The television of the people is driving the car of the people off the road.

　　中国的大众电视台让中国的大众汽车遇到了麻烦。

　　Volkswagen AG (VLKAY, VOW.XE) said Wednesday it will recall about 384,000 vehicles sold in China because of problems with the gearbox. That follows a report on government mouthpiece China Central Television featuring interviews with a stream of dissatisfied VW customers.

　　大众汽车(Volkswagen AG)周三说，由于变速箱存在问题，将召回在中国市场上出售的大约38.4万辆汽车。此前，中国政府的喉舌中国中央电视台(China Central Television)播出了一则报道，采访了很多对大众汽车不满意的客户。

　　For western companies operating in China, CCTV has to be taken seriously. Yum Brands Inc. (YUM) found that out in late 2012 when CCTV alleged food-quality issues in some KFC stores. That triggered an estimated 20% fall in Yum's same-store sales in the first quarter of this year.

　　对那些在中国经营的西方公司来说，中央电视台是必须要认真对待的。百胜餐饮集团(Yum Brands Inc.)在2012年末认识到这一点，当时中央电视台称部分肯德基门店存在食品质量问题。估计此事导致百胜餐饮今年第一季度同店销售额下降20%。

　　The VW recall will take a toll. It is equivalent to about 15% of VW's unit sales in China last year. The company isn't commenting on the potential cost. But paying to replace gearbox components won't be cheap. There's also a reputational impact that could hurt future sales in a major market. China made up 28% of the group's sales last year by volume, and year-on-year sales growth in China of 18.5% was far ahead of 11.8% global growth.

　　大众汽车将为召回汽车付出一定代价。此次召回的汽车相当于该公司去年在华销量的15%左右。大众汽车没有对可能产生的成本发表评论。但更换变速箱零部件的价格不会便宜。此外，大众汽车的声誉也会受影响，可能对该公司未来在一个主要市场上的销售不利。去年，大众汽车在华销量占该公司全球销量的28%，中国市场销量18.5%的同比增幅也远高于该公司全球范围内11.8%的增速。

　　Still, the recall should be no more than a bump in the road. Toyota Motor Corp.'s (7203.TO, TM) strong recovery from its own recall debacle in the U.S. shows that such problems don't necessarily have a lasting effect.

　　话虽如此，召回事件充其量应该也就相当于行驶途中的一次颠簸。丰田汽车公司(Toyota Motor Corp.)从美国召回风波中强劲复苏的事实表明，这类问题不一定会有持久影响。

　　In China, VW's rivals Toyota, Honda and Nissan are struggling to cope with the impact of continuing diplomatic tensions between Beijing and Tokyo, which have dented sales of Japanese brands there. That leaves them in no position to take advantage of VW's woes.

　　在中国，大众汽车的竞争对手丰田、本田(Honda)和日产汽车(Nissan)此时正在艰难应对中日持续外交紧张局势带来的影响。这种局势使日本汽车品牌在华销量受到打击，因而无法在大众汽车陷入困境时渔翁得利。

　　The recall is a reminder that foreign businesses in China can't expect a smooth ride. But VW should be able to steer clear of a crash.

　　这次召回事件提醒我们，在华外企不要指望在这里的征途可以顺风顺水。不过，大众汽车应该可以避免发生“撞车”。