Economist, 經(jīng)濟(jì)學(xué)人雜志。是一份由倫敦經(jīng)濟(jì)學(xué)人報(bào)紙有限公司出版的雜志，于1843年9月由詹姆士?威爾遜創(chuàng)辦。雜志的大多數(shù)文章寫得機(jī)智，幽默，有力度，嚴(yán)肅又不失詼諧，并且注重于怎樣在最小的篇幅內(nèi)告訴讀者最多的信息。雜志主要關(guān)注政治和商業(yè)方面的新聞，但是每期也有一兩篇針對(duì)科技和藝術(shù)的報(bào)導(dǎo)，以及一些書評(píng)。

雜志中所有文章都不署名，而且往往帶有鮮明的立場(chǎng)，但又處處用事實(shí)說(shuō)話。主編們認(rèn)為：寫出了什么東西，比出自誰(shuí)的手筆更重要。從2012年1月28日的那一期雜志開(kāi)始《經(jīng)濟(jì)學(xué)人》雜志開(kāi)辟了中國(guó)專欄，為有關(guān)中國(guó)的文章提供更多的版面。同時(shí)，《經(jīng)濟(jì)學(xué)人》也是極好的雅思閱讀課外讀物，很多時(shí)候，雅思閱讀考試的文章就是出自其中?？梢哉f(shuō)經(jīng)濟(jì)學(xué)人相比較于其他國(guó)內(nèi)外語(yǔ)報(bào)紙的態(tài)度更客觀，視角更寬。

A TERRIBLE threat stalks the streets ofWashington,DC: unlicensed tour guides. These brazenlawbreakers imperil the public by showing them around the nation's capital without a permit.Your correspondent went undercover to observe at first hand the dangers tourists face intheir clutches. It was harrowing. First, your correspondent had to balance on a Segway, a two-wheeled vehicle from which she could have fallen several inches to the cold, hard pavement. “Just try to relax,” purred Bill Main, the outlaw guide, “It's easy.” With white knuckles and apink helmet, the tour began.

華盛頓特區(qū)大街上正蔓延著一個(gè)可怕的威脅：無(wú)證導(dǎo)游。這些無(wú)恥的違法者擾亂公共秩序，在沒(méi)有許可的情況下帶領(lǐng)游客們參觀這個(gè)國(guó)家的首都。記者親歷地下世界去觀察第一手游客們關(guān)鍵時(shí)刻面臨的危險(xiǎn)。這讓人很恐懼。首先，記者必須在攝位車上保持平衡，這種兩輪電動(dòng)車有讓她從任何一邊摔向冰冷堅(jiān)硬的人行道上的可能性?！皠e擔(dān)心，”違法導(dǎo)游Bill Main發(fā)出喉音說(shuō)道，“很簡(jiǎn)單的?！痹谂d奮、緊張中帶著一個(gè)粉色的頭盔，這趟行程開(kāi)始了。

Mr Main never took the exam to become a tour guide, so your correspondent braced herself tohear a torrent of errors. Would he claim that the White House was once destroyed by aliens, asin the film “Independence Day”? No. Actually, he was pretty good. Yet he could be jailed for 90days if caught.Washingtonrequires all guides to pay $200 and take an exam. That adds up:Segs in the City, the firm Mr Main runs with his wife, Tonia Edwards, employs a dozen guides.

Main從未參加過(guò)成為導(dǎo)游的考試，因此記者準(zhǔn)備好了聽(tīng)到一大串錯(cuò)誤信息。他會(huì)說(shuō)白宮曾被外星人摧毀過(guò)一次么，就像電影“獨(dú)立日”中的場(chǎng)景那樣?不會(huì)，事實(shí)上，他很好。然而如果他被抓到了會(huì)被判監(jiān)禁90天。華盛頓要求所有導(dǎo)游付費(fèi)200刀然后參加考試。還要加上：Main和太太Tonia Edwards運(yùn)營(yíng)的公司城市攝位車公司雇傭的大批導(dǎo)游。

The permit system protects incumbents, raises prices and kills jobs. Mr Main also believes thatit violates his right to free speech. Robert McNamara of the Institute for Justice, a libertarianlaw firm, agrees. “The government cannot restrict speech unless there is evidence the speechis causing harm,” he explains. Tour guide patter hardly qualifies. Mr McNamara helped Segs inthe City file a lawsuit against the city government in 2010. The city won; Mr Main's appealreached a DC federal court on May 5th. The city defends the licence as an essential safeguardfor consumers.

許可系統(tǒng)保護(hù)了在職者們，提高了價(jià)格，削減了崗位Main也相信系統(tǒng)侵犯了他的言語(yǔ)自由權(quán)。自由論法律公司——司法研究所的Robert McNamara同意他的話?！罢荒芟拗芃ain的言語(yǔ)除非有證據(jù)說(shuō)他造成了傷害，”他說(shuō)道。導(dǎo)游的話很難界定資格。McNamara在2010年幫助城市攝位車旅游公司起訴了市政府。但是政府勝訴了;Main在5月5號(hào)上訴到特區(qū)聯(lián)邦法庭。市政府辯護(hù)到證書是為消費(fèi)者設(shè)置的必要護(hù)衛(wèi)。

In the 1950s only one American worker in 20 needed a permit from the government; todaythat figure is around one in three. Some jobs, such as doctors, clearly need strict controls. Butsome states require licences for florists and interior designers. Such permits tend to costhundreds of dollars and months of extra training, yet offer little benefit to consumers, saysMorris Kleiner, an economist at theUniversityofMinnesota. Sometimes customers, likeundercover tourists, can look after themselves.

20世紀(jì)50年代政府平均20人中之批準(zhǔn)了一位美國(guó)工人成為導(dǎo)游;今天數(shù)據(jù)到了大約三個(gè)過(guò)一個(gè)。一些工作，比如說(shuō)醫(yī)生，明確需要嚴(yán)格控制。但是一些州要求花匠和室內(nèi)設(shè)計(jì)者考取證書。這種許可證需要花費(fèi)數(shù)百美元和長(zhǎng)達(dá)數(shù)月的額外培訓(xùn)，然而這對(duì)消費(fèi)者來(lái)說(shuō)受益甚微，明尼蘇達(dá)大學(xué)的經(jīng)濟(jì)學(xué)家Morris Kleiner說(shuō)。一些客戶，比如“從事間諜活動(dòng)的”旅游者們，能照看好他們自己。譯者:彭威