经济学人下载:台湾爆发食品丑闻 塑化剂事件

Any hopes that the scare might end quickly were dashed when contamination fears spread to pharmaceuticals. Local pharmaceutical companies have recalled a dozen licensed drugs, and on June 11th GlaxoSmithKline, a multinational drug giant, was ordered to recall two antibiotics when traces of plasticiser were found—though, company and government insist, at way below maximum recommended levels.

关于产品受到污染的担心已经蔓延到了制药业，指望着民众的恐慌情绪能够很快消失的想法一下子就被打消了。台湾本土制药企业已召回了十多种正规药品，而在6月11日，跨国制药业巨头葛兰素史克被勒令召回其生产的两种检测出含有塑化剂成分的抗生素药物-尽管公司和政府均坚称其中的塑化剂含量并未超过规定的上限水平。

Taiwan’s president, Ma Ying-jeou, describes government raids on shops and suppliers as Taiwan’s biggest-ever effort in fighting food contamination. Executives from the offending companies have been arrested. Mr Ma himself, along with prime minister Wu Den-yih and other ministers, donned workmen’s helmets and fireproof jackets and ceremonially burned contaminated goods in Changhua county. Mr Ma described their operations as “mopping up the battlefield”. Government officials in eight other counties also staged incinerations. It is anyone’s guess whether this propaganda show, worthy of China’s Communists across the Taiwan Strait, instilled confidence.

台湾总统马英九将政府突击检查商店和供货商的行动形容为台湾在打击有害食品方面最不遗余力的一次，相关涉案的公司高管已被逮捕。马英九和行政院院长吴敦义及其他各部门首长头戴安全帽，身披消防外衣，参加了在彰化县举行的受污染食品焚毁仪式。马英九称他们这一举动是“清理战场”。在其他八个县，官员们也在当地的焚毁现场亮相。大家都在猜想，台湾政府这种丝毫不亚于海峡对面的共产党的宣传作秀手法是否会让民众重拾信心。

Taiwan’s once robust reputation as a reliable and safe exporter of food has been dented. Mr Ma’s own reputation for competence has also been damaged by his government’s slow and muddled response to the crisis. Mr Ma is seeking re-election early next year. At the least, argues Hsu Yung-ming at Taipei’s Soochow University, the scandals may affect Mr Ma’s choice of running mate. His favourite was assumed to have been Mr Wu. But with the prime minister now a possible lightning rod for dissatisfaction over the tainted products, Mr Ma may have to think again. Other potential candidates are hardly inspiring. But Mr Ma will be keen to distance himself from any more cabinet embarrassments.

台湾作为安全可靠的食品出口商曾经有着非常好的口碑，但现在它的声誉已经大打折扣。以能力出色被人称道的马英九也因为其领导的政府应对此次危机时行动迟缓、毫无章法而声望受损。马英九正在谋求在明年年初的选举中获得连任的资格。台北东吴大学的徐永明认为，食品丑闻至少会影响马英九对竞选搭档的选择。本来他最中意的人选被认为是吴敦义，但这位行政院院长目前极有可能成为不满食品污染事件的公众的出气筒，所以马英九不得不重新考虑自己的选择，不过其他可能的人选又实在拿不出手。无论怎样，马英九将竭力让自己远离任何可能出现的牵涉到内阁的丑闻。