來源：CGTN

　　原標題：關稅問題重創美國對華龍蝦出口

　　China‘s economic boom has bolstered the disposable income of its middle class whose desires for the finer things in life has risen。

　　中國經濟繁榮發展增加了中產階級的可支配收入，他們更加渴望生活中美好的事物。

　　Those finer things include me， a lobster， once a luxury that only the rich could afford。

　　那些美好的事物就包括我，一只龍蝦，曾經是有錢人才買得起的奢侈品。

　　The Chinese love affair with me has really taken off in the last decade or so。

　　中國人和我的愛情故事過去十年左右才開花結果。

　　And the North American crustacean， found along the coasts of both the U.S。 and Canada， has become a particular favorite as a status symbol。 That‘s because of my red color， which many in China regard as a mark of prosperity。

　　來自美國和加拿大的北美龍蝦備受寵愛，成為一種身份的象征。這是因為龍蝦的皮膚呈紅色，許多中國人認為這是富貴的標志。

　　It helps that I am an excellent source of lean protein and low in fat and calories。 

　　我富含蛋白質，低脂肪，低熱量。

　　A good indicator of China‘s rise as an economic force is that this symbol of western affluence has become an affordable treat for many across the country。

　　中國作為一個崛起中的經濟大國，標志之一就是，在西方象征富裕的龍蝦，已成為許多中國人餐桌上的常見之物。

　　The Chinese market has proven to be a godsend for U.S。 producers at a time when output was high and prices were falling。

　　在龍蝦高產、價格下跌的情況下，中國市場給美國龍蝦生產商帶來了及時雨。

　　Sales expanded rapidly。

　　龍蝦銷售額迅速攀升。

　　In 2010， China accounted for just about one percent of exports of American lobsters by value。 

　　2010年，中國僅占美國龍蝦出口額的1%左右。

　　Six years later， that figure had risen to 15 percent， and stayed that way for a while。

　　六年后，這個數字上升到15%，隨后幾年一直在這個數字上下徘徊。

　　That was until 2018 when President Donald Trump launched his trade war with China， complete with new levies on billions of dollars in goods。

　　直到2018年，特朗普總統發起了對華貿易戰，對數十億美元的中國商品加征關稅。

　　The Chinese government retaliated with a 25 percent tariff on U.S。 lobster imports in July of last year （with a 10 percent additional tariffs added from September this year）。

　　作為反擊，中國政府去年7月對美國龍蝦征收25%的關稅，從今年9月1日起又加征10%的關稅。

　　As a result， Chinese importers felt compelled to turn their backs on the ever more pricey American lobster。 It has since all but disappeared from markets in China， once its second-biggest destination。

　　因此，中國進口商不得不放棄日益昂貴的美國龍蝦。從那以后，美國龍蝦幾乎從中國的市場上消失了，中國曾經可是它的第二大出口目的地。

　　The U.S。 state of Maine， America‘s lobster capital， has seen its exports drop by 84 percent。

　　美國龍蝦之都緬因州的出口下降了84%。

　　Maine lobster business in China had looked on course for a record year in 2018。

　　緬因州對中國的龍蝦出口本來有望在2018年創造新的紀錄。

　　Exports during that period rose to 128.5 million dollars in the first six months – an increase of 169 percent。

　　2018年前六個月，緬因州對華龍蝦出口為1.285億美元，增長169%。

　　The state‘s congressional representatives were so worried earlier this year that they urged the Trump administration to prioritize lobster during the on-and-off trade negotiations with China。

　　今年早些時候，來自緬因州的國會議員非常擔心，他們敦促特朗普政府在與中國斷斷續續的貿易談判中優先考慮龍蝦。

　　Experts say Maine may never recover its previously dominant position in the market， whatever the outcome of the negotiations。

　　專家表示，無論談判結果如何，緬因州可能永遠無法恢復其在中國市場的主導地位。

　　When President Trump declared that trade wars were easy to win， he did not count on the resilience of China‘s economy nor did the determination of its leaders not to give in to bullying。

　　當特朗普總統宣稱貿易戰很容易打贏時，他并沒有預料到中國經濟的韌性，以及中國領導人不屈服于霸凌的決心。

　　Lobster farming is a tough business that requires a fair amount of patience。 U.S。 producers will require a lot of that if they are to recapture their share of the Chinese market。

　　養龍蝦是一種艱難的營生，需要相當多的耐心。如果美國生產商想要重新奪回他們在中國市場的份額，也需要很大的耐心。

責任編輯：覃肄靈