誰將成為下一個超級大國？：英語精讀講義

Throughout history, superpowers have risen and fallen. 講解

縱觀歷史，超級大國總是起起落落。

The Roman Empire, the most dominant power in the ancient world,

羅馬帝國作為古代世界最具統治力的力量，

tore across Europe and the Middle East in the 2nd century

在西元2世紀橫掃了歐洲和中東，

before eventually losing grip on its territories. 慣用語

但最終還是失去了對其領土的控制。

Likewise, the Mongol Empire, led by Genghis Khan, 講解

同樣地，由成吉思汗領導的蒙古帝國，

was the world's largest land empire,

曾是世界上最大的陸地帝國，

yet after division separated in 13th century,

但在13世紀分裂瓦解後，

they finally lost their grip.

他們最終也失去了霸權。

The British Empire expanded through trading ventures

大英帝國透過商業貿易進行擴張，

and by the early 20th century had become history's largest empire 文法

到20世紀初已成為歷史上最大的帝國，

covering a quarter of the world's surface

覆蓋了全球四分之一的陸地面積，

with a fifth of the world's population living in it. 文法

並擁有世界上五分之一的人口。

After the Second World War,

第二次世界大戰後，

the United States rose as a world superpower

美國作為一個世界超級大國崛起，

with 50% of the world's GNP, followed closely by Russia.

佔據了全球國民生產毛額的50%，緊隨其後的是俄羅斯。

Superpowers come and go, 慣用語

超級大國來來去去，

but today we'll take a look into the future. 片語搭配

但今天我們要放眼未來。

In this episode of The Infographics Show,

在本集《資訊圖表秀》節目中，

who will be the next superpower nation?

誰將成為下一個超級大國？

With a strong national identity and a united sense of ambition,

憑藉著強烈的民族認同感和團結一致的雄心，

Brazil has sought to emerge as a serious global economic and political power on the world stage. 講解

巴西一直試圖在世界舞臺上成為一個具有重要影響力的全球經濟與政治強國。

With enormous natural resources,

憑藉巨大的自然資源，

including a tenth of the world's fresh water,

包括世界上十分之一的淡水資源、

the largest remaining rainforest,

現存面積最大的雨林，

and a valuable supply of minerals,

以及寶貴的礦產資源供應，

Brazil looks set to lead the way 講解

巴西似乎有望成為領頭羊，

when it comes to tackling the inevitable environmental issues we all face. 片語搭配

來解決我們所有人面臨的不可避免的環境問題。

However,

然而，

the apparent lack of traditional hard power in the shape of military resources 用詞

在軍事資源等傳統硬實力上的明顯欠缺，

will undoubtedly prove a hurdle for Brazil to make a claim for world superpower status 片語搭配

無疑將成為巴西聲稱要成為世界超級大國的障礙，

using traditional methods of aggressive advancement.

因為他們無法使用具有攻擊性擴張的傳統手段。

The People's Republic of China

中華人民共和國

is a strong emerging economic and military superpower

是一個正在崛起的新興經濟和軍事強國，

and the term secondary superpower has already been credited to China by scholars and media alike. 片語搭配

學術界和媒體都已經將「第二超級大國」這個詞冠在了中國頭上。

China does indeed have the most promising all-around profile of a potential superpower 文法

中國確實擁有成為潛在超級大國中最具前景的全方位特質，

with business ventures and investment deals in Southeast Asia,

其商業項目和投資協議遍及東南亞、

Africa, and Latin America,

非洲和拉丁美洲，

and with a degree of alienation from dominant international society

並且由於其與佔主導地位的國際社會保持著一定的疏離感，

making it potentially a power to challenge collective world politics. 文法

這使得它可能成為挑戰集體世界政治格局的力量。

Along with the European Union and the United States,

與歐盟和美國一樣，

China is a real contender,

中國是一個真正的競爭者，

particularly with its ballooning domestic economy. 慣用語

特別是其國內經濟正在飛速膨脹。

Economist Arvind Subramanian

經濟學家阿文德·蘇布拉馬尼安

argues that China will direct the world's financial systems by as early as 2020, 片語搭配

認為，中國最早將在2020年主導全球金融體系，

and within 20 years,

而在不到20年的時間裡，

author Lawrence H. Summers states that the United States will be surpassed by China.

作家勞倫斯·H·薩默斯表示美國將會被中國超越。

Before Brexit,

在英國脫歐之前，

academics pointed fondly towards the European Union as another potential emerging superpower

學者們曾非常看好歐盟，將其視為另一個潛在的新興超級大國，

with a large population,

憑藉龐大的人口、

low inflation rates,

較低的通貨膨脹率、

global unpopularity of US foreign policy,

美國外交政策在全球不受歡迎、

a large economy,

龐大的經濟體量，

and a high quality of life,

以及高品質的生活水準，

the EU looked as if it had already perhaps hit the superpower stakes. 文法

歐盟看起來似乎已經拿到了成為超級大國的籌碼。

Although the EU is facing a number of daunting situations, 表達脈絡

儘管歐盟正面臨一些棘手的困境，

including Brexit,

包括英國脫歐，

it is still powered by a solid economic engine 慣用語

但它仍由一個穩固的經濟引擎推動，

with the largest economy in the world.

擁有世界上最大的經濟體。

In fact,

事實上，

the World Bank says that EU plus,

世界銀行表示，包括挪威和瑞士在內的

including Norway and Switzerland,

「歐盟加」（EU plus），

boasts an economy larger than the US and Russia combined. 用詞

其經濟規模甚至超過了美國和俄羅斯的總和。

The EU also has more Fortune 500 companies 文化背景

歐盟擁有的財富500強企業數量

than the US, India, and Russia combined,

也比美國、印度和俄羅斯的總和還要多，

and some of the most competitive national economies remain,

並且一些最具競爭力的國家經濟體依然留存，

or at least trade together,

或者至少是在一起開展貿易，

within the EU.

在歐盟內部。

The Republic of India is also a contender

印度共和國同樣也是一個競爭者，

with Harvard economists and researchers projecting a 7% annual economic growth,

哈佛大學經濟學家和研究人員預計其年經濟成長率為7%，

making India the fastest growing economy in the world

這使得印度成為

in 2017.

2017年世界上成長最快的經濟體。

Despite these strides forward, 表達脈絡

儘管取得了這些進步，

India still faces a rigid caste system and rural poverty, 文化背景

印度仍然面臨僵化的種姓制度和農村貧窮、

corruption, and inequality issues.

貪腐，以及不平等問題。

Politically,

在政治上，

India is stable

印度相對穩定，

with a democratic government that has lasted for 60 years. 文法

擁有一個持續了60年的民主政府。

By 2050,

到2050年，

India is set to rise by up to 20% 用詞

印度的經濟有望成長高達20%，

with a young working society.

並擁有一個年輕的勞動社會。

But while India has impressive economic and population growth, 文法

但是，儘管印度擁有令人矚目的經濟和人口成長，

it also has domestic issues

它同樣也存在一些國內問題，

such as malnutrition and rural poverty

比如營養不良和農村貧窮等，

to tackle before tackling the political world stage.

這些都需要在它涉足政治世界舞臺之前加以解決。

The Russian Federation is often suggested as a potential superpower candidate, 文法

俄羅斯聯邦經常被認為是潛在的超級大國候選者，

although during the state of nation address at the Kremlin in Moscow,

儘管在莫斯科克里姆林宮發表的國情咨文中，

President Vladimir Putin

總統佛拉迪米爾·普丁

denied any Russian aspiration to become the next superpower. 片語搭配

否認了俄羅斯有任何成為下一個超級大國的野心。

An aging and shrinking population

高齡化和不斷萎縮的人口

is constricting Russia's potential to re-emerge as a superpower once more,

正在限制俄羅斯重新成為超級大國的潛力，

despite her impressive military prowess and aggressive foreign policy. 用詞

儘管她擁有驚人的軍事實力和強硬的外交政策。

However,

不過，

some argue that within the next 50 years,

也有人爭論說，在未來的50年內，

national powers will lose their ability 片語搭配

國家力量將失去能力，

to operate as the superpowers they have been in the past.

無法再像過去的超級大國那樣運作。

The real superpowers will be the economic elite

真正的超級大國將是那些經濟菁英，

who operate with no fidelity to any nation, 用詞

他們的運作不忠於任何國家、

race,

種族

or religion.

或宗教。

The economic elite superpowers

這些經濟菁英組成的超級大國

will operate globally

將在全球範圍內運作，

from a series of outposts

憑藉一系列戰略性部署的

positioned strategically across the globe. 文法

全球前哨基地。

They will be transient,

他們會是不固定的流動群體，

living at times in New York 片語搭配

有時生活在紐約，

and at other times in Singapore,

有時則生活在新加坡、

Hong Kong,

香港、

London,

倫敦

or Sydney.

或雪梨。

This theory doesn't offer a solution

這項理論並未提供一個解決方案，

to how in the advent of a global elite superpower

即在全球菁英超級大國出現之際，

that apparatus will manage a normal civil society

這樣的機制將如何管理一個正常的、

worldwide.

遍佈全世界的公民社會。

In view of such superpower predictions, 表達脈絡

鑑於對超級大國的這些預測，

it should be noted that in the 1980s, 表達脈絡

應當指出的是，在20世紀80年代，

experts collectively believed that Japan would become the next superpower

專家們曾普遍認為日本將成為下一個超級大國，

owing to its large GDP 片語搭配

這歸功於其龐大的國內生產毛額（GDP）

and high economic growth.

和高速的經濟成長。

However,

然而，

a few years later in 1991,

幾年後的1991年，

Japan's economy crashed,

日本經濟崩盤，

creating the Lost Years, 文化背景

造成了「失落的年代」（Lost Years），

a long period of economic slump

一段長期的經濟衰退，

that Japan has never fully recovered from. 文法

而日本至今仍未從中完全恢復。

So while our predictions might have seemed logical at the time, 文法

因此，儘管我們的預測在當時看來可能很合乎邏輯，

the world is a volatile place

但世界是一個變幻莫測的地方，

and superpowers rise and fall

超級大國的興衰更迭

as a matter of opportunity and chance

不僅依賴於細緻入微的軍事規劃

just as much as they do through meticulous military planning 文法

或戰略性的經濟預測，

or strategic economic forecast.

往往還取決於機遇和偶然性。

So,

那麼，

who do you predict will be the next superpower nation? 文法

你預測誰會成為下一個超級大國呢？

Are there promising countries

有沒有哪些大有希望的國家，

that we failed to mention?

是我們沒有提到的？

Let us know in the comments.

在評論區告訴我們吧。

Also,

此外，

be sure to check out our other video called

一定要去看看我們的另一個影片，名為

What if the world was one country?

《如果世界是一個國家會怎樣？》

Thanks for watching,

感謝收看，

and as always,

並且一如既往，

don't forget to like,

不要忘記按讚、

share,

分享

and subscribe.

和訂閱。

See you next time.

我們下次再見。