2015考研英语阅读英文原刊《经济学人》：揭秘中国消费者

　　The Chinese government presents its own unique challenges. “Everything is political,” saysJames McGregor, a former head of the American Chamber of Commerce in China. “This is agovernment that lets foreign companies build market share when it needs them.” Its longer-term goal is to learn enough from foreigners so it can build its own national champions. To thisend, it pushes foreign carmakers, among others, into unhappy partnerships with Chinesestate-owned firms.

　　中国政府面临着自己的独特挑战。驻华美国商会前会长麦健陆James McGregor认为“一切政治化，如有需要，这个政府会让外企占有市场份额”长期目标则是尽可能从外国人身上学习，然后能够自立，建立自己的捍卫者。为了达到这一目标，政府鼓励外国汽车生产商，以及其他各行各业外企，与中国国企貌合神离地合作。

　　Almost all Western consumer-goods makers havefelt Beijing’s heavy hand. Bernard Arnault, the bossof Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton (LVMH), a luxury-goods firm, was summoned by the Chineseambassador in Paris in 2008 for a high-decibeldressing down after Nicolas Sarkozy, France’spresident, said he would meet the Dalai Lama. In thefollowing weeks scores of women marched into LouisVuitton shops in China with fake Louis Vuittonhandbags and brazenly demanded their moneyback.

　　几乎所有的西方消费品生产商都感觉到了政府的压力，奢侈品路易酩轩LVMH集团总裁伯纳德·阿诺BernardArnault，2008年因打算接见达赖喇嘛被中国驻巴黎大使谴责，此前法国总统萨科齐接见达赖喇嘛也被谴责。接下来几周，一些中国女顾客挎着高仿LV包进入LV中国专卖店的，要求退钱。

　　Unilever got into trouble recently for hinting that the price of some of its products would rise.The Chinese government is terrified of inflation, which it fears might spark unrest. It accusedUnilever of inciting shoppers to hoard its products, and slapped it with a hefty fine. Yet HarishManwani, Unilever’s chief operating officer, is undeterred. He is planning to increase Unilever’sbusiness in China four- or fivefold in the next few years.

　　联合利华最近因为炒产品价格惹上麻烦。中国政府担心通胀引发社会恐慌，责令联合利华煽动消费者抢购，大力罚款(200万对跨国公司怕是挠痒都不算吧?)。但联合利华首席运营官Harish Manwani未受此挫折，坚持计划未来几年扩大联合利华在华业务。

　　Buttering up local party bosses

　　奉承地方官

　　The central government is not the only problem. Companies need to cultivate cordial relationswith local potentates, too. Often the provincial governor’s say-so is needed to obtain land,employment licences and a stack of other bits of paper a firm needs to operate. Local partybosses tend to favour local Chinese firms—another reason why tie-ups can be helpful.

　　让外企头疼的不只是中央政府。公司还必须同当地政府培养出友好关系。企业要经营必须获得省政府批准土地使用权，行业许可证以及其他一系列手续。地方官总是偏爱当地企业—这就是为什么中外合作企业更方便的原因。

　　Another big challenge for Western multinationals is that their Chinese rivals are catching upfast. “Domestic players will be ferocious competitors,” predicts Derek Sulger at Lunar Capital, aprivate-equity firm in Shanghai.

　　西方跨国企业另一难题是中国对手赶超速度快。云月投资(Lunar Capital )公司苏丹瑞DerekSulger(Managing Director at Lunar Group and a Partner at Lunar Capital Management Ltd.云月集团总经理，云月投资公司合伙人)预测“中国厂商会成为强劲对手。”

　　For now, Western firms enjoy a lucrative reputation for quality and safety. Lead pollutionfrom local tinfoil-making workshops in Zhejiang province recently injured 103 children andscores of adults. Chinese consumers are as averse as anyone else to being poisoned, so suchincidents persuade many to buy Western brands. But domestic companies can make thingsmuch more cheaply, and their quality is improving.

　　目前，西方企业有着平等安全的声誉。最近，浙江锡箔纸作坊铅污染物造成103名儿童以及书名成人血铅超高，中国消费者和所有消费者一样不愿意中毒，这样的事故说服了很多人去购买西方品牌。但国内公司有办法让价格低廉，同时提高质量。

　　Some Western consumer-goods firms that are also-rans at home do surprisingly well in China.Back in America, Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC, part of Yum! Brands) is dwarfed by McDonald’s.In China it has 3,300 restaurants—more than three times as many as its rival—and opens anew one each day. The secret of its popularity is local managers with the freedom to adaptKFC’s offerings to the Chinese palate. That means fewer bargain buckets of wings and morecongee, a rice porridge with pork, pickles or mushrooms.

　　一些西方消费品厂家在国内平凡无奇，在中国却混得风生水起。看看美国百胜全球餐饮集团旗下的肯德基，在中国麦当劳超越肯德基。肯德基在中国拥有3300家门店，是对手三倍，每天都开一家新店。肯德基流行的秘诀就是肯德基借鉴中国饮食文化，少点特惠鸡翅桶多点粥，加点猪肉﹑泡菜或者香菇的米粥。

　　Other Western firms can’t cope. Home Depot, an American DIY chain, is retreating from Chinaafter trying for years to persuade middle-class Chinese people to decorate their own homes.

　　其他西方企业合不上拍子。美国家具建材零售商Home Depot家得宝DIY连锁，数年试图说服中国中产阶级自己装饰屋子，惨败后撤出中国市场。

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