经济学人98:台湾爆发食品丑闻 塑化剂事件

 　　Food scandals in Taiwan

　　台湾爆发食品丑闻

　　Plastic unfantastic

　　塑化剂事件

　　Tainted¹ products also poison the president’s chances of re-election

　　食品受到污染给总统争取连任的前景蒙上阴影

　　Jun 16th 2011 | TAIPEI | from the print edition

　　TAIWAN’S biggest-ever food scare began when government inspectors² testing sports drinks and soft drinks last month detected dangerous levels of industrial plasticisers. These are normally used to make everything from shoes to hosepipes more flexible. Since then, the plasticisers have been found in a range of foods and drinks. The crisis has also gone firmly international as China, Hong Kong, South Korea and the Philippines have withdrawn³ Taiwanese products from supermarket shelves. Taiwanese commentators⁴ are wondering how the government can live the scandal down.

　　上个月，台湾政府负责食品检验的工作人员在一些运动饮料及软饮料中检测出了含量足以对人体产生危害的工业塑化剂成分，由此引发了台湾最大的一次食品恐慌。通常情况下，塑化剂被广泛应用于鞋类、塑料软管等产品中，可起到增加柔韧度的作用。事件发生后，又相继在一系列食品和饮料中发现了塑化剂的身影。随着中国，香港，韩国和菲律宾纷纷将台湾产品从自己的超市中下架，这次危机毫无疑问已经造成了国际性的影响。台湾的评论家们都在琢磨政府将如何从这桩丑闻中脱身。

　　Some 900 products have been pulled from nearly 40,000 Taiwanese shops. Hospitals have been flooded with worried parents seeking check-ups for their children. Diets have swiftly changed. Out have gone processed drinks and even ice cream.

　　约有900中商品已在台湾近40000家店铺中撤柜，医院里也挤满了忧心忡忡的来给孩子做检查的父母。人们的饮食习惯顷刻间发生了改变，含添加剂的饮料，甚至是冰激凌都已在市面上消失。

　　The problems have been traced to two upstream suppliers of food additives⁵, Yu Shen Chemical and Pin Han Perfumery. Among other things, plasticisers were substituted for palm oil as clouding agents in drinks. One plasticiser, known as DEHP, is a possible carcinogen, and thought capable of wreaking⁶ havoc⁷ with children’s reproductive organs. The inspectors discovered levels far in excess of the daily allowed intake⁸. Insiders have told investigators⁹ that products may have been doctored for decades.

　　引发这次塑化剂风波的源头被锁定在两家食品添加剂上游供货商身上：昱申化工和品汉香料。塑化剂用在饮料中可替代棕榈油起到混浊剂的作用。一种可能致癌的叫做DEHP的塑化剂，被认为会对儿童的生殖器官产生严重损害。食品安全检验人员在被检查的食品中发现了含量远超过每日允许摄入量的该种塑化剂。有内幕人士告诉调查人员，或许早在几十年前就存在向食品中掺入有害添加剂的行为。

　　Any hopes that the scare might end quickly were dashed when contamination fears spread to pharmaceuticals¹¹. Local pharmaceutical¹⁰ companies have recalled a dozen licensed¹² drugs, and on June 11th GlaxoSmithKline, a multinational¹³ drug giant, was ordered to recall two antibiotics¹⁴ when traces of plasticiser were found—though, company and government insist, at way below maximum recommended levels.

　　关于产品受到污染的担心已经蔓延到了制药业，指望着民众的恐慌情绪能够很快消失的想法一下子就被打消了。台湾本土制药企业已召回了十多种正规药品，而在6月11日，跨国制药业巨头葛兰素史克被勒令召回其生产的两种检测出含有塑化剂成分的抗生素药物-尽管公司和政府均坚称其中的塑化剂含量并未超过规定的上限水平。

　　Taiwan’s president, Ma Ying-jeou, describes government raids on shops and suppliers as Taiwan’s biggest-ever effort in fighting food contamination. Executives from the offending companies have been arrested. Mr Ma himself, along with prime minister Wu Den-yih and other ministers, donned workmen’s helmets and fireproof jackets and ceremonially burned contaminated goods in Changhua county. Mr Ma described their operations as “mopping up the battlefield”. Government officials in eight other counties also staged incinerations. It is anyone’s guess whether this propaganda show, worthy¹⁵ of China’s Communists across the Taiwan Strait, instilled¹⁶ confidence.

　　台湾总统马英九将政府突击检查商店和供货商的行动形容为台湾在打击有害食品方面最不遗余力的一次，相关涉案的公司高管已被逮捕。马英九和行政院院长吴敦义及其他各部门首长头戴安全帽，身披消防外衣，参加了在彰化县举行的受污染食品焚毁仪式。马英九称他们这一举动是“清理战场”。在其他八个县，官员们也在当地的焚毁现场亮相。大家都在猜想，台湾政府这种丝毫不亚于海峡对面的共产党的宣传作秀手法是否会让民众重拾信心。

　　Taiwan’s once robust¹⁷ reputation as a reliable and safe exporter of food has been dented¹⁸. Mr Ma’s own reputation for competence¹⁹ has also been damaged by his government’s slow and muddled²⁰ response to the crisis. Mr Ma is seeking re-election early next year. At the least, argues Hsu Yung-ming at Taipei’s Soochow University, the scandals may affect Mr Ma’s choice of running mate. His favourite was assumed to have been Mr Wu. But with the prime minister now a possible lightning rod for dissatisfaction over the tainted products, Mr Ma may have to think again. Other potential candidates are hardly inspiring. But Mr Ma will be keen to distance himself from any more cabinet embarrassments²¹.

　　台湾作为安全可靠的食品出口商曾经有着非常好的口碑，但现在它的声誉已经大打折扣。以能力出色被人称道的马英九也因为其领导的政府应对此次危机时行动迟缓、毫无章法而声望受损。马英九正在谋求在明年年初的选举中获得连任的资格。台北东吴大学的徐永明认为，食品丑闻至少会影响马英九对竞选搭档的选择。本来他最中意的人选被认为是吴敦义，但这位行政院院长目前极有可能成为不满食品污染事件的公众的出气筒，所以马英九不得不重新考虑自己的选择，不过其他可能的人选又实在拿不出手。无论怎样，马英九将竭力让自己远离任何可能出现的牵涉到内阁的丑闻。

1 tainted   

adj.腐坏的；污染的；沾污的；感染的v.使变质( taint的过去式和过去分词 )；使污染；败坏；被污染，腐坏，败坏

参考例句：

• The administration was tainted with scandal. 丑闻使得政府声名狼藉。
• He was considered tainted by association with the corrupt regime. 他因与腐败政府有牵连而名誉受损。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 inspectors   

n.检查员( inspector的名词复数 )；（英国公共汽车或火车上的）查票员；（警察）巡官；检阅官

参考例句：

• They got into the school in the guise of inspectors. 他们假装成视察员进了学校。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Inspectors checked that there was adequate ventilation. 检查员已检查过，通风良好。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 withdrawn   

vt.收回；使退出；vi.撤退，退出

参考例句：

• Our force has been withdrawn from the danger area.我们的军队已从危险地区撤出。
• All foreign troops should be withdrawn to their own countries.一切外国军队都应撤回本国去。

4 commentators   

n.评论员( commentator的名词复数 )；时事评论员；注释者；实况广播员

参考例句：

• Sports commentators repeat the same phrases ad nauseam. 体育解说员翻来覆去说着同样的词语，真叫人腻烦。
• Television sports commentators repeat the same phrases ad nauseam. 电视体育解说员说来说去就是那么几句话，令人厌烦。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 additives   

n.添加剂( additive的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• chemical additives in petrol 汽油中的化学添加剂
• It'says on the packet that these crisps contain no additives. 包装上说这些炸薯片不含添加剂。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 wreaking   

诉诸（武力），施行（暴力），发（脾气）( wreak的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Coal mining is a messy business, often wreaking terrible environmental damage nearby. 采矿是肮脏的行业，往往会严重破坏周边环境。
• The floods are wreaking havoc in low-lying areas. 洪水正在地势低洼地区肆虐。

7 havoc   

n.大破坏，浩劫，大混乱，大杂乱

参考例句：

• The earthquake wreaked havoc on the city.地震对这个城市造成了大破坏。
• This concentration of airborne firepower wrought havoc with the enemy forces.这次机载火力的集中攻击给敌军造成很大破坏。

8 intake   

n.吸入，纳入；进气口，入口

参考例句：

• Reduce your salt intake.减少盐的摄入量。
• There was a horrified intake of breath from every child.所有的孩子都害怕地倒抽了一口凉气。

9 investigators   

n.调查者，审查者( investigator的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• This memo could be the smoking gun that investigators have been looking for. 这份备忘录可能是调查人员一直在寻找的证据。
• The team consisted of six investigators and two secretaries. 这个团队由六个调查人员和两个秘书组成。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 pharmaceutical   

adj.药学的，药物的；药用的，药剂师的

参考例句：

• She has donated money to establish a pharmaceutical laboratory.她捐款成立了一个药剂实验室。
• We are engaged in a legal tussle with a large pharmaceutical company.我们正同一家大制药公司闹法律纠纷。

11 pharmaceuticals   

n.医药品；药物( pharmaceutical的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• the development of new pharmaceuticals 新药的开发
• The companies are pouring trillions of yen into biotechnology research,especially for pharmaceuticals and new seeds. 这些公司将大量资金投入生物工艺学研究，尤其是药品和新种子方面。 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 licensed   

adj.得到许可的v.许可，颁发执照(license的过去式和过去分词)

参考例句：

• The new drug has not yet been licensed in the US. 这种新药尚未在美国获得许可。
• Is that gun licensed? 那支枪有持枪执照吗？

13 multinational   

adj.多国的，多种国籍的；n.多国籍公司，跨国公司

参考例句：

• The firm was taken over by a multinational consulting firm.这家公司被一个跨国咨询公司收购。
• He analyzed the relationship between multinational corporations and under-developed countries.他分析了跨国公司和不发达国家之间的关系。

14 antibiotics   

n.（用作复数）抗生素；（用作单数）抗生物质的研究；抗生素，抗菌素( antibiotic的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• the discovery of antibiotics in the 20th century 20世纪抗生素的发现
• The doctor gave me a prescription for antibiotics. 医生给我开了抗生素。

15 worthy   

adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的

参考例句：

• I did not esteem him to be worthy of trust.我认为他不值得信赖。
• There occurred nothing that was worthy to be mentioned.没有值得一提的事发生。

16 instilled   

v.逐渐使某人获得（某种可取的品质），逐步灌输( instill的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Nature has instilled in our minds an insatiable desire to see truth. 自然给我们心灵注入了永无休止的发现真理的欲望。 来自辞典例句
• I instilled the need for kindness into my children. 我不断向孩子们灌输仁慈的必要。 来自辞典例句

17 robust   

adj.强壮的，强健的，粗野的，需要体力的，浓的

参考例句：

• She is too tall and robust.她个子太高，身体太壮。
• China wants to keep growth robust to reduce poverty and avoid job losses,AP commented.美联社评论道，中国希望保持经济强势增长，以减少贫困和失业状况。

18 dented   

v.使产生凹痕( dent的过去式和过去分词 )；损害；伤害；挫伤（信心、名誉等）

参考例句：

• The back of the car was badly dented in the collision. 汽车尾部被撞后严重凹陷。
• I'm afraid I've dented the car. 恐怕我把车子撞瘪了一些。 来自《简明英汉词典》

19 competence   

n.能力，胜任，称职

参考例句：

• This mess is a poor reflection on his competence.这种混乱情况说明他难当此任。
• These are matters within the competence of the court.这些是法院权限以内的事。

20 muddled   

adj.混乱的；糊涂的；头脑昏昏然的v.弄乱，弄糟( muddle的过去式)；使糊涂；对付，混日子

参考例句：

• He gets muddled when the teacher starts shouting. 老师一喊叫他就心烦意乱。
• I got muddled up and took the wrong turning. 我稀里糊涂地拐错了弯。 来自《简明英汉词典》

21 embarrassments   

n.尴尬( embarrassment的名词复数 )；难堪；局促不安；令人难堪或耻辱的事

参考例句：

• But there have been many embarrassments along the way. 但是一路走来已经是窘境不断。 来自互联网
• The embarrassments don't stop there. 让人难受的事情还没完。 来自互联网