Fixed or free book prices: is a hybrid system superior?

One of the main issues in the literature on the economics of books is whether or not a fixed‐price system is better than a free‐price system in providing a wide variety of cheap books. Although numerous studies have been carried out, this issue remains unresolved. Since 1962 Norway has had a fixed‐price system, regulated by a book trade agreement between the publishers’ and booksellers’ associations. On 1 May 2005, Bokavtalen, a new book trade agreement was introduced, representing a new step in a long‐term trend towards a less regulated book trade, and the price system is now actually a hybrid of fixed and free prices. The evaluation is mainly based on extensive use of multivariate regression analyses. Some of the results suggest that the hybrid price system is superior to the old one with regard to each of price, sales, reading and number of titles.     

On the cultural blessings of fixed book prices

The system of fixed book prices whereby publishers set the price customers pay at the bookstore is very common in Europe and, according to the European Parliament, it is a means of unique cultural importance. For this reason, it is considered to more than outweigh any negative effects on the economic efficiency of such regulations. The main conclusion of this article, however, is that it is quite hard to find convincing evidence, either theoretical or empirical, that fixed book pricing is better, even as a cultural means, than free book pricing.     

关于乾隆时期钱值高昂问题的考察

雍正皇帝为稳定商品市场的银钱比价,对铜钱制度深刻反思后进行了全面改革,至乾隆时期,改革后的铸钱成本长期保持在铜钱千文含银一两以下, 成本较低。而同一时期商品货币流通领域铜钱对纹银的兑换却低于一两,钱价高昂,钱价与钱值相悖。形成这个问题的根本原因,在于清政府对铜斤实行垄断经营、压低价格。基于清政府对鼓铸用锎垄断价格而形成的铸钱成本,并不能真正体现钱文的价值含量。铸钱成本的高低应取决于商品市场铜铅价格的高低。乾隆时期钱价高昂,正是当时商品市场铜价昂贵的曲折反映。     

江苏省城市地价影响因素分析与空间结构研究

本文以江苏省68个地级与县级市的城市地价为样本,运用因子分析方法对影响地价的诸多变量进行分析,发现城市集聚规模与城市经济发展水平是影响地价的重要因素。对江苏省城市地价进行地统计分析,发现江苏省城市地价明显表现出区域空间分布规律,表现为江苏省城市地价存在南北、东西两个方向上的梯度变化,运用线性回归方法求得两个方向上的梯度值;江苏省城市地价整体有一定正相关性,但局域自相关性表现不强;地价以南京、苏州为高地价点,省内地价存在沿沪宁铁路与长江的高地价条带区域。结合因子分析结果对以上规律做出解释。     

Colouring the Nation: A New In-Depth Study of the Turkey Red Pattern Books in the National Museums Scotland

Abstract

The production of Turkey red dyed and printed cottons was a major industry in the west of Scotland, particularly in the mid- to late nineteenth century. Although the extensive works were pulled down in the second half of the twentieth century, our knowledge of this industry is significantly aided by the survival of approximately 200 pattern books, now housed in the National Museums Scotland. These pattern books, examined along with business papers, exhibition catalogues and the Board of Trade Design Registers, are the foundation for a new study into the wider Scottish decorative textile industry. The ongoing examination of these pattern books has shown the variety and longevity of Turkey red dyed and printed patterns, as well as providing insights into wider aspects of the textile industry, including issues of design, manufacture and trade.     

谈清代内府的铜活字印书

在中国印刷史、出版史的研究中,学者们对清代内府铜活字印书的问题颇为关注,关于印书的数量、品种及活字的制作方法、插图版画的制作工艺、铜活字套印技术等问题,研究者多有不同看法。本文根据故宫博物院图书馆现存实物,结合著录文献进行考订,核实了现存铜活字本的数量,并对铜活字的铸刻、活字印本的套色诸问题进行了探讨。     

Regulating Scientific Diving and Underwater Archaeology: legal and historical considerations

The regulation of scientific and archaeological diving is complex but it is essential that underwater archaeologists are familiar with the requirements placed on them by legal systems. This paper outlines the history and development of current legal systems in four jurisdictions: the UK, USA, EU and Australia. This historical and legal approach informs key discussions facing maritime archaeologists; reference is made to training requirements, safety records and the question of who should be allowed to participate and who should be excluded from archaeological diving.     

我国旅游门票研究综述

景区门票是旅游区的"入场券",在以观光旅游为主的中国旅游业中一直占据着重要的地位。我国学术界对景区门票的研究始于20世纪90年代。近年来,随着景区门票的涨价逐渐成为研究的热点。文章通过对该领域相关成果的系统梳理,着重从景区门票的制作、景区门票的价格、景区门票的营销与管理、景区门票的功能等方面对这些成果进行分析和评述。     

生态系统服务对区域经济增长的影响研究——以黑龙江省为例

以净初级生产力作为生态系统服务的综合测量指标,在经典柯布道格拉斯生产函数的基础上,运用协整与误差修正模型对1986-2010年黑龙江省生态系统服务对区域经济增长的影响进行了分析,并评估了净初级生产力的边际价格。结果表明,黑龙江省生态系统服务对区域经济增长具有明显的促进作用,净初级生产力每提高1%促进真实GDP增长0.0257%;在生态系统服务的影响下,黑龙江省经济系统以每年1.8%的速率将系统波动产生的非均衡状态向长期均衡状态调整,说明生态系统服务在促进经济增长的同时也保障了经济体系的稳定运行;在误差修正模型基础上得到的黑龙江省净初级生产力的边际价格为255.1元/106kgC(以1952年价格为基准),此价格主要受净初级生产力产出弹性的影响。     

The medical content of English almanacs 1640-1700

There has been a great deal of recent interest in popular health care in early modern England, resulting in studies on a range of topics from practitioners through remedial treatment. Over the past decade, the history of books has also attracted growing interest. This is particularly true for the seventeenth century, a period marked by a dramatic rise in all types of printed works. The 1640s are especially significant in the evolution of printed vernacular medical publications, which continued to flourish during the rest of the century. While recent studies on popular medical books have contributed greatly to our understanding of contemporary medical beliefs and practices, they have failed to properly recognize the effect that almanacs had on early modern medicine. Although their primary function was not to disseminate medical information, most provided a great deal of medical information. Furthermore, these cheap, annual publications targeted and were read by a wide cross-section of the public, making them the first true form of British mass media. This article is based on the content of 1,392 almanacs printed between 1640 and 1700, which may make it the largest comparative study of the medical content of any early modern printed works. The project has resulted in two major findings. First of all, almanacs played a major part in the dissemination, continuing popularity, and longevity of traditional astrological and Galenic beliefs and practices. Secondly, at the same time, almanacs played an important early role in the growth of medical materialism in Britain.     

《管子·轻重篇》粮价考略

<管子·轻重篇>有不少战国秦汉时期粮价的记载,但很少有人重视.本文对<管子·轻重篇>所载的粮价进行了较系统的考证,将之与其它文献和考古资料互相比照,发现<管子·轻重篇>反映的粮价,无论是低价、平价还是高价,都与有关文献和简牍资料的记载基本一致.因此,本文作者认为<管子·轻重篇>所记载的物价是有重要研究价值的.     

Turkey and the European Union: troubled European or European trouble?

This article examines EU‐Turkey relations and considers the potential impact of the EU pronouncement at the December 2004 summit and the subsequent (reluctant)decision to begin negotiations in October 2005 on Turkey's efforts to become a member of the Union. It briefly summarizes the debate over Turkish accession and outlines the main arguments and positions of EU members and institutions. It then highlights the inadequacies of the alternatives to full membership that have been offered to Turkey in the past and expresses the concern that the EU's adoption of ‘flexible integration’ may lead to Turkey being, at best, offered a ‘lower tier’ form of EU membership in the future. It continues by arguing that concerns about Turkey's suitability for EU membership because it is Islamic and its lack of ‘Europeanness’ are ill‐founded and/or irrelevant and that the best way to facilitate Turkey's continued contribution to European (and world)security and its western orientation, is to allow it to join the EU as a full member. It concludes that the decision to admit a new member is primarily a political one and that Turkey should be allowed to join the EU in the immediate future.     

浅议王祯《造活字印书法》“界行”与明清活字“行格界线”

"界行",也称"行格界线",是版本学研究的问题之一。一般认为,"界行"是古籍中与文字相随、间隔字行的细黑线条。近代,西洋活字印刷技术逐渐取代了传统的版刻、活字技术,洋装书取代了线装书,"界行"也随之从书本上消失。过去认为,王祯《造活字印书法》(简称《印书法》)中的"界行",就是明清活字印本上的"行格界线"。近期,笔者重新审视西夏文佛经《本续》,对将其定为木活字印本的主要依据是"隔行竹片印痕"的认识有所领悟:《造活字印书法》中的"界行",与能显示在印本上的明清活字本"行格界线"不同,它是不能显示在印本上的。本文从三个方面对王祯《印书法》"界行"进行了论证:1.它与明清"行格界线"概念不同;2.它与明清"行格界线"性质不同;3.它与金简《程式》"套格"不同。     

New mechanisms,old problems? Recent books on universal jurisdiction and mixed tribunals

This review article examines three recent books on two topics: universal jurisdiction and the mixed or hybrid tribunal. It reviews two volumes on universal jurisdiction that discuss the history of the concept and the rise in the exercise of universal jurisdiction, as well as some of the arguments for holding rights abusers responsible in venues far from the locus of the original crime and then turns to some of the possible pitfalls of such approaches. The article also examines some of the virtues, but also the shortcomings, of the hybrid tribunal and concludes that while these innovative tools have their uses, they cannot be viewed as a panacea, but rather as part of a continuing effort to prevent and respond to atrocities.     

The effectiveness of UN and EU sanctions: lessons for the twenty‐first century

A fractious UN Security Council has contributed to the decline in effectiveness of a number of UN sanctions adopted in recent years. Yet they remain a tool of the Council, for example with regard to Libya in 2011. The challenge is to understand how UN, country (US) and regional sanctions (EU, AU, Arab League) can be meaningful in such a climate. The four books reviewed make various suggestions, from clarity of mandate to better evaluating impact. Mikael Eriksson's Targeting peace seeks to evaluate the complexity of the sanctions policy process. He argues that effectiveness comes partly from understanding politics (episodes of sanctions), but also from institutional reform—‘black box’ processes, as he calls them. Sanctions are more successful as part of a wider package. Clara Portela in European Union sanctions and foreign policy examines the use of sanctions as a political tool, including the suspension of development aid and the withdrawal of trade privileges. She shows how the EU plays an important role in signalling and constraining when UN sanctions are weak. For example, informal measures like the 2003 EU decision to invite only dissidents to national day receptions in Havanna resulted in the release of detainees that it had aimed for. The high rate of success of development aid cut‐off stands in sharp contrast with EU Common Foreign and Security Policy sanctions. The unintended consequence of good intentions is also highlighted by both Portela and Eriksson—Zimbabwe in particular but also Côte d'Ivoire and Iran pose similar challenges. The imposition of EU or UN sanctions is easier than reaching consensus to lift them, although events in Burma (Myanmar) in 2012 have resulted in smooth suspensions of most US and EU sanctions. All four books show that targeted sanctions cannot be seen as stand‐alone measures, nor assessed in isolation. Sanctions are multi‐faceted and require detailed assessment of political context, episode and institutional process.     

Graduated sovereignty and global governance gaps: Special economic zones and the illicit trade in tobacco products

Illicit trade in tobacco products has been a significant problem globally for many years. It allows cigarettes to be sold far below their legal price and thus contributes to higher consumption, morbidity and mortality, and deprives state treasuries of a substantial amount of revenue. This article identifies special economic zones (SEZs), particularly free trade zones, as a key conduit for this illicit trade. The development of SEZs as weak points in the global governance architecture is explained with reference to the concept of ‘graduated sovereignty’, whereby the uniform management of territory by modern states has given way to a more spatially selective form of territorial governance, in which some slices of territory are more fully integrated into the world economy than others via various forms of differential regulation. Attempts to comprehensively (re)regulate SEZs, in the face of growing evidence of the dysfunctionalities that they can engender, have so far been unsuccessful. It is concluded that the neo-liberal global economy has facilitated a regulatory ‘race to the bottom’, a problem that can only ultimately be overcome by international negotiation and agreement.     

Punishing convicted ravishers: statutory strictures and actual practice in thirteenth and fourteenth-century England

Several thirteenth-century English statutes provided increasing sanctions for ravishment or abduction of wards and wives. The penalty for conviction as a ravisher came to include a term of “penal servitude”, as well as the payment of damages to the plaintiff and an amercement to the crown. The evidence of the cases decided in the common law courts indicates that the payment of damages precluded penal servitude and that arrangements to pay made while in jail effected the prisoner's release before the term ended. Disregard of the ‘penal’ provisions and the continued use of jail or its threat to ‘coerce’ a defendant into compliance with the award of the court illustrate the disjunction between legislation and legal practice. That statutes about ravishment cannot be taken as self-enforcing contributes to the growing body of scholarship reminding us that history cannot be written from the statute books alone.     

Punishing convicted ravishers: statutory strictures and actual practice in thirteenth and fourteenth-century England

Several thirteenth-century English statutes provided increasing sanctions for ravishment or abduction of wards and wives. The penalty for conviction as a ravisher came to include a term of “penal servitude”, as well as the payment of damages to the plaintiff and an amercement to the crown. The evidence of the cases decided in the common law courts indicates that the payment of damages precluded penal servitude and that arrangements to pay made while in jail effected the prisoner's release before the term ended. Disregard of the ‘penal’ provisions and the continued use of jail or its threat to ‘coerce’ a defendant into compliance with the award of the court illustrate the disjunction between legislation and legal practice. That statutes about ravishment cannot be taken as self-enforcing contributes to the growing body of scholarship reminding us that history cannot be written from the statute books alone.     

坚守还是让渡——二战后英国人主权观述论

英国人对主权让渡的认识经历了较为复杂的过程:从欧洲一体化初期不愿让渡主权,到加入欧共体时出现"无关主权"、"共享主权"和"威胁主权"三种认知,之后逐渐形成主流共识:一方面,让渡部分主权、融入欧洲一体化有利于增进英国国家利益;但另一方面,无论"亲欧派"还是"疑欧派"都坚持英国的核心主权不可让渡的原则,并且不认同欧洲联邦是欧洲一体化的终结目标。英国政府采取务实主义的态度,既通过"非政治化"努力避免主权让渡成为与欧共体/欧盟合作的障碍,又坚守英国的法理主权地位,部分主权的让渡与否取决于对本国利益的权衡和国内政治的需要。英国人对主权让渡的"保守"态度是他们认知主权的一种"英国方式",但它并没有改变英国人的上述主流共识。     

The Characteristics of the Theory of History in Ancient China

Historical studies in ancient China have left us many bountiful legacies. One of them is the theory of (objective) history, whose major characteristics can be loosely divided into the following categories: (1) a wide variety of literary forms, including theoretical remarks affixed to historical narratives and even special chapters and books on historical criticism; (2) continuity of research at many levels of historiographic theory; (3) reasoning through facts (i.e., basing theory on facts and offering arguments by following historical evidence); and (4) a wealth of masterpieces. Translated from Academic Research, No. 1, 2004