The bold European experiment reflected a new attitude about what money should do, as well as how it should be managed. In opting for a “pure” form of money, created by a central bank independent of national authority, Europeans self-consciously flew in the face of what had become the dominant monetary tradition.&#160;
但欧元可不仅是为了减少衣服口袋遭各国大小硬币磨损而做出的怪异探索，也不是为了方便欧洲内部贸易。这场宏大的欧洲实验反映了一种关于货币应该起到何种作用，又应该如何管理的新思维。通过设立一个独立于各国当局的中央银行，并由该银行发行一种“纯粹”形式的货币，欧洲人有意识地脱离了过去那种占统治地位的货币传统。