中英对照：世界银行警告需注意技术鸿沟

　　自从20世纪90年代以来，发展中国家的技术以两倍于西方的速度扩张，但是这仍然没有弥合两者之间的鸿沟。这是世界银行上周（1月9日）发表的一份关于发展中国家技术转移的报告的结论。

　　Technology in developing countries has expanded at double the rate in the West since the 1990s ― but still hasn't bridged the gap between them.

　　This was the conclusion of a World Bank report on technology transfer in the developing world, released last week (9 January).

　　报告的作者说发展中国家迅速的技术进步已经帮助把生活在绝对贫困中的人口的比例从1990年的29%降低到了2004年的18%。该报告显示，全球化和技术熟练的侨民为发展中国家带来了外国技术。

　　The authors say rapid technological advancement in developing countries has helped to reduce the proportion of people living in absolute poverty from 29 per cent in 1990 to 18 per cent in 2004.

　　The report reveals that globalisation and a highly skilled diaspora have exposed developing countries to foreign technology.

　　作者说，但是尽管发展中国家的技术正在进步，它们吸收新技术的能力仍然有限。其中一个因素是薄弱的技术素养――即便受过教育的成年人数量已经增加，教育的质量仍然很低。另一个因素是技术在农村地区的普及率低。

　　But despite the progress, the authors say that capacity to absorb new technology is still limited.

　　One factor is poor technical literacy ― even though the number of educated adults has increased, the quality of the education remains low. Another is the low penetration of technologies in rural areas.

　　根据这份报告，一个国家吸收新技术的能力取决于它的整体经济状态和政府的治理。这会影响到企业家采用新技术的风险，以及人口的基本技术素养和技能。

　　According to the report, the capacity of a country to absorb new technology depends on its overall economic status and governance. This affects risks for entrepreneurs taking on new technologies as well as basic technological literacy and skills in the population.

　　为了促进技术能力，该报告建议发展中国家更愿意接受外国技术、确保均衡传播技术的政府政策、改善公众的技术能力，以及激励公共和私营部门。

　　To promote capacity, the report recommends being receptive to foreign technology, government policies that ensure uniform spread of technology, improving technological competence among the public, and motivating public and private sectors.

　　联合国贸易和发展会议的经济学家兼特别协调员Charles Gore告诉本网站说，虽然开放贸易、外国投资和与侨民建立联系是获取知识的重要途径，最能代表技术进步的是“技术学习和技术能力发展的过程”。

　　Charles Gore, an economist and special coordinator for the UN Conference on Trade and Development, told SciDev.Net that whilst open trade, foreign investment and links with the diaspora are important channels for knowledge acquisition, technological progress is best seen as a "process of technological learning and the development of technological capabilities".

　　他还说：“这需要在国内企业部分投入金钱和精力，而且这一过程远远不是自动的。获得（技术）并不等于有效利用（技术）。”

　　"These require effort and investment on the part of domestic enterprises and the process is far from automatic. Access is not equivalent to effective use," he added.

　　Gore说必须把该报告当作一个起点，考虑技术究竟如何在发展中发挥作用。“我们正处于一个发展思想和知识的范式转移时刻，而技术将是它的一个重要组成部分。”

　　Gore says the report must be used as a starting point to consider how exactly technology plays a role in development. "We are at a moment of paradigm shift in development thinking and knowledge, and technology will be an important part of this."

　　本文由科学与发展网络(SciDev.Net)独家提供。