英语翻译

英语翻译
"For many Americans,government is the Inspector Clouseau of institutions – bungling and inept.But the record shows this is not true."
Although conservatives portray government as incompetent,public sector programs have actually amassed an admirable record of success in a wide variety of policy areas.
A constant problem for Barack Obama and other proponents of more active government is the common perception that this institution has a poor record of achievement.Conservatives and libertarians have persistently promoted the idea that government fails more often than it succeeds.They have been telling Americans for years that government is an incompetent institution that has achieved little of real value in society.As one conservative critic put it:“The more important question is not why government is so big … but why with few exceptions,it fails in even its simplest tasks.”1 Another critic,Charles Murray,puts it even more bluntly:“The reality of daily life is that,by and large,the things the government does tend to be ugly,rude,slovenly – and not to work.”2 Or consider the bold challenge uttered by Rush Limbaugh on one of his radio shows:“With the exception of the military,I defy you to name one government program that has worked and alleviated the problem it was created to solve.Hhhmmmmmmm?I'm waiting....Time's up.”3
The Stereotype:Government as Bungling and Inept
Many of us have bought into this image of government as a bungler – a bunch of bureaucrats that can’t do anything right.Ask most Americans and they will tell you:if you want something messed up,have the government do it.We’ve all heard the jokes:
Q:How many government bureaucrats does it take to screw in a light bulb?A:Two.One to assure everyone that everything possible is being done while the other screws the bulb into the water faucet.
Q:How many government workers does it take to screw in a light bulb?A:Two.One to screw it in and one to screw it up.
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