1996年閱讀3(2/3)歌詞
添加日期:2023-12-06 時長:01分19秒 歌手:英語聽力
The growth of the limited liability company and municipal business had important consequences. Such large, impersonal manipulation of capital and industry greatly increased the numbers and importance of shareholders as a class, an element in national life representing irresponsible wealth detached from the land and the duties of the landowners; and almost equally detached from the responsible management of business. All through the 19th century, America, Africa, India, Australia and parts of Europe were being developed by British capital, and British shareholders were thus enriched by the world's movement towards industrialization. Towns like Bournemouth and Eastbourne sprang up to house large 'comfortable' classes who had retired on their incomes, and who had no relation to the rest of the community except that of drawing dividends and occasionally attending a shareholders' meeting to dictate their orders to the management. On the other hand 'shareholding' meant leisure and freedom which was used by many of the later Victorians for the highest purpose of a great civilization.
有限責任公司和市營企業的發展意義重大。資金和企業的這種大規模、非個人的運作極大地促進了作為一個階層的股東人數的增加,增強了他們的重要性;股東階層是國民中的一部分,代表了不需承擔責任的財富從地產和土地所有者的責任中的分離,幾乎也同樣代表了從企業負責任的管理中的分離。整個十九世紀,美洲、非洲、印度、澳大利亞和歐洲的部分地區都靠英國的資金髮展,而英國的股東則因世界性的工業化而大發其財。像Bournmouth和Eastbourne這樣的城鎮迅速發展起來,為大批“享樂”階層提供了住所,而這些人靠自己的豐厚收入過著隱居生活,這些人除了分取紅利、偶爾參加股東大會向管理人員發號施令外,他們與外界沒有任何聯繫。另一方面,“股權”意味著悠閒和自由,而這正是維多利亞時代後期許多人視之為偉大文明的最高目標。