美国名人经济学家约翰·肯尼斯·加尔布雷思.docx

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1、美国名人经济学家约翰肯尼斯加尔布雷思JohnKennethGalbraithz1908-2006:HeStronglyInfluencedEconomicThoughtintheUnitedStatesforManyYeaplaystopmutemaxvolume00:00-15:30repeatByMarioRitter2007-4-7VOICEONE:mSteveEmber.VOICETWO:AndmBarbaraKleinwithPEOPLEINAMERICAinVOASpecialEnglish.Economicsisafieldbasedonmathematics.Yetitcann

2、otprovideanswerstoeveryproblem.Somepeoplequestionwhethereconomicsisascienceatall.Formanyyears,possiblytheloudestcriticwashimselfaneconomist,JohnKennethGalbraith.(MUSIC)VOICEONE:JohnKennethGalbraithwasaneconomist,liberalthinker,author,professor;presidentialadvisorandambassador.He.stoodovertwometersta

3、ll.Hewasexcellentatarguingpositionsandmakingcomplexideasunderstandable.ThesetwoqualitiesmadeMisterGalbraithapowerfulpersonalityabletoinfluencepeopleatthehighestlevelsofgovernment.Hewasalsoaproductivewriterandaneffectivecriticofmanypopularideasofhistime.Forsome,hewasaneasypersontodislike.Hewasverysur

4、eofhimselfandhisarguments.Yet,heclearlyinfluencedtheeconomicideasofmanypeople,includingpoliticiansandpresidents.VOICETWO:JohnKennethGalbraithwasbornonafarmnearIonaStation,Canadainnineteen-oh-eight.ItwasalongwayfromtheEastCoastoftheUnitedStatesandthepoliticalpowercentershewouldcometoinfluence.Helearn

5、edaboutpoliticsfromhisfather,WilliamArchibaldGalbraith,whowasafarmer.Healsoservedinmanylocalgovernmentpositionsandwasacommunityleader.Johnoncesaidthathismother,SarahCatherineKendallGalbraith,wantedhimtobeafarmeralso.Butshediedwhenhewasfourteen.VOICEONE:YoungJohnfirststudiedagricultureatOntarioAgricu

6、lturalCollege.Buthesoonfoundeconomicsmoreinteresting.HisstudiesledhimtotheUniversityofCaliforniaatBerkeley.Hegotadoctoratedegreeinagriculturaleconomicsinnineteenthirty-four.Inhisearlyyears,MisterGalbraithwasgreatlyinfluencedbytheeconomistThorsteinVeblenandhisbook,TheTheoryoftheLeisureClass.MisterVeb

7、lenarguedthatpeoplegatheredwealthforthepurposeofconspicuousconsumption.Hemeantthatpeopleearnedmoneytospendonvaluablethingstogainrespectinsociety.MisterGalbraithsaidhewasalsodeeplyaffectedbytheeconomicdisasterthatwasexpandingaroundhimandacrossthecountry:TheGreatDepression.(MUSIC:WoodyGuthrie)TheGreat

8、DepressionseverelyaffectedtheAmericaneconomyandsociety.AttheheightoftheDepression,atleastoneinfiveAmericansdidnothaveajob.(MUSIC)VOICETWO:MisterGalbraithbecameaninstructoratHarvardUniversityinCambridge,Massachusetts.Innineteenthirty-seven,hebecameanAmericancitizen.HemarriedCatherineAtwater;thedaught

9、erofaNewYorklawyer.Theylaterhadfoursons.Thatyear,MisterGalbraithalsowenttoEnglandtostudyunderthemostinfluentialeconomistofthetwentiethcentury.JohnMaynardKeyneswasteachingatCambridgeUniversityatthetime.HehadpublishedtheGeneralTheoryofEmployment,InterestandMoneytheyearbefore.MisterKeynesarguedthatdeep

10、economiccrisesrequiredstrongmeasuresbythegovernment.Hesaidlargepublicworksprojectsandgovernmentpricecontrolswereneededtoincreaseemploymentduringeconomicdownturns.VOICEONE:Innineteenthirty-nine,JohnKennethGalbraithbeganworkingforthegovernment.HejoinedtheNationalDefenseAdvisoryCommitteeinWashington.He

11、laterwasinchargeofcontrollingpricesfortheOfficeofPriceAdministration.MisterGalbraithheldthepowerfulpositionoftoppricecontrollerintheadministrationofFranklinDelanoRoosevelt.Innineteenforty-three,however,hewasforcedtoresignfromthejob.Later;hewouldsaythathehadbeenoustedbythepoliticsofpricecontrol.Thesa

12、meyear,MisterGalbraithstartedwritingforFortunemagazine,whichwasownedbynotedconservativeHenryLuce.MisterGalbraithdevelopedintoahighlyskilledwriter.Evenhisstrongestcriticpraisedhiswritingability,eveniftheydidnotagreewithwhathewrote.VOICETWO:NeartheendofWorldWarTwo,MisterGalbraithtookpartintheStrategic

13、Bombingsurvey.ThestudywasmeanttomeasuretheeffectivenessoftheAmericanbombingcampaignagainstGermany.HeangeredmanypeoplebysayingthatthebombinghaddonelittletohalttheGermanwareffort.HefoundtheGermanshadsimplymovedindustrialoperationstonewplacesafterthebombing.(MUSIC)VOICEONE:Innineteenfifty-eight,MisterG

14、albraithpublishedhismostfamousbook,TheAffluentSociety.HearguedthatwhileprivateindividualsinAmericawerebecomingwealthier,publicinstitutionsweregrowingpoor.HecriticizedtheAmericanculturethathesaidwasrichingoodsbutpoorinsocialservices.MisterGalbraithalsousedthetermconventionalwisdominthebook.Thistermde

15、scribesanideathateveryoneacceptsastrue,butisnotcloselyconsideredorexamined.TheAffluentSocietycreatedalotofdiscussionatthetime.Criticssaidthebookforcedthenationtoreexamineitsvalues.Itisstillconsideredanexcellentexampleofreasoningandwriting.VOICETWO:MisterGalbraithwasalsoinvolvedinpolitics,whichwasunu

16、sualforaneconomist.HewrotespeechesforDemocraticpresidentialcandidateAdlaiStevensonduringtwocampaignsinthenineteenfifties.MisterGalbraithlaterbecameatrustedadvisertoPresidentJohnF.Kennedy.PresidentKennedyappointedhimambassadortoIndiainnineteensixty-one.ThirtyyearsIateoMisterGalbraithreceivedIndiassec

17、ond-highestcivilianhonorforhisworktostrengthentiesbetweenIndiaandtheUnitedStates.VOICEONETheyearsworkingfortheKennedyAdministrationwerehappytimes.ButonNovembertwenty-second,nineteensixty-three,PresidentKennedywasassassinatedinDallas,Texas.VicePresidentLyndonJohnsontookofficeafterthetragedy.MisterGal

18、braithhadgoodrelationswiththenewpresidentandbecameanadviser.ButthatlastedonlyuntilthewarinVietnambecamethebiggestissueintheUnitedStates.MisterGalbraithopposedtheinvolvementoftheUnitedStatesinthewar.Hespokeaboutthattime.SOUND:IlikedLyndonJohnsonverymuch.AndIrespectedhimasamanwhocombinedintelligencewi

19、thawilltoaction-awonderfulcombination.AndsobreakingwithhiminthemidtolatesixtiesontheissueofVietnamwassomethingIregrettedverymuch.PublicoppositiontothewarinVietnamcausedPresidentJohnsonnottoseekanotherterminoffice.TheissueofthewarcausedMisterGalbraithtobecomeactiveinpoliticsagain.Hesupportedtheanti-w

20、arpresidentialcandidateEugeneMcCarthy.HeevennominatedMisterMcCarthyattheDemocraticPartyConventioninChicago,Illinois,innineteensixty-eight.MisterGalbraithwouldlatersay:IwasmorestronglymovedbytheneedforoppositiontoVietnamthananyothermajorissueofmylifetime.(MUSIC)VOICETWO:IntheyearsaftertheVietnamWar,K

21、enGalbraithputhisenergyintowriting.HedebatedconservativethinkerssuchashisfriendWilliamF.BuckleJunior.AndhecontinuedtoadviseDemocraticPresidents.Innineteenninety-six,hisbookTheGoodSocietywaspublished.ItwasanupdateofhisbookTheAffluentSociety.Hewrotethathisearlierconcernshadworsened.TheUnitedStateshadb

22、ecomeevenmoreaplaceforthewealthy,orademocracyofthefortunate.Inallzhewrotemorethanthirtybooksduringhiscareer.Intwothousand,PresidentBillClintonrecognizedMisterGalbraithsservicebyawardinghimtheMedalofFreedom.VOICEONE:JohnKennethGalbraithdiedintwothousandsixattheageofninety-seven.WilliamF.Buckleysaidhi

23、sfriendwasmoreinterestedinthesocialandethicalquestionsrelatedtoeconomics.MisterGalbraithsbookslackthemathematicalandstatisticalresearchfoundinmostworksoneconomics.YettheyremainexcellentexamplesOfthinkingaboutsocialresponsibilityandethics.Oneofhismostfamouscriticismsofhisprofessionwasthis:Economicsisextremelyusefulasaformofemploymentforeconomists.(MUSIC)VOICETWO:ThisprogramwaswrittenandproducedbyMarioRitter.YoucandownloadthisprogramandothersfromourWebsite,WWW.51VOA.COM.mBarbaraKlein.VOICEONE:AndmSteveEmber.JoinusagainnextweekforPEOPLEINAMERICAinVOASpecialEnglish.