主播：Flora（中国）+ Selah（美国）

音乐：Go Again

今天，我们聊聊一个近期引起轰动的话题——tariffs（关税），and how they’re affecting everyday Americans（以及它们是如何影响美国群众的）。

Whether it’s the headlines or people’s conversations, this issue is everywhere! Everyone is wondering—what’s really going on?

So, we thought we’d break it down for you about, first, 关税到底是什么(what exactly are tariffs), and second 它是如何影响人们的日常生活的 (how have they impacted people's daily lives)?

01. A Key Headline and Terms on US Tariffs 一则美国关税的新闻标题和相关关键词

Americans Could Pay More for These Everyday Basics Under Trump's New Tariffs

特朗普政府新关税政策或将导致美国日常必需品价格上涨

——BBC (英国广播公司)

In the article, they mentioned things like clothes, coffee, shoes, alcohol and electronics (酒和电子产品).

When you see headlines like that, it’s helpful to understand some of the key terms that always come up. 它们听起来很 technical (专业)，但却和我们的生活息息相关。

Tariff: 对进口到一个国家的商品征的税

If the U.S. buys something from another country, like China, and puts a tariff on it, that item becomes more expensive.

Trade imbalance (贸易失衡): 当一个国家从其他国家购买的商品比卖给他们的多得多时，这种情况就会发生。

For example, the U.S. imports tons of products from places like China, but doesn’t export (出口) as much in return. It’s kind of like always shopping but rarely selling anything—it adds up over time.

这其实是美国当前的一个现象——进口多于出口。That’s something we hear a lot in the news.

Supply Chain Disruptions (供应链中断) : 商品不能按时到达，或者很难买到某些产品。This can happen when tariffs or other tensions (紧张局势) slow things down.

Basically, when there’s a lot of tariff-related (关税相关的) tension—like if countries start raising taxes on each other’s goods—it messes up the flow of things (扰乱商品流通). Trucks, ships, deliveries... everything gets delayed.

And none of these terms are just words in a textbook. You can feel them in real life. Like when your favorite brand is suddenly out of stock (没有现货), or a product that used to cost $5 now costs $8.

或者当你终于找到你想要的东西时，商店会说“Sorry, it’s on backorder (暂时缺货).” That’s when you know it’s real!

02. Observable Effects on Everyday Americans 对美国群众的明显影响

Selah tells us that one of the most visible (可见的) impacts is the rising prices on everyday goods (日常用品价格上涨). 特别是进口产品，变得越来越贵。

For example, electronics and household items (家用物品) are costing more because of tariffs placed on foreign goods.

Selah has seen stockpiling (屯东西), where people are buying more than usual, fearing that prices will keep climbing. 一般我们屯东西都是怕后面价格上涨 (We’re worried prices will keep going up)。

They’ve even seen out-of-stock signs in stores –– things like food, cleaning supplies (清洁用品), and certain brands of clothing have been flying off the shelves (被抢购一空). From what Selah has seen, people are trying to prepare for what’s to come.

But she is a much more "let’s wait and see (让我们拭目以待)" kind of person. 从她所看到的情况来看，人们只是在为即将发生的事情做准备，更多的只是担心。

03. The "DHgate" Phenomenon (敦煌网现象)

As the tariffs have increased, there’s been a surge in the downloads of China’s DHgate (敦煌网下载量激增).

A lot of people might think that is related to the Dunhuang Museum, but it is actually a Chinese e-commerce platform (电子商务平台). It connects sellers in China with buyers all over the world.

And with tariffs driving up (上涨) the cost of American goods, more and more people in the US are turning to this platform to find cheaper alternatives (更便宜的替代品). 而且在Tiktok你会发现很多中国的商家都在用英文介绍自己的商品。

It’s become a trend, and in some ways, it’s giving American consumers more options to shop for goods at lower prices, even if it means buying from China directly. 他们没有考虑全球贸易政策—they just want affordable, reliable products (价格合理、可靠的产品).

04. The Ripple Effects (涟漪效应) of Tariffs

总之，关税肯定产生了影响。From rising prices to supply shortages (供应短缺), and even leading people to explore e-commerce platforms like the DHgate, we’re seeing big changes in how people shop and what they buy.

And while this situation is still evolving, it’s clear that tariffs are affecting the daily lives of people across the country. 当一个市场发生变化时，它会在全世界产生涟漪（ripples）。

Have you noticed any changes in your area? 你注意到你的地区有什么变化吗？

Let us know your thoughts and experiences.

从超市缺货到敦煌网爆红：关税如何改变美国人的生活？

一席英语·脱口秀：老外来了