China has been in the western news lately for problems with tainted products. Many reports have focused on the economic issues but two reports both based on books on America’s National Public Radio’s “Morning Edition” looks at this from an American cultural perspective.

由于被污染的进口产品，西方媒体关于中国的新闻前段时间较多。许多报道都强调经济方面的问题，不过有两篇以两本书为由头的报道，见于美国国家公共广播节目《早晨版》，是从美国文化角度谈论这个话题的。

“A Year without Made in China” is a book by Sara Bangiorni an American business writer. She and her family tried to live for one year without buying anything made in China and wrote a memoir about the experience. The “made in China” label is ubiquitous in my country and many people are wary of its growing presence. sava Bangiorni said it was extremely difficult finding products like tennis shoes a coffee maker and candles. Many items she wanted to buy but simply did not because they were all made in China. Bangiorni said she learned just how closely connected we are to the rest of the world for what we want and need and that Americans are very ambivalent about that.

《一年不用“中国制造”》是美国商务作家萨拉·邦吉欧妮写的书。她和家人在一年中尽量不买中国制造的货物并对此体验写了回忆录。在美国，因为“中国制造”的标签无处不在并越来越普遍，因此好多人感到不舒服。萨拉·邦吉欧妮说非常难找到运动鞋、咖啡机和蜡烛等日常生活用品。不少东西因为都是中国生产的，她就没买。在《早晨版》上，她总结说，她知道了美国与全世界的关系是多么近，而且对此美国人心情矛盾。

“A Nation of Counterfeiters” is a new book by Stephen Mihm. It documents cases of shoddy machinery tainted goods and property rights violations but it has nothing to do with China. The counterfeiters are Americans 150 years ago. One example the author gives is how Charles Dickens protested the pirated copying of his novels and how the American government did very little to correct the problem. At the time many European countries were upset with American practices. During the interview on Morning Edition the author used this history in reference to today’s problems with tainted products from China and other countries.

斯蒂芬·米汉的新书《仿造者的国家》中报道了劣质机器、污染的货物和产权犯罪等事例，不过这与中国没有关系。仿造者是１５０年前的美国人。作者提到的例子之一就是查尔斯·狄更斯抗议他的小说被盗版，而美国政府基本上没有动手解决问题。当时欧洲国家对美国的商务惯例不满意。在《早晨版》的报道中，该书作者以这一历史事件作为今天从中国和别的国家进口污染货物问题的参考。

Both of these books look at problems with foreign products from an American standpoint. One book looked at the issue from a consumer standpoint. The influx of foreign goods especially Chinese has changed our lives. Our dependence on Chinese products makes us uncomfortable. The other book looked at the issue from an historical perspective and that America was not vigilant about product safety or intellectual property rights at one time. The WTO and global media did not exist so there was little regulation for any country or business. China today is being held to higher standards than other countries were at this stage of development.

这两本书都是从美国立场看外国货物的问题。一本书从消费者角度来看。国外货物的流入使我们的生活改变，尤其是中国的货物，依赖中国产品使我们不舒服。第二本书从历史的角度看问题，并说美国从来都对产品安全和知识产权不警觉。当时世界贸易组织和全球性媒体都不存在，因此有关任何国家和公司的规则很少。在今天的这个发展阶段，中国的产品比别的国家的产品被要求保持更高的标准。

The question for Americans is what will come of our ambivalence. I think it would do us good to take time to look at our own history but most Americans are too busy shopping for bargains which we cannot seem to get without China’s help.

对美国人来说，我们的矛盾感觉将会导致怎样的结果？我看，抽空看看自己的历史有好处，但很多美国人忙于买便宜的东西，离开了中国的帮助好像买不起东西。