【正文】
translation serves. Circumstances underlying foreign exchange translation differ widely. Translating accounts from a stable to an unstable currency is not the same as translating accounts from an unstable currency to a stable one. Likewise, there is little similarity between translations involving importor exporttype translations and those involving a permanently established affiliate or subsidiary pany in another country that reinvests its local earnings and does not intend to repatriate any funds to the parent pany in the near future. Second, translations are made for different purposes. Translating the accounts of a foreign subsidiary to consolidate those accounts with those of the parent pany has very little in mon with translating the accounts of an independent pany mainly for the convenience of various foreign audiencesof –interest. We therefore pose three questions: 1. Is it reasonable to use more than one translation method? 2. If so, what should be the acceptable methods and under what conditions should they be applied? 3. Are there situations in which translations should not be done at all? As to the first question, it is clear that a single translation method cannot equally serve translations occurring under different conditions and for different purposes. More than one translation method is needed. Regarding the second question, we think that three different translation approaches can be accepted: (1) the historical method, (2) the current method, and (3) no translation at all. Financial accounts of foreign entities can be translated either from a parent pany perspective or from a local perspective. Under the parent pany perspective, foreign operations are extensions of parent pany operations and are, in large measure, sources of domestic currency cash flows. Accordingly, the object of translation is to change the unit of measure for financial statements of foreign subsidiaries to the domestic currency, and to make the foreign statements conform to accounting principles generally accepted in the country of the parent pany. We think these objectives are best achieved by translation methods that use historical rates of exchange. We prefer the temporal principle, as it generally maintains the accounting principles used to measure assets and liabilities originally expressed in foreign currency units. Because foreign statements under a parent pany perspective are first adjusted to reflect parent pany accounting principles (before translation), the temporal principle is appropriate, as it changes a measurement in foreign currency into a measurement in domestic currency without changing the basis of measurement. The temporal translation method is easily adapted to processes that make accounting adjustments during the translation. When this is so, adjustments for differences between two or more sets of accounting concepts and practices are made along with the translation of currency amounts. For example, inventories or certain liabilities may be restated according to accounting practices different from those originally used. The temporal principle can acmodate any asset valuation framework, be it historical cost, current replacement price, or realizable values. The current rate method of translation is a straightforward translation (restatement) from one currency language to another. There is no change in the nature of the accounts。 only their particular form of expression is changed. The current rate method is appropriate when the translated accounts of foreign subsidiaries keep the local currency as the unit of measure。當(dāng)一個(gè)跨國(guó)公司在準(zhǔn)備合并財(cái)務(wù)報(bào)表時(shí),即需將國(guó)外子公司以國(guó)外貨幣計(jì)價(jià)的財(cái)務(wù)報(bào)表按照母公司的報(bào)告貨幣進(jìn)行重述時(shí),外幣折算就顯得尤為必要。財(cái)務(wù)分析師發(fā)現(xiàn)理解這些信息也具有很多的挑戰(zhàn)性,并且這些困擾在評(píng)價(jià)管理業(yè)績(jī)時(shí)也會(huì)出現(xiàn)。外 幣收入和費(fèi)用一般按照這些項(xiàng)目被確認(rèn)時(shí)采用的匯率進(jìn)行折算。也就是說(shuō),合并后的成果反映了那些成果被合并的每個(gè)主體的貨幣度量,違背了合并財(cái)務(wù)報(bào)表的基本目的。 考慮下面的例子。出于物價(jià)變動(dòng),這塊土地升值為 1500000FC(按照公認(rèn)會(huì)計(jì)原則,屬于為實(shí)現(xiàn)的),而期末匯率降為 =$1。而且,用現(xiàn)行市場(chǎng)匯率折算歷史成本數(shù)額會(huì)產(chǎn)生一個(gè)既不是歷史成 本也不是現(xiàn)行市價(jià)的折算結(jié)果。 多種匯率法 多種匯率法在折算過(guò)程中結(jié)合采用現(xiàn)行匯率和歷史匯率。折舊和攤銷(xiāo)費(fèi)按照相關(guān)資產(chǎn)取得時(shí)的實(shí)際歷史匯率進(jìn)行折算。例如,如果存貨的當(dāng)?shù)貎r(jià)格可能因?yàn)樨泿刨H值而上升,這樣它的價(jià)值就不會(huì)因?yàn)楝F(xiàn)行匯率風(fēng)險(xiǎn)而遭到損失。 (2)貨幣 非貨幣法 貨幣 非貨幣法( moarynonmoary method)也采用資產(chǎn)負(fù)債表的分類(lèi)思路來(lái)確定適當(dāng)?shù)恼鬯銋R率。 與流動(dòng) 非流動(dòng)法不同的是,這種方法認(rèn)為貨幣性資產(chǎn)和負(fù)債暴露在匯率風(fēng)險(xiǎn)之中。這種處理可能導(dǎo)致不恰當(dāng)?shù)慕Y(jié)果。 (3)時(shí)態(tài)法 根據(jù)時(shí)態(tài)法( temporal method) ,外幣折算是一個(gè)計(jì)量轉(zhuǎn)換過(guò)程,或者說(shuō)是對(duì)既定價(jià)值的重述。但是, 有些項(xiàng)目是按照財(cái)務(wù)報(bào)表日的價(jià)格 (現(xiàn)行價(jià)格 )計(jì)價(jià)的。尤其是外幣報(bào)表上用歷史成本計(jì)量的資產(chǎn),要采用歷史匯率折算。在收入和費(fèi)用發(fā)生數(shù)量多、交易頻繁的情況下,建議采用平均匯率。在折算中有意忽略當(dāng)?shù)赝ㄘ浥蛎浀挠绊?,這是時(shí)態(tài)法與前面討論過(guò)的幾種方法的共性(當(dāng)然,歷史成本會(huì)計(jì)也是有意忽略通貨膨脹的影響)。折算方法的具體應(yīng)用體現(xiàn)了這些差別。 哪一種方法最好 傳統(tǒng)假設(shè)認(rèn)為,一種折算方法可以適合于所有的發(fā)生折算業(yè)務(wù)的環(huán)境和服務(wù)于所有的折算目的,我們對(duì)此持反對(duì)態(tài)度。 此外,進(jìn)行折算的目的也有所不同。國(guó)外主體的財(cái)務(wù)報(bào)表既可以根據(jù)母公司觀點(diǎn)進(jìn)行折算,也可以根據(jù)子公司的觀點(diǎn)進(jìn)行折算。我們傾向于采用時(shí)態(tài)法,因?yàn)檫@種方法通常能夠把用外國(guó)貨幣單位表述的資產(chǎn)和負(fù)債所采用的會(huì)計(jì)原則保留下來(lái)。例如,存貨或某些負(fù)債可以用于原先不同的會(huì)計(jì)處理重述。如果國(guó)外子公司已折算的報(bào)表以當(dāng)?shù)刎泿抛鳛橛?jì)量單位,也就是說(shuō),如果以國(guó)外公司的觀點(diǎn)(與母公司觀點(diǎn)相對(duì))來(lái)看待國(guó)外主體,那么,采用現(xiàn)行匯率法比較適合。如果在給定的外幣 報(bào)表中已經(jīng)進(jìn)行了可靠的物價(jià)水平調(diào)整,而且該種外幣的匯率變動(dòng)與本國(guó)物價(jià)水平的變動(dòng)緊密相關(guān),那么,對(duì)進(jìn)行了物價(jià)水平調(diào)整的報(bào)表適宜采用現(xiàn)行匯率法進(jìn)行折算,其結(jié)果與采用歷史匯率折算歷史成本報(bào)表的結(jié)果相類(lèi)似。沒(méi)有折算也就意味著財(cái)務(wù)報(bào)表不能合并。最后,某些特殊的管理層報(bào)告也不應(yīng)當(dāng)進(jìn)行折算。還有一些其 他類(lèi)型的報(bào)告,可以只折算流動(dòng)項(xiàng)目或者貨幣性項(xiàng)目,而對(duì)其他項(xiàng)目不進(jìn)行折算。在美國(guó),國(guó)外公司被允許遵循國(guó)際準(zhǔn)則(《國(guó)際會(huì)計(jì)準(zhǔn)則第 21號(hào)》),而不是美國(guó)的準(zhǔn)則(《 財(cái)務(wù)會(huì)計(jì)準(zhǔn)則公告第 52 號(hào)》)進(jìn)行外幣折算?;魻柍霭嫔?.2020, 216224. 。我們認(rèn)為,這將激勵(lì)其他國(guó)家的準(zhǔn)則制定機(jī)構(gòu)