That sounds a lot like what many advanced countries have been going through, after financial-crisis-induced austerity plans were launched, doesn’t it? Is Mandeville a genuine prophet for our times?
在金融危机的影响下许多发达国家都启动了紧缩政策，而这首诗的内容听上去也与它们的近况极为相似——莫非曼德维尔才是预言我们这个时代的真正先知？