During the past few weeks in the FT, the "Right Thinking" warriors of the Republican party have laid out their manifesto in broadly appealing principles rendered so gauzily as to nearly erase from history the hard-edged specifics that some of these same authors have sworn allegiance to.
在过去几周的英国《金融时报》上，美国共和党的"右翼思想"斗士们发表了自己的宣言。他们的宣言涵盖了一些具有广泛吸引力的原则，但他们对这些原则阐述得极其模糊，仿佛这些原则的冷酷无情的细节根本不曾在历史上出现过。在这些作者中，有些人曾宣誓拥护这些原则细节。But then the memories of GOP dogma kick in: vast, unaffordable tax cuts; evisceration of social welfare programmes; deep cuts in spending on practically everything else, from food stamps to national parks; steadfast opposition to gay marriage; intimations of harsh treatment of the US's 11m illegal immigrants.
但随后人们慢慢记起了共和党的政策主张：推行财政上难以负担的大规模减税；砍掉社会福利计划；大幅削减几乎所有其他支出，从食品券到国家公园拨款；坚决反对同性恋婚姻；暗示要严厉对待美国的1100万非法移民。And on and on. The contrast between the high-minded commentary that appeared in these pages and pre-existing policy proposals could not be starker.
这样的主张还有很多。报纸上那些占领道德高地的评论与这些早已存在的政策主张形成了再鲜明不过的对比。
Proving that his silver tongue is matched by a silver pen, Congressman Paul Ryan issued a call to "restructure" entitlements so "important programmes can succeed well into the 21st century".
国会议员保罗•瑞安(Paul Ryan)呼吁对福利进行"重组"，以使"重要的计划能在21世纪晚些时候取得成功"。这证明他的出色口才与非凡文笔不相上下。In fact, what he has proposed in his draft budget is to transform Medicare from an entitlement programme in which seniors receive the care that they need into a voucher plan in which the elderly would receive a fixed allotment to buy their own insurance. If that amount proves insufficient or the insurance does not deliver adequate coverage, well, tough luck!
实际上，他在自己起草的预算案中提议的是，将联邦医疗保险计划(Medicare)从一个为老年人提供其所需的医疗服务的福利计划，改为一个为老年人提供固定金额补助以让他们自行购买保险的医疗券计划。如果这些补助不够或保险承保范围不够全，那就自认倒霉吧！Medicaid, healthcare for the poor, would suffer a different, but equally disabling fate. It would be turned over to cash-starved states, the fiscal equivalent of being sent to the knacker for execution.
为穷人提供医疗服务的联邦医疗补助计划(Medicaid)的命运虽与联邦医疗保险计划不同，但它同样会受到严重削弱。它将被交到资金紧张的各州手中，这在财政上等于被判了死刑。Meanwhile, Glenn Hubbard says the US needs to fix its riddled tax code and get its fiscal house in order. Well, of course it does; every sentient American knows that. But Mr Hubbard blithely ignores the plan put forth by Governor Mitt Romney, who he is advising: 20 per cent across the board tax cuts costing $2.8tn over the ensuing decade, to be paid for by closing loopholes that Mr Romney has refused to specify (apart from two minor items.) Even in a cynical age, that is cynicism of mind-boggling proportion.
与此同时，格伦•哈伯德(Glenn Hubbard)表示，美国需要修复其漏洞百出的税法，整顿好财政状况。美国当然需要这么做；每一位有认知能力的美国人都清楚这一点。但哈伯德心不在焉地忽略了马萨诸塞州州长米特•罗姆尼(Mitt Romney)提出的计划——罗姆尼提议：在接下来的十年里对所有美国人减税20%，由此造成的2.8万亿美元亏空将通过堵住一些漏洞（他拒绝点明到底是哪些漏洞，除了两个小项目）来弥补。即便是在一个玩世不恭的时代，这种程度的玩世不恭也超出了人们的想象。The Romney/Hubbard tax plan would not result in net additional revenues, which means reducing the deficit would require spending reductions on a massive and – I believe – politically unacceptable and socially undesirable scale.
罗姆尼/哈伯德税收计划不会产生净新增税收收入，这意味着削减赤字要依靠大规模地减少支出——我相信，如此规模的减支在政治上是不可接受的，也不会受到社会的欢迎。Finally, Mr Hubbard offers up the thoroughly discredited argument that deficit reduction can spur near-term economic growth. He should ask the British (or the eurozone members) how that austerity stuff is working out for them.
最后，哈伯德提出了一个完全不可信的论点，即减赤可在短期内刺激经济增长。他应该问问英国（或者欧元区成员国）紧缩努力的效果如何。Amid all the disingenuousness lie a few hopeful wisps.
在所有这些不诚实的评论中，也有一些鼓舞人心的声音。Maine Senator Olympia Snowe's cri de coeur for the GOP to retreat from its extremism to a centre right position is welcome – even coming on the eve of her retirement – as is the estimable Jon Huntsman's call to embrace the progressivism of Theodore Roosevelt, a giant widely admired across party lines.
缅因州参议员奥林匹亚•斯诺(Olympia Snowe)强烈呼吁共和党从极端主义退到中右翼立场，这一表态值得欢迎——尽管她即将退休。同样值得欢迎的是，受人尊敬的洪博培(Jon Huntsman)呼吁接受西奥多•罗斯福(Theodore Roosevelt)的进步主义。罗斯福是一位受到两党普遍尊重的伟人。But that same Teddy Roosevelt was the first president to espouse national healthcare, while Mr Huntsman, a former Utah governor, advocated repeal of ObamaCare during the Republican primaries. Now he says full repeal of ObamaCare is "unlikely" and wants the "pointless sound bites" dropped.
但西奥多•罗斯福是首位支持全民医保的美国总统，而曾任犹他州州长的洪博培在共和党初选期间却曾主张废除"奥巴马医改"(Obamacare)。如今，洪博培表示，完全废除"奥巴马医改"是"不太可能"的，并希望放弃"毫无意义的政治口号"。Barack Obama mostly escaped a direct lashing. Instead, Republicans were sure to include code words to subtly identify the incumbent's alleged failures: "defeatism", "crony capitalism", "ad hoc responses", "bureaucrats" and the like.
巴拉克•奥巴马(Barack Obama)通常不会遭受直接的抨击。相反，共和党人肯定会用一些代名词隐晦地指出现任总统的所谓失败，比如"失败主义"、"裙带资本主义"、"特别回应"、"官僚"等等。In fact, Mr Obama is far closer to the right approach than his Republican nemeses. Putting in place a long-term deficit reduction plan is an urgent priority but it should be balanced between tax increases and spending cuts and phased in gradually, just as a speeding car should be decelerated slowly.
实际上，奥巴马的路线比他的共和党对手们靠谱得多。出台长期减赤计划确是当务之急，但该计划应当在增税和减支之间找到平衡，而且应当缓步推进，就像一辆高速行驶的汽车应当缓慢减速一样。US spending on social welfare programmes can be curbed humanely, without gutting the social safety net. And of course policy certainty would benefit business and consumers alike. But let's put the blame for the current drifting where it belongs: on Congress.
美国可以温和地抑制社会福利计划方面的支出，而不致破坏社会保障网络。政策明确显然会让企业和消费者等群体受益，但当前政策的摇摆不定应当归咎于国会。
By all means go back and read the Right Thinking series, just also be sure to read the transcripts of the Republican presidential debates and the policy papers of Mr Ryan, Mr Romney and others who form the true core of the Republican party.
务必要回过头来读一读"右翼思想"系列文章，也一定要读一读共和党总统竞选辩论的文字稿、以及瑞安、罗姆尼和其他共和党真正核心人物的政策文件。The writer is a former counsellor to the US Secretary of the Treasury
本文作者曾任美国财政部长顾问