Germany’s proficient handling of coronavirus has made it the envy of much of Europe. Its consensual political culture, decentralised government, well-funded public services and mighty industrial base have all gained new lustre during the pandemic. Angela Merkel’s dispassion — decried as ponderousness, even complacency — has served the country well during a medical emergency. In April, a social media clip of the German chancellor’s pedagogical explanation of the meaning of the viral reproduction number became an instant hit. So John Kampfner’s book Why the Germans Do it Better is both well-timed and well-aimed.
德國對新型冠狀病毒肺炎（COVID-19，即2019冠狀病毒病）的嫺熟處理，使其成爲歐洲許多國家的豔羨對象。新冠疫情期間，德國注重共識的政治文化、權力下放的政府、資金充足的公共服務和強大的工業基礎，都增添了新的光彩。安格拉•梅克爾(Angela Merkel)的冷靜客觀——被外界指責爲呆板，甚至是自滿——在醫療緊急情況下爲國家起到了很好的作用。4月，德國總理對病毒再生數含義進行深入淺出解釋的一段影片，在社群媒體上立即引起轟動。就此而言，約翰•坎普夫納(John Kampfner)的《爲什麼德國人做得更好》(Why the Germans Do it Better)一書出版的時機恰到好處，而且主題恰當。