????但這種變化最顯著的地方并不是美國對其施加的影響，而是歐洲人自己為之付出的努力。他們的成就遠不止擺脫一場毀滅性戰爭造成的后果那么簡單。要理解歐洲發生的事情，就必須得考慮一個問題：作為現代工業的起源地，這片高度文明、高度發達的大陸為什么會遠遠落后于美國？從來就沒有任何確鑿的證據表明，歐洲人的能量不如美國人，技術不如美國那般鬼斧神工。但他們所欠缺的，是一個橫跨大陸、能夠使其生產和銷售充分利用20世紀杰出技術成就的大眾市場。甚至在一戰前，歐洲的發展步伐就因為經濟民族主義將這片大陸分割為狹促的區域而滯后于美國。在這些狹促的區域內，大規模生產即使沒有受到阻止，至少也受到了嚴重的抑制。在關稅和其他保護性措施的庇護下，歐洲經濟難以出現因競爭而產生的激發效應。工業界既無動力，也無機會實現真正的潛能。直到1957年，六個國家大膽地簽署了開創歷史的《羅馬條約》（Treaty of Rome ），拆除了壁壘，組建歐洲經濟共同體（European Economic Community）之后，這一切才成為了可能。

????But what is most significant about this change is not the influence the U.S. has had on it, but what the Europeans have done themselves. They have accomplished far more than staging a remarkable recovery from a devastating war. To understand what has happened, it is necessary to consider why this highly developed and eminently civilized continent, where modern industrialism got its start, found itself far behind the U.S. There never was any conclusive evidence that Europeans were less energetic or technically ingenious. But what they did lack was a continental mass market that would enable their production and distribution to take full advantage of the great technological developments of the twentieth century. Even before World War I, Europe's pace was lagging behind that of the U.S. because economic nationalism divided the Continent into cramped compartments, within which large-scale production was severely inhibited if not prevented. Sheltered by tariffs and other protective devices from the invigorating effects of competition, industry had neither the Incentive nor the opportunity to develop its true potential. This became possible only when six nations took the bold, history-making decision in the 1957 Treaty of Rome to tear down the compartment walls and form a European Economic Community.

一個讓所有人驚訝的國家

??? 早在正式技術安排達成之前，共同市場（Common Market）這一理念就已產生作用。六個共同市場國家早早地降低了彼此之間的關稅，但稅率依然維持在過去的一半水平之上，還有其他一些更微妙的貿易限制措施仍然在發揮作用。盡管如此，商人們的活動還是讓人覺得國家的邊界似乎已經消失了。他們縱橫捭闔，組建合資企業，建立生產基地以進軍新市場。由此造成的動蕩，或許正是歐盟的先知讓?莫內在預言共同市場將引發“第二次工業革命”時浮現在腦海里的情景吧。

??? 如同任何一場革命一樣，這場革命包含著大量的混亂、不確定性和傷亡。隨著競爭模式的變化，人為設置的保護區逐漸開放，羸弱的公司必須尋求庇護，否則就會遭到蹂躪，而強大的公司亦不能把自己的實力視為理所當然之物。然而，每個人似乎都在興致勃勃地期待著考驗的來臨。一些商人擔心共同市場對其近期前景有可能造成的影響，但沒人想阻止或扭轉這一進程，連一丁點的暗示也看不出。

The country that surprised everybody

??? The idea of the Common Market has taken effect well in advance of the formal technical arrangements. The reduction of tariffs between the six Common Market countries is well ahead of schedule, but they are still at 50 percent of their former levels, and a number of other, more subtle trade restrictions remain in force. Nevertheless, businessmen are behaving as if national borders had already disappeared. They are merging and consolidating, forming joint ventures, and setting up bases to assault new markets. The resulting upheaval must be what Jean Monnet, prophet of European union, had in mind when he predicted that the Common Market would touch off "a second industrial revolution."

??? Like any revolution, this one has plenty of confusion, uncertainty, and casualties. As patterns of competition change and artificially protected preserves are opened up, weak firms must seek shelter or get trampled upon and strong ones cannot take their strength for granted. Yet everyone seems to be looking forward with gusto to the test. A few businessmen expressed concern about what the Common Market might do to their immediate prospects, but none even hinted that he would like to see the process stopped or reversed.