HSK 4 · Article · 333 characters · Listen: mandarinthewild.com/library/read/why-is-china-called-the-worlds-factory

从袜子到汽车

Why is China called the world’s factory?

Name: ________________ Date: ________

你nǐ身上shēnshang的de衣服yīfu、桌zhuō上shàng的de手机shǒujī，翻过来fānguòlai看一看kànyíkàn，很hěn可能kěnéng写xiě着zhe“中国制造zhōngguó-zhìzào”。人们rénmen常cháng说shuō，中国zhōngguó是shì“世界shìjiè工厂gōngchǎng”。这zhè个gè说法shuōfǎ是shì怎么zěnme来lái的de？

一九七八年yījiǔqībānián改革开放gǎigé-kāifàng以后yǐhòu，中国zhōngguó的de工厂gōngchǎng越来越yuèláiyuè多duō，特别tèbié是shì在zài广东guǎngdōng这样zhèyàng的de沿海yánhǎi省份shěngfèn。那nà时候shíhou，中国zhōngguó的de工人gōngrén多duō，工资gōngzī也yě比较bǐjiào低dī，所以suóyǐ很hěn多duō外国wàiguó公司gōngsī来到láidào中国zhōngguó开kāi工厂gōngchǎng。袜子wàzi、玩具wánjù、鞋子xiézi，一yì箱xiāng一yì箱xiāng地de从cóng中国zhōngguó的de港口gángkǒu运yùn到dào世界各地shìjiè-gèdì。

二零一零年èrlíngyīlíngnián，中国zhōngguó第一次dìyīcì超过chāoguò美国měiguó，成chéng了le全世界quánshìjiè制造业zhìzàoyè最zuì大dà的de国家guójiā。现在xiànzài，全世界quánshìjiè工厂gōngchǎng做zuò出来chūlái的de东西dōngxī，差不多chàbuduō有yǒu三分之一sānfēn-zhīyì来自láizì中国zhōngguó。

不过búguò，“中国制造zhōngguó-zhìzào”的de样子yàngzi也yě在zài变biàn。以前yǐqián，大家dàjiā想到xiǎngdào中国zhōngguó工厂gōngchǎng，想到xiǎngdào的de是shì便宜piányi的de小东西xiǎodōngxi。现在xiànzài，世界shìjiè上shàng八成bāchéng以上yǐshàng的de太阳能tàiyángnéng板bǎn是shì中国zhōngguó做zuò的de。二零二三年èrlíng’èrsānnián，中国zhōngguó还hái成chéng了le全世界quánshìjiè出口chūkǒu汽车qìchē最zuì多duō的de国家guójiā，其中qízhōng很hěn多duō是shì电动车diàndòngchē。

同时tóngshí，中国zhōngguó的de工资gōngzī也yě越来越yuèláiyuè高gāo，有的yǒude工厂gōngchǎng已经yǐjīng搬bān到dào了le越南yuènán、印度yìndù这些zhèxiē国家guójiā。“世界shìjiè工厂gōngchǎng”以后yǐhòu会huì不会búhuì换huàn地方dìfang？这zhè个gè问题wèntí，很hěn多duō人rén都dōu在zài讨论tǎolùn。

你nǐ现在xiànzài身边shēnbiān的de东西dōngxī，有yǒu几jǐ样yàng是shì中国zhōngguó做zuò的de？

Key words

Word	Pinyin	Meaning
常	cháng	often; frequently
世界	shìjiè	world
以后	yǐhòu	later; afterwards; in the future
特别	tèbié	special; unusual; especially; particularly
国家	guójiā	country; nation; state
差不多	chàbuduō	almost; nearly
来自	láizì	to come from; to originate from
变	biàn	to change; to become; change; transformation
以前	yǐqián	before; previously; formerly
以上	yǐshàng	the above; the foregoing
汽车	qìchē	car; automobile; motor vehicle
搬	bān	to move; to carry (something heavy)

English (for the teacher)

Turn over the clothes you’re wearing or the phone on your desk, and it very likely says “Made in China”. People often call China “the world’s factory”. Where did that saying come from?

After reform and opening up began in 1978, China’s factories multiplied, especially in coastal provinces like Guangdong. Back then China had many workers and fairly low wages, so lots of foreign companies came to China to open factories. Socks, toys and shoes travelled box after box from China’s ports to every corner of the world.

In 2010, China overtook the United States for the first time to become the world’s biggest manufacturing country. Now almost a third of everything the world’s factories make comes from China.

But what “Made in China” looks like is changing too. People used to think of cheap little things when they thought of Chinese factories. Now more than eighty per cent of the world’s solar panels are made in China. In 2023, China also became the country that exports the most cars in the world, many of them electric.

At the same time, Chinese wages keep rising, and some factories have already moved to countries such as Vietnam and India. Will “the world’s factory” move somewhere else one day? Lots of people are debating that question.

Of the things around you right now, how many were made in China?