China's high-speed train manufacturers haven't been getting many positive headlines of late. Aly Song/Reuters

　　近来，有关中国高速列车制造商的新闻中没有多少是正面消息。

　　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.

　　新华社周三贡献了一条。在这条消息中，新华社说中国在竞标中胜出，赢得了向格鲁吉亚提供40台高速列车牵引电机的订单。

　　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.

　　这篇报道说，中标的幸运制造商是南车株洲电力机车有限公司。该公司是中国南方机车车辆工业集团公司（简称：南车集团）的子公司。新华社援引该公司发言人的话说，发动机及配件将在2012年9月前交付给格鲁吉亚这个中亚国家，并说中标格鲁吉亚项目，对中国先进轨道装备走向外高加索地区乃至独联体和欧洲意义重大。

　　The successful bid “symbolizes another solid step towards internationalization for China's high technology rail products,” the report said (in Chinese ).

　　报道说，竞标成功标志着中国铁路高科技产品国际化又迈出了坚实一步。

　　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.

　　当然，买卖归买卖，而且对于高速列车产业来说，发展中国家是一个主要市场。但拿下格鲁吉亚的订单仍然无法回答以下问题：在更大且更发达的国家承接大型项目时，他们是否会选择中国的列车制造企业？

　　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.

　　在斥资数千亿美元研发全球速度最快的高速列车并建设全球最大的高速铁路网络之后，中国的列车制造商提出了雄心勃勃的出口计划，有些甚至开始谈论向美国加州出售高速铁路系统的想法。

　　But the shine has worn off China's high-speed rail efforts thanks to a series of setbacks over the last six months.

　　过去六个月里出现的一系列问题令中国高速铁路的光芒逐渐消失。

　　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，铁道部发现自己卷入了一起贪污丑闻。在7月初，一系列小故障开始影响中国高速铁路网络中非常重要的京沪高铁线路。

　　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.

　　随后的7月23日，在温州附近发生了动车追尾的致命性事故。这一事故引发了公众在网上公开表达愤怒，规模前所未见。这起事故也令中国向国外出售高铁技术的谈判受阻。

　　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.

　　在这种背景下，拿下格鲁吉亚订单的消息似乎可以算作一个胜利；对于中国的列车制造商来说，这可能算是在通向复苏的道路上迈出的第一步。

　　Or does it?

　　事实果真如此？

　　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.

　　根据新华社的报道，格鲁吉亚位于地形复杂的高加索山区，这意味着第比利斯的居民在近期内是不会享受到以每小时300公里的速度驰骋该国的“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，中国此次提供给格鲁吉亚的产品既采用了高铁列车牵引电机特有的独立通风技术，又吸收地铁、轻轨列车牵引电机一些专有技术。新华社的报道说，一旦投入运营，预计这批牵引电机带动的火车能以每小时约120公里的速度前进。

　　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.

　　目前尚不清楚为什么该公司仍给这批牵引电机贴上了“高速”标签。120公里的时速大致相当于轿车在美国较为宽敞的道路上行驶的速度。记者周四无法联系株洲电力机车公司就此置评。

　　Still, with the year they've been having, China's train manufacturers are likely happy just to be traveling anywhere, at whatever speed.

　　尽管如此，鉴于他们在今年所经历的一切，无论以何种速度，中国的列车制造商只要能卖出产品，很可能就会感到高兴的。