The Wealth of Nations
/ðə ˌwelθ əv ˈneɪʃnz/
/ðə ˌwelθ əv ˈneɪʃnz/
- an important work of economic and social theory by Adam Smith, published in 1776. Its full title was Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations. In it he analysed the relationship between work and the production of a nation's wealth. His conclusion was that the best economic situation results from encouraging free enterprise (= an economic system in which there is open competition in business and trade, and no government control). This idea has had a great influence on economic theories since and it formed the basis of the economic policies of the Conservative government in Britain in the 1980s.
国家财富：亚当·史密斯（Adam Smith）于1776年出版的经济和社会理论的重要著作。其完整标题是《对国家财富的性质和原因的探究》。在其中，他分析了工作与国家财富生产之间的关系。他的结论是，最佳的经济形势来自鼓励自由企业（即商业和贸易存在公开竞争且不受政府控制的经济体系）。自从那以后，这个想法就对经济理论产生了很大的影响，并成为1980年代英国保守党政府经济政策的基础。