China's high-speed train manufacturers haven't been getting many positive headlines of late. Aly Song/Reuters
近來，有關中國高速列車製造商的新聞中沒有多少是正面消息。
The state-run Xinhua news agency seemed to serve one up on Wednesday, announcing in a report that China had won a bid to send a fleet of 40 bullet-train locomotives to the country of Georgia.
新華社周三貢獻了一條。在這條消息中，新華社說中國在競標中勝出，贏得了向喬治亞提供40臺高速列車牽引電機的訂單。
According to the report, the lucky manufacturer was CSR Zhuzhou Electric Locomotive Co., a subsidiary of China South Locomotive & Rolling Stock Corp. based in Hunan province. The engines and accessories would be delivered to the Central Asian nation by September 2012, Xinhua quoted a company spokesman as saying, adding that the successful bid marks a 「significant step」 for Chinese high-speed train manufacturers in former Soviet nations and Europe.
這篇報導說，中標的幸運製造商是南車株洲電力機車有限公司。該公司是中國南方機車車輛工業集團公司（簡稱：南車集團）的子公司。新華社援引該公司發言人的話說，發動機及配件將在2012年9月前交付給喬治亞這個中亞國家，並說中標喬治亞項目，對中國先進軌道裝備走向外高加索地區乃至獨立國協和歐洲意義重大。
The successful bid 「symbolizes another solid step towards internationalization for China's high technology rail products,」 the report said (in Chinese ).
報導說，競標成功標誌著中國鐵路高科技產品國際化又邁出了堅實一步。
A sale is a sale, of course, and the developing world is a key market for the high-speed train industry. But the sale to Georgia leaves unanswered whether larger, more-developed nations will still look to China's rail companies when they undertake big projects.
當然，買賣歸買賣，而且對於高速列車產業來說，發展中國家是一個主要市場。但拿下喬治亞的訂單仍然無法回答以下問題：在更大且更發達的國家承接大型項目時，他們是否會選擇中國的列車製造企業？
After spending hundreds of billions to develop the world's fastest bullet trains and create the world's largest high-speed rail network on which to showcase them, Chinese train manufacturers' had ambitious export plans, with some even talking about selling high-speed systems to California.
在斥資數千億美元研發全球速度最快的高速列車並建設全球最大的高速鐵路網絡之後，中國的列車製造商提出了雄心勃勃的出口計劃，有些甚至開始談論向美國加州出售高速鐵路系統的想法。
But the shine has worn off China's high-speed rail efforts thanks to a series of setbacks over the last six months.
過去六個月裡出現的一系列問題令中國高速鐵路的光芒逐漸消失。
In February, the Ministry of Railways found itself embroiled in a corruption scandal, and in early July, a series of glitches started to plague the high-speed network's prize Beijing-Shanghai line.
今年2月，鐵道部發現自己捲入了一起貪汙醜聞。在7月初，一系列小故障開始影響中國高速鐵路網絡中非常重要的京滬高鐵線路。
Then, on July 23, came the deadly collision between two bullet trains near Wenzhou--a disaster that ignited an unprecedented outpouring of public anger online and damped talk of China selling its rail technology abroad.
隨後的7月23日，在溫州附近發生了動車追尾的致命性事故。這一事故引發了公眾在網上公開表達憤怒，規模前所未見。這起事故也令中國向國外出售高鐵技術的談判受阻。
Against that background, announcement of the Georgia deal would seem to count as a victory and a possible first step on the path to recovery for the country's train builders.
在這種背景下，拿下喬治亞訂單的消息似乎可以算作一個勝利；對於中國的列車製造商來說，這可能算是在通向復甦的道路上邁出的第一步。
Or does it?
事實果真如此？
According to Xinhua, Georgia's rocky landscape means residents of Tbilisi won't be rocketing around the country in 300 kilometer-per-hour luxury any time soon.
根據新華社的報導，喬治亞位於地形複雜的高加索山區，這意味著提比里西的居民在近期內是不會享受到以每小時300公裡的速度馳騁該國的「奢侈」待遇了。
Instead, China will be sending them locomotives that employ ventilation systems developed for high-speed trains but that otherwise rely on technology used in subways and light-rail trains. Once on the tracks, Xinhua reports, the trains could be expected to travel at around 120 kilometers per hour.
相反，中國此次提供給喬治亞的產品既採用了高鐵列車牽引電機特有的獨立通風技術，又吸收地鐵、輕軌列車牽引電機一些專有技術。新華社的報導說，一旦投入運營，預計這批牽引電機帶動的火車能以每小時約120公裡的速度前進。
It's not clear why the company is attaching the 'bullet' label to locomotives that are likely to be traveling at roughly the same clip as cars on some of the more permissive U.S. highways. Zhuzhou Electric Locomotive could not be reached for comment Thursday.
目前尚不清楚為什麼該公司仍給這批牽引電機貼上了「高速」標籤。120公裡的時速大致相當於轎車在美國較為寬敞的道路上行駛的速度。記者周四無法聯繫株洲電力機車公司就此置評。
Still, with the year they've been having, China's train manufacturers are likely happy just to be traveling anywhere, at whatever speed.
儘管如此，鑑於他們在今年所經歷的一切，無論以何種速度，中國的列車製造商只要能賣出產品，很可能就會感到高興的。