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▼うそには三種類ある、と言ったのは19世紀英国の宰相ディズレーリだった。すなわち、ふつうのうそ、ひどいうそ、そして統計数字であると。統計にかぎらず数字は水もので、たとえば質問の仕方でがらりと変わる。
19世纪的英国首相本杰明•迪斯雷利曾说过,谎言有三种,普通的谎言、严重的谎言,以及统计数据。统计数据往往富含水分,举例来说,提问方式的不同,得出的数据也迥然不同。
VOX POPULI: Playing the numbers game with nuclear fallout
According to Benjamin Disraeli, prime minister of Britain during the 19th century, there are three kinds of lies: "Lies, damned lies and statistics." True, statistics and poll numbers can "lie" big time, depending on how they are arrived at.
▼いささか古い国内の例だが、「規則を曲げて無理な仕事をさせることもあるが、仕事以外でも人の面倒をよく見る」という課長を良いと答える人は84%いた。ところが前後を入れ替えて、「仕事以外でも人の面倒をよく見るが、規則を曲げて無理な仕事をさせることもある」だと47%に減ったそうだ。
引用一个国内的旧事例来说,“有时会违反规定、强迫部下干些不合情理的工作,但工作之余也会相当关照部下”,有84%的人会认为这是一位好课长。不过,把前后颠倒一下“虽然工作之余会相当关照部下,但有时会违反规定,强迫他们干些不合情理的工作”,只有47%的人认为这是一位好课长。
Let me give you a classic example. A poll taken in Japan years ago asked, "How do you feel about a company section chief who sometimes bends the rules and makes unreasonable demands at work, but takes very good care of his subordinates outside the office?" An overwhelming 84 percent of the respondents said they were in favor of such a boss. But the same boss received the support of only 47 percent when the question was rephrased as follows: "How do you feel about a company section chief who takes very good care of his subordinates outside the office, but sometimes bends the rules and makes unreasonable demands at work?"
▼客観的で、感情を省いたように粧(よそお)いつつ、ときに裏で舌を出しているところに数字の怖さがある。「試算」もしかりだろう。前提や条件のつけ方で違ってくる。内閣府の原子力委による「原発事故のコスト試算」も、どうも覚束(おぼつか)ない。
数字表面看起来很客观公正,好像完全不受情感因素的影响,但其实数字很容易被暗地操控。这也正是其可怕之处。“估算”也是如此,前提或条件的差异就会影响到结果。日本原子能委员会提交的“核电站事故处理成本估算”,显然就是如此。
The scary thing about numbers is that they look objective and devoid of human sentiment, if you will, but they can be manipulated easily. The same goes for "estimates," which can vary greatly according to the premises on which their calculations are based. I feel this way about the cost estimates of a nuclear plant accident released by the Japan Atomic Energy Commission at the Cabinet Office.
▼事故への対応にかかるコストは「1キロワット時あたり最大で1.2円」という。だが試算の過程で「低値誘導」されているようだ。もとになる今回の事故の損害額が、ずいぶん低く設定されているとの指摘も聞こえてくる。
经委员会的估算,核电站事故的处理成本,最高不超过每度电1.2日元。但在估算的过程中,据说他们进行的是“偏低值诱导”。甚至有些专家指责说委员会故意大大压低了这次核泄露事故的损失金额。
According to the commission, the cost of containing an accident is "no more than 1.2 yen a kilowatt-hour." But it appears the commission made sure to arrive at a conservative estimate. Some experts point out that the damages caused by the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant, on which the calculations were based, were underrated considerably.
▼高くなれば火力などへの経済的優位は崩れる。ゆえに思惑で丸め込んだとも評される。「脱原発」を情緒的と指さす産官学の、それこそ情緒的な数字いじりではないのだろうか。
也有评论说之所以估算得这么低,是因为怕过高的价格会削弱核电相对于火电等的价格优势。核电行业、主管部门和研究机构等称人们要求“废除核电”过于情绪化,然而他们自己却擅自篡改数据。
The commission is suspected of "tweaking" the numbers to defend its claim that nuclear power generation is more cost-effective than thermal and other forms of power generation. The nuclear industry, bureaucrats and academics who support it criticize anti-nuke people as "sentimental," but they themselves were obviously not above keeping their sentiments out of their number-crunching.
▼夏の電力需給の試算や節電目標が実は怪しかったことも後で分かった。数字は無私だが、背後には良くも悪くも人がいる。何によらず、吟味する心がけは、私たちメディアの自戒でもある。
今年夏季电力供需的估算和节电目标实际上也很古怪,这一点如今真相大白。数字本身是公正公平的,可数字背后却有好人也有坏人。不偏不倚,用心筛选,这也是我们媒体人应当不断自律自省的。
Their power demand estimates and energy-saving targets this past summer were later found to have been "contrived." For better or for worse, numbers reflect the intentions of the people who use them. This is something all members of the media, myself included, must always watch out for.
--The Asahi Shimbun, Oct. 28 |
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