And some foreign firms may make worthwhile connections: the organisers estimate that more than 150,000 buyers, primarily Chinese, will attend. 一些外国公司或许会建立有价值的联系：组织方预计将有15万买家参加博览会，这些买家主要来自中国。

　　It would not take many Chinese deals to lift the fortunes of, say, a Sri Lankan cinnamon producer. 要惠顾，比如斯里兰卡肉桂生产商的生意，也不需要很多中国的订单。

　　But privately, some bigger companies are grumbling. 但是私底下，一些大型公司颇有抱怨。

　　China's economy long ago grew big enough that trade fairs need to target specific industries if they are not to be unwieldy, 中国经济早就足够强大，因此贸易展览会需要以特定的行业为目标，如果他们容易管控的话，

　　but the expo covers everything from biomedical research to furniture. 但是世博会涵盖了从生物医学研究到家具的所有行业。

　　Even the focus on imports is not as distinctive as billed: most Chinese trade fairs promote imports alongside exports these days. 即便出口的焦点不如宣传的那么有特色：如今多数中国贸易展览会都在促进进口和出口。

　　The biggest annual event, commonly known as the Canton Fair, was renamed in 2007 as the China Import and Export Fair. 最盛大的年度活动，也常被成为广交会，在2017年更名为中国进出口商品交易会。

　　Firms also gripe about feeling political pressure to attend. It might not benefit you much, says one participant, but staying away would bring unwelcome attention. 公司还抱怨参加展览会是受到了政治压力。虽然这对你没多大的益处，一名与会者表示，但远在异国将受到不受欢迎的注意。

　　There will inevitably be a flood of praise for the expo from companies eager to please China. It should be treated with caution. 参加博览会的公司势必会大量夸赞此次展览会以博取中国一笑。这应该被谨慎对待。

　　Firms have been asked to announce big deals during its six days. 公司被要求在六天中宣布大笔交易。

　　A European diplomat says the commerce ministry approached him six months ago 一名欧洲外交官表示商务部六个月前来找过他

　　to encourage firms from his country to re-announce recent sales agreements or bring forward future ones. 希望鼓励他们国家的公司重新宣布近期的销售协议或提及未来会签下的协议。

　　The goal is to be able to trumpet a huge boost to imports at its conclusion. 其目的是为了在博览会结束后鼓吹展览会对进口的巨大推动作用。

　　Critics would forgive such publicity stunts if China also took the opportunity to tackle deeper grievances. 如果中国也借此机会解决各国不满的话，那么评论家将会原谅这种作秀。

　　Government advisers have said that something big will come out of Mr Xi's speech on November 5th. 政府顾问表示习主席在11月5日的讲话中将有大新闻。

　　Steeper tariff cuts are one possibility; tariffs on imported cars, for example, were trimmed this year to 15% but are still high by global standards. 大幅度的关税削减是一个可能；例如，进口汽车关税今年降至15%，但该比例仍高于全球标准。

　　Or new protections might be announced for foreign intellectual property. 或者会对外国知识产权宣布新的保护措施。

　　Carlo D'Andrea, of the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China, says that for the expo to count as a success, it must be more than a show. 中国欧盟商会的Carlo D'Andrea表示此次博览会要取得成功就必定不能只是一场秀而已。

　　Yet the expo's highest virtue is its symbolic value. The growth of Chinese imports is a long-term trend. 但博览会最大的优势是其符号价值。中国进口的增长是一个长期的趋势。

　　In 2000 China was the world's eighth-biggest importer, accounting for about 3% of global imports. 2000年，中国是世界第八大进口国，占全球进口的3%左右。

　　Last year it was the second-biggest, behind only America, and its share had risen beyond 10%. 去年，中国是仅次于美国的第二大进口国，其份额增长超过10%。

　　For much of the past three decades the promotion of exports was central to China's economic strategy. 在过去三十多年的大部分时间里，促进出口是中国经济战略的中心。

　　In promoting the expo, Mr Xi is showing that the government not only welcomes China's transformation into an import superpower, but wants to speed it up. 在推销博览会上，习主席展现出了政府不仅欢迎中国向进口超级大国的转变，也希望能够加速这一转变进程。