That, after all, is the point of Europe’s straightjacket of austerity, which hampers its growth prospects, and thus makes little sense in economic terms. The ultimate aim of austerity is precisely the restoration of trust – among northern Europeans that the money transferred to troubled economies will not be squandered, and among the peoples affected by painful spending cuts that their efforts are recognized and supported.
说到底，这是欧洲财政紧缩妨碍了增长前景，因而不会起多少经济作用造成的。紧缩的终极目标不是别的，正是重塑信任——让掏腰包的北欧人相信转移支付给受困国家的钱不会打水漂；让饱受开支削减痛苦折磨的人们相信他们的付出会得到承认和支持。