外文翻譯--中國的城市化進程和農(nóng)業(yè)人口的轉(zhuǎn)型

1、<p><b>　　中文4060字</b></p><p>　　本科畢業(yè)論文外文翻譯</p><p>　　The Transformation of the Agricultural Population and the Urbanisation Process in China</p><p>　　Zhang Wenxian Ji

2、ang Xiaorong</p><p>　　China has a population of over one billion population, 800 million of whom are farmers. It is because of this that China needs to be built into a socialist country with its own characte

3、ristics. There is an old Chinese saying: "a festival will be better with fewer people, but farming better with more hands". Due to the present condition of more people but less farmland, however, more hands may

4、 not necessarily benefit farming. If five people farm land just enough for three, naturally, productivity</p><p>　　Faced with the need to modernise agriculture, we can neither use large numbers of machines t

5、o push aside labour, nor slow down the pace of modernisation because of the large population. This is the population problem associated with agricultural modernisation.</p><p>　　In China, 80 per cent of new

6、labourers are annually provided with jobs in the countryside. However, only in combination with the means of production can labourers realise their productive capacity. So the first contradiction we face is that of more

7、people farming less land. Between 1952 and 1978, the agricultural labour force increased by 73 per cent, but the farmland in 1977 decreased by eight per cent. The average farmland per labourer is now only five mu. Theref

8、ore, it is difficult to increas</p><p>　　Another contradiction is that of the large population with the mechanisation of agriculture. Since liberation, China has introduced more farm machines, including more

9、 than 600,000 large and medium-sized tractors. The total power of agricultural machinery has increased from 1.65 million horsepower in 1957 to 180 million horsepower at present. Since agricultural machinery and the agric

10、ultural labour force increased simultaneously, the result has been that either the manpower or machines were then </p><p>　　The third contradiction is between population growth and the improvement of populat

11、ion quality. Since liberation, grain output has increased continuously as well as the income in the countryside. However, as most of the increased wealth was consumed by the new increases in population, the development o

12、f the agricultural economy and other undertakings has been seriously retarded. The state and the collective then have had no means, financial or otherwise, to develop culture and education in the c</p><p>　　

13、The essential way to develop China's agriculture is to carry out modernisation, which implies that the division of work be more specialised, the technology more advanced, and new branches of work more developed. All

14、of these are prerequisites for increased employment and the transformation of agricultural labour. </p><p>　　The aims of the modernisation are to equip agriculture with modern scientific technology and moder

15、n industry, to use modern economic management, and to raise the utilisation ratio and the productivity of land and labour.</p><p>　　The modernisation of agriculture may basically be divided into two categori

16、es: one is the modernisation of the tools of production, i.e. mechanisation of agriculture; the other is advances in the field of biochemical technology, such as the improvement of conditions and techniques of production

17、.</p><p>　　Modernisation should be accomplished step by step. First, we should substitute agricultural machinery for heavy manual labour to free farmers from traditional modes practised for hundreds of years

18、. This would mean transplanting rice shoots without bending over, and carrying loads without using shoulders. Second, we should use machinery to increase efficiency, especially in the busy seasons. Third, we should rely

19、on machinery to promote the specialisation and socialisation of agricultural product</p><p>　　As regards agriculture, the progress of biochemical technology is of more importance than that of mechanisation.

20、The process of the development of other countries falls roughly into three types: labour-intensive, capital-intensive and technology-intensive. Most of the developed countries are of the capital-intensive type. This is b

21、ecause the average area of farmland per farmer before agricultural mechanisation was larger than in China, and the development of large-scale industry in these countri</p><p>　　Starting around 1850, the Unit

22、ed States has gradually become semi-mechanised and then mechanised, and its farmland has expanded enormously. One hundred and ten years later, in 1960, the total grain output has increased by 35.2 times. However, the out

23、put per unit area decreased until the 1930s when the US began to popularise hybrid plant varieties and to use chemical fertiliser.</p><p>　　Mexico serves as another example. Because Mexico successfully bred

24、many short-stemmed, disease-resistant and high-yield wheat varieties, its output per unit area increased fourfold from 1949 to 1976. Thus, Mexico has turned into a grain exporting from a grain importing country over the

25、last two to three decades. </p><p>　　China presents a similar case. In the past three years, the production of rape has increased as a result of spreading early-ripening, high-yielding and diseaseresistant w

26、ild-cabbage type rape. The total output of rape in 1980 increased by 28 per cent over 1978, which put an end to China's imports of vegetable oil. From the above, it is predicted that the green revolution centred on i

27、mproved varieties of seeds will have spread throughout the world by the year 2000. From then on, work on breeding </p><p>　　We should not, however, ignore mechanisation in agricultural modernisation just bec

28、ause of biochemical technology. On the contrary, in certain sparsely populated areas, agricultural mechanisation should be carried out first. Although in general China is densely populated, even in the densely populated

29、areas, machines should gradually be substituted for manual labour.</p><p>　　To conclude, in accordance with the conditions of China, the modernisation of agriculture should rely mainly on the modernisation

30、of biochemical technology, and secondarily on mechanisation. In addition, intensive and meticulous farming, and spreading scientific methods, are needed so as to change progressively from labour-intensive to technology-i

31、ntensive production. In this way, we can achieve the transformation of farm labour, make full use of agricultural surplus labour and continuously rais</p><p>　　The Inevitability of the Transformation of the

32、Agricultural Population</p><p>　　The transformation of the agricultural population is defined as the shift of the agricultural population from agricultural to non-agricultural sectors. In all economic branch

33、es, the larger the agricultural population, the lower the agricultural labour productivity. Lenin pointed out, when analysing the development of the capitalist system in Russia, that the population in underdeveloped coun

34、tries is almost all agricultural, which, of course, does not mean that those people only work on farming, </p><p>　　The decrease of an agricultural population is a historical tendency. At present, in such co

35、untries as the United States, Canada, Britain and France, the agricultural population accounts for not more than five per cent of the total population of the country. The United States now has seven million farmers, maki

36、ng up 3.6 per cent of the total population. More than 100 years ago, one farmer in the United States could only support five people. By 1976, one farmer was able to support 56 people. In Ca</p><p>　　The tran

37、sfer and decrease of the agricultural population is not a negative, spontaneous and passive process. The more quickly the process goes, the quicker the mechanisation and modernisation of agriculture will be. In addition,

38、 the transfer and decrease of the agricultural population is of importance to the gradual reduction of the distinctions between town and country, industry and agriculture, and mental and manual work. Therefore, we must s

39、tudy the inherent nature of the transfer of the agri</p><p>　　The background and efficient causes of the modernisation of agriculture in China are totally different from those in developed countries. As the

40、contradiction they faced then was between expanding farm land and a shortage of manpower, they found their way out in mechanisation which could save manpower. In contrast, the problem that China feces is dense population

41、: consequently, surplus agricultural labour. For this reason, China has to determine its own major objectives for the modernisation of </p><p>　　First, in carrying out the modernisation of agriculture, what

42、is the solution to the large amount of labour freed by the increase in productivity, migrating to the cities or remaining in the country? This problem should be analysed in the light of China's present situation. Cur

43、rently, city employment capacity in China is beyond saturation point. There are still millions of people in cities waiting for employment. If the surplus labour in the country pours into the cities, then many problems wi

44、ll</p><p>　　Second, in the transfer of the agricultural population, we should persist in using local materials and giving full play to local advantages. The industrial products which can be made individually

45、 in the country should be spread to the country as much as possible. As long as there are raw materials, markets and production conditions, processing can be done in the country. For example, in cotton-growing areas, we

46、can gradually expand cotton mills; in sugarcane growing areas, sugar mills. In this w</p><p>　　Third, we should develop labour-intensive industries in the country, such as textiles, weaving, clothing, metal

47、products, common machinery, building and transportation services. These medium or small enterprises can absorb surplus agricultural labour, especially female. We can also bring the advantage of more labour into full play

48、 to export both inexpensive and high-quality products to gain foreign exchange. According to their own specific conditions, villages and towns in the country can engage</p><p>　　Finally, the transformation o

49、f the agricultural population should include interval diversification. We should make full use of agricultural workers to develop a diversified economy including farming, forestry, stockraising, fisheries and sidelines.

50、 Moreover, we can engage in intensive and meticulous farming to raise the output per unit area, develop the agricultural chemical industry, spread improved plant varieties, open up wasteland, grow more economic plants, b

51、uild irrigation works, increase</p><p>　　In order to facilitate the transfer of the agricultural population, we must create conditions to enhance its quality. Education and training are needed to prevent &qu

52、ot;structural unemployment", i.e. on the one hand, there is a surplus unskilled farming population, while on the other, there is a shortage of skilled technicians. </p><p>　　The Cause of Surplus Agricul

53、tural Labour</p><p>　　Surplus agricultural labour generally takes two forms. One is long-term or absolute surplus. In other words, the supply of labour surpasses the capacity of land and other means of produ

54、ction. The other is seasonal or relative surplus. The character of agricultural production is that the period of production is long and seasons are very important. There is a big difference in the demand for labour betwe

55、en busy and slack farming seasons. Generally speaking, there are two or three months per year o</p><p>　　The following points are the major causes of surplus agricultural labour.</p><p>　?。?）The

56、 root cause is the small-scale farming mode of production and the low level of productive technology formed through China's long history. China's agriculture has been in a backward state for so many hundreds of y

57、ears that natural economy has occupied a dominant position. In order to withstand natural calamities, people always relied on more workers, instead of on the improvement of the tools of production. Heavy manual work was

58、the chief mode of production in the old society, so the develo</p><p>　　(2) The quantity and quality of workers directly affect family incomes and standard of living. In the current socialist stage, workers

59、have not completely eliminated this vestige of the old society. They still take labour as a means of making a living, and cannot work wholly for society without being paid. A farmer, for one thing, is one of the members

60、of the collective economy; for another, he is a labourer in a private capacity. This dual position of farmers determines that they work not only </p><p>　　(3) The cost for agricultural labour reproduction is

61、 lower than that in the city. In general, the birth rate and the cost of bringing up children are inversely related. The lower the cost for labour reproduction, the higher the birth rate. In China, the cost of rearing a

62、labourer to the age of 16 is roughly one-third of that in towns, and one-quarter of that in medium and big cities. This makes it easier to rear children in the country. That is one of the reasons why, for over 30 years a

63、fter lib</p><p>　　(4) Agricultural machinery has replaced a certain amount of farm labour. In 1978, the total power of farm machines in China was about 150 million horsepower, or one horsepower for 10 mu on

64、average. Machine-ploughed areas make up 46 per cent of the total farmland, and machine-sown areas, 10 per cent. Though it is not highly mechanised, a certain amount of labour has already been displaced, which adds to sur

65、plus labour.</p><p>　　(5) Agriculture has not developed to its full extent. Agricultural commodity production has not developed enough, and management is underdeveloped. Too much attention has been given to

66、planting, while a diversified and allround development has been ignored. Even in planting, undue emphasis has been put on grain crops, while economic crops have been ignored. Some areas of production still remain at an u

67、nrefined stage, lacking intensive and scientific farming. Therefore the efficient use of labour</p><p>　　(6) The development of education in rural areas is not rapid enough and so some teenagers join the agr

68、icultural labour force too early, making the problem of surplus labour even more serious.</p><p>　　(7) A retirement system is not generally available in the country. Actually, there are people who only "

69、;join in", but never "get out". As a result, old people do not retire. The aged farmers still take part in the collective production as long as they are capable, which results in a situation wherein either

70、 young people are kept out by old ones, or the labour force grows.</p><p>　　(8) The rapid decline in the mortality rate and the prolongation of the average life have raised the natural growth of the populati

71、on. In the old society, the birth rate was very high, but, due to wars, calamities and other factors, the death rate was also very high. This kept the natural growth rate of population to a low level. After liberation, o

72、wing to social stability, the improvement of living standards, the rapid development of medical services, and the gradual elimination of various kind</p><p>　　(9) Another main cause of surplus agricultural l

73、abour is that farm workers have not transferred in a timely fashion to other activities. There are already too many labourers in cities and the channels for transfer are blocked.</p><p>　　The Solution to Sur

74、plus Agricultural Labour</p><p>　　What is the solution to surplus agricultural labour in the course of modernisation of agriculture? In general, the solution lies in the diversification of production. Specif

75、ically, there are the following aspects.</p><p>　　First of all, the internal structures of agriculture should be changed so as to find a solution to the surplus labour. As far as the internal structures of a

76、griculture are concerned, the first thing to do is to break out of the small-scale farm economy and, with large-scale agriculture in mind, carry out an all-round development policy. This should enable surplus labour to t

77、ransfer to sectors other than planting. In cultivation, we must move from one-crop farming to diversification. Meanwhile we</p><p>　　Readjusting the internal structures of agriculture is an objective require

78、ment for its development. Only in this way can the irrational employment structure be changed. China has thousands of millions of mu of waste land and mountain areas. We can draw on large resources of labour to plant eco

79、nomic forests, fast-growing timber and fuel forests. China has 75 million mu of fresh waters suitable for fishfarming, only 54 per cent of which has been used until now. So, although there is less farmland,</p>&l

80、t;p>　　Then we should expand rural industry to transfer the farming population to other trades. To develop agricultural industry and sidelines comprehensively is the characteristic of socialist large-scale agriculture,

81、 an objective requirement of the development of the national economy, and also the only way for farmers to get rich and promote agricultural economic prosperity. Rural industry is an indispensable part of big industry in

82、 the socialist industrial system. It has positive effects on accumula</p><p>　　Rural industry is necessary for the further development of agricultural production, and also as the fundamental solution to the

83、problem of surplus agricultural labour. Through rural industry, we can bring to the country scientific and technical knowledge and the industrial mode of production, and gradually link industry and agriculture closely in

84、 the countryside. By transferring surplus agricultural labour to rural industry in a planned and organised way, we can not only change rural employment </p><p>　　The transformation from an agricultural to a

85、non-agricultural population is an objective law in the development of a socialist economy. As long as we have a good understanding of this objective law and apply it, we can bring about a prosperous agricultural economy,

86、 raise farmers' living standard, and find a solution to the problem of surplus labour. Consider Suzhou district in Jiangshu Province, for example. In 1965, 94.2 per cent of the population were farm labourers. This de

87、creased to 65.6 per</p><p>　　Furthermore, we can devote major efforts to developing emerging industries. We can build new industrial bases and cities so as to effect the transfer of agricultural labour to la

88、rge-scale industry. With the development of the national economy and the improvement of technology, heavy, light and chemical industries will all develop continuously, and new sectors of industry will be established. Som

89、e areas rich in natural resources will be built into new industrial bases. New industrial districts an</p><p>　　Lastly, we can make rural education universally available. This will attract preschool children

90、 and teenagers to schools and reduce new surplus labour in agriculture. It will also expand vocational education to improve the quality of labour and create favourable conditions for the transfer of the farming populatio

91、n. At present, one of the major reasons that many surplus labourers cannot find jobs is because they are lacking in professional knowledge and adaptability to various jobs, which not on</p><p>　　To accomplis

92、h the transfer of the farmer population and find a way out for surplus labour, we should not only work on the structures of rural economy, industry, technology and products, but also on the structure of the system of own

93、ership. We can help and encourage farmers to develop family sideline production and allow them to find a way out themselves.</p><p>　　In brief, to resolve the problem of surplus labour once and for all, we m

94、ust take into consideration China's concrete conditions, the purpose of socialist production, and the development of the whole national economy. Only with a continuously increasing national economy can the strategic

95、transference of the agricultural population be realised.</p><p>　　The Urbanising Way and the Construction of Small Towns</p><p>　　The tendency towards urbanisation will inevitably appear with th

96、e transfer of the farming population. As the political and economic conditions are different from country to country, so the ways of urbanisation are not the same.</p><p>　　In developed countries, urbanisati

97、on is the product of the industrial revolution. The centralisation of industry and its increasing demand for labour led to the proportional increase in the urban population. So urbanisation and industrialisation are mutu