Name: 自由市場：競爭、壟斷與創新動力 (The Free Market: Competition, Monopolies, and the Dynamics of Innovation)
Uploaded: 2025-07-31T18:21:07.000Z
Duration: 5 min 1 s

In a market, humans with unlimited wants often meet sellers with limited supplies.

在市場上，擁有無限需求的人往往會遇到供應有限的賣家。

In such a place, competition is usually a force of good.

在這樣的地方，競爭通常是一種好的力量。

It leads to more choice, increases the quality of products on offer, and reduces their prices.

它帶來了更多的選擇，提高了產品的品質，降低了產品的價格。

If competition is absent, monopolies can form.

如果缺乏競爭，就會形成壟斷。

Adam Smith, the father of modern economics, defined competition as allocating productive resources to their most highly valued uses.

現代經濟學之父亞當-斯密將競爭定義為將生產資源分配給最有價值的用途。

For sellers, the money they receive when they sell is more productive than their product.

對於賣家來說，他們賣出產品後得到的錢比他們的產品更有生產力。

For the buyers, the produce they get is more productive than their money.

對買家來說，他們得到的農產品比他們的錢更有價值。

When a deal is done, neither party may be entirely happy with the agreed price, but at the end, both feel better off.

交易完成後，雙方可能都不會對商定的價格完全滿意，但最終雙方都會感覺更好。

In a competitive market, those who want something the most end up getting it.

在競爭激烈的市場中，那些最想要得到某樣東西的人最終會得到它。

Competition takes various forms, as the following story illustrates.

競爭的形式多種多樣，下面的故事就說明了這一點。

One dealer in a market decides to bring in bananas, to be the first to sell them.

市場上的一個經銷商決定把香蕉運進來，第一個賣掉。

He is the only one, and since people love bananas, he sells them at a high price.

只有他一個人，因為人們喜歡吃香蕉，所以他賣得很貴。

And it doesn't take long for someone else to see an opportunity for improvement.

不用多久，其他人就會發現改進的機會。

Competing in price is the most straightforward way in which sellers can compete for customers, because consumers usually prefer to pay less.

價格競爭是賣方爭奪客戶的最直接方式，因為消費者通常更願意支付較少的費用。

In order to survive, the first seller, also known as incumbent, may also lower the prices.

為了生存，第一個賣家（也稱為現任賣家）也可能會降低價格。

This pressure on prices is usually leaving customers better off.

這種價格壓力通常會給客戶帶來更多實惠。

In theory, this back and forth will continue until both have reached a price that yields zero profit.

從理論上講，這種來來回回的交易會一直持續到雙方都達到零利潤的價格為止。

Instead of offering a lower price, newcomers can try to sell higher quality products or innovate.

新來者可以嘗試銷售更高質量的產品或進行創新，而不是提供更低的價格。

In response to innovators, incumbents may try to improve their offers and come up with ideas to strengthen their position.

面對創新者，在位者可能會努力改進自己的報價，並提出一些想法來鞏固自己的地位。

So besides lowering prices, another consequence of competition is the range of choices and innovation, both of which are good for the people in the market.

是以，除了降低價格之外，競爭的另一個結果就是增加選擇和創新的範圍，這對市場中的人們來說都是好事。

In a free market, competition defines the ultimate price and quality of goods on offer, a phenomenon referred to as emergent order.

在自由市場中，競爭決定了商品的最終價格和品質，這種現象被稱為 "突發秩序"。

That means it's eventually not up to the shop to decide how much to charge for a product, but intangible forces such as supply, demand, and consumer preferences that emerge over time.

這意味著最終不是由商店來決定產品的價格，而是由無形的力量，如供應、需求和隨著時間推移而出現的消費者偏好來決定。

If one company is the only one selling a product, we speak of a monopoly.

如果只有一家公司銷售產品，我們就稱之為壟斷。

Then the benefits of competition fade, and the naturally emergent order gets disrupted.

然後，競爭的好處就會消失，自然形成的秩序就會被打亂。

From perfect competition to monopoly lies a spectrum we can use to define the intensity of competition.

從完全競爭到壟斷，我們可以用光譜來定義競爭的激烈程度。

In a highly transparent market, we have almost perfect competition with low prices and lots of customer choice.

在一個高度透明的市場中，我們的競爭近乎完美，價格低廉，客戶選擇眾多。

In a market that is dominated by a monopoly, prices are often high, and the variety of options decreases.

在一個被壟斷的市場中，價格往往很高，選擇的多樣性也會減少。

If just a few companies share the market, we speak of oligopoly, which is also a problem as they often secretly fix prices.

如果只有幾家公司分享市場，我們就可以說是寡頭壟斷，這也是一個問題，因為它們經常暗中操縱價格。

In a free and open market with high competition, we see innovative suppliers, happy customers, and an immersive variety of choice.

在一個自由開放、競爭激烈的市場中，我們看到的是創新的供應商、滿意的客戶和豐富多彩的選擇。

On the other end of the spectrum, we have a monopoly.

而在另一端，我們則處於壟斷地位。

Suppliers have little bargaining power, the goods they sell are often inferior, customers pay higher prices and wait longer hours.

供應商幾乎沒有討價還價的能力，他們出售的商品往往是劣質品，客戶支付的價格更高，等待的時間更長。

In order for markets to function, governments need to break monopolies up and consumers should support those that rival them.

為了讓市場發揮作用，政府需要打破壟斷，而消費者則應支持那些與之抗衡的企業。

Only then will we see innovation, good products, low prices, happy customers, and markets that leave everyone better off.

只有這樣，我們才能看到創新、好的產品、低廉的價格、滿意的客戶，以及讓每個人都過得更好的市場。

In summary, competition usually leads to lower prices, innovation, and higher living standards.

總之，競爭通常會帶來低價、創新和更高的生活水準。

Monopolies lead to higher prices, inferior products, and lower living standards.

壟斷導致價格上漲、產品劣質、生活水準下降。

We should try to break up monopolies to support free market competition.

我們應該努力打破壟斷，支持自由市場競爭。

To learn more about competition, tell us how you would compete.

要了解更多比賽資訊，請告訴我們您將如何參加比賽。

First, find a product or service available online or in your neighborhood with very little competition.

首先，在網上或附近尋找一種競爭很少的產品或服務。

Describe the service and tell us why you think there is little competition.

請描述服務內容，並說明您認為競爭對手少的原因。

Or because the demand is so low that there is little profit to be made?

還是因為需求量太小，利潤微薄？

Now assume you are opening a competing business.

現在，假設你要開一家與之競爭的企業。

Tell us three things that you would do in order to compete.

告訴我們，為了參加比賽，你會做的三件事。

For more information and additional content, visit SproutSchools.com

欲瞭解更多資訊和其他內容，請訪問 SproutSchools.com