on almost one billion units of the iconic product.

這行字已經被印在無數項蘋果商標的產品上

Designed by Apple in California.

美國加州蘋果公司設計

Assembled in China

中國製造

Like everything at Apple, that wording is deliberate.

如同蘋果的一切，這行字的措辭也是經過深思熟慮的

Apple designs the exterior, writes the software, researches new technologies and develops its

蘋果設計產品外型、寫軟體、研發新科技並

own chips in California, which allows it to to sell devices for 65 percent more than their cost

在加州開發他們的晶片，讓他們得以用成本價的1.65倍銷售產品

But iPhones are assembled in China for a reason.

然而 iPhone 會在中國製造是有原因的

It's easy to assume that reason is cheaper labor.

我們可以簡單地假設這是因為中國勞工比較便宜

While wages are lower, this doesn't tell the whole story.

但低廉的勞工並不能說明一切

In fact, assembly is only 2% of an iPhones hardware cost.

事實上，製造成本只佔了 iPhone 硬體成本的百分之二

Today, most iPhones are made in two chinese cities: Shenzhen and Zhengzhou.

如今大多數的 iPhone 都是在深圳及鄭州這兩個中國城市製造的

Favorable government policies helped Shenzhen become the electronics factory to the world

透過有利的政策，深圳成為了世界性的電子工廠

with Taiwanese company Foxconn its biggest employer.

台灣的鴻海科技則是其最主要的雇主

As a result, thousands of companies and millions of workers have moved to the southern Chinese

最終，數千家公司及數百萬名員工皆搬到了中國的南部地區

city to be close to the action.

只為了更加接近這項計畫

During peak iPhone season, Foxconn hires almost a million people, cutting its workforce to

在 iPhone 的高峰期間，鴻海會雇用將近百萬名員工，並且於低峰期將勞工數

a few hundred thousand during low season.

砍至數十萬左右

Such a cluster effect in Shenzhen means that most of the components needed to make a phone,

深圳的群聚效應意味著大多數用來製造手機、

a laptop, or a drone are within a fifty mile radius.

筆電及無人機的零件都能在半徑五十英里的範圍內取得

Attempts to recreate this cluster have so far failed.

聚落再造的計畫目前已宣告失敗

Brazil is the perfect example.

巴西即是一絕佳的例子

Apple was facing high import tariffs in Brazil and urged Foxconn to make iPhones there.

蘋果在巴西面對了極高的進口關稅，並慫恿鴻海於巴西生產 iPhone

After securing local incentives, Foxconn built a factory.

在確保了地方上的誘因後，鴻海蓋了一座工廠

But very little changed.

但這幾乎沒有帶來任何改變

Rather than doing lots of high-level manufacturing in Brazil, Foxconn continued to do most of

與其在巴西進行大量的高階生產，鴻海選擇繼續於

the work back in China where the supply chain was nearby and parts could be preassembled.

擁有較近供應鏈且可以預先組裝零件的中國進行製造

This meant that most of an iPhone was made in China and merely shipped to Brazil for

這代表 iPhone 主要仍然是在中國製造，並只會被運至巴西

local workers to slot together like lego.

讓當地勞工像玩樂高積木一樣地拼組零件

In the end, the Brazil project failed on two levels - it hired a fraction of the workers

最終，巴西的計畫在兩方面失敗了：他們雇用的勞工數量

the government had expected and it didn’t attract any of Apple’s hundreds of suppliers.

並未達到政府預期，且沒能吸引到數百家蘋果供應商中的任何一間

If an iPhone is to be made in the U.S., it’s more likely to follow the Brazil model, not

如果要在美國製造 iPhone ，則很有可能採用巴西的模式

the Shenzhen model, which means far few jobs and for those workers, making for Apple would

而非深圳的模式，這代表職缺會大幅減少，且對員工來說，為蘋果製造產品會變成

be as seasonal as picking apples.

像採蘋果一樣的季節性工作

So while the U.S. could one day boast an iPhone "Assembled in America."

因此，美國大可在將來炫耀 iPhone 是「美國製造」的

the question is, does it really want to?

問題是，他們真的有想這麼做嗎？