力拓董事会竭力促成这笔交易，那他们以前肯定有过类似这种交易的案例。无论如何，投资者都应该保持谨慎的态度。但是如果是力拓股东拒绝中铝的收购，那他们需要澄清的是:是他们不信任力拓管理层的判断而非是中方的收购动机。

    Comments:  Above is abstract from Financial Times of UK. When read such passage whether in EN or CN, some background inoformation plus logic mind is required  to equip for reader, or  it is not easy to understand.  Cn version is by myself, but I welcome your criticism. Thanks!

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  • WWW

    2009-3-22

     

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  • US Angers With AIG’s Dividends

    2009-3-21

    US Angers With AIG’s Dividends  

     

    In those days US Finance Market is always not without breaking news in economic down term. The news contributor: AIG(America International Group) as a magnate of insurance in US now who is busy sharing bonus among her senior staff have offended US new administration, and why not!

     

    After the Finance crisis broke out last years, Junior Bush administration has got approval of economic stimulus package with amount $700 billion from congress, and after Abama new administration is translating this plan into practice in order to keep promise to his people during presidential campaign. The stimulus package involves to rescuing several giant enterprises among which AIG is luck to get $17 billion aid from US Treasure Ministry. This time AIG spend 170 million as bonus of 2008 for his over senior managers, but Abama administration is to blame for AIG’s extravagance in down term. So in order to pacify the public, Abama government has legislated a law in shortest time that says any company having received finance aid worth over $5 billion should not use this finance aid as staff bonus, otherwise government levies 90% heavy income taxation to those receiving bonus. Meanwhile, government urges AIG senior staff refund the bonus.

     

    To some extend, AIG action surely offends public in economic recession, after all the bonus by senior staff is from tax payers who are suffering income shrinkage. AIG case even impact Abama’s public support rate that has decrease by 5% since his president inception. While public poll shows 40% American oppose government continuing to provide finance support to any us enterprise, because they no longer believe those enterprise could take use of finance aid from government. But for government, question is what kind of better payment way should be taken for many senior manager in US banking sector. Anyway banking sector’s recovery needs those big shots effort with bread.

     

    For China, AIG case could be a mirror, I thought! Otherwise ￥4 trillion stimulus package will produce more corruption.     

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  • China’s Government Is Facing Great Challenges

    2009-3-06

    China’s Government Is Facing Great Challenges

    After hit by world finance crisis, China Government is confronting  for many visible problems: how to tackle with the crisis that is originally feature of Capitalism country, 80 years baby’s employment difficulty, large amount of farm worker employment caused by urbanization process, and social transformations,  the gap of social wealth distribution, snail-going government reform,  education reform etc.  

     

    China as follower of socialism initiated by former Soviet Union has experienced 30-years development and become a super developing country. Now because world economic crisis suddenly snapped whole country with over 1,3billion population, many invisible now also rushed out from different social sectors that involved all walks of life. As a socialism country China has no any experience to do with the economic crisis that is necessary result of economic globalization for China. But China is a little exhausted to deal with such crisis that comes suddenly. For western country where is cradle of economic crisis, they as major economy had experienced such crisis, and most of them have build mature economic bloc, like NATO, G20, Breton Wood System that had been abandoned in 1976. So western countries could easily coordinate to ally to crack down an economic problem for their common interest. However, China as emerging economy without any mature allies (ASEN not Sophisticated at present) cannot keep from being at a loss.

     

    In addition, the crisis brings about another intricate problem: employment.  This year is not lucky for over 6 million college graduates who are green hand to company but eager to come into society to find a job to support their lunch, but crisis pull them into difficult situation.  Additionally, large amount of workers about over 20 million from rural areas who are less educated and skilled are roaming on Cities Street without work is becoming potential elements that cause society unstable. Because those farm workers as city builder have stayed in urban area for a certain time, and the arable land of their home now is reducing, some even wasted, it is not plausible for them to go back to farm, or some who would like to began their entrepreneurship in their hometown still confront capital support and skill problems.

     

    Social transformation problem: With over 800 million people in rural area, China is a typical agriculture country, but what’s pity, in the process of economic development, China did not really realize his agriculture modernization, to some degree, overlooked it. The drought situation of this year just checked out this problem. That over 4 million arable land suffered drought is owing to what government did not emphasis on the construction and maintenance of irrigation system. Although government focus on industrialization progress, majority of Chinese is still in rural area where people still rely on cultivating farmland. So social transformation should take account for both of industrial and agriculture development.

     

    Society does not require absolute even wealth distribution, but wide gap between the rich and the poor would provoke society chaos in which the poorest who account for majority will have hatred to the richest who take some advantage to accumulate wealth by unfair play. For example, present skyscraping housing is pressing many so angry, and those who can afford to live house are from the richest, most of which are from government officials connections. So this is related to government reform. Without a clean government administration, fairness and democracy cannot be guaranteed.

     

    Those challenges are waiting for being solved for Chinese administration.         

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  • Top Administrations of Countries All Take Fighting-Against Crisis As Top Agenda

    2009-3-05

    Top Administrations of Countries Around World Take Fighting-Against Crisis As Top Agenda

     

    Today the annual session meeting Of NPC initiated in People Great Hall, and top leader of State Council, premier Wen jiabao delivered over two-hour work report of government, summarizing government work of last year, and allocating government work focus of 2009. In  Wen’s speech, to fight against economic crisis taking some specific maro-measures becomes main topic. Coincidently, two super power’s top leaders: UK’s Premier Minister Gorden Brown and US President Barack Obama who just took into office on Jan. 20 had a meeting in White House of Washington to focus on one topic of calling for global response to economic crisis.

     

    During Meeting of White House, Mr. Brown pressed Obama Administration for details on his plan to the ailing US finance system sector, To substantial degree, the fact Brown is eager to know Obama’s Plan to Financial system in US is based on three big reasons. first, because UK’s economy development is strongly relying on finance system, and UK and US are grappling with banking system turmoil, US’s new financial measures could be a good reference for UK Administration to legislate corresponsive policy to revitalize banking system;  secondly, Brown Administration is not familiar to New Obama, so Brown wants to make sure whether Obama as first Black President in American history is taking stance in line with UK facing some common economic problems. Naturally this meeting—it is first official visit to Obama Administration for Brown— the meeting will be a friend warm excise to keep good brotherhood/”fatherhood” relation between two countries for two Administrations: thirdly it is also reciprocal visit for Brown to Obama last visit to UK. In fact before Brown as first top leader in European countries visiting to Obama administration, had faced criticism at home for his failure to tighten up financial regulatory structure before crisis.

     

    After meeting Obama told reporter that his meeting with Brown has touched some details about recovery of finance market that he is absolutely confident to his administration plan to shore up the banking system would yield good results. In addition, Obama released because the world economy is entangled in financial crisis, his talk with Brown is how can two countries coordinate so G20, major countries around the world in terms of economic influence, can stimulate their economies in a coordination fashion finally to rejuvenate world economy.

     

    US as a country depending heavily on credit consumption now is crippled financially, which means that American credit consumption structure has broken. Before new structure cannot reconstruct in short term, American external demand will keep disappointed to many new emerging economies like China for long term who depend on export growth to boost economy traditionally.  

     

     

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  • Focus On Two Conferences

    2009-3-04

    Focus on Two Conferences : NPC and CPPCC

    The annual meeting of CPPCC has kicked off at 3PM of today and over 2000 representatives have attended this meeting initiated by the chorus of National Theme. In this meeting the top leader of Mr. Jia qinglin has delivered CPPCC work report of 2008. And NPC also will launch in two days later: March 5. Many issues will be present during the Two Conferences

     

    Peoples are full of expectations for the NPC(National People’s Congress) and the CPPCC(Chinese People Political Consultative Conference). According to report by diverse news channel, publics six issues will be focus in NPC and CPPCC. As usual the issues of people’s livelihood are still key focus concern. Additionally, response to international financial crisis, governance reforms, the anti-corruption for the construction of clean government, rural issues and the work style of NPC and CPPCC sessions haves also aroused great concern from all walks of life.

     

    Under the cloud of economic recession, some specific problems will be on the table of Two Conference, such as farm worker employment, internet registration, business transformation of crisis, the Challenge of social stability, food security issues, etc. But it seems that education reforms has not been reported to discuss.

     

    It is reported that about 3000 representatives will be present in CPPCC, and so far Two Conferences have received over 5000 proposals from all levels of sectors. Along with China influence up in international stage, over 3000 foreign reporters from every corners of world will cast report on Two Conference.

     

    And the meeting also promotes thrifty working style from different aspects. First this annual meeting of CPPCC will last 9 days less two days than last session; second, all medias are taking E-work form without any paper to be used; third, more meeting goers with fixed 100RMB food every day per one have been accommodating in same reception centre nearby meeting venue.

     

    More news about Two Conferences will continue. 

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