关于商家滥用绿色环保标签
Manufacturers of products that claim to be environmentally friendly will face tighter rules on how they are advertised to consumers under changes proposed by the Federal Trade Commission.
依据联邦贸易委员会，体育的变革，将对自称为环境友好型的产品制造商，如何向消费者宣传产品之行更严格的规定。
The commission's revised "Green Guides" warn marketers against using labels that make broad claims, like "eco-friendly".
该委员会修订的绿色指南，警告商人不要使用诸如生态友好型，这样表意宽泛的标签。
Marketers must qualify their claims on the product packaging and limit them to a specific benefit, such as how much of the product is recycled.
商人必须使产品符合其包装上的宣传内容。并将这些内容限定为一个明确的益处，如产品的循环利用度。
"This is really about trying to cut through the confusion that consumers have when they are buying a product and that businesses have when they are selling a product," said Jon Leibowitz, chairman of the commission.
实际上，此举是在试图消除消费者购买产品和商家销售产品时所存在的困惑，联邦贸易委员会主席乔恩说道。
The revisions come at a time when green marketing is on the rise.
这次修订，正值绿色市场营销盛行之际。
According to a new study, the number of advertisements with green messages in mainstream magazines has risen since 1987, and peaked in 2008 at 10.4%. In 2009, the number dropped to 9%.
一项新的研究指出，自1987年以来，主流杂志中带有绿色信息的广告数量已然上升，且于2008年达到10.4%的最高点。在2009年该数值跌至9%。
But while the number of advertisements may have dipped, there has been a rapid spread of ecolabeling.
然而虽然广告的数量可能下降了，但生态标签已经在迅速传播。
There are both good and bad players in the eco-labeling game.
在生态标签的游戏中，好坏玩家均有。
In the last five years or so, there has been an explosion of green claims and environmental claims.
在过去的5年左右的时间里，关于绿色和生态的宣传激增。
It is clear that consumers don't always know what they are getting.
很明显，消费者并不总是知道他们能获得什么。
A handful of lawsuits have been filed in recent years against companies accused of using misleading environmental labels.
近年来1提起的一小部分诉讼就是针对被指控使用误导性环保标签的企业的。
In 2008 and 2009, class-action lawsuits (集体诉讼) were filed against SC Johnson for using "Greenlist" labels on its cleaning products.
在2008年和2009年，公司因在其清洁产品上使用绿色清单标签而遭到了集体诉讼。
The lawsuits said that the label was misleading because it gave the impression that the products had been certified by a third party when the certification was the company's own.
该诉讼称，这个标签具有误导性，因为它给人们留下的印象是这些产品已经被第三方认证，而该认证实际公司自己完成的。
"We are very proud of our accomplishments under the Greenlist system and we believe that we will prevail in these cases," Christopher Beard, director of public affairs for SC Johnson, said, while acknowledging that "this has been an area that is difficult to navigate."
在绿色清单体系下，我们为所取得的成就而感到骄傲，并确信我们将在这些诉讼案中占据上风，装成公司公共事务处，总监克里斯托夫彼尔德讲道，与此同时他承认，这是一个很难进行正确指导的领域。
Companies have also taken it upon themselves to contest each other's green claims.
各行业也承担起责任，对彼此的绿色宣传提出质疑。
David Mallen, associate director of the Council of Better Business Bureau, said in the last two years the organization had seen an increase in the number of claims companies were bringing against each other for false or misleading environmental product claims.
美国商业促进局委员会副主任大卫麦伦表示。在过去的两年里，该机构见证了公司因虚假或误导性环保产品宣传而互相指责的事件的增加。
"About once a week, I have a client that will bring up a new certification I've never even heard of and I'm in this industry, said Kevin Wilhelm, chief executive officer of Sustainable Business Consulting.
大约每周都会有一位客户向我提出一个闻所未闻的新认证，而我就在这个认证行业任职，可持续发展商业咨询公司的首席执行官凯文威廉说道。
"It's kind of a Wild West, anybody can claim themselves to be green." Mr. Wilhelm said the excess of labels made it difficult for businesses and consumers to know which labels they should pay attention to.
这有点像在西部荒原，任何人都可以宣称其能做到环保。威廉先生断言，标签的过度使用，很难让企业和消费者了解哪些是他们应该注意的标签。
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What do the revised "Green Guides" require businesses to do?
A) Manufacture as many green products as possible.
B) Indicate whether their products are recyclable.
C) Specify in what way their products are green.
D) Attach green labels to all of their products. -
What does the author say about consumers facing an explosion of green claims?
A) They can easily see through the businesses' tricks.
B) They have to spend lots of time choosing products.
C) They have doubt about current green certification.
D) They are not clear which products are truly green. -
What was SC Johnson accused of in the class-action lawsuits?
A) It gave consumers the impression that all its products were truly green.
B) It gave a third party the authority to label its products as environmentally friendly.
C) It misled consumers to believe that its products had been certified by a third party.
D) It sold cleaning products that were not included in the official "Greenlist". -
How did Christopher Beard defend his company's labeling practice?
A) There were no clear guidelines concerning green labeling.
B) His company's products had been well received by the public.
C) It was in conformity to the prevailing practice in the market.
D) No law required the involvement of a third party in certification. -
What does Kevin Wilhelm imply by saying "It's kind of a Wild West" (Line 3，Para. 11)?
A) Businesses compete to produce green products.
B) Each business acts its own way in green labeling.
C) Consumers grow wild with products labeled green.
D) Anything produced in the West can be labeled green.
