CAMBRIDGE – After the financial crisis erupted in 2008, many observers blamed the crisis in large part on the fact that too many financial firms had loaded up on debt while relying on only a thin layer of equity. The reason is straightforward: whereas equity can absorb a business downturn – profits fall, but the firm does not immediately fail – debt is less forgiving, because creditors do not wait around to be paid.
美国剑桥—2008年金融危机爆发后，许多观察者认为危机很大程度上是拜一个事实所赐：太多的金融机构累积了大量债务，但可以依赖的股本太少。这里的道理很直观：股本能吸收业务衰退——利润下降，但企业并不会立刻倒闭——但债务很难赦免，因为债权人在偿付时不愿等待。短期债权人要求按条款付清现金，拒绝贷款展期，不给财务恶化的企业信用。长期债权人要求“整体化”并提出上诉。没有现金，企业就得倒闭。