CNN News: 特朗普重新协商北美自由贸易协定

And President Trump says he's beginning to renegotiate NAFTA, the North American Free Trade Agreement between the U.S., Canada and Mexico.
特朗普总统表示，他将开始重新协商北美自由贸易协定(NAFTA)，即美国与加拿大和墨西哥之间的自由贸易协定。
Italian fabrics, Japanese Kobe beef, American cars, where there are goods, there's trade.
意大利的纺织品、日本的神户牛肉、美国的汽车——哪里有商品哪里就有贸易。
Trade deals make it easier and cheaper for countries to trade with one another. They're not necessary, but there's a price to pay if you don't have one. Countries generally slap an extra charge on foreign products when they cross the border.
贸易协议可使国家之间的贸易往来变得更简单、更优惠。虽说不是必需的，但是如果没有贸易协议，那各国就需要付出一定的代价。通常，各国都会在外国商品过海关时征收额外费用。
Free trade deals can get rid of these tariffs, pushing prices down and giving customers better access to foreign goods. They can strengthen diplomatic ties. Almost every country in the world has them. Around 230 trade deals went into force between 2000 and 2016, according to World Trade Organization.
自由贸易协议可以摆脱关税，降低商品价格，使顾客更容易购买到外国商品。另外，贸易协议还可以增强外交关系。几乎全球所有国家都有贸易协议。据世界贸易组织统计，2000年至2016年，全世界有约230个贸易协议生效。
So, how do they work?
那么，贸易协议是怎样发挥作用的?
Let's say two or more countries, Country A, Country B, and Country C, decide they want a deal. They gather important people around the table, lawyers, negotiators, regulators, and they hammer out the details. They'll work out the different sectors they want to focus on and discuss ways to align their industry rules. Leaders give their stamp of approval and generally, lawmakers have to ratify everything.
举例来说，两个及两个以上国家，比如A国、B国和C国决定签订贸易协议。这三个国家的重要人物——律师、谈判代表、监管部门人员等——会围坐一桌展开谈判，他们会磋商出贸易协议的具体内容。他们会划出重点行业，并商讨出调整行业规定的办法。然后各国领导人签字同意，通常还需立法委员进行核准。
But it takes time. Modern, large scale trade deals between multiple countries can take years to sign and there's a lot of back and forth. The recent free trade deal between Canada and the European Union took nearly a decade to sign. Even smaller trade deals can often take a year or two.
不过这一切都需要时间。多国间现代化、大规模的贸易协议通常需要数年时间才能签署，期间还要经过反复磋商。最近加拿大和欧盟之间签署的自由贸易协议耗费了近十年时间。规模较小的贸易协议也可能需要一两年的时间才能签署。
But not everyone is a fan. Critics say it's better when the tariffs are in place and everyone minds their own business. They say cheap foreign products drown out domestic industry and hurt local jobs. But when trade barriers go up, countries can hurt themselves, leading to higher prices, potential shortages and unhappy customers.
但是，并不是所有人都支持贸易协议。批评人士认为，加收关税、大家各行其道做好本国生意似乎更好。他们表示，便宜的外国商品会重创国内产业，不利于当地就业。但是，贸易壁垒增加时，各国也会伤害到自身，导致价格上涨，还可能会出现商品短缺、顾客不满等情况。