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Change is Good: Product Modification for Exporters 出口产品要推陈出新

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课文讲解

繁體中文譯本

In an ideal world, exporters would not need to adapt their products to make them marketable overseas. While market research and foreign sales representatives should tell you what can be sold, questions may soon arise about how. Product modifications may have to be made to address cultural differences, foreign government regulations or differing technical standards. The extent to which a company modifies its product for export is an important strategic decision that should complement its overall export strategy.

在完美状况下，出口商是不必为产品做调整，以顺应外国市场的需求。当市调报告和国外业务代理告诉你什么东西卖得好之际，随之而来的问题是怎么卖。产品或许必须做些调整以便配合文化的差异、外国政府的法规、或者不同的技术标准。一家公司要把产品调整到什么程度是一项重要的策略决定，而这应该要和整体出口策略做好搭配。

A common alteration is to change a product’s presentation to suit buyer preferences. For example, Japanese customers tend to prefer beautiful package, whereas the more environmentally conscious consumers of northern Europe often shun products with excessive packaging. Similarly, labels, logos, and names can be modified to accommodate cultural and language differences.

经常在做的一种调整是改变产品的外观，投买者之所好。譬如日本顾客倾向于喜好美丽的包装，而环保观念深厚的北欧消费者则排斥过度包装的产品。同样地，卷标、商标和产品名称都能权宜调整以求适应文化语言的差异。

In many cases, exporters are forced to redesign their products to comply with foreign government regulations. These non-tariff barriers require imported products to meet specifications that comply with local environmental controls, or meet local requirements for electrical or measurement systems. For mechanical products, this may mean a costly major reengineering.

很多情况下，出口商被迫重新设计产品以符合外国政府的法规。这些非关税障碍会要求进口的产品须因应当地环保控制而符合某些规格，或符合当地电子或度量衡制度的条件。对机械产品而言，这意味着极昂贵的大规模重组。

Regardless of whether product modification is merely cosmetic or requires substantial alteration, exporters must ensure that the market potential is large enough to justify the cost of product modifications.

不管产品调整只作表面更动或整体改变，出口商都必须保证那个市场的潜力足够大，让调整产品的费用花得值得。

Vocabulary

单词发音

modification [͵mɑdəfəˋkeʃən] n. 修改；改变

adapt [əˋdæpt] v. 使适应，使适合

marketable [ˋmɑrkɪtəb!] adj. 有销路的；畅销的

address [əˋdrɛs] v. 对付；满足

regulation [͵rɛgjəˋleʃən] n. 规定; 条例; 法令

complement [ˋkɑmpləmənt] v. 与……相配

alteration [͵ɔltəˋreʃən] n. 改变，变更

presentation [͵prizɛnˋteʃən] n. 外观

shun [ʃʌn] v. 躲开，避开

logo [ˋlogo] n.〔公司或组织的〕标识﹐标志

accommodate [əˋkɑmə͵det] v. 使适应; 容纳

comply [kəmˋplaɪ] v. 依从，顺从，遵从[（+with）]

tariff [ˋtærɪf] n. 关税；税率

specification [͵spɛsəfəˋkeʃən] n. 规格

measurement [ˋmɛʒɚmənt] n. 测量﹐计量﹐衡量

cosmetic [kɑzˋmɛtɪk] adj. 装饰性的；表面的

potential [pəˋtɛnʃəl] n. 可能性；潜力，潜能; adj. 潜在的，可能的

justify [ˋdʒʌstə͵faɪ] adj. 证明……是正当的

Sentence of the Day

You might have to consider the color of your product before foreign buyers will show you the color of their money.

或许你必须先考虑产品的各种外在细节，你才有机会赚到外国买家的钱。

see the color of sb.'s money  接受某人的钱

单词发音

Kay sees Steve rushing around the office holding a ruler:  凯看见史提夫手里拿着一把尺在办公室里跑来跑去：

K: Steve, didn’t your mother ever tell you not to run around with a ruler? Or was that scissors?

史提夫，你母亲没告诉过你不可以拿着尺跑来跑去吗？或者那是把剪刀？

S: That was scissors, and there’s a reason I’m running around with this ruler: I’m checking if our products are compatible with the non-metric measurement system in the U.S. Can’t sell people “meters” when they’re expecting “feet,” right?

那是剪刀，而且我有正当理由拿着尺跑来跑去：我在检查看我们的产品是不是和美国非公制的度量衡系统通用。如果他们用英呎，我们没办法卖公尺的东西给他们，对不对？

K: Right-O. We ought to be able to solve any problem like that by slapping on a few labels with the converted measurements.

是噢【注】。这个问题我们应该可以解决，只要贴上几张公制换算表就成了。

S: Another thing: I know our products are compliant with American electrical standards, but what if we need to substitute, say, a motor to sell in markets with different electrical systems?

另有一件事：我晓得我们产品符合美国的电气标准，但如果我们必须更换一只，比如说马达，以卖到不同电气标准的市场里去？

K: Then it probably wouldn’t be worthwhile to enter those markets. Some product changes, like bilingual operating manuals for the Canadian market, are relatively inexpensive. But reengineering the motor is a whole other story.

那或许就不值得进到那些市场去。有些情况产品做变化，像是进入加拿大市场必须有双语操作手册，成本不算贵。但是把马达重做设计可完全是另一回事。

S: One other thing I’m considering is disassembling our product for export. It would save on shipping costs.

还有，我想把我们的产品拆开运出口，这样能节省运费！

K: That’s true, but it might delay our payment if the customer’s contract stipulates an assembled product.

Do a cost-benefit analysis to see if it’s worthwhile. Now, give me that ruler before you hurt yourself!

确实如此，不过倘若客户依约要求收到完好的组成品，这样做也许会耽搁我们收货款的时间。去做一份成本效益分析来看看是不是值得这么做。好了，把那把尺交给我，免得你弄伤自己。

S: No way! You’re not my mother!

才不呢！妳又不是我母亲！

【注】：字尾加一个「O」是习惯性的口语用法。

－by Howie Phung

Vocabulary

课文讲解

run around 到处跑

compatible [kəmˋpætəb!] adj. 兼容的﹐兼容的〔机器﹑方法﹑想法等能共存或配套使用而不致产生问题〕

slap [slæp] v. (迅速或马虎地)涂，抹，贴

compliant [kəmˋplaɪənt] adj. 〔对他人的意愿和要求〕顺从的; 听从的﹐服从的

worthwhile [ˋwɝθˋhwaɪl] adj. 值得花费时间（或金钱）的，值得做的

disassemble [͵dɪsəˋsɛmb!] v. 拆开，拆卸

stipulate [ˋstɪpjə͵let] v. 规定；约定

cost-benefit [ˋkɑstˋbɛnəfɪt] adj. 成本效益（分析）的

analysis [əˋnæləsɪs] n. 分析

Sentence of the Day

You have to play the numbers game carefully when exporting.

做出口贸易可要小心不要被统计数字给误导了。