The economic system of the United States is principally one of private ownership. In this system, consumers, producers and government make economic decisions on a daily basis, mainly through the price system. The dynamic interaction of these three groups makes the economic function. The market’s primary force, however, is the interaction of producers and consumers; hence the “market economy” designation.
美国的经济体制主要是一种私有制。在这一体制下,消费者、生产者和政府通过价格体系,每天都会做出经济决策。这三方的互动行使着经济职能。然而,市场的主要力量是生产者和消费者之间的相互作用,“市场经济”之名也正是由此而来。

As a rule, consumers look for the best values for what they spend while producers seek the best price and profit for what they have to sell. Government, at the federal, state, and local level, seeks to promote public security, assure reasonable competition, and provide a range of services believed to be better performed by public rather than private enterprises.
一般来说,消费者追求的是消费后所获价值的最大化,而生产者则是追求其所售物品的最理想价格和最大利润。而中央政府、州政府和地方政府则是希望促进公共安全,保证正当竞争以及提供各项服务。人们一般会认为这些服务由政府执行会比由私人企业执行效果好。

Generally, there are three kinds of enterprises: single-owner operated businesses, partnerships and corporations. The first two are important, but it is the latter structure that best permits the amassing of large sums of money by combining the investments of many people who, as stockholders, can buy and sell their shares of the business at any time on the open market. Corporations make large-scale enterprises possible.
总体而言,企业分为三类:个体私营企业、合资企业和股份公司。前两者很重要,但只有最后一种能够最大程度地将众多投资人的投资集合起来,进行大规模融资。而这些投资人作为股东,可以在公开的市场上买卖他们的企业份额。股份公司制使得大型企业成为可能。

解析

本次翻译仍是考查经济类话题。对于此类话题的一些固定词汇,大家在平时要做好积累。文章第一段论述美国的经济体制。这一段中要注意的是system这一单词的翻译。economic system 含义较广,我们可以将之翻译为经济体制,而price system则是位于经济体制下的内容,因此可以译为价格体系。

第二段论述经济环节中的三方面:生产者、消费者和政府各自的目的。本段需要注意的是一个被动语态的翻译: “and provide a range of services believed to be better performed by public rather than private enterprises.” 此句由于过长,很难和主句合并为一句话,可以拆分为两个句子进行翻译。

第三段将企业进行分类,并重点论述股份公司这种模式在大规模融资上的优势。这一段需要注意的是一个定语从句的翻译: “the investments of many people who, as stockholders, can buy and sell their shares of the business at any time on the open market”.由于很难和主句融为一句,我们也是需要运用拆句法进行翻译。

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