Cashing in on kids is hardly a new concept. But in China, the public now stands on the verge of outcry. Imported prams can cost thousands of renminbi, but the battle lines are today being drawn around a more humble product; noodles.
利用孩子赚钱并不是一个新概念。但在中国，公众现在正处于强烈抗议的边缘。进口婴儿车可能要花费数千人民币，但如今，战线正在围绕一种更不起眼的产品展开。面条。
At the crux of the scandal is the fact that many items for sale today with the word “baby” on them are much more expensive than those without. It’s a consumption trap into which many easily fall, and one found increasingly all over the country.
丑闻的症结在于，现在出售的许多带有“宝贝”字样的商品比不带“宝贝”字样的商品贵得多。这是许多人很容易陷入的消费陷阱，而且这种情况在全国各地越来越多。
In our very own Jiangsu Province, Suqian-based Xichu.net has cited that City’s local radio and TV station as reporting 100 grams of dried infant noodles selling for the colossal price of ¥48. For our more imperially-minded readers, that’s US$6.70 for just 3.5 ounces.
在我们江苏省，宿迁市西厨网援引该市当地广播电视台的报道称，100克的婴儿挂面售价高达48元。对于我们更有帝国主义思想的读者来说，3.5 盎司的价格为 6.70 美元。
Mr. Ding, a citizen in that City in northern Jiangsu, said, “Maybe there is a reason for the high price of baby products, like they are made of better materials. But I think some have had added the word ‘baby’ in order to make more profit. It’s a bit unreasonable”.
苏北该市市民丁先生表示，“婴儿用品价格高也许是有原因的，比如材质比较好。但我觉得有些人为了赚取更多利润，就加上了‘婴儿’两个字，有点不合理。”
With those prices sounding excessive to say the least, The Nanjinger popped into its local Suguo yesterday, 29 January, to check in on the cost of infant noodles in our neck of the woods. The result was that there is indeed a very big difference in price, although not as extreme as has been reported in Suqian.
至少可以说，这些价格听起来有些过高，《南京人》昨天（1 月 29 日）来到当地的苏果，了解我们附近婴儿面条的价格。结果是，价格确实存在很大差异，虽然没有宿迁报道的那么极端。
In Nanjing, a 280 gram pack of infant wheat flour noodles is priced at ¥14.90, while 1 kilogram of ordinary noodles goes for as little as ¥8.59. That makes the infant variety six times more expensive on a cost-per-gram basis. It’s also twice as expensive than imported spaghetti, which Suguo at present prices at ¥13.89 for 500 grams for one particular brand.
在南京，一包280克的婴儿面条售价为14.90元，而1公斤的普通面条售价仅为8.59元。这使得婴儿品种的每克成本贵了六倍。它的价格也比进口意大利面贵一倍，目前苏果某品牌进口意大利面的售价为 13.89 日元/500 克。
On the face of it, China can be a lawless place when it comes to the exploitation of vulnerable groups. But that’s changing. In the infant world, the country has issued a number of national standards in the fields of baby nappies and pacifiers. which have helped to improve product quality and address safety concerns.
从表面上看，中国在剥削弱势群体方面可能是一个无法无天的地方。但这种情况正在改变。在婴幼儿领域，国家在婴儿尿布、奶嘴领域颁布了多项国家标准。这有助于提高产品质量并解决安全问题。
However, there is still a lack of corresponding standards for other infant products, including children’s food. Some are not specifically designed therefor, but still include selling points such as “suitable for infants and young children” in order to create fake demand.
然而，包括儿童食品在内的其他婴幼儿产品仍缺乏相应的标准。有的并非专门为此设计，但仍包含“适合婴幼儿”等卖点，以制造虚假需求。
Until standards for such are also implemented, the public is encouraged to pay attention to considerations such as product materials, standards and ingredients from the perspectives of both safety and practicality.
在相关标准出台之前，鼓励公众从安全性和实用性的角度关注产品材料、标准和成分等考虑因素。
