Mr Porter a professor at Harvard Business Sch001。is one of the world’s most respected busine,thinkers．He made his name and fortune teaching companies his theories of competitive advantage．
Mr Porter argues that competition can save even America’s troubled heahh_care system。the large in the world．He and Elizabeth Olmsted Teisberg argue in“Redefining Health Care”that competition， properly applied，can also fix what ails this sector．
That is a bold claim，given the horrible state of America’s heahh-care system．Just consider a few of its failings：America pays more per capita for health care than most countries，but it still has some 45 citizens with no health insurance at all．①While a few receive outstanding treatment。the authors show heart—wrenching detail that most do not．The authors conclude that it is“on a dangerous path。with toxic combination of high costs，uneven quality，frequent errors and limited access to care．”
The authors offer a mix of solunons to fix this mess，and thereby to put the sector on a genuine competitive footin9．First comes the seemingly obvious(but as yet unrealised)goal of data transparene Second is a redirection of competition from the level of health plans，doctors，clinics and hospitals，to competition“at the level of medical conditions，which is all but absent”．②The authors argue that tt right measure of“value”for the health sector should be how well a patient with a given health eonditon fares over the entire cycle of treatment，and what the cost is for that entire cycle．③
If there is a failing in this book，it is that the authors sometimes stray toward naive optimism．They argue，for example，that their solutions are so commonsensical that private actors in the health syste could forge ahead with them profitably without waiting for the government to fix its policy mistakes． That is a tempting notion，but it falls into a trap that economists call the fallacy of the$20 bill on the street．If there really were easy money on the pavement，goes the argument，surely previous passers-by would have bent over and picked it up by now?
In the same vein，if Mr Porter’s prescriptions are so sensible that companies can make money eve now in the absence of government policy changes。why in the world have they not done so already? one reason may be that they can make more money in the current sub—optimal equilibrium than in a perfectl competitive market--which is why government action is probably needed to sweep aside the mall obstacles in the way of this book's powerful vision．⑤
In the end，though，that is small criticism of a very big book．[449 words]
1．Mr Porter is famous chiefly for______．
A．his popular book Redefining Health Care
B．his：being a professor at Harvard Business School
C．his being one of the world’s most respected business thinkers
D．his marvelous contribution to theories of competitive advantage
2．The author argues that______．
A．America’s health_care system leaves nothing to be desired
B．it is no easy task to improve America’s health—care system
C．competition can help improve America’s health—care system
D．Americans enjoy one of the best health_care systems in the world
3．It is implied in the text that______．
A．competition may help improve medical conditions
B．America’s health-care system is under severe competition
C．there is too much competition among doctors and hospitals
D．few patients in America fare well under current health conditions
4．In the author’s opinion，the book cannot be considered perfect in that______．
A．optimistic thinking often leads to imprudent j udgement
B．companies may make less money in a competitive market
C．the solutions given are too commonsensicai to be applicable
D．the authors of the book have fallen victim to an economic fallacy
5．The author takes a attitude toward the book“Redefining Health Care” ______．
A．critical
B．positive
C．suspicious
D．contemptuous[NextPage]
难句透析
①Just consider a few of its failings：America pays more per capita for health care than most countries，but。it still has some 45m citizens with no health insurance at all．
【结构】本句的主句“Just consider…”是祈使句。冒号后面的部分是对主旬中“a few of its failings”的说明；该部分是由逗号和“but”连接的两个分句组成的并列句。
【释义】只需考虑一下卫生保健系统下列几处缺点：美国为卫生保健支付的人均费用远高于其他大部分国家，但该国仍有4500万公民没有任何健康保险。 ，
②second is a redirection of competition from the level of health plans，doctors，clinics and hospitals，to competitior“at the level of medical conditions，[which is all but absent]”．
【结构】本句的主语是“second”，表语是“a redirection of…from…t0…”。方括号所标示的“which is all bul absent”是“competition…conditions”的后置定语从句。
【释义】其次是把竞争机制从保健规划、医生、诊所和医院的层面转到医疗条件这个层面上来，这个层面几乎不存在竞争。
③The authors argue[that the right measure of“value”for the health sector should be (how well a patient with a given health condition fares over the entire cycle of treatment)，and (what the cost is for that entire cycle)]．
【结构】方括号所标示的“that the right measure…entire cycle”是“argue”的宾语从句；其中由逗号和“and”连接的两个圆括号所标示的部分是“should be”的两个并列的表语从句。
【释义】作者提出，衡量医疗部门的真正标准应该是在一个特定的健康状况下的病人在整个治疗过程的恢复程度，以及整个过程所有花费是否合理。
④They argue，for example，[that their solutions are so commonsensical(that private actors in the health systern could forge ahead with them profitably without waiting for the government to fix its policy mistakes)]．
【结构】方括号所标示的“that their solutions…policy mistakes”是“argue”的宾语从句；圆括号所标示的“that private actors…policy mistakes”是其中的结果状语从句。
【释义】比如。作者认为，他们提出的解决方案道理十分浅显，医疗保健体系中的私人医疗部门无须等待政府做出政策调整，只需按部就班做下去就会取得成效。
⑤one reason may be[that they can make more money in the current sub—optimal equilibrium than in a perfectly competitive market--which is(why government action is probably needed to sweep aside the many obstacles in the way of this book’s powerful vision)]．
【结构】方括号所标示的“that they can make…powerful vision”是“may be”的表语从句；破折号后面的定语从句“which is…powerful vision”补充说明“they can make more…competitive market”；圆括号所标示的“why gov— ernment action…powerful vision”是这个定语从句中的表语从句。
【释义】原因之一可能是相对于完美的竞争市场，他们在目前并非最理想的平衡中却能赚更多的钱。这就是为什么可能需要政府于预，去排除前进道路上的障碍，来实现本书所预见的美好前景了。
全文翻译
哈佛商学院的教授波特先生是世界上最受人尊敬的商业思想家之一。他通过向公司教授自己的“竞争优势”理论而名利双收。
波特先生认为，竞争甚至可以挽救全世界最庞大的卫生保健体系——美国饱受困扰的卫生保健制度。他与伊丽莎白·奥姆斯特德·泰斯伯格在“卫生保健再定义”一文中称：如果竞争运用恰当，一定能解这一问题之困。
对于美国卫生保健糟糕的现状而言，这种说法是个重磅炸弹。只需考虑一下卫生保健系统下列几处缺点：美国为卫生保健支付的人均费用远高于其他大部分国家，但该国仍有4500万公民没有任何健康保险。根据作者提供的细节来看，尽管少数人得到了很好的治疗，但令人心痛的是绝大多数人根本没有。最后作者总结道：“卫生保健目前处在十分危险的境地：费用高昂、质量参差不齐、错误发生率高以及获取照料渠道有限。”
作者为这个糟糕局面提出了一系列解决方法，并据此将该部门置于一种真正竞争的状态。首先是看起来显而易见(实际上还没有真正实现)的数据透明化的目标。其次是把竞争机制从保健规划、医生、诊所和医院的层面转到医疗条件这个层面上来，这个层面几乎不存在竞争。作者提出，衡量医疗部门的真正标准应该是在一个特定的健康状况下的病人在整个治疗过程的恢复程度，以及整个过程所有花费是否合理。
如果说这部书有什么瑕疵，那就是作者有时会表现出幼稚的乐观情绪。比如，作者认为，他们提出的解决方案道理十分浅显，医疗保健体系中的私人医疗部门无须等待政府做出政策调整，只需按部就班做下去就会取得成效。④这种说法很有煽动性，但这种说法陷入了经济学家所谓的“大街上的20美金谬误”陷阱。如果人行道上的钱的确是正当的，按照这个论述，钱应该早就被之前的过路人弯腰捡走了，怎么还会留到现在呢?
依此类推，如果波特先生的方法如此明智以至于公司可以在无视政府政策方针改变的前提下轻松赚钱的话，那为何他们之前不这样做呢?原因之一可能是相对于完美的竞争市场，他们在目前并非最理想的平衡中却能赚更多的钱。这就是为什么可能需要政府干预，去排除前进道路上的障碍，来实现本书所预见的美好前景了。
最后，尽管如此，这只是一部鸿篇巨制中一处微小的批评。
超纲词汇
Mess n．混乱，杂乱
Stray v．迷路，偏离
Commonsensical adj．明白事理的，有基本常识的
Sensible 明智的，有判断力的
fallacy n．谬误，谬论
Equilibrium n．平衡，平静，均衡
transparency n．透明，透明度
sub—optimal adj．未达最佳标准的，不最理想的
forge ahead稳步前进，渐渐追过，领先
prescription n．药方，处方
toxic adj．有毒的，中毒的
fare vi．遭遇，进展，经营，过活
参考答案：1．D 2．B 3．A 4．C 5．B
