New cars often suffer quality glitches that auto makers try to work out over time. As annoying as those kinks may be to consumers, at least cars don’t travel at the super high speeds bullet trains can reach.

　　新款汽車常常存在質(zhì)量上的毛病，需要生產(chǎn)商花時間來解決。這些故障固然有可能讓消費者惱火，但至少汽車不用跑出子彈頭列車能夠達(dá)到的那種超高速度。

　　Malfunctions for high-speed trains, however minor they may be, are indeed an entirely different matter, especially for China’s showcase high-speed trains that could travel at top speeds of 350 kilometers an hour.

　　而高鐵列車一出故障，不管是多么小的故障，確實就完全不一樣了，特別是對于最高時速可達(dá)350公里的中國高鐵列車來說。

　　On Thursday, Wang Yongping, spokesman for China’s powerful Ministry of Railways, apologized for the recent spate of high-speed train malfunctions during an online chat, which was later posted on the ministry’s website. Mr. Wang expressed regret for problems with power outages and other malfunctions that have plagued the new high-speed line between Beijing and Shanghai since it opened last month.

　　上周四，中國實力部門鐵道部的新聞發(fā)言人王勇平通過網(wǎng)上聊天，就近期出現(xiàn)的一系列高鐵事故道歉。訪談內(nèi)容后來發(fā)布在鐵道部網(wǎng)站上。王勇平對京滬高鐵上個月開通以來遭遇的停電和其他故障表達(dá)了歉意。

　　The online chat was conducted on July 14 on a People’s Daily Online forum with a patriotic overtone. The chat wasn’t exclusively about the malfunctions high-speed trains suffered on the Beijing-Shanghai line but was meant to discuss the overall performance of the line since its debut. Still, Mr. Wang provided some technical details.

　　這次網(wǎng)上訪談于7月14日在人民網(wǎng)強(qiáng)國論壇進(jìn)行，其內(nèi)容不是專門講京滬高鐵遇到的故障，而是討論這條線路開通以來的整體表現(xiàn)。但王勇平提供了一些技術(shù)細(xì)節(jié)。

　　“Since July 10th, due to severe lightning and power supply malfunctions, some trains were delayed. But through July 13, 94% of the departures were on time, while 85.6% of the arrivals were reported to be punctual,” Mr. Wang said on the chat, noting that the trophy high-speed rail line was “still in a break-in period.”

　　王勇平在訪談中說，“7月10日以來，因雷電和供電故障影響，造成了部分列車晚點”，但“截至13日，列車始發(fā)正點率為94%，終到正點率為85.6%”。他指出，這條頭戴光環(huán)的高鐵線仍然處在“磨合期”。

　　“The malfunctions haven’t affected the overall safety” of the rail line, he said, adding, “our technology and equipment are still very advanced and qualified. China’s high-speed rail will show better performance in the future” once the current spate of malfunctions is resolved.

　　他說，這些故障沒有影響京滬高鐵的整體安全。他說，“我們的技術(shù)裝備還是非常先進(jìn)合格的”，當(dāng)前的這一系列故障解決之后，“中國高鐵將會表現(xiàn)得更加出色”。

　　Those malfunctions have proven embarrassing for China, which has been boasting of the superiority of its high-speed rail system, touting that its technology is superior to that of Japan’s vaunted Shinkansen. The flagship 1,318-kilometer Beijing-Shanghai high-speed rail line opened late last month.

　　中國一直在夸耀其高鐵系統(tǒng)的優(yōu)越性，聲稱其技術(shù)優(yōu)于日本引以為豪的新干線，京滬高鐵出現(xiàn)的這些故障卻讓它感到難堪。作為中國高鐵旗艦的京滬高鐵于上月下旬開通，全長1,318公里。

　　Mr. Wang’s apology follows an incident on Wednesday when service on the line was temporarily halted after one of the trains broke down, causing hundreds of passengers to have to transfer to another train to complete their journey.

　　王勇平道歉之前的上周三還發(fā)生一起事故，當(dāng)時一趟列車出現(xiàn)故障造成全線臨時停運(yùn)，數(shù)百名乘客不得不轉(zhuǎn)乘另一趟列車前往目的地。

　　It was the third delay in four days on the line, which officially launched on June 30 with Premier Wen Jiabao among its inaugural riders. Power failures stopped 29 trains on Tuesday (July 12), after a similar mishap halted 11 trains Sunday.

　　那是京滬高鐵開通四天出現(xiàn)的第三次延誤。京滬高鐵于6月30日正式開通，國務(wù)院總理溫家寶是其首發(fā)乘客之一。7月12日（周二），29趟列車因電力故障延誤，此前7月10日（周日）還曾有11趟列車因同樣故障延誤。

　　The ministry posted a statement Tuesday apologizing for the accident. “Due to the malfunction of power-supply infrastructure near the Suzhou section of the Beijing-Shanghai high-speed rail line, multiple trains were delayed. The breakdown was resolved after intensive repair. All delayed trains resumed operation,” the ministry said. “The railway authorities apologize to passengers for the inconvenience the delay caused.”

　　鐵道部上周二發(fā)布聲明為當(dāng)天的事故致歉。聲明說：“京滬高鐵宿州附近因供電設(shè)備故障，造成部分列車晚點。經(jīng)全力搶修，故障處理完畢，晚點列車恢復(fù)運(yùn)行。”聲明還說：“對列車晚點給旅客造成的不便，鐵路部門表示歉意。”

　　China needs to fix high-speed rail problems quickly. Otherwise, it won’t be able to keep boasting that the country’s trains are superior to those in Europe and Japan.

　　中國需要盡快修復(fù)高鐵存在的問題，不然就不能夠繼續(xù)夸耀自己的高鐵優(yōu)于歐洲和日本。