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The latest global economic slump underlines our reliance on growth. What happens when the economy stumbles? Financial markets crash, property values plummet, bankruptcies pile up, unemployment soars, and social pathologies multiply. Thus the resurgence of Keynesian economics. Prime the pump with billions in government funds. Pray that tax breaks and fiscal stimulus will boost investment, production, and jobs.
最近的全球经济衰退突出表明了我们对经济增长的依赖。当经济停滞不前时会发 生什么事情？那时，金融市场会崩溃，房地产价格会猛跌，企业破产会层出不穷，失业率会迅速 攀升,各种社会弊病将会成倍增加。这样一来，凯恩斯经济学就会复兴，政府将投入几十亿资金来振兴经济，并希望通过减税和财政刺激手段来促进投资、生产和就业。
Yet the world already produces far too much stuff, a lot of it unnecessary and much of it useless. We go on churning out mountains of consumer goods because it's good for growth. As long as the economy keeps growing, things will be okay. Growth keeps people employed, investment profitable, and the endless cycle of production and consumption spinning. Increases in productivity and the restless search for profits drive the process.
然而，现在这个世界已经生产了太多的东西，其中很多是不必要的，很多甚至毫无用处。我们不断粗制滥造大量的消费品，因为这有利于经济増长。而只要经济不断增长，一切就会顺畅。经济增长使人们就业得到保障，使投资获得盈利，使生产和消费无休止的循环得以保持。生产率的提高和对利润永不满足的追求推动了这一过程。
Endless accumulation and expansion is the core of capitalism.
永不停止的积累和扩张乃是资本主义的核心。
Consider this: the world economy grew more than seven-fold from 1950 to 2000. It's projected to do the same again by 2050. At current rates of growth (before the recent global meltdown), the economy was doubling every 15 years, a breathtaking number when you consider that it took all of human history to reach the $6 trillion world economy of 1950.
让我们想想:从1950年到2000年，世界经济增长了7倍多。到2050年，预计它会再增长7倍。按照目前的增长速度(在最近的全球金融崩溃发生之前)，经济增长每隔15年就会翻一番。如果想想历史发展到1950年人类才使经济总量达到6万亿美元，你就会感叹如今的经济增长速度是多么的惊人。
