When Sinovel, the world’s second-largest producer of wind turbines, signed a series of multiyear supply contracts worth nearly $1bn with American Superconductor, a darling of the US clean energy sector, it seemed like a textbook case of how China’s clean energy push could create US jobs.

　　當(dāng)全球第二大風(fēng)力渦輪機制造商華銳風(fēng)電(Sinovel)與美國超導(dǎo)公司(American Superconductor)簽署總價值近10億美元的一系列長期供應(yīng)合同時，那仿佛就是證明中國發(fā)展清潔能源能為美國創(chuàng)造就業(yè)機會的經(jīng)典案例。美國超導(dǎo)公司是美國清潔能源領(lǐng)域的佼佼者。

　　But just four years later, the two companies are locked in dispute. American Superconductor says the Chinese turbine maker – its biggest customer – has failed to pay for more than $50m of shipments received and has refused to accept further contracted shipments.

　　但僅僅四年之后，兩家公司就卷入了糾紛。美國超導(dǎo)公司表示，華銳風(fēng)電未能為其已收到的價值逾5000萬美元的貨物支付貨款，并且拒絕繼續(xù)接受按合同約定應(yīng)發(fā)送的貨物。華銳風(fēng)電是美國超導(dǎo)公司最大的客戶。

　　The soured business relationship underscores the cut-throat nature of a turbine manufacturing sector threatened by a looming global slowdown. China is now the world’s largest producer of turbines and solar panels, and Chinese companies are starting to compete with their western peers for deals on their home turf.

　　兩家公司關(guān)系惡化突顯出渦輪機制造業(yè)的激烈競爭——全球經(jīng)濟放緩的陰影正對該行業(yè)構(gòu)成威脅。中國目前是世界最大的渦輪機和太陽能電板制造國，同時中國公司開始在本土與西方制造商競爭合同。

　　Beijing has heavily promoted the development of renewable energy as part of its strategy to lessen dependence on fossil fuels. This state support prompted the US trade representative to open an investigation into Chinese wind subsidies this year.

　　中國政府大力推動可再生能源的發(fā)展，以此作為降低對化石燃料依賴的戰(zhàn)略的一部分。這樣的政府支持促使美國貿(mào)易代表今年對中國的風(fēng)電補貼展開調(diào)查。

　　Beijing has since stopped the subsidy fund that was the target of the probe.

　　之后，中國政府停止了曾是調(diào)查目標(biāo)的補貼基金。

　　Another key factor in the success of turbine manufacturers like Sinovel has been their ability to absorb and adopt key technologies – just as Chinese companies “digested” technology from foreign counterparts in high-speed rail.

　　華銳風(fēng)電等渦輪機制造商成功的另一個關(guān)鍵因素是它們吸收和接受關(guān)鍵技術(shù)的能力，就像中國公司在高鐵領(lǐng)域“消化”外國同行的技術(shù)一樣。

　　Although neither side will discuss details of their differences, the Sinovel-American Superconductor contract dispute appears to touch on such issues as technology access.

　　盡管美國超導(dǎo)公司和華銳風(fēng)電都不愿討論糾紛的細(xì)節(jié)，但兩家公司的合同糾紛似乎涉及技術(shù)獲得等問題。

　　Among the most technically advanced components that the US company supplied to Sinovel were high-powered frequency converters, which switch the power of a turning turbine into regulated electrical current.

　　美國超導(dǎo)公司向華銳風(fēng)電供應(yīng)了一些技術(shù)最先進(jìn)的部件，其中包括高能變頻器，它將渦輪機旋轉(zhuǎn)產(chǎn)生的能量轉(zhuǎn)化為穩(wěn)定的電流。

　　But Sinovel has set up a subsidiary, Dalian Guotong Electronics, that makes frequency converters, according to filings to the Shanghai Stock Exchange and the website of Guotong.

　　但是華銳風(fēng)電成立了一家生產(chǎn)變頻器的子公司——大連國通電氣有限公司(GTE)，這可以從華銳風(fēng)電提交給上海證券交易所(SSE)的文件和國通的網(wǎng)站上得到證明。

　　The aim of Guotong is to “replace imports” with its powerful frequency converters, according to a Dalian City website. Guotong declined to comment.

　　根據(jù)大連市門戶網(wǎng)站的報道，國通的目標(biāo)是用自己生產(chǎn)的高能變頻器“替代進(jìn)口”。國通拒絕置評。

　　Sinovel plans to purchase Rmb300m ($46m) of components from Guotong this year, mostly frequency converters, according to stock exchange filings. Guotong is 22.5 per cent owned by Sinovel and a further 32.5 per cent is owned by a Sinovel affiliate.

　　根據(jù)上海證交所的資料，華銳風(fēng)電今年計劃向國通購買價值3億元人民幣（合4600萬美元）的部件，其中多數(shù)是變頻器。華銳風(fēng)電持有國通22.5%的股份，華銳風(fēng)電另一家子公司還持有國通32.5%的股份。

　　But while Guotong enjoys growing orders from Sinovel, American Superconductor, which counted on Sinovel for 65 to 70 per cent of its revenues in the third quarter of last year, has found the absence of its biggest customer extremely painful.

　　但是在國通獲得華銳風(fēng)電越來越多訂單的同時，美國超導(dǎo)公司卻發(fā)現(xiàn)，最大客戶的流失讓自己痛苦不堪。去年第三季度，美國超導(dǎo)公司65%-70%的收入來自華銳風(fēng)電。

　　The relationship is lopsided: last year Sinovel bought around $317m worth of components from American Superconductor, which represented 11 per cent of Sinovel’s component purchasing spending, according to Shanghai stock exchange filings and research from Citi.

　　這是一種不對稱的關(guān)系：根據(jù)上海證交所的資料和花旗(Citi)的研究，去年華銳風(fēng)電購買了美國超導(dǎo)公司價值約3.17億美元的部件，相當(dāng)于華銳風(fēng)電組件購買支出的11%。

　　American Superconductor missed two deadlines for filing its 2010 annual earnings report to regulators as the company assesses the impact of the Sinovel dispute.

　　由于需要評估與華銳風(fēng)電糾紛的影響，美國超導(dǎo)公司兩次錯過了向監(jiān)管機構(gòu)提交2010年年度業(yè)績報告的最后期限。

　　But there are also doubts about whether Sinovel is capable of sourcing in China all the components it has been getting from its US supplier.

　　但人們也懷疑，華銳風(fēng)電能否完全本土化采購它一直以來從美國供應(yīng)商那里獲得的部件。

　　Some analysts caution that Sinovel will not be able to replace American Superconductor immediately, given the Massachusetts-based company’s role in designing many of Sinovel’s turbines.

　　一些分析師提醒道，鑒于美國超導(dǎo)公司在華銳風(fēng)電許多渦輪機的設(shè)計中所扮演的角色，華銳風(fēng)電將無法立即替換這家總部位于馬薩諸塞州的公司。

　　“American Superconductor indicates Sinovel will continue as a customer, but checks continue to indicate a move to design American Superconductor out of future (and current) designs as much as possible, but this can’t happen overnight given its former dependence on American Superconductor,” wrote Citi analyst Timothy Arcuri in a recent note. “The process has begun but it will take time,” he said by phone.

　　花旗分析師蒂莫西?阿庫里(Timothy Arcuri)最近在一篇報告中表示：“美國超導(dǎo)公司暗示，華銳風(fēng)電仍將是自己的客戶，但賬單繼續(xù)表明，華銳風(fēng)電正采取行動，盡可能將其排除在未來（及現(xiàn)在）的渦輪機設(shè)計之外，但鑒于華銳過去對美國超導(dǎo)的依賴，這不可能在一夜之間實現(xiàn)。”阿庫里在接受電話采訪時表示：“這一過程已經(jīng)開始，但需要時間。”

　　While Chinese turbine makers moved into manufacturing by purchasing designs from western peers, the ambition of Sinovel and others is to become more self-sufficient.

　　中國渦輪機制造商最初是通過購買西方同行的設(shè)計來進(jìn)軍制造領(lǐng)域，但華銳風(fēng)電及其它公司現(xiàn)在的抱負(fù)是，要變得更加自給自足。

　　“Otherwise we face the danger of becoming obsolete,” said Sinovel vice-president Tao Gang in a recent interview with state-run Xinhua news agency.

　　華銳風(fēng)電高級副總裁陶剛最近在接受中國官方媒體新華社采訪時表示：“否則（我們）就會面臨被淘汰的風(fēng)險。”

　　Starting in 2007, Sinovel signed a series of increasingly large contracts to buy electrical components from American Superconductor for Sinovel’s turbines, which the US company also had a hand in designing.

　　從2007年開始，華銳風(fēng)電與美國超導(dǎo)公司簽署了一系列購買渦輪機電氣元件的合同，且金額不斷增大。美國超導(dǎo)公司還參與了華銳風(fēng)電渦輪機的設(shè)計工作。

　　The largest deals were multiyear parts supply contracts: these included a $470m order Sinovel placed in 2008 for parts supplies through to April 2011; a $445m extension of that set to begin in early 2011 and last for 30 months; and a 2009 order for $100m of components to be delivered through to the end of 2011.

　　最大的幾筆合同是多年期的零部件供應(yīng)合同：包括華銳風(fēng)電在2008年簽署的價值4.7億美元的零部件供應(yīng)訂單，期限到2011年4月；該訂單的延展合同，從2011年年初開始，為期30個月，總價值4.45億美元的零部件供應(yīng)訂單；以及2009年簽署的1億美元的零部件訂單，到2011年年底到期。

　　American Superconductor declined to specify which of these contracts are in dispute. “Our discussions with Sinovel are ongoing,” wrote Jason Fredette, spokesman for American Superconductor, in an e-mail. Sinovel and Guotong both declined to comment.

　　美國超導(dǎo)公司拒絕具體指出發(fā)生糾紛的是哪些合同。該公司發(fā)言人賈森?弗雷德特(Jason Fredette)在一封電子郵件中寫道：“我們與華銳風(fēng)電的談判正在進(jìn)行中。”華銳風(fēng)電和國通均拒絕置評。