了解最新的国内国际时事热点;学习地道的时政英语表达,请关注Global Times 每日的双语社评。
US shoots Americans in the foot
The US imposed fresh tariffs of 15 percent on $125 billion of Chinese imports starting midnight Sunday. China applied new tariffs ranging from 5 to 10 percent on the first batch of $75 billion US goods on the same day as a countermeasure. As the US is bent onprovocation, the US-launched trade war against China has once again escalated.
北京时间9月1日12时01分,美国政府开始对价值1250亿美元的中国商品加征15%的关税。作为反制措施,同一天,中国对价值750亿美元美国商品中的首批加征10%、5%不等关税。在华盛顿的一意孤行主动挑衅之下,中美贸易战再次迎来大规模升级。
However, the new wave of tariffs is a turning point in the trade war.
然而从某种程度上可以说,这次升级是中美贸易战的一个拐点。
First, a vast majority of ordinary US families will directly face the impact of tariffs on imported Chinese goods. The Chinese products range from smart watches, shoes, diapers, sporting goods to meat and dairy products, all closely bound up in daily American life.
首先,美国广大普通家庭将直接面对加税打击,成为贸易战的靶心。我们看一下美国这次加征关税的商品,从智能手表、电视到鞋子、尿布、体育用品,再到肉类和乳制品,都跟美国百姓的生活息息相关。
The Washington DC-based Peterson Institute for International Economics estimated in a report on August 14 that the US September 1 duties will hit 77 percent of the country"s clothing imports from China and 45 percent of footwear. "For the first time, [US President Donald] Trump"s trade war is likely to directly raise prices for a lot ofhouseholdbudget items," the report said.
据美方测算,从中国进口的77%服装和45%的鞋都将受到9月加税的影响。美国彼得森国际经济研究所的报告称,特朗普的贸易战“可能首次”导致美国家庭面对日用品物价上涨。
Second, Washington is almost at the end of its wits. It is clear about the consequences of rising tariffs ondaily consumer goodsand had been trying to avoid targeting these products. However, the US underestimated China"s resilience in the trade war. Therefore, Washington would rather damage itself now in an attempt to make China surrender.
其次,华盛顿的关税牌快打完了,否则决不会对日用消费品加征关税。对此后果,华盛顿实际从一开始就很清楚,所以它也在尽可能避免将关税大棒抡到日用消费品头上。但是,中国面对贸易战的韧性显然超出了华盛顿的预期。这种情况下,华盛顿只好硬着头皮,将贸易战火烧向日用消费品,为了压服中国甚至不惜自残。
Third, growing voices against the trade war have been emerging in the US. There is unprecedented opposition in US public opinion to Washington"s sudden move ofgoing back on its own wordby imposing more tariffs on Chinese products. Even some cabinet members who are tough on China do not support the fresh tariffs. Not to mention the US industries.
第三,美国国内以及国际社会,反对华盛顿打贸易战的声音明显增多,换句话说,舆论正在起变化。对华盛顿这次出尔反尔突然加征关税,美国国内的反对声是空前的,甚至有些被认为对华强硬的白宫阁员也不支持,美国各大行业协会各相关企业更是不遗余力地请愿呼吁白宫收回成命。
It is worthy of attention that mainstream Western media outlets have been highlighting the latest tariffs" damage to Americans,implicitlyor explicitly pointing out that Washington"s paranoid trade war is becoming increasingly unpopular. The Trump administration acts as if it doesn"t care about these voices, but it actually does, especially when the election campaign is underway. Washington dares not go against mainstream public opinion in the US.
还有一个现象值得一提,包括美国在内西方各大主流媒体这一次的报道,都突出了加征关税对美国民众的伤害,或隐晦或明确地指出,华盛顿执意打贸易战越来越不得人心。对这些华盛顿表现出一副毫不在乎的样子,但它并不可能做到真的毫不在乎。特别是新一轮大选周期已经启动,即使华盛顿再偏执,它也不敢完全背逆美国国内的主流民意。
Fourth, the US economy cannot sustain itssuperficialprosperity and is facing a bigger risk of decline. US GDP growth was 2.1 percent in the second quarter of , 1 percentage point lower than the first quarter. The trade war"s impact on US imports and exports becomes more and more apparent.
第四,美国经济越来越难以维持表面的繁荣,衰退的风险迅速增大。美国二季度GDP增长2.1%,比一季度低整整1个百分点,贸易战对美国进出口的打击日益显现出来。
This is the result of Washington"s own action and of Beijing"s resoluteresistanceunder the former"s maximum pressure.
上述变化,既是华盛顿自作自受的结果,也是中国在华盛顿的极限施压之下坚决抵抗的战果。
The Trump administration has shot Americans in the foot. When more and more Americans feel the pain, maybe it will be time for Washington torecover rationality.
华盛顿搬起了一块大石头,终于砸在了美国老百姓的脚上。当越来越多的美国百姓喊疼时,或许就是华盛顿理性回归之际。
本文系环球网、环球时报英文网站社评,中文部分有删减。
其他精彩,请戳图片阅读: