day.

一天

Hi, welcome to China Uncensored, I'm your host Chris Chappell.

嗨，歡迎收看「中國解密」， 我是節目主持人 Chris Chappell

The United States is way behind the rest of the world when it comes to trains. There isn't

說到火車，美國遠遠落後世界其他國家

a single high-speed rail line in the whole country.

在整個國家中，沒有一條高速鐵路路線

The company XpressWest has been trying to build a high-speed line between Los Angeles

多年來 XpressWest 公司已經嘗試著建造一條 洛杉磯與拉斯維加斯之間的高速鐵路

and Las Vegas for years. It would reduce travel time from four hours to 80 minutes. The project

它可以將整段旅程由 4 小時減少到 80 分鐘 這個計畫

has been stalled because they couldn't get a federal loan.

一直無法執行，因為他們沒有辦法得到聯邦政府的貸款

But now they have a major investor from across the Pacific.

但是現在，太平洋的彼岸，有了一個主要的出資者

It's called The China Railway Group. It's the second-biggest industrial company in the

中國中鐵股份有限公司， 它是世界第二大的

world.

工業公司

Last month China Railway International USA announced that they've signed a joint venture

上個月，美國中鐵國際集團宣布 他們已經與 XpressWest 公司簽署一份

with XpressWest, and that construction will begin in September 2016.

合資協議書，而且，這項工程將會在 2016 年 9 月開工

China Railway International USA is owned by a consortium of five subsidiaries of Chinese

美國中鐵國際集團是由 5 家中國國營企業子公司 組成之企業聯盟所擁有

state-owned enterprises, which includes the China Railway Group. (can show on screen:

包含了中國中鐵集團

China Railway Group , CRRC Corp , China State Construction Engineering Corporation and China

中國中鐵集團、中國中車公司、中國建築以及

Railway Signal & Communication Corporation.)

中國鐵路通信信號公司

The 21 Century Business Herald reported the project will take three years and cost nearly

21 世紀經濟報導指出 這個計畫將耗時 3 年，且成本將近

13 billion dollars.

130 億美元

So where's all that money going to come from?

那麼，所有這些錢將會從哪裏來呢？

Uh... that's not really clear yet. But China Railway International USA at least promised

嗯... 這還不是很清楚 但是，美國中鐵國際集團至少承諾

to put up the first hundred million.

支付最初的 1 億美元

And if this all works out, China and its consortium of subsidiaries of state-owned enterprises

假如這些都解決了，中國及它的 國營企業子公司合資企業

will have its foot in the door to be a part of other high-speed rail projects. Like that

將會邁出第一步成為其他高速鐵路專案的一員

line between San Francisco and Los Angeles that people have been talking about for 20

就像那條討論了 20 年的舊金山與洛杉磯之間的路線

years. China Railway International USA recently sent in their proposal for designing, building

美國中鐵國際集團最近遞交了有關設計、建造

and financing it.

以及財務方面的計畫案

And a related Chinese company broke ground last month on a new factory in Massachusetts

另外，一個同類型的中國公司 上個月在麻州為新工廠動土

where they will be building 284 subway cars for the Boston transit system.

這間新工廠將為波斯頓的運輸系統打造 284 部地鐵車廂

But do we really want the Chinese building American railroads?

但是，我們真的想要中國建造美國的鐵路嗎？

What's that, Shelley? Oh.

Shelley 你說什麼？噢！

Um, yeah,sorry about that whole, Chinese Exclusion Act thing.

嗯... 是啊，關於 「排華法案」這件事 真的很抱歉真的很抱歉！

Ahem. So why does America want China involved in building its transportation this time around?

嗯... 總之，為什麼美國這次想要中國參與 美國交通系統的建造呢？

Like so many things, it comes down to money.

就像很多事情一樣，就是涉及到 「錢」 的問題

According to this World Bank report, the cost of building high-speed rails in China is up

根據世界銀行的報告，在中國建造高速鐵路的成本

to 46% lower than it is in Europe.

比在歐洲便宜 46% 以上

That's partly because the Chinese government is more efficient at building straight rail

一部份的原因是因為中國政府 能有效率的直接建造直線鐵路

lines through people's neighborhoods.

穿過人們的社區

And of course the cost of labor there is cheaper.

當然那裡的人工成本也相對便宜

But that doesn't mean those factors will carry over to the United States. It's just that

但那並非意味著那些因素會轉移到美國 其實這只是因為

China is willing to put up a lot of the cash and take big risks.

中國願意提供大量現金以及承擔巨大的風險

China has the largest network of high-speed rails in the world and plans to double its

中國有著全世界最大的高速鐵路網 而且中國還計畫在 2020 年之前

size by 2020. China is also in talks to build or sell high-speed trains in more than 20

將規模擴大成兩倍 中國也正在與 20 個以上的國家洽談建造或銷售

countries.

高鐵列車

So how did China manage to conduct all this high speed rail development? Simple. They

那麼，中國是如何發展高速鐵路呢？ 很簡單

stole the technology from Japan. In fact, at least one Chinese economist has

他們從日本竊取技術 事實上，甚至有一位中國經濟學者

praised China's "bandit innovators."

稱讚過中國的 「俠盜創新者」

It's like when I steal my neighbor's lawnmower. I'm really giving him value... When I offer

就像是當我偷了我鄰居的割草機 然後以合理的價格為他割草

to mow his lawn with it at a reasonable price…and the lawns of all the neighbors down the street.

也為整條街的鄰居割草... 我其實給予了他價值...

China sees railways as a way to increase its international prestige. And they do it by

中國視鐵路為增加其國際聲望的一個方法 而他們藉由

being cheaper than the competition--even if their profit margins are thin at first.

比競爭者便宜的成本來達成目標 即使一開始他們的利潤很少

But Chinese railways still have image problems... after that deadly high-speed rail crash in

但是在中國政府當局企圖掩蓋的 2011 年致命高鐵事故之後

2011 that the Chinese regime tried to cover up.

中國鐵路仍然存有形象問題

The whole system was so corrupt that the Chinese government eventually dissolved the entire

整個系統貪腐至極 以致於中國政府最終裁撤了整個鐵道部

Ministry of Railways, and gave former Railways Minister Liu Zhijun a suspended death sentence

並且以受賄及濫用職權等罪名 判決前鐵道部部長劉志軍

for bribery and abuse of power.

緩期執行死刑的判決

Part of the reason the US has failed to develop its own high-speed rails is that private investors

美國無法發展自己的高速鐵路的一部分原因是因為 民間投資者

see it as a big risk, despite the boon to the economy it would bring from having better

認為高速鐵路風險高 僅管更好的運輸系統會帶來經濟上的效益

transportation, not to mention the joy of commuters. The costs are high and the return

更不用說通勤者會有多高興了 而且如果政府沒有提供足夠的資金

on investment, questionable, if the government doesn't put up enough funding.

則成本太高，而且並不 一定會賺錢

The government doesn't put up funding because of opposition on the right. House Majority

政府沒有提供資金，是因為右派的反對

Leader Kevin McCarthy, a California representative, has said he would block federal funding for

眾議院多數黨領袖加州眾議員凱文·麥卡錫 曾說過他會阻擋聯邦政府資金

any high-speed rail in California.

資助任何加州的高速鐵路

No word on how US lawmakers feel about having another country funding these… boondoggles.

至於美國議員是如何看待讓其他國家來資助這項... 浪費公帑的計畫，他們也不置可否

So what do you think about the US's lack of high-speed rail and the idea of China filling

對於美國沒有高速鐵路以及 中國來填補這缺口的點子，你的看法如何？

the gap? Leave your comments below and check back next time for more episodes of China

歡迎到下面的版面留言 並再次收看「中國解密」

Uncensored. Once again I'm Chris Chappell, see you next time.

我是 Chris Chappell，下次見