亲爱的经济学家：
Dear Economist,
我爱上了自己最好的朋友。但她没明确表示对我有同样的感觉。要不是因为这个我好像没办法理解是什么原因，每次大家一块出去的时候，大伙都能度过最好看的好的时光。我感觉，假如告诉她我对她的感觉，与她之间的朋友关系就大概疏远。在我看来，这的确一种大胆的告白。有哪些建议吗？
I've fallen in love with my best friend. Whenever we go out, we have the best of times but for a reason I seem to unable to comprehend, she has not clearly indicated that she feels the same for me as I do for her. I see a risk of alienating1 her as a friend if I tell her how I feel for her. Quite an exposure in my view. Any suggestions?
F，奥地利
F, Austria
亲爱的F：
Dear F,
现在，经济学很多的注意力都集中在对认识的研究上，经济学家将互动认识和一同认识不同开来。互动认识就是你了解你爱她，她也了解你爱她，但你不了解她了解；一同认识是指你了解她了解你了解无限循环下去。
Economics now devotes much attention to the study of knowledge, and economists3 distinguish between mutual knowledge - you know you love her and she knows you love her, but you do not know that she knows - and common knowledge, where you know that she knows that you know that... ad infinitum.
这种不同可能看着过于精细，但在你的状况中，它可能是至关要紧的。坦白地讲，最大概的状况是，你的朋友像念书一样能了解你，但宁可忽略你对她的迷恋。纯粹互动认识的这种含糊，保住了你们之间的友谊；但明确爱慕之情将打造一同认识，并毁坏你们的友谊。
The distinction might seem over-fine, but in your case it may be critical. The most likely scenario4, frankly5, is that your friend can read you like a book but prefers to ignore your crush. The ambiguity6 of mere7 mutual knowledge preserves your friendship, but a declaration of love would create common knowledge and doom8 it.
另一种可能性是你所期望的：她爱你，但不了解你对她的爱。你仅需在不冒任何风险的状况下探究一下这是不是属实，因此只须问她的朋友、做些调查就能了。
The alternative possibility is the one you hope for: she loves you but does not know of your love. You need to discover whether this is true without risking all, so simply ask a friend of hers to make inquiries9.
当然，另一个选择是给英国《金融时报》写封信。假如你的朋友目前假装没注意到你的爱慕，她也会假装没注意到你的信。如此就可以防止一同认识致命的透明性，同时保住你们的友谊。
Another option, of course, is to write a letter to the FT. If your friend is pretending not to notice your ardour she can also pretend not to notice your letter. The fatal transparency of common knowledge is avoided and your friendship can continue.
假如出于某种奇迹，她爱你，但不了解你的感受，那样你的信将会解决这个问题。为下面几天祈祷吧，如何？
If by some miracle she loves you but is blind to your feelings, your letter will solve this problem. Fingers crossed for the next few days, eh?
