080228穷途末日东京都银行

华南虎

080228穷途末日东京都银行

おとといの東京都議会で、石原知事と議員が妙なやりとりを交わした。「発案者として当然、もろもろの責任を感じている」と知事。「もろもろとはどんな責任か」「もろもろとはまさにもろもろ」。

在前天的的东京都议会上，石原知事与议员之间有过一番不同寻常的交锋。知事说“作为提案者，当然感到了诸般责任”。“诸般云云，到底是何责任”。“诸般就是诸般”

知事が３年前に作った「新銀行東京」が追い込まれた。都が出資した１０００億円の大半は赤字に食われ、知事は財政から４００億円の追加出資を決めた。さらなる血税投入には反対の声が多い。そもそも、各紙の社説がここまでそろうのは珍しい。

知事在3年前创建的“新银行东京”已濒临绝境。东京都出资的1000亿日元的大半已被赤字所吞噬，而知事决定从财政中再拿出400亿日元的追加投资。反对再投血税的呼声不绝于耳。说来也怪，在此以前各报的社论口径还没这么统一过呢。

石原知事は失敗を認めよ（朝日）「石原銀行」は幕を閉じる時（日経）もう店じまいすべき（読売）撤退への道筋を描く時だ（毎日）手を引く時（東京）役割はすでに終わったといえないか（産経）。散々である。

石原知事认输吧（朝日新闻），“石原银行”已到闭幕之时了（日经新闻）该打烊了（读卖新闻）该规划撤退路线了（每日新闻）该罢手了（东京新闻）使命还没结束吗（产经新闻）。哪篇都将它批了个狗血喷头。

中小零細企業を救う心意気はいいが、開業時には貸し渋りは消えかけていた。それでも存在理由を示すため、甘い審査で貸し付け、焦げつかせた。約１０００億円の累積赤字は、プロも用心する小口融資のヤブに素人が分け入った結果だ。

想要拯救中小企业的心意是好的，但开业之时银行的惜贷已接近尾声。这此金融氛围中，为了显示自己的存在理由，依然仅通过宽松的审查便放贷，最后造成呆帐。大约1000亿日元的累积亏损，便是外行随随便便地闯入连老手也提心吊胆的小额融资领域的结果。

知事や経営陣はもちろん、設立に賛成した都議会の責任は重く、追加出資を認めれば恥の上塗りだ。例えば地震対策にも使えた都税を、時代感覚に欠けたお役所流が食いつぶす。知事の面目のために公金を重ねてつぎ込めば、失敗は大の字つきで都政史に残りかねない。

知事以及经营班子自不用说，就连赞成设立银行的都议会也有重大责任，若同意了追加投资则更是无地自容了。缺乏时代感的官僚们将本可用于诸如地震对策之类的税金滥用一空。要是为了知事的面子而再乱化公家的钱，则难免在都政史上留下大大的败笔了。

もろもろの成功に彩られた人生の秋に、しくじりを認めるのは勇気がいる。だが〈過ちて改めざる、これを過ちという〉と論語にもある。改めぬ「もろもろ問答」の間にも、新銀行はぼろぼろの度を深めていく。

在有过诸般成就的多彩人生之秋，要承认自己的失败是需要勇气的。然而论语有云“过而不改，是谓过矣”。就在不知悔改地“诸般问答”之时，新银行的破败也正在进一步地恶化。

英译：

Ishihara must correct his ShinGinko 'mistake'
02/29/2008



An odd exchange took place Tuesday in the Tokyo metropolitan assembly between Governor Shintaro Ishihara and an assemblyman. Questioned about the ShinGinko Tokyo bank mess, Ishihara admitted, "As the person who came up with the idea of setting up this bank, I naturally feel responsible for all sorts of things." When the assemblyman pressed him to explain what he meant by "all sorts of things," Ishihara replied, "By all sorts of things, I mean just that."

Established three years ago at Ishihara's initiative, ShinGinko is now in serious trouble, having lost most of its 100 billion yen capital provided by the Tokyo government. Ishihara has decided to invest an additional 40 billion yen in taxpayer money into the ailing bank, but many taxpayers are opposed to the move.

It is rare for all major newspapers to agree on the same issue in their editorials, but this has proven to be the case with ShinGinko. The vernacular Asahi Shimbun's recent editorial headline read: "Governor Ishihara should admit his mistake." Other newspaper headlines were just as critical. "Time to bring curtains down on 'Ishihara Bank,'" said The Nihon Keizai Shimbun; "Time to close shop" (The Yomiuri Shimbun); "Time to map out exit strategy" (The Mainichi Shimbun); "Time to withdraw" (The Tokyo Shimbun). The Sankei Shimbun used the phrase, "Bank seems to have ended its role."

It was admirable of the bank to try to save struggling small and midsize businesses. But by the time of its establishment, the credit crunch that had hurt those businesses was already beginning to ease. Yet, in order to justify its existence, ShinGinko kept offering easy loans. The approximately 100 billion yen in cumulative deficits it has run up is the result of amateurs treading into the risk-filled small loans business that even seasoned professionals were wary of.

Ishihara and the management bear a heavy responsibility, of course, but the Tokyo assembly that approved the establishment of this bank should also be held accountable. Should the assembly endorse the additional 40 billion yen investment, it will only bring further disgrace upon itself.

The taxpayer money could be better used preparing the city for a big earthquake, for instance, rather than be squandered by bureaucrats lacking in contemporary acumen. But if the governor is still determined to inject public funds into the bank just to save his own face, this whole affair may well go down in Tokyo's history as a major fiasco.

It takes courage to admit a mistake in the autumn of one's otherwise charmed, successful life. But as Confucius warned in his "Analects": "A man who has committed a mistake and doesn't correct it is committing another mistake." ShinGinko continues to sink deeper into trouble while Ishihara avoids facing his own responsibility.

--The Asahi Shimbun, Feb. 28(IHT/Asahi: February 29,2008)