As a controversy about the "Made in China" uniforms for members of the US Olympic team continued to erupt, one US track and field Olympian expressed his thanks to China.
随着美国奥运代表团队服“中国制造”的风波持续发酵，近日美国一位奥运田径选手则向中国表达了谢意。
In a tweet, Nick Symmonds, who will compete in the 800-meter run at the London Olympic Games, wrote: "Our Ralph Lauren outfits for the Olympic opening ceremonies were made in China. So, um, thanks China."
The uniforms for the opening ceremony are American red, white and blue. The berets, blazers and pants were designed by US label Ralph Lauren and made in China.
However, on Thursday, Republicans and Democrats railed against the US Olympic Committee`s decision to dress the US team in Chinese-manufactured uniforms.
而上周四，美国共和党和民主党反对美国奥委会让美国代表团穿“中国制造”队服的这一决定。
"I am so upset. I think the Olympic committee should be ashamed of themselves. I think they should be embarrassed," Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid told reporters at a Capitol Hill news conference.
"I think they should take all the uniforms, put them in a big pile and burn them, and start all over again."
“我认为他们应该收回所有制服，堆在一起放把火烧掉，然后重新来过。”
House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi told reporters at her weekly news conference that she`s proud of the nation`s Olympic athletes, but "they should be wearing uniforms that are made in America".
"Unlike most Olympic teams around the world, the US Olympic team is privately funded and we`re grateful for the support of our sponsors," committee spokesman Patrick Sandusky said in a statement.
"We`re proud of our partnership with Ralph Lauren, an iconic American company, and excited to watch America`s finest athletes compete at the upcoming Games in London."
On Twitter, Sandusky called the outrage over the made-in-China uniforms nonsense.
在推特上，桑达斯基表示，有关美国奥运队服“中国制造”的愤怒都毫无意义。
Ralph Lauren declined to comment on the criticism.
对于这些批评声，拉尔夫•劳伦方面拒绝发表评论。
In fact, if anyone has something to be upset about, it`s China, said the New York-based Brandchannel.com, noting that Nike, a US brand, unveiled uniforms for China`s Olympic team for the London Games in June.
"Made in China" is a phrase US citizens know mainly as an indicator of pervasive offshore manufacturing. But increasingly it`s being attached to products originating in China from US companies and gaining acceptance in the West.
A recent survey by Li-Ning, a leading Chinese athletic footwear and apparel company, found that a growing number of consumers in the US are willing to buy products of Chinese origin.
Two consumer groups, those aged 18 to 25 and those with annual household incomes of more than $225,000, were most likely to regard Chinese brands favorably.
年龄介于18到25岁之间的群体，以及家庭年收入超过22万美元的人士，这两部分人群尤其偏好中国品牌。
It`s impossible for US citizens to completely stop using Chinese-manufactured goods, given the irreversible trend of globalization and increasing economic interdependency between the two sides, said Dong Manyuan, deputy director of the China Institute of International Studies.
Before a presidential election, Republicans and Democrats are accustomed to accusing China of taking US jobs, in order to lobby voters and divert attention from the country`s own problems," he said. "But once elected, almost every president will conduct normal exchanges and practical cooperation with China," he added.
Many US fashion brands have survived by getting rid of high costs created by the labor-intensive textile industry and moving their production lines to Chinese factories with intensive, cheap labor.