台灣將成為亞洲下一個整形聖地？ Is Taiwan Asia's Next One-Stop Plastic-Surgery Shop?

Is Taiwan Asia's Next One-Stop Plastic-Surgery Shop?

By Sarah Tung Friday, Jul. 16, 2010 

A woman gets facial laser treatment in a Taipei cosmetic-surgery clinic on Nov. 26, 2009

Patrick Lin / AFP / Getty Images

海外歸國的台灣人也許常被推薦到既香又美味多汁的路邊攤小吃，或是探索人聲踏雜的台灣夜市。但，也許他們最想去的卻是台灣整形手術或是皮膚專科診所。

Overseas Taiwanese who frequently return to the island might recommend savoring succulent street food or exploring Taipei's boisterous night markets. Or they may pass along the business card of a favorite plastic surgeon or dermatologist.

然而，當然要去！台灣有好一陣子已然成為海外移民返國的觀光醫療旅遊團目的地。由於台灣豐富的醫療照護設施，設備不但是新穎作工又精細。而且最重要的是，「價格」也成為一項最重要的考量。其中價差最大的「活體植入手術」 (liver-transplant surgery)，在台灣大約要價9.1萬，跟美國動輒要價30萬的高價比起來，還真是便宜不少！
And why not? Taiwan has long been popular with its expatriate population as a medical-travel destination. At Taipei's abundant health care facilities, the equipment is modern and sophisticated, and most importantly, prices are considered a steal. Some of the biggest savings are in liver-transplant surgery, which runs to around $91,000, compared with some $300,000 in the U.S. (Read about medical tourism in Latvia.)

像這樣的價格雖少，卻為台灣的手術旅遊市場帶來穩定的成長，況且這樣的價格，也是為了吸引更多的顧客。自從2008年中旬，中國大陸遊客來台限制緊縮，鄰近台灣海峽的各國鄰居都在無所不用其極的對台灣施加壓力。(這邊使用 making their way to the island for a nip or a tuck)現在，根據兩岸最新的一連串協議與讓步後，台北上周宣佈陸客將能獨自來台旅遊，這樣的結果，讓觀光醫療業者對相關產業發展相當樂觀。

Price tags like that have built a small but devoted following for Taiwan's niche medical-tourism market, and it's about to get a lot more customers. Taiwan's neighbors across the strait have been making their way to the island for a nip or a tuck since travel restrictions for Chinese tourists were lifted in mid-2008. Now, in the latest of a series of agreements and concessions between China and Taiwan, Taipei announced last week that Chinese tourists will soon be allowed to travel individually to the island — a development that many medical-tourism proponents are hoping will be a boon to their industry.

台灣現在的政策只允許陸客跟團來台旅遊，這也一併限制了陸客來台尋求醫療服務的多種可能性。「在陸客跟團來台旅遊的限制中，陸客被告知哪裡才能去，啥時才能去。他們被限制不能脫團行動。」台灣觀光醫療發展協會，同時也是整形外科醫師王篤行(David Wang) 說。「我聽說很多人用假名，或者以洽公的名義偷偷的來(作手術)。」「在我們這邊有很多陸客來台作整形手術行程，像是打『肉毒桿菌』(Botox)，割眼袋、割雙眼皮等等。」
Taiwan's current policy only permits controlled tour groups from the mainland, which limits options for Chinese who seek varied medical services. "Under group-travel restrictions, tourists are told where they can go and when. They can't deviate from the set itinerary," says David Wang, a plastic surgeon and chairman of the Taiwan Medical Tourism Development Association. "I've heard of a few people who will secretly come [for plastic surgery], perhaps under a fake name or by claiming they are here on business." Now, Chinese patients seeking operations can plan ahead and book Botox treatments and eye-bag or double-eyelid surgery at Wang's offices on their own schedule. (See the top 10 unusual medical treatments.)

相較於亞太地區的其他國家，台灣的醫療美容旅遊產業只能算是才剛起步。去年2009年這類外銷市場產值勉強上看2千萬美金，有鑑於其他像是新加坡、泰國等國家，在醫療美容產業上的投資，許多台灣醫療旅遊業者相信，未來仍有相當大的上揚空間。「相較於其他服務業，醫療美容業是投資率最高的。」雄獅旅遊陸客服務部的嚴子欽總經理說。雄獅旅遊是台灣最大的旅行社，去年花了一年半時間發展出專門的醫療旅遊服務中心。雄獅旅遊還和台灣最大的連鎖私人醫院機構──林口長庚醫院合作，並且將整個醫療美容包裝成一整個旅遊行程，向整個華人市場，甚至是全世界華人社會行銷。
Compared to those of its regional neighbors, Taiwan's medical-tourism industry is only in its infancy. Its output last year narrowly missed the $20 million mark, whereas revenue in more established Asian medical-travel industries, Singapore and Thailand, reached billions of dollars. Still, many enterprising people in Taiwan believe it has room to grow. "The dollar return per patient is the highest of any other business in the service industry," says Sammy Yen, general manager of Lion Travel's medical-tourism branch. Lion Travel, Taiwan's biggest travel agency, has spent the past year and a half building its medical-tourism services center. The company partnered with Chung Gung Medical Foundation, the largest private hospital chain on the island, and touts its newest business venture as the total package that caters to all hua ren, or members of the global Chinese community.(Comment on this story.)

陸客有潛力成為醫療旅遊市場的大宗。據台灣官方統計，2009年兩岸小三通，開放旅遊後，有超過92萬2千人的陸客來台手術。相較前幾年提高195%。此外，為促進兩岸交流貿易，上周中國航空官方宣佈，減少10%到15%的機場稅。預估今年將會有超過百萬的旅客造訪台灣，甚至陸客會爽快的掏空錢包，而這些錢將會進到台灣服務業者口袋中。

Mainland tourists could be a huge boost. According to Taiwan government statistics, just over 972,000 tourists from China journeyed to the tear-shaped island in 2009 — a 195% jump from the figure in the previous year, when the two sides made transit and tourism agreements. Further encouraging cross-strait exchanges, last month Chinese aviation officials announced a 10% to 15% reduction in airfares for flights between the two sides. With over a million projected to visit this year, even more mainlanders will be emptying their wallets into Taiwan's service sector.

王醫生，手術整形醫生。決定每個月到中國大陸旅遊，以精進他的手術技巧，而台灣像他這樣的醫生不只一個。。台灣許多野心勃勃的醫療美容業者，經常來返兩岸，希望能吸引更多陸客造訪台灣進行醫療美容旅遊。「不是很多人都知道台灣的健保制度的品質」台灣國際醫療網執行長吳明彥說。「我們的願望就是將台灣的服務業塑造成知名品牌，並且在國際間享有聲譽。」

Wang, the plastic surgeon, already travels to China about once a month to promote his practice, and he isn't the only one. Many enterprising proponents of Taiwan's medical tourism have been making the cross-strait journey in the hopes that they, too, might entice more mainlanders to seek medical care on the island. "Not many people know about the quality of Taiwan's health care system," says Richard Wu, CEO of Taiwan Task Force for Medical Travel. "It's our priority to first put out Taiwan as a brand name and then promote individual hospitals for services."

事實上，未來只有消費者到台灣是自助旅行，不是用跟團的方式，才能幫助台灣服務業發展。「沒有人會想要跟團，這表示要大剌剌的跟大家說你是來台灣作整形手術、或是作其他醫療的。」「但若是自助旅行，你可以很大方的跟鄰居說，你是來台灣渡假。」

The fact that these customers will now be able to travel to Taiwan solo will only help. "No one would join a group tour that lets everyone else know they are going for plastic surgery or other medical reasons," Yen says. "With individual travel, you can just tell your neighbor you are going to Taiwan for vacation."

Read more

人生綠燈專為你閃耀

7/15 羅斯福路上

媽媽說  要認真念ABC，英文是世界語言喔
老師說  給我背好三態，這個考試會考！
老闆說  你多益有七百五嗎？我們不用英文太差的
人資專家說  據調查，多一個語言能力薪水多三千
同學說  我打算補托福  以後要去國外工作ㄚ

XX國際外語說：
「只要外語說的呱呱叫
人生綠燈專為你閃耀！」

歐元英雄─多明尼克‧史特勞斯 卡恩 The Euro Hero: Dominique Strauss-Kahn

Photograph by Gueorgui Pinkhassov / Magnum for TIME

跟狗仔討論中國的經濟，就像兩個正向的磁鐵無法互相吸引一樣。除非，有著一個魅力無窮的巨星。所以當法國經濟部長7月16日在巴黎舉行「中法共同的挑戰」會議時，大批攝影記者湧向禮堂，摩肩擦踵地擠向講台前，他們訓練有素的一致將鏡頭瞄準──一頭灰髮、十分知名，鎮靜地將閃光燈視之無物，正像個搖滾巨星的IMF國際金融銀行主席─多明尼克‧史特勞斯卡恩。
Discussions on Chinese economic relations are hardly a magnet for paparazzi — unless, of course, they include a star speaker. So when France's Finance Ministry hosted a conference in Paris on June 16 about China and Europe's common challenges, dozens of photographers crowded into the auditorium, elbowing each other for a spot in front of the stage, where they trained their cameras on the short, gray-haired man at the podium: International Monetary Fund chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn. DSK, as he's widely known, ignored the flashbulbs with the sangfroid of a rock star.

一個法國的政治人物成為一個狗仔追著跑的名人，是這波金融風暴中最讓人驚訝的傳奇之一。喔，還有比這件更神奇的事，史特勞斯卡恩的死對頭──法國總統尼可拉斯‧沙維奇。經過2007年大獲全勝總統大選後，(那場選舉中史特勞斯卡未獲社會黨提名)沙維奇向當時身為法國經濟部長的史特勞斯卡恩，提出華府就任國際貨幣基金(IMF)主席職位。一些法國的好事評論家都揣測，IMF是個從組成之初就不斷被唱衰的組織，正顯示總統意欲將政敵外放的政治報復。就在史特勞斯到IMF的幾年間，全球股市全數崩盤，主要經濟市場也都變得一文不值。夾在經濟蕭條與各國國家首長之中，史特勞斯卡恩成為1930年代之後成立IMF，作為控制世界信債最後一道防線的重要人物。「在全球金融海嘯前，大家都有個想法『我們需要像IMF這樣的機構嗎？』」61歲的史特勞斯卡恩，坐在巴黎辦公室沙發上輕鬆說道。「這就好像平時沒有火災發生，卻能想到萬一出現緊急狀況時，也是需要消防員的。」(阿就「未雨綢繆」咩，我說外國人的比喻還是沒有中國成語簡單又貼切。)
How the French politician went from also-ran to celebrity is one of the more surprising tales to emerge from the global recession — no more so, perhaps, than for Strauss-Kahn's fiercest rival, President Nicolas Sarkozy. Flush with victory in the 2007 presidential election (in which Strauss-Kahn failed to secure his Socialist Party's nomination) Sarkozy put forward the former Finance Minister for the job of managing director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in Washington. French pundits widely assumed the President was sending his nemesis into political exile, at an organization whose credibility had long since waned. But within a year of Strauss-Kahn's arrival at the IMF, the world's stock markets imploded and its major economies went into free fall. Darting between crisis meetings with heads of state, Strauss-Kahn became a key player in tackling the most severe downturn since the 1930s by casting the IMF as a lender of last resort in a world stripped of credit. "Before the crisis there was this idea, Do we need an institution like the IMF?" says Strauss-Kahn, 61, relaxing on a couch in his Paris office. "It was like wondering about the need for firefighters when you don't have a fire," he says.(See Dominique Strauss-Kahn in the TIME 100.)

史特勞斯卡恩花了好幾年時間撲滅金融風暴下的野火。從2009年4月開始，世界經濟開始被金融風暴席捲，G20的大國領袖們湊足了11億美金的救援方案，那是IMF的三倍多。這個救援方案強大了IMF的影響力，而史特勞斯卡恩，也因此能夠把這一大筆錢借給在金融海嘯中受難國，這是這次G20的核心任務，而在此時，世界的銀行業也在這次金融海嘯中紛紛垮台。
Strauss-Kahn has spent the past year extinguishing flames that threaten the global economy. In April 2009, with the world reeling from the crisis, leaders of the G-20 pieced together a $1.1 trillion rescue package and tripled the IMF's funds in the process. That hugely increased the IMF's power, and Strauss-Kahn's, by allowing the organization to lend big money to troubled countries — its core mission — at a time when banks were collapsing across the world.

因此今年四月，他在雅典(希臘首都)、柏林(德國首都)、布魯塞爾(比利時首都)之間奔走，說服歐盟官方、以及掌控歐洲最大經濟體─德國，首相安潔拉‧梅克爾，保護缺錢的希臘免於脫離歐元區。史特勞斯卡恩在這次歐洲遭受最嚴重的金融風暴中，對這次歐盟以及IMF價值10億美金的的共同救援方案達成雙方協議。這項協議使得歐元貨幣得以保全，就像史特勞斯曾在1990年代時身為法國財政部長時所作的一樣。(註：史特勞斯卡恩在1990年代任職法國經濟部長時，在1998年增加了30萬個工作機會，成功的降低失業率、公債，同時也提昇GDP)
Then in April of this year, he shuttled between Athens, Berlin and Brussels, persuading E.U. officials and German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who heads Europe's biggest economy, to bail out cash-strapped Greece and prevent its dire economy from destabilizing the euro. Strauss-Kahn's bargaining resulted in a joint E.U.-IMF rescue package worth about $1 trillion for Europe's hardest-hit economies. The deal secured the euro, which Strauss-Kahn had, as French Finance Minister, helped usher in during the late 1990s.(Read: "Greece Asks for a Bailout, but at What Cost?.")

然而，歐元的困境尚未結束，而且即使史特勞斯的角色可能也無法解決。史特勞斯的孩童時期在摩洛哥(非洲西北岸的回教王國)以及摩納哥(歐洲西南部國家)度過，他可以說幾近流利的英文及德文，他堅信大部分的問題需要經由多方不同的方式解決，這也包括歐洲。他也指出，歐盟，27個國家裡頭缺乏一個經濟合作模式統整所有的組織，強制執行所有財務規定。而這些也是所有歐洲國家領導人爭論的點。「歐元的整合過程還沒結束。」他說，「你不能有單一貨幣，但卻沒有一個整合的經濟政策。」
Europe's troubles are not over — and neither, probably, is Strauss-Kahn's role in solving them. Having spent part of his childhood in Morocco and Monaco, and speaking near flawless English and German, he says he firmly believes in multilateral approaches to tackling most problems, including Europe. The E.U., he says, lacks economic coordination across its 27 countries and needs an overall institution to impose fiscal rules — a contentious issue for many European leaders. "The completion of the euro process is still not done," he says. "You cannot have a single currency and almost no coordination in fiscal policy."

正當財務政策要花幾年的時間去架構時，經濟學家說還有其他更為急迫難題，在史特勞斯前急需處理的「美國與中國之間的戰爭」史特勞斯還未來得及表達他的意志力。「這才能真的考驗他如何與這些狡猾的狐狸對戰，過去他一直未與美國人、中國人交手過。」前IMF官員，現在華府彼得森國際經濟研究所就職的莫里斯高登史丹這樣說道。就像許多的經濟學家，高登史丹認為，要是低估人民幣威力及美國赤字，將會使世界經濟達到二次探底。(7/21北京當局宣布人民幣匯率將採自由匯率跳動機制)
While that coordination could take years to build, there are other — some say more urgent — issues facing Strauss-Kahn: namely China and the U.S. There, say economists, Strauss-Kahn has yet to prove his mettle. "The real test is whether he can battle the big cats, and he has not taken the battle to the Chinese and Americans," says Morris Goldstein, a former IMF official who is now senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics in Washington, D.C. Like many economists, Goldstein believes the undervalued Chinese currency, the yuan, and the record U.S. budget deficit could both derail the global recovery. (On June 21, Beijing announced it would make the yuan somewhat more flexible.) (See pictures of the global financial crisis.)

就在7/26史特勞斯飛往多倫多參加G20會議時，他是否會與這兩位經濟大國交手還未定。但他正在G20主要會員國中積極尋找能協助IMF的對象。即使要在有如狡詐狐狸的政客前周旋，特別是法國，眾多人都在揣測，在法國總統大選開跑前，距沙維奇2012年總統任期還有2年多時間，，他還會擔任多久的IMF主席。分別在2月、3月進行的兩個不同民調都顯示，若現在進行投票，史特勞斯將能輕易打敗沙維奇成為下任法國總統。當沙維奇的人氣開始走下坡，有些人表示，史特勞斯在IMF的種種作為顯示，他能足當法國政府領導者的角色。
Whether Strauss-Kahn will take on those two economic giants when he flies to Toronto on June 26 for the G-20 summit is uncertain, in part because he is looking to boost the contributions to the IMF by the G-20's major members. And even if he does confront the big cats, some politicians — especially in France — are already wondering how long he will remain in Washington before attempting another run at the French presidency. With less than two years to go before Sarkozy's re-election campaign in 2012, two separate polls in February and March found that Strauss-Kahn would easily beat the President if France were to hold the vote today. While Sarkozy's popularity has been slumping lately, some respondents said they felt Strauss-Kahn's IMF role gives him authority as a leader.

這樣的民調結果很吸引任何一個政治家，特別是像史特勞斯卡恩這樣一個有野心的政治家。但他仍舊保持一貫的靦腆態度：「我每天都花很大精力當好這個主席職位。」他說，「我唯一想說的就是，讓我做好現在的崗位吧。」
Poll results like those can be tempting to a politician, especially one as ambitious as Strauss-Kahn. But he remains coy about his intentions. "I think most people understand this job takes my focus every day," he says. "The only thing I ask is, let me work in doing what I have to do."

Source
About  Dominique Strauss-Kahn
About  IMF

堅強的靠山

7/14 南京東路上 

有時候很想越過時間的肩頭
回到孩童時候
去看看
全心依賴著一個堅強的靠山是
什麼樣的安全感？

大樓的大福 之於 生活的小幸福

7/13 捷運站三號出口

下班回家後出站的第一個畫面

噴水池不是時時刻刻都會噴泉地如此踴躍，還能加上夜燈蘋果光。
大樓的燈火不會這樣燈火通明守著你到深夜，夜晚了它們也是要回家休息的。
生活的小幸福是，你能準時回家
並且有餘光能注意到這些日常生活的小美景。

玻璃隱私權

7/12  台北遼寧街上

今天已經沒有所謂的隱私可言，
盡情瀏覽的同時，螢幕上滑鼠的一舉一動，
也被窗外的行人視作街景的一部分。

盡入眼簾。

青醬野蔬義大利麵

食材： 義大利麵一把、九層塔一大碗、松子一小碗(先炒香)、蒜末五粒、洋蔥一顆
可更動食材： 紅椒 黃椒各半顆、 菇類
調味料： 橄欖油、紅酒醋、粗黑胡椒粒、鹽少許、起司粉

作法：
1.起滾水鍋，加入少許鹽，加入一把義大利麵條。兩人份就兩圈麵，約六分鐘後撈出。
2.青醬做法： 九層塔一大把，只取其葉、紅酒醋一匙、橄欖油適量、蒜末兩匙、起司粉3大匙、松子2大匙 (松子台灣難買到，我用萬歲牌核果代替) 、黑胡椒少許 、少鹽
========================>上述材料放進果汁機打成泥狀，可加少許水帶動。

3. 以奶油爆香洋蔥，加白酒，
加入主食材：甜椒+菇類拌炒至七分熟，若太乾可以加一點點水，但基本上蔬菜會自行出水，加鹽巴調味，加入液狀鮮奶油續煮，加入義大利麵拌炒收汁 。
最後熄火才加青醬攪拌，最後旋轉式裝盤，灑上起司粉 上桌！

筆記：
1.青醬不能與義大利麵一起煮，會變色。只能運用鍋子餘溫攪拌。
2.煮義大利麵時一定要加鹽，不然會沒味道。
3.這次的如意算盤要用「杜老爺香草冰淇淋」當鮮奶油作白醬，不過失敗了。下次要用正統液狀鮮奶油。
4.下次食材可以考慮培根豬肉青醬、或是豪華海鮮。

海邊&所謂的青春

7/10 「海邊&所謂的青春」  福隆海洋音樂祭

人群、沙灘、海水、比基尼、搖滾樂
海灘最能與青春掛勾。

而這裡的青春氣味像炫目的五色燈光， 燦爛地如此美好，
美麗的快要令人張不開眼。

閣樓上的小冒險

7/09「閣樓上的小冒險」復興北路上一家知名蛋糕店

二樓別有洞天設置雅座，提供雞腿飯、排骨飯。

冒險就像這家店，
單只經過從窗口望進去，你永遠不知道錯過的是什麼？
大膽走上艷紅地板，就能有香酥雞腿在前。

恩...挺值得的午後小冒險

中國罷工潮下的未來 What China’s Labor Unrest Means for Its Future

 

Factory girls Honda workers strike for better conditions   

Ariana Lindquist / New York Times / Redux

中國罷工潮下的未來

What China’s Labor Unrest Means for Its Future

By Austin Ramzy Monday, Jun. 28, 2010

工廠罷工只是中國工廠的平常生活的一景罷了，但在今年夏天的全球經濟中，中國工廠的罷工可就變得不一樣了。這個變化需要好幾年的時間，但是我們正在眼睜睜目睹中國這個身為世界血汗工廠的重要角色，即將功成身退地落幕。

Labor unrest is part of life in China's factory towns, and yet there is something different about this summer's strife that will have broad implications for the global economy. It will take years for the changes to take hold. But we are witnessing nothing less than the beginning of the end of China's role as the sweatshop of the world.

過去幾個月中，幾個重要的企業同意罷工的中國員工所提出的薪水。這些在廣東省佛山的員工，經由兩個禮拜的抗議示威中，迫使本田汽車將汽車變速器的價格提高至24%~34%間，這些罷工效法一個為本田工廠代工的上游廠商，以及另外一個為本田──這個日本汽車巨擘製造後照鏡、車鎖的代工廠。而富士康，這個為蘋果、HP、索尼以及其它企業製造電子零件的企業，在今年一連串員工跳樓自殺事件後，宣布調高基本薪資達一倍以上，而這樣的措施也讓台商企業緊張持續觀望中。
Over the past month, key foreign firms have agreed to hefty pay hikes for their Chinese employees. Workers at a plant in Foshan, Guangdong province, that makes transmissions for Honda won pay increases of 24% to 34% after going on strike for two weeks. That was followed with a walkout at an exhaust-parts factory partly owned by a Honda subsidiary and another strike at a plant that makes mirrors and lock mechanisms for the Japanese auto giant. Foxconn, which produces electronics for Apple, Hewlett-Packard, Sony and others, announced hikes totaling more than 100% of base pay after a series of worker suicides this year put the Taiwanese company under intense scrutiny. (See portraits of Chinese workers.)


過去，罷工被地方政府的法律訴訟，或是中央政府的大中國貿易聯邦工會所壓下來，完全排除在大眾關注之外。但是最近在中國媒體的批露下，罷工、調漲薪資頻頻成功。然而這些都還不夠，這些工人們因為中國高層的放話支持，罷工的意識更加激昂。中國總理溫家寶，對此罷工事件沒有正面回應，但六月十四日他在北京稱這些離家鄉工作的工人們為「珍寶」，而中國社會應該將之「視如己出」。

In the past, labor disputes were typically resolved out of public view with the intervention of local governments or the state-backed All-China Federation of Trade Unions. But the current strife and the successful wage increases obtained are all over the Chinese media — and that's not all. Workers' aspirations for better conditions appear to have the guarded support of the highest levels of the Chinese government. Without commenting directly on the strikes, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao told migrant workers in Beijing on June 14 that their labor was "a glorious thing" and that society should treat them as "their own children."

因此，今年夏天中國各地的同樣罷工事件就更加的頻繁了，為當地企業及外商企業製造出源源不絕的額外支出。為了迎合這些工人的要求，今年，中國超過三十家地區、城市將提高最低工資起薪。雖然工資僅被提高一點點，但這同時，也意味著全球的消費者最終要為「中國製造」的商品多付一點鈔票了。(註：6/9 深圳核定基本工資上漲一成，到1,100人民幣。上海、北京今年也分別上調基本工資20%、16.7%，幅度為5年來新高  )
The likelihood of a summer of copycat strikes is thus high, creating the potential for a cascade of pay increases at foreign and locally owned enterprises. In an effort to head off worker demands, about 30 cities and regions in China are expected to raise minimum wages this year. Although price increases should be small, as labor comprises a fraction of the overall cost of manufacturing goods in China, this means consumers around the world will eventually have to pay more for Chinese products. (See pictures of China's internal migrants.)

其實這是件好事，想知道為什麼嗎？看看另一個促進經濟起飛的歷史轉戾點。1914年亨利福特決定將他工廠內生產線工人的薪水提高至兩倍，等於一天可以賺到五美元。那時他被稱為是個大善人，但是這個美國的工廠大亨有他自己的考量。他想要藉由增加可負擔福特汽車的消費者，進而達到汽車廠內人力的轉型。將近一世紀後，相同的加薪政策也能讓中國的藍領階級發展得更好。每個在中國本田工廠的工人雖然不能馬上買到本田汽車，但是他們有能力可以消費得更多，藉此能夠刺激國內景氣。這些對中國及世界市場都是件好事，當一個國家對出口的依賴越少，與美國、歐洲等貿易夥伴的摩擦也因此能消弭。(註：關於福特的作為，請參閱網址)

Look upon it as a good thing. To see why, consider another epochal shift in the development of a rising economic power. In 1914, Henry Ford decided to double the pay of rank-and-file workers in his factories to $5 a day. He was praised for his generosity, but the American industrial pioneer had some self-serving goals in mind. He wanted to reduce employee turnover while boosting the number of people who could afford Ford automobiles. Nearly a century later, similar pay increases will help China develop its own, more prosperous working class. Average workers at Honda's Chinese plants might not be able to buy Accords anytime soon, but they will be able to spend more, thus increasing domestic consumption. And that's positive for both China and the rest of the world. As the country becomes less reliant on exports for economic growth, frictions with trade partners like the U.S. and Europe should ease.

是什麼造成這波罷工潮？自從1980年代開始，中國工人的薪資就成為總成本重要的一部分，它降低了企業的利潤，而政府的稅收也因此增加。這個趨勢不甚穩定，而且中國新的一代無法忍受這個情況，這個新的一代中國工人，他們比他們的父母更意識到自己應得的權利。這一批年輕的工人，也更可望在工廠內的工作，也期望在下一個十年能翻轉局勢。當他們開始幹活時，他們也變的更加挑剔。

What's driving the shift? Since the 1980s, Chinese workers' wages as a share of the total economy have declined as corporate profits and government revenue have risen. It's an unsustainable trend, and one that won't be tolerated by a new generation of workers who have a higher sense of entitlement than their predecessors. The number of young people — those most desired for factory work — is also expected to fall over the next decade. They can be choosier when it comes to employers. 

去年秋天，我面談了好幾個工廠職員，作為中國工人的群像代表。其中一個還是2009年時代雜誌的年度人物。裡頭年紀最長的僅有36歲，但是在他的世代與年輕世代中最不一樣的其實很明顯。年輕世代被其他較年長的同事嚇唬，在工廠裡的日子如何的恐怖，充滿著汗水、高溫、昏暗的燈光，連續工作好幾周沒放一天假，這些辛勤的工作都只為了賺一點點的現金寄回家鄉。對西方人來說，這些年輕世代經歷的依舊是艱困的時刻，長工時，很少的休息，但當我問他們為什麼還願意前去這些像是深圳沿海的繁榮都市工作？他們全都說：「為了玩！」

Last fall, I interviewed several factory employees as representatives of the Chinese worker — one of the runners-up for TIME's 2009 Person of the Year. The oldest was just 36. But the difference between her generation and the teenagers just entering the workforce was marked. The youngsters listened in awe as older colleagues described life in sweatshops, enduring fumes, high temperatures and blinding lights for weeks without rest, all to save a little cash to send home. By Western standards the young workers still have it tough, with long hours and few rest days. But when I asked why they went to the coastal boomtown of Shenzhen for work, they invariably said, "For fun."

所以，那就也是中國製造業在這又長又熱的夏天會做出的這樣行為的部分原因。當今得這個世代希望能分到好利潤得更大一份羹。而且當局領導者也意識到這個趨勢。跟廉價玩具、牛仔褲、零嘴點心瞎攪和在一起的美妙中國已經結束了。要是這個世界強權想要滿足自己人民的需求，他就得將他的子民們從血汗工廠中提升出來，而這個旅程正要開始！

That, paradoxically, is part of the reason why China can expect a long hot summer of industrial action. The current generation of workers wants a greater share of the good times, and their leaders are beginning to understand that. Churning out cheap toys, jeans and sneakers has done wonders for China, but if the world's next superpower is to fulfill its real potential, it will have to lift its people out of the sweatshops. That journey starts now.

See pictures of the making of modern China.
See pictures of China at 60.

Read more: http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1997298,00.html#ixzz0sEKYNees

台灣紅芒果奇想

夏天的落陽是熟透飽滿的台灣紅芒果
剝開赤紅外皮是
光芒萬丈的金黃果肉
奔騰照射出原始吞嚥的欲望 

渾厚沉實的圓似太陽神駕駛出巡車輪
在甜美芳香誘惑下
放縱馬蹄奔馳於果實叢間   

為了那永恆完美的橘紅色汁液   
啊~   
我願像那夸父追日般   
不停追趕夏日芒果光輝   
但比菲雅頓幸福，比夸父幸運   
犧牲的只是   
日漸寬鬆的腰帶  

註1：太陽神傳是希里歐斯（Helios），也有另一說是大家所熟知阿波羅(Apollo)，希臘人相信太陽神每日駕著二輪太陽車出遊於大地，因此萬物才能得以照耀，成長茁壯。另一個關於太陽神的故事是，在希臘詩人奧維德（Ovid）的詩歌中，太陽神的凡人兒子菲雅頓（Phaethon），因為好奇太陽車駕馭的滋味，央求太陽神讓他試駕，但菲雅頓並無任何經驗，因此導致太陽車衝撞於人世間，致使萬土焦黑、野火頻繁，民不聊生。天帝宙斯在緊急時刻，為了制止太陽車胡亂衝撞的場面，只好使出雷電當場擊斃太陽神兒子菲雅頓，成為了希臘羅馬故事中另一齣悲劇。

註2：夸父追日出自中國民間故事《山海經》，傳說夸父是個身高丈高的巨人，雙手把玩著黃蛇，耳上也掛個兩條黃蛇。生性天真善良，見日漸漸落下山邊，於是心生癡念，要追上太陽，央求不要離開，黑夜才不會降臨。但日落只是個自然現象，縱使夸父步跨百里，健步如飛，也無法追上落日，於是夸父邊追邊感覺口渴，往旁邊一飲喝盡了黃河，又往另一邊一吸，渭水也乾了。最後他頹倒在地，黯然以終，而手邊的木杖化作桃花林，讓後世的人在趕路後能摘來解渴 。

《山海經·大荒北經》：「大荒之中，有山名曰成都載天。有人珥兩黃蛇，把兩黃蛇，名曰夸父。後士生信，信生夸父。夸父不量力，欲追日景，逮之於禺谷。將飲河而不足也，將走大澤，未至，死於此。」《山海經·海外北經》：「夸父與日逐走，入日。渴欲得飲，飲於河、渭。河、渭不足，北飲大澤。未至，道渴而死。棄其杖，化為鄧林。」