金融时报:智利为何左转

智利为何左转

尽管在中右翼的皮涅拉(Piñera)总统任期内，智利的经济发展不错，失业和贫困率都有降低，但智利人还是选择中左翼的前女总统巴切莱特(Bachelet)重新上台，这是为什么呢？

测试中可能遇到的词汇和知识：

Pinochet 奥古斯特·皮诺切特将军，1973年9月11日在国会的支持下发动政变，推翻了当时的阿连德总统。随后他的军事独裁政府一方面大规模迫害左翼人士，一方面实行新自由主义经济政策。对他的争议延续至今。

Allende 萨尔瓦多·阿连德总统，马克思主义者，他的财富再分配和土地国有化政策赢得了不少支持，但也带来了社会动荡和恶性通胀，最终在陆军总司令皮诺切特的政变中被推翻并自杀身亡。

hysteria [hɪ'stɪərɪə] 歇斯底里 OECD|经合组织，是由30多个市场经济国家组成的政府间国际经济组织

rampant ['ræmp(ə)nt] 奔放的

Chile swings left（477 words）

FT editorial: ……But a slowing economy may soon dull the election victory

Michelle Bachelet trounced her rivals in Chile's presidential elections this Sunday. Winning 47 per cent of the vote, the left-leaning 62-year-old and former president(2006-2010) did not quite achieve the landslide she had hoped for; still, a comfortable victory at the December run-off now looks assured.

(Mrs.Bachelet's main rival is Mrs. Evelyn Matthei of the centre-right camp who gained merely 25% of the vote. The fathers of the two candidates happened to be friends and neighbours both serving in the Chilean Air Force. Bachelet's father, a supporter of Marxist president Allende, was arrested after Pinochet's coup d'etat, before dying in prison. While Matthei's father, a supporter of Pinochet, later became Chilean Air Force Commander. In 1990, Pinochet stepped down as military government president.)

After 25 years of democracy, and four years of centre-right government, Chile is swinging back to the left. As this shift is not part of any particular global or regional trend, it is worth asking why.

It is not because the economy has done badly under the outgoing centre-right government of Sebastián Piñera. Unemployment is at record lows, poverty has continued to fall and productivity has risen after years of decline. Nor, in a sign of Chile's institutional maturity, has the political shift been accompanied by the hysteria that so often accompanies opposition wins in Latin American politics. Rather, it reflects a widespread desire in Chile for greater social equality amid the economic boom. That is quite understandable given that Chile is the most unequal member of the OECD.

Two promises stood out in Ms Bachelet's campaign. One is to reform the constitution, which originates in the Pinochet era – although her coalition has not won a sufficient majority in Congress to do that. Another is to boost education spending by raising corporate taxes to 25 per cent. This measure is likely to pass but does not spell the end of the Chilean free-market model as it only brings rates up to OECD averages.

Indeed, Chile's more pressing problems lie elsewhere. During Ms Bachelet's first term from 2006 to 2010, China was booming, the price of copper – which accounts for a fifth of gross domestic product and almost two-thirds of exports – was rising, and Chilean employment was surging. But now the cycle is turning.

The economy is slowing, future Chinese growth is uncertain, copper prices are falling and rampant domestic demand has opened a worrying current account deficit equivalent to 3.5 per cent of GDP. The all-important mining sector is also slipping behind as lower ore quality, combined with rising wage and energy bills, has doubled production costs in just five years.

“Chile is starting a new cycle,” Ms Bachelet proclaimed on Sunday night. Quite true – if perhaps not quite as she meant or her voters understood. Addressing Chile's looming potential economic problems, while also meeting high voter expectations, will be what defines her second term.

请根据你所读到的文章内容，完成以下自测题目：

1.There's little doubt that the next president is from the left, why “it is worth asking why”?

A.Left-leaning parties can hardly win in Chile.

B.The current centre-rigth president is doing well.

C.The global and regional political trend is right-leaning.

D.Why the two childhood playmates are now competing.

答案(1)

2.Why do many Chileans vote for Bachelet?

A.There's a widespread desire for more social equality.

B.Many want to reform the constitution.

C.Her promise to boost education spending is welcome.

D.All of above.

答案(2)

3.Chilean economy has quite some challenges, which of the following is not one of them?

A.Copper prices are falling and demand from China is uncertain.

B.Energy and labor costs are mounting up.

C.Free-market Chile is threatened by Bachelet's tax hike plan.

D.Chile's copper ore quality is not as good as before.

答案(3)

4.What do we know about Chile?

A.Chilean democracy is often accompanied by hysteria.

B.Copper industry is no longer a pillar industry.

C.Chile has long been haunted by huge current account deficit.

D.Pinochet's legacy is still influencing Chile.

答案(4)

* * *

(1)答案：B.The current centre-rigth president is doing well.

解释：“值得问个为什么”，就是说有让人不解的地方，AC是错误的，而D显然不是文章关心的问题。

(2)答案：D.All of above.

解释：ABC都是正确的。第五段中说Two promises stood out in Ms Bachelet's campaign，意思是，她的诸多竞选纲领中，有两个承诺最受欢迎，一个是修宪，一个是增加公司税以追加教育经费。

(3)答案：C. Free-market Chile is threatened by Bachelet's tax hike plan.

解释： ABD都是正确的。D比较隐晦：as lower ore quality, combined with rising wage and energy bills, has doubled production costs in just five years. C是错误的，25%的公司税是OECD的平均水平，提升到这个水平不会威胁智利模式。

(4)答案：D.Pinochet's legacy is still influencing Chile.

解释：D正确。AB与事实相反，智利是南美罕见的和平而有秩序的国家，而铜业规模达GDP的五分之一和出口的三分之二。 C也不正确，近年来由于铜价下跌，智利录得3.5%的经常账户逆差。皮诺切特的政治遗产一直延续至今，文中提到智利今天的宪法和经济模式就是他的遗产。