Business paradise or den of thieves?

　　商業天堂還是賊窩?

　　An effort to abolish a highly unusual Californian city

　　消除一座特別另類之加州城市的努力

　　EVEN Vernons logo proclaims that the city isexclusively industrial, and that is noexaggeration. It was founded in 1905 at a railwaycrossing along the Los Angeles River as a sort of Eden for business, especially the smelly, dirtyand blue-collar manufacturing sort. An aerial view shows neat boundaries around its 5.2 squaremiles , as the residential neighbourhoods of Los Angeles Countysuddenly give way to huge blocks of warehouses and factories. Lorries seem to outnumber carson Vernons streets. The whiff of pigs being slaughtered hangs over those parts not covered bythe aroma of coffee being processed.

　　即便弗農市的標志上宣稱本市專事工業，這種說法也并未言過其實。1905年，該市創建于洛杉磯河沿岸的一處鐵路線交匯處，人們將此地作為某種商業的樂園。從空中俯瞰可以發現，隨著洛杉磯縣的住宅街區突然被大片倉庫和工廠所取代，弗農市5.2平方英里的土地周圍呈現著整齊的界線。在弗農街頭，卡車看起來比轎車還要多。在沒有被正在加工的咖啡香氣所覆蓋的區域，飄蕩著被屠宰的豬的氣息。

　　In most of the world, it is inconceivable that Vernon could even be considered a city. It hasabout 1,800 businesses that employ more than 50,000 workers who live elsewhere in LosAngeles County. But it has only 96 actual residents, and those live in housing tuckedimprobably between power stations and warehouses and mostly owned by the city.

　　在全球大部分地區，人們都無法想到弗農甚至會被視為一座城市。該市有大約1800家企業，雇傭了超過5萬名居住在洛杉磯縣其他區域的員工。不過，該市真正的居民只有96人，那些人住在以幾乎不可能的方式擠在發電站與倉庫之間、所有權主要掌握在城市手中的房屋內。

　　But in southern California tiny municipalities are notunusual. A clutch of five counties thereLosAngeles, Orange, Ventura, Riverside and SanBernardinohave, between them, no fewer than 183independent cities. That is because, for much of thepast century, California incorporated cities rather asSilicon Valley today launches start-ups. In a 1967book title, Los Angeles was The FragmentedMetropolis.

　　不過在加州南部，微型城市并非特別現象。此地群集的洛杉磯縣、橘縣、凡圖拉縣、里弗賽德縣以及圣伯納迪諾縣五縣之間，存在著不少于183座獨立市。這是因為在上世紀大多數時間內，加州就像硅谷如今創辦新興企業一樣組建著城市。在1967年一本書的書名中，洛杉磯被稱為碎片化的大都會。

　　But city-founding has now abruptly gone out of fashion and into reverse. First, severalCalifornian citiessuch as Vernons neighbour, Maywoodran into financial trouble largelycaused by the recession. They decided they could no longer afford to duplicate all the intricatelayers of local democracy and administration, and have tried to consolidate either with othercities or with the county itself.

　　但是，創建城市的活動如今已突然不再流行，而且這種潮流還在逆轉。首先，加州多座城市例如鄰近弗農市的梅伍德市，陷入了主要由經濟衰退引發的財政困難之中，這些城市斷定自己的財力已不足以復制繁雜的整套地方民主制度及行政制度，并且已經試圖與其他城市或縣本身合并。

　　Then, last year, came discoveries of corruption. Most notorious was Bell, another of Vernonsneighbours, where eight officials lived in remarkable style, levied illegally high taxes and arenow on trial. Another city nearby, Montebello, is also being investigated on suspicions that itcooked its books.

　　之后，人們在去年發現了腐敗問題。其中最為臭名昭著的案例是鄰近弗農的另一座城市貝爾市，該市的八名官員過著奢華的生活，非法征收高額稅款，如今他們已被送上法庭。附近另一座城市蒙蒂貝洛市也在接受調查，人們懷疑該市曾經篡改賬目。

　　So it was perhaps only a matter of time before lawmakers took an interest in the bizarre caseof Vernon. The city happens to be in the district of assemblyman John Prez, a Democrat whois also the assemblys speaker and an up-and-coming sort. Mr Prez, citing an unprecedentedpattern of corruption, has now shepherded a bill through his lower house that woulddisincorporate any city with fewer than 150 residents and have it be absorbed by its county.That happens to affect only one Californian city, Vernon.

　　因此，議員對弗農市的古怪案例產生興趣也許只是遲早的事。該市恰好位于州議會議員約翰?佩雷斯的選區內，這位積極進取的民主黨人也擔任該州議會議長。引用空前的腐敗格局為例的佩雷斯，如今已在其眾議院中護送通過了一份法案，該法案將撤銷任何居民數量不足150人的城市，使其被所在縣合并。這一法案恰好只影響到一座加州城市弗農市。

　　Mr Prez has some good reasons. Two of Vernonsformer city officials are facing criminal corruptioncharges and a former mayor has already beenconvicted. Their alleged shenanigans included riggedsalaries, outlandish expenses and perks. Vernonhas usually appointed its officials, rather thanelecting them, since positions were not evencontested. The few residents, since they live in cityhousing, have been politically tractable.

　　佩雷斯擁有一些很好的理由。兩名弗農市前任官員正面臨著腐敗刑事指控，一名前任市長已被判刑。他們據稱所采取的詭計包括：工資造假、過高的開支與津貼。因為崗位無人爭奪，所以弗農市通常任命官員，而不是舉行選舉。由于為數不多的居民住在城市所提供的住宅中，因此他們在政治方面易受擺布。

　　But for Vernons businesses disincorporation is a step too far. After all, Vernon is really meantto be run for their benefit, not for that of the 96 residents. To a large extent, Vernonrepresents all that is left of manufacturing industry in Los Angeles County. Who else in LosAngeles these days would welcome belching trucks and slaughterhouses? If Vernon loses itsindependence, its businessmen say, its electricity company will have toincrease its rates, thus erasing a crucial competitive advantage. Eric Gustafson, the third-generation manager of a family-run maker of lards and shortenings, says that if Vernon werenot a city we wouldnt be here, and if were forced to move, were not staying in this state.Hed move his firm to the Midwest, he reckons.

　　不過對弗農市商界來說，撤市之舉走得太遠。畢竟，弗農市的運作實際上是旨在服務于商界的利益，而非96名居民的利益。在很大程度上，弗農市代表著洛杉磯縣僅存的全部制造業。如今，該縣還有誰會歡迎排著濃煙的卡車與屠宰場呢?該市商人指出，如果弗農市失去了獨立地位，那么如今由城市所擁有的電力公司將不得不提高電價，而這會令弗農市失去一個關鍵的競爭優勢。一個生產豬油和酥油的家族企業的第三代經理埃里克?古絲塔森表示：如果弗農不是一座城市，那我們就不會在這里，而如果我們被迫搬走，我們將不會待在加州。他覺得自己的公司會搬到中西部地區。

　　The threat of job losses and a new manufacturing exodus naturally gets legislators attentionat a time when California has barely begun recovering from recession. Mr Prez thinks thethreats are overblown. But Vernon, and most of its business customers, plan to fight his bill inthe state senate, then on the governors desk and in the courts.

　　在加州剛剛勉強開始從經濟衰退中走向復蘇之際，工作崗位流失以及新的制造業外逃的威脅自然會引起立法者的關注。佩雷斯認為這種威脅被夸大了。但是弗農市及該市大多數商業客戶卻計劃著在州參議院對佩雷斯的法案進行抗擊，之后還將在州長和法庭那里繼續斗爭。

　　Even if they prevail, however, Mr Prezs bill will have done some good. Vernons defencestrategy is to reform itself voluntarily and aggressively so that corruption will cease evenwithout disincorporation, says Mark Whitworth, the current city administrator and fire chief.There will be term limits for officials, caps on salaries, transparency in housing and so forth.After all, why get rid of an honest city? This bit of the peculiar municipal quilt that is LosAngeles may just persist.

　　然而，即便他們獲得了勝利，佩雷斯的法案仍將帶來一些益處。弗農市現任市長及消防隊長指出，該市的防御對策是對自身進行自愿而激烈的改革，因此即便不撤市，腐敗也將得以終止。改革措施還包括官員任期限制、工資上限、房產透明管理等等。畢竟，為什么要撤銷一座誠實的城市呢?洛杉磯這座四處鋪開的獨特城市中的這一角，或許仍將堅持存在下去。

　　Business paradise or den of thieves?

　　商業天堂還是賊窩?

　　An effort to abolish a highly unusual Californian city

　　消除一座特別另類之加州城市的努力

　　EVEN Vernons logo proclaims that the city isexclusively industrial, and that is noexaggeration. It was founded in 1905 at a railwaycrossing along the Los Angeles River as a sort of Eden for business, especially the smelly, dirtyand blue-collar manufacturing sort. An aerial view shows neat boundaries around its 5.2 squaremiles , as the residential neighbourhoods of Los Angeles Countysuddenly give way to huge blocks of warehouses and factories. Lorries seem to outnumber carson Vernons streets. The whiff of pigs being slaughtered hangs over those parts not covered bythe aroma of coffee being processed.

　　即便弗農市的標志上宣稱本市專事工業，這種說法也并未言過其實。1905年，該市創建于洛杉磯河沿岸的一處鐵路線交匯處，人們將此地作為某種商業的樂園。從空中俯瞰可以發現，隨著洛杉磯縣的住宅街區突然被大片倉庫和工廠所取代，弗農市5.2平方英里的土地周圍呈現著整齊的界線。在弗農街頭，卡車看起來比轎車還要多。在沒有被正在加工的咖啡香氣所覆蓋的區域，飄蕩著被屠宰的豬的氣息。

　　In most of the world, it is inconceivable that Vernon could even be considered a city. It hasabout 1,800 businesses that employ more than 50,000 workers who live elsewhere in LosAngeles County. But it has only 96 actual residents, and those live in housing tuckedimprobably between power stations and warehouses and mostly owned by the city.

　　在全球大部分地區，人們都無法想到弗農甚至會被視為一座城市。該市有大約1800家企業，雇傭了超過5萬名居住在洛杉磯縣其他區域的員工。不過，該市真正的居民只有96人，那些人住在以幾乎不可能的方式擠在發電站與倉庫之間、所有權主要掌握在城市手中的房屋內。

　　But in southern California tiny municipalities are notunusual. A clutch of five counties thereLosAngeles, Orange, Ventura, Riverside and SanBernardinohave, between them, no fewer than 183independent cities. That is because, for much of thepast century, California incorporated cities rather asSilicon Valley today launches start-ups. In a 1967book title, Los Angeles was The FragmentedMetropolis.

　　不過在加州南部，微型城市并非特別現象。此地群集的洛杉磯縣、橘縣、凡圖拉縣、里弗賽德縣以及圣伯納迪諾縣五縣之間，存在著不少于183座獨立市。這是因為在上世紀大多數時間內，加州就像硅谷如今創辦新興企業一樣組建著城市。在1967年一本書的書名中，洛杉磯被稱為碎片化的大都會。

　　But city-founding has now abruptly gone out of fashion and into reverse. First, severalCalifornian citiessuch as Vernons neighbour, Maywoodran into financial trouble largelycaused by the recession. They decided they could no longer afford to duplicate all the intricatelayers of local democracy and administration, and have tried to consolidate either with othercities or with the county itself.

　　但是，創建城市的活動如今已突然不再流行，而且這種潮流還在逆轉。首先，加州多座城市例如鄰近弗農市的梅伍德市，陷入了主要由經濟衰退引發的財政困難之中，這些城市斷定自己的財力已不足以復制繁雜的整套地方民主制度及行政制度，并且已經試圖與其他城市或縣本身合并。

　　Then, last year, came discoveries of corruption. Most notorious was Bell, another of Vernonsneighbours, where eight officials lived in remarkable style, levied illegally high taxes and arenow on trial. Another city nearby, Montebello, is also being investigated on suspicions that itcooked its books.

　　之后，人們在去年發現了腐敗問題。其中最為臭名昭著的案例是鄰近弗農的另一座城市貝爾市，該市的八名官員過著奢華的生活，非法征收高額稅款，如今他們已被送上法庭。附近另一座城市蒙蒂貝洛市也在接受調查，人們懷疑該市曾經篡改賬目。

　　So it was perhaps only a matter of time before lawmakers took an interest in the bizarre caseof Vernon. The city happens to be in the district of assemblyman John Prez, a Democrat whois also the assemblys speaker and an up-and-coming sort. Mr Prez, citing an unprecedentedpattern of corruption, has now shepherded a bill through his lower house that woulddisincorporate any city with fewer than 150 residents and have it be absorbed by its county.That happens to affect only one Californian city, Vernon.

　　因此，議員對弗農市的古怪案例產生興趣也許只是遲早的事。該市恰好位于州議會議員約翰?佩雷斯的選區內，這位積極進取的民主黨人也擔任該州議會議長。引用空前的腐敗格局為例的佩雷斯，如今已在其眾議院中護送通過了一份法案，該法案將撤銷任何居民數量不足150人的城市，使其被所在縣合并。這一法案恰好只影響到一座加州城市弗農市。

　　Mr Prez has some good reasons. Two of Vernonsformer city officials are facing criminal corruptioncharges and a former mayor has already beenconvicted. Their alleged shenanigans included riggedsalaries, outlandish expenses and perks. Vernonhas usually appointed its officials, rather thanelecting them, since positions were not evencontested. The few residents, since they live in cityhousing, have been politically tractable.

　　佩雷斯擁有一些很好的理由。兩名弗農市前任官員正面臨著腐敗刑事指控，一名前任市長已被判刑。他們據稱所采取的詭計包括：工資造假、過高的開支與津貼。因為崗位無人爭奪，所以弗農市通常任命官員，而不是舉行選舉。由于為數不多的居民住在城市所提供的住宅中，因此他們在政治方面易受擺布。

　　But for Vernons businesses disincorporation is a step too far. After all, Vernon is really meantto be run for their benefit, not for that of the 96 residents. To a large extent, Vernonrepresents all that is left of manufacturing industry in Los Angeles County. Who else in LosAngeles these days would welcome belching trucks and slaughterhouses? If Vernon loses itsindependence, its businessmen say, its electricity company will have toincrease its rates, thus erasing a crucial competitive advantage. Eric Gustafson, the third-generation manager of a family-run maker of lards and shortenings, says that if Vernon werenot a city we wouldnt be here, and if were forced to move, were not staying in this state.Hed move his firm to the Midwest, he reckons.

　　不過對弗農市商界來說，撤市之舉走得太遠。畢竟，弗農市的運作實際上是旨在服務于商界的利益，而非96名居民的利益。在很大程度上，弗農市代表著洛杉磯縣僅存的全部制造業。如今，該縣還有誰會歡迎排著濃煙的卡車與屠宰場呢?該市商人指出，如果弗農市失去了獨立地位，那么如今由城市所擁有的電力公司將不得不提高電價，而這會令弗農市失去一個關鍵的競爭優勢。一個生產豬油和酥油的家族企業的第三代經理埃里克?古絲塔森表示：如果弗農不是一座城市，那我們就不會在這里，而如果我們被迫搬走，我們將不會待在加州。他覺得自己的公司會搬到中西部地區。

　　The threat of job losses and a new manufacturing exodus naturally gets legislators attentionat a time when California has barely begun recovering from recession. Mr Prez thinks thethreats are overblown. But Vernon, and most of its business customers, plan to fight his bill inthe state senate, then on the governors desk and in the courts.

　　在加州剛剛勉強開始從經濟衰退中走向復蘇之際，工作崗位流失以及新的制造業外逃的威脅自然會引起立法者的關注。佩雷斯認為這種威脅被夸大了。但是弗農市及該市大多數商業客戶卻計劃著在州參議院對佩雷斯的法案進行抗擊，之后還將在州長和法庭那里繼續斗爭。

　　Even if they prevail, however, Mr Prezs bill will have done some good. Vernons defencestrategy is to reform itself voluntarily and aggressively so that corruption will cease evenwithout disincorporation, says Mark Whitworth, the current city administrator and fire chief.There will be term limits for officials, caps on salaries, transparency in housing and so forth.After all, why get rid of an honest city? This bit of the peculiar municipal quilt that is LosAngeles may just persist.

　　然而，即便他們獲得了勝利，佩雷斯的法案仍將帶來一些益處。弗農市現任市長及消防隊長指出，該市的防御對策是對自身進行自愿而激烈的改革，因此即便不撤市，腐敗也將得以終止。改革措施還包括官員任期限制、工資上限、房產透明管理等等。畢竟，為什么要撤銷一座誠實的城市呢?洛杉磯這座四處鋪開的獨特城市中的這一角，或許仍將堅持存在下去。