Upper-Intermediate - Supplier Problems (D2233)

A: 头儿,最近他们采购部进的这批零件不行啊。规格和我们设计的完全不一样,质量也比我们要求的差多了。
tóur, zuìjìn tāmen cǎigòubù jìn de zhè pī língjiàn bùxíng a. guīgé hé wǒmen shèjì de wánquán bù yīyàng, zhìliàng yě bǐ wǒmen yāoqiú de chà duō le.
Boss, the recent batch of components bought by the Purchasing Department isn't good. The specs on them are nothing like our designs, and the quality is way below what we asked for.
B: 要不你们改改设计吧。他们采购进来的货也不可能作废啊。
yàobu nǐmen gǎigai shèjì ba. tāmen cǎigòu jìnlai de huò yě bù kěnéng zuòfèi a.
Why don't we change the designs? The items they bought can't just go to waste.
A: 这已经不是第一次了。自从换了供应商,送过来的货比以前那家差多了。
zhè yǐjīng bùshì dì yī cì le. zìcóng huàn le gōngyìngshāng, sòng guòlai de huò bǐ yǐqián nà jiā chà duō le.
This isn't the first time. Since we've changed suppliers, the items we've received have been a lot worse than the previous supplier's.
B: 采购是招标的,他们也有预算。就这么几家供应商,一旦定下来至少一年才会换。
cǎigòu shì zhāobiāo de, tāmen yě yǒu yùsuàn. jiù zhème jǐ jiā gōngyìngshāng, yīdàn dìngxiàlái zhìshǎo yī nián cái huì huàn.
Purchasing is done by inviting bids and they already have a budget. There's only so many suppliers and once one has been fixed it takes at least a year to change.
A: 那也不能老是让我们吃亏啊,为了个零件就要改设计。也不知道他们收了供应商多少好处。
nà yě bùnéng lǎoshi ràng wǒmen chīkuī a, wèile gè língjiàn jiùyào gǎi shèjì. yě bùzhīdào tāmen shōu le gōngyìngshāng duōshao hǎochu.
But this way we're always getting the bad end of the deal, having to change the design just for a part. I wonder if they are getting something back from the suppliers.
B: 别胡说!大家都不容易,互相体谅一下。即使是换供应商候选名单也不是容易的事。这个都要一级级报总部批准的,哪能说换就换。
bié húshuō! dàjiā dōu bù róngyì, hùxiāng tǐliàng yīxià. jíshǐ shì huàn gōngyìngshāng hòuxuǎn míngdān yě bù shì róngyì de shì. zhè ge dōuyào yījíjí bào zǒngbù pīzhǔn de, nǎnéng shuō huàn jiù huàn.
Don't talk nonsense! It's tough for everyone. Everyone has to understand each other. Even coming up with a list of potential suppliers to switch to isn't easy. These things have to be sent to headquarters for approval at every level. How can they just be changed on a whim?
A: 可是头儿,一样是生产笔记本电脑,TX牌的电脑我们可都拆开来看过,人家供应商的零件比我们要好一个档次啊。
kěshì tóur, yīyàng shì shēngchǎn bǐjìběndiànnǎo, TX pái de diànnǎo wǒmen kě dōu chāikāilái kàn guo, rénjiā gōngyìngshāng de língjiàn bǐ wǒmen yào hǎo yī gè dàngcì a.
But boss, it's all the same in manufacturing laptop computers. We've taken apart a TX brand computer and looked inside. Their supplier's parts are a class above ours.
B: 唉呀,我们只不过是代工厂。最后成品质量还是由AG把关,反正是他们的牌子。有多少钱办多少事,不要紧的。
àiya, wǒmen zhǐ bùguò shì dàigōngchǎng. zuìhòu chéngpǐn zhìliàng háishì yóu AG bǎguān, fǎnzhèng shì tāmen de páizi. yǒu duōshao qián bàn duōshao shì, bùyàojǐn de.
Look, we're just providing assembly. The quality of the final product is the responsibility of AG. After all, it's their brand. We'll do what we can with the money we've got. Don't worry about it.

Key Vocabulary

采购部 cǎigòubù Purchasing Department
jìn to stock
零件 língjiàn part, component
规格 guīgé specification
作废 zuòfèi to be a waste, to expire
供应商 gōngyìngshāng supplier
采购 cǎigòu purchasing
招标 zhāobiāo to ask for bids
预算 yùsuàn budget
一旦 yīdàn as soon as
好处 hǎochu benefit
体谅 tǐliàng to make allowances for
即使 jíshǐ even if
候选 hòuxuǎn candidtate
一级级 yījíjí at every level
总部 zǒngbù headquarters
代工厂 dàigōngchǎng assembly plant
成品 chéngpǐn finished product
把关 bǎguān to take responsibility for something

Supplementary Vocabulary

进货 jìnhuò to stock merchandise
浪费 làngfèi to waste
利益 lìyì benefit
承包 chéngbāo to do a job
贿赂 huìlù bribe
回扣 huíkòu sales commission, kickback
富士康 Fùshìkāng Foxconn
代替 dàitì to replace
加工 jiāgōng to process
生产 shēngchǎn to manufacture

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