????盡管其他國(guó)家正步步緊逼，但據(jù)經(jīng)合組織（OECD）的外國(guó)直接投資限制指數(shù)（Foreign Direct Investment Restrictiveness Index）顯示，在接受外國(guó)直接投資方面，美國(guó)仍然要比印度、俄羅斯、中國(guó)和墨西哥等新興經(jīng)濟(jì)體開(kāi)放得多。

頂級(jí)品牌最多

????說(shuō)起全球最受歡迎的品牌，人們最有可能想到的是美國(guó)的品牌?；蛟S世界上的大部分汽車(chē)或電腦并非出自美國(guó)之手，但美國(guó)卻擁有這些領(lǐng)域里的許多頂級(jí)品牌。

????在2011年BrandZ全球品牌百?gòu)?qiáng)榜【品牌研究公司華通明略（Millward Brown）推出的榜單——譯注】上，近半數(shù)都是美國(guó)品牌。在前10強(qiáng)中，9個(gè)都屬于美國(guó)，其中蘋(píng)果（Apple）位居榜首，其后依次是谷歌（Google）、IBM和麥當(dāng)勞（McDonald's）。

????許多美國(guó)品牌在世界的不同地區(qū)可能代表著不同的含義。在歐洲，麥當(dāng)勞或許代表了一種城市文化，不僅是因?yàn)榉▏?guó)人將麥當(dāng)勞的“四分之一磅奶酪漢堡”（Quarter Pounder with Cheese）稱(chēng)為“奶酪之王”。

????“與北美和世界其他地區(qū)不同，麥當(dāng)勞餐館被歐洲年輕人視作是世界主義和城市現(xiàn)代生活方式的象征，而非迎合低收入者的快餐店，”新西蘭懷卡托大學(xué)（University of Waikato）的經(jīng)濟(jì)學(xué)家曾經(jīng)撰文寫(xiě)道。

????的確，新興經(jīng)濟(jì)體正在培育自己的品牌，并且取得了不同程度的成功，但在品牌形象和理念方面，美國(guó)顯然處于領(lǐng)先地位。

世界上最好的大學(xué)

????美國(guó)公立學(xué)校或許正在衰退，但這個(gè)國(guó)家依然擁有許多世界上最好的大學(xué)。在美留學(xué)生已經(jīng)成為了美國(guó)經(jīng)濟(jì)的重要組成部分。

????據(jù)美國(guó)國(guó)際教育協(xié)會(huì)（Institute of International Education）2010年發(fā)布的報(bào)告稱(chēng)，受經(jīng)濟(jì)衰退影響，2009年在美留學(xué)生人數(shù)略有減少，但美國(guó)大學(xué)仍然繼續(xù)吸引著外國(guó)留學(xué)生。中國(guó)學(xué)生赴美留學(xué)推動(dòng)了在美外國(guó)留學(xué)生人數(shù)的增長(zhǎng)，使其達(dá)到了創(chuàng)紀(jì)錄的690,923人。除了中國(guó)大陸之外，來(lái)自印度、韓國(guó)、加拿大和臺(tái)灣的留學(xué)生總計(jì)占到在美留學(xué)生總數(shù)的半數(shù)以上。

????大部分留學(xué)生選擇攻讀商業(yè)、管理或工程方面的課程。留學(xué)生人數(shù)最多的美國(guó)大學(xué)包括南加州大學(xué)（the University of South California）、伊利諾伊大學(xué)香檳分校（the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign）和紐約大學(xué)（New York University）。

????雖然中國(guó)和德國(guó)已經(jīng)超過(guò)美國(guó)，成為世界上最大的商品出口國(guó)，但美國(guó)在教育出口方面依然傲視群雄【美國(guó)商務(wù)部（he U.S. Commerce Department）把外國(guó)學(xué)生在美國(guó)的花銷(xiāo)視為服務(wù)出口】。

????但愿美國(guó)能夠采取更多措施來(lái)留住這些人才。

全球首選的儲(chǔ)備貨幣

????美元或許正在貶值，但對(duì)許多國(guó)家而言，美元依然是儲(chǔ)備貨幣的首選。國(guó)際貨幣基金組織（the International Monetary Fund）的數(shù)據(jù)顯示，2011年前3個(gè)月，美元占到全球央行儲(chǔ)備的61%左右。而歐元在愈演愈烈的歐債危機(jī)中遭受重創(chuàng)，份額為27.8%，排在第二位。

????金融危機(jī)削弱了外國(guó)投資者對(duì)美元的信心。部分分析人士認(rèn)為，鑒于中國(guó)的經(jīng)濟(jì)和貿(mào)易實(shí)力，如果說(shuō)在本世紀(jì)有哪種貨幣可以與強(qiáng)大的美元一較高下，這種貨幣非人民幣莫屬。

????雖然聯(lián)合國(guó)（the United Nations）呼吁各國(guó)央行減少美元儲(chǔ)備，實(shí)現(xiàn)貨幣儲(chǔ)備多元化，但美元仍將繼續(xù)受到全球央行行長(zhǎng)的青睞。

????譯者：千牛絮

????Even if others are gaining ground, the U.S. is much more open to foreign direct investments than emerging economies like India, Russia, China and Mexico, according to the OECD's Foreign Direct Investment Restrictiveness Index.

World's top global brands

????Think of the world's most popular brands, and chances are most are born in the U.S.A. The U.S. may not manufacture most of the world's automobiles or computers, but it's known for many top brands that do so.

????In 2011, nearly half of the world's top 100 brands were American, according to BrandZ, a brand equity database that lists 100 most valuable global brands. Of the top 10, nine are American -- with Apple taking the top spot, followed by Google, IBM, and McDonald's.

????Many U.S. brands may symbolize different things in varying parts of the world. If you live in Europe, McDonald's might allude a level of urban sophistication -- and not just because folks in France call the Quarter Pounder with Cheese a Royal with Cheese.

????"Unlike in North America and in some other parts of the world, McDonald's restaurants are considered in Europe to be a symbol of cosmopolitanism and a modern urban lifestyle among the young rather than simply a caterer of fast food to low income people," write economists at New Zealand's University of Waikato.

????Indeed, emerging economies have been developing their own brands with varying successes. But the U.S. clearly leads in the world's images and ideas.

World's best universities

????U.S. public schools may be flagging, but the nation is still home to many of the world's top universities. And foreign students in the U.S. make up an important piece of its economy.

????While the number of American students fell slightly amid the recession in 2009, U.S. universities continued to attract students from abroad, according to a 2010 report by the Institute of International Education. Chinese students in the U.S. helped drive the overall increase of foreign scholars studying here -- a record 690,923. Aside from Chinese mainland, students from India, South Korea, Canada and Taiwan accounted for more than half of all foreign students studying in the U.S.

????For the most part, they pursued studies in business and management or engineering. The universities hosting the largest number include the University of South California, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and New York University.

????So while China and Germany may outrank the U.S. as being the world's biggest exporter of goods, America clearly tops as the exporter of education (the U.S. Commerce Department regards money spent by foreign students at U.S. universities an export service).

????If only U.S. policies did more to keep such talent here.

World's top reserve currency

????The value of the U.S. dollar may be declining, but it remains the currency of choice for many nations. The greenback accounted for roughly 61% of global central bank reserves during the first three months of 2011, according to the International Monetary Fund. The euro, which has been under attack amid Europe's ongoing debt crisis, ranks second with a 27.8% share.

????The financial crisis has weakened foreign investors' faith in the U.S. dollar. And if there is to be a rival to the mighty greenback in this century, some analysts think it would surely be the Chinese renminbi given China's economic and trade power.

????Even though the United Nations has urged central banks around the world to diversify their reserves away from the mighty greenback, the U.S. dollar continues to be favored by central bankers across the globe.