Lesson 8-1        Trading standards

Chickens slaughtered in the United States, claim officials in Brussels, are not fit to grace European tables. No, say the American: our fowl are fine, we simply clean them in a different way. These days, it is differences in national regulations, far more than tariffs, that put sand in the wheels of trade between rich countries. It is not just farmers who are complaining. An electric razor that meets the European Union's safety standards must be approved by American testers before it can be sold in the United States, and an American-made dialysis machine needs the EU's okay before it hits the market in Europe. 

As it happens, a razor that is safe in Europe is unlikely to electrocute Americans. So, ask businesses on both sides of the Atlantic, why have two lots of tests where one would do?

slaughter /ˈslɔːtər/  屠宰;(尤指战争中的)屠杀，杀戮

grace  给。。。增光,使荣耀;装饰;

fowl /faʊl/ 家禽;鸟

regulation   管理，控制;规章制度

tariff  /ˈtærɪf/  关税,  价目表，收费表

put sand in the wheels of  阻碍、阻挠

razor /ˈreɪzər/ 剃须刀;

approve /əˈpruːv/  认可、通过

dialysis /ˌdaɪˈæləsɪs/ 分离、分解、 透析 

electrocute /ɪˈlektrəkjuːt/  触电死亡;