低利率意味着不公平|经济学人(4)

如果它是正的，任何一位借了额外的干粮吃的船员，今后都不得不用多于一份的干粮来偿还这笔贷款。

此句为if引导的虚拟条件从句“主语+were”，主句为“主语+would+do”，表示与现在事实相反的假设

But no sailor would accept those termsbecause he could instead eat one more piece from his own supply, therebyreducing his future consumption by one, and only one, piece.

但是没有水手会接受这些条件，因为他可以从他自己的供应中再多吃一块，从而减少他未来的消费中的一份，并且仅仅是一份而已。

(A sailor who hadalready depleted his supplies, leaving himwith no additional hardtack of his own to eat today, would be in no position torepay borrowed biscuits either.)

(早已耗尽了自身供给，让自己今天没有额外的干粮吃的船员也不会有能力去偿还借来的干粮。)

“A sailor who…,leaving…”：此句中who引导定语从句，动词ing形式作后置定语修饰”a sailor”

That was bad news for thrifty seafarers.

对于勤俭的船员来说，这属于坏消息。

But worsescenarios were possible.

但是，更坏的情况是有可能的。

Scenarios ：情节;剧本;事态;

If the sailors had washed ashorewith perishable figs rather than imperishable hardtack, the rate of interest would have been steeply negative.

如果船员们是带着容易腐烂变质的无花果而不是不容易腐烂变质的硬面包被冲到岸上来的，利率会是陡峭的负的。