VOA双语新闻2008年：China Toy Makers

2007 was a bad year for China's toy industry, when foreign companies recalled millions of Chinese toys over safety concerns. At Asia's largest toy fair in Hong Kong, Chinese toy makers 1 were trying to regain 2 the confidence of buyers.

2007年对中国的玩具制造业而言流年不利，这一年里外国公司出于安全因素召回了数以百万计的中国玩具。在亚洲最大的香港玩具展销会上，中国的玩具制造商努力在采购商中重树信誉。



Christmas is barely over, but the toy industry is already planning for next December.

圣诞节才刚刚过去，但是玩具业已经在为下一个圣诞作准备。



At Hong Kong's Toys and Games Fair, a giant plastic Santa, made in China, shakes his hips 3 to music.

在香港的玩具和游戏展销会上，一个中国制造的巨大塑料圣诞老人在音乐声中扭摆着它的腰部。



At this show, Chinese and Hong Kong toy makers, most of whom produce in mainland China, are trying to rebuild their reputations. The industry was badly shaken in 2007, when foreign companies recalled millions of Chinese toys over safety concerns ranging from faulty parts to toxic 4 paint.

在这个展销会上，中国和香港的玩具制造商在努力争取重树自己的信誉，他们的玩具多半是在中国生产的。中国玩具业在2007年受到很大的打击，外国公司出于安全考虑召回了数以百万计的中国玩具，原因包括有问题的零件和有毒的涂料。



The fair highlighted efforts by manufacturers and the Chinese government to improve toy quality.

这次展销会突显了制造商和中国政府提高玩具质量的努力。



"In the latter half of the previous year we have carried out a comprehensive examination of the overall system concerning the 1,323 enterprises in Guangdong. We have examined the manufacturing processes of more than 400 enterprises and about 200 of them were banned from exporting their products because we have identified small problems or bigger problems with their procedures," said Li Qingxiang, the deputy general director of the entry-exit inspection 5 bureau of Guangdong province, home to most of China's toy factories.

黎庆翔是广东省出入境检验检疫局副局长，而广东则是中国多数玩具厂的所在地。黎庆翔说：“去年下半年，我们对广东省1323家企业的总体制度进行了全面检查。我们检查了四百多家企业的生产过程，其中两百多家被禁止出口他们的产品，因为我们在他们的生产流程中发现了一些或大或小的问题。”



Qi says the Guangdong government set up a new accreditation 6 system for toy manufacturers, raised quality standards for toy exports and stepped up controls on the use of hazardous 7 materials.

黎庆翔说，广东省政府针对玩具制造业设立了新的合格授权制度，提高了出口玩具的质量标准，并对使用有害原料加强了控制。



Manufacturers say those moves have raised their costs. "Now most of the customers are more concerned. They are asking for more certification and testing, so overall the expense is more," said Benny Kwong, the marketing 8 director of Ontex, a Hong Kong company that makes educational toys in Guangdong.

制造商说，这些措施提高了他们的成本。邝先生是香港昂泰克斯公司的销售部主任，这家公司在广东生产具有教育功能的玩具。他说：“如今多数顾客都更关心质量问题。他们要求有进一步的证书和检验，所以总体价格也提高了。”



He said they now spend about 30 percent more.

现在成本究竟提高了多少呢？他回答说：“大约提高了30%。”



Despite the costs, some toy makers welcome the stricter rules.

尽管有成本问题，但是多数玩具制造商仍然欢迎更为严格的规章。



Bob Yu, the marketing manager at Sun Fai Crafts and Toys, which produces toy cars and trains in Guangdong, says the new regulations have been good for his factory and others that produce higher-priced toys.

余先生是新辉工艺及玩具制造厂的销售部经理，这家工厂在广东生产玩具汽车和玩具火车。他说，新规定对他的工厂及其它生产高档玩具的工厂有好处。



"Because before, the competition between factories is like very serious and some people just don't care about the quality at all so the price - there is no bottom price. There seems like no standard in the industry," he said. "I mean the stricter regulation, that can be a good thing to the factories that target the higher-end market because they have already invested in the hardware and the software in the factory and can use it effectively."

余先生说：“因为以前，工厂之间的竞争非常激烈，有些人简直丝毫不顾质量，于是引起价格问题，简直没有最低价。 玩具业也好像没了标准。我认为更严格的规定对高档玩具制造厂是件好事，因为这些厂已经在厂内对硬件和软件设施投下了资本，这样能更有效地使用这些设施。”



Tougher controls mean production takes longer, so buyers will have to place orders earlier than before. They also will be paying more for Chinese-made toys.

更严格的标准意味更长的生产时间，所以买家就务必比以前更早下定单。他们也必须对中国制造的玩具付更高的价。



Toy manufacturers expect production costs to go up significantly this year. Lawrence Chan is chairman of the Hong Kong Toys Council. He says increased spending on quality control contributes to the higher expenses, but there are other factors.

玩具制造商预计今年的生产成本会大幅提高。香港玩具委员会主席陈先生说，为质量控制付出更多资金导致成本提高，但是还有其它因素。



"One thing is, in the last few years is the cost of raw materials, the most important part plastic raw material, continues to edge up, since 2004. At the same time, the manufacturing costs in China are also edging up continuously, for example due to oil prices going up, then the cost of power supply going up, the labor 9 cost going up," he said.

他说：“其中之一是这几年来的原材料价格，最主要的是2004年以来塑料原材料价格在不断攀升。与此同时，在中国的加工费用也在不断攀升，原因之一是汽油价格上涨。其次，能源供应价格和劳动力成本也都在上升。”



Chan says other factors include the appreciation 10 of China's currency, the renminbi, and higher tax costs.

陈先生说，其它因素还有人民币币值的升值以及税收的提高。





Some Hong Kong and international toy companies have pondered moving production to countries with lower costs, such as Vietnam or India. But most toy makers and buyers say that because of China's decades of expertise 11 and developed infrastructure 12, it will remain the world's toy factory.

有些香港和国际玩具公司已经在考虑把生产基地移向成本较低的其它国家，如越南和印度。但是大多数玩具制造商和采购商说，由于中国具备几十年的经验以及成型的基础设施，中国仍将是全世界的玩具制造业基地。



"Eighty percent of the toys of the world, or maybe greater than 80 percent, are made in China. Where can they go in the world to make toys that have the facilities, the tool making, the experience, the workers, the model makers? This culture spent the last 25 years learning to become the world's toy maker," said Terence Davis, a visitor at the Hong Kong toy fair.

参观香港玩具展销会的戴维斯说：“世界上80%，也许超过80%的玩具是中国制造的。他们还能在世界其它什么地方找到制造玩具的同样设施、生产器械和模型制作人呢？中国通过这二十五年来的学习已具备世界玩具头号制造国的文化氛围。”



Although profits were smaller and costs were higher for toy makers because of last year's problems, sales of Chinese toys were little affected 13 by the safety scares. State media reported in January that toy exports grew 20 percent in the first 10 months of 2007. Manufacturers, however, say they fear that without tough action now, sales could tumble in the coming months.

由于去年的这些问题，玩具制造商的利润减少了，成本也提高了，但是中国玩具生产并没有受到安全恐慌的太大影响。中国国家媒体一月份报导，中国的玩具出口量在2007年的前十个月增长了20%。不过制造商家们说，他们担心，如果现在不采取有力行动，未来几个月的销售可能会大幅度下跌。