在富士康公司（Foxconn）位于成都的新工业园区内，某抛光车间发生爆炸。一家英文网站报道说：“这一炸，暂时冲破了‘防火长城’。”正是凭借这家网站提供的视频、图片、以及定期更新，美国媒体才得以对此事件进行报道。

    上周六，这一名为 M.I.C. Gadget的网站又刊发了一篇报道，对富士康成都工厂的背景进行了介绍。该文揭示的内容有些不同寻常。透过这篇报道，读者不仅可以匆匆一瞥工厂内工人的生活（见图），同时还可对当初促成富士康在成都建厂的行业政策形成概括性的认识。

    这篇报道值得关注。据M.I.C的张星（音译）报道，为了能及时满足苹果公司（Apple）iPad2的生产需求，富士康在创记录的短时间内建成了这些厂房。张星还继续写道，富士康深圳工厂已经开足马力，在全负荷运转的情况下，每月可生产250万台iPad 1。因此，富士康需要建成50条新生产线，以确保每年可出产4,000万台iPad 2。

    富士康之所以选择在四川省的省会成都建厂，原因在于其深圳工厂的许多工人都来自这个内陆省份。富士康希望，通过在成都设厂，既能利用四川省的低成本劳动力，又能避免种种麻烦。其中一个麻烦是，来自偏僻小镇的年轻工人来到深圳这样一个大型沿海工业城市，由于不适应而发生的一系列高调自杀事件。

    四川省也迫切地渴望招商引资，为此不惜做出巨大让步，以满足富士康的种种要求：

    张星以稚拙的英文写道：“四川省的各级政府和官员，为富士康在成都市建厂一路开绿灯放行，其中包括批准给予富士康财政补贴和特惠的公司收入税率等优惠政策。此外，富士康还曾要求四川各级政府在建厂的初级阶段给予大力支持：它们需要在不足3个月的时间内，开辟出一块几万平方米的土地供建厂之用；而且，半年内，工厂占地面积需要扩充到170万平方米。” 在地方官员的帮助下，富士康还在短时间内，征集到了几乎所有配件厂商和支持企业。地方政府甚至要求当地的职业中专学校将学生输送到富士康工厂去实习，以确保未来能提供充足的劳动力资源。

    “当新工厂开工万事俱备时，富士康尚需得到苹果批准，才能在成都生产iPad。苹果的考察团只到成都工厂考察了两天，他们视察了所有生产线和设施，特别是工人宿舍。最终，苹果大笔一挥，同意富士康成都工厂生产iPad。富士康建造50条生产线以及8座庞大的厂房，仅仅用了70天时间，创下了建造工厂所用时间的最短记录。成都市的官员不仅想方设法，增加了从成都飞往香港的货机航班的数量；而且，为了帮助富士成降低成本，还在成都市免税区为该公司预留出最大的一片地。”

    更新：富士康于上周日发布了最新消息：

    “5月20日在敝公司位于成都的鸿富锦精密电子（成都）有限公司 [Hongfujin Precision Electronics (Chengdu) Co. Ltd.）]厂区内，一间抛光车间发生爆炸。富士康现怀悲痛的心情确认，第三名员工因伤死亡。”

    苹果亦于上周五发表了如下声明：

    “对于发生在富士康成都工厂的悲剧，我们深表悲痛。对于受害者及其家人，我们深表同情。目前，我们正与富士康密切合作，以确定这起灾难的起因。”

    下图：M.I.C. Gadget提供的更多图片。

    译者：大海

    When a polishing workshop blew up in Foxconn's new factory complex in Chengdu, China, it was an English-language website operating, as they put it, "outside the Great Firewall of China, temporarily," that broke the news and provided U.S. media outlets with videos, photos and regular updates.

    On Saturday, the website -- M.I.C. Gadget -- posted a background story on Foxconn's Chengdu facility that offers a rare glimpse not only of life inside the factories (see photo), but of the industrial policies that brought them to Chengdu in the first place.

    It's a remarkable tale. According to M.I.C.'s Star Chang, the factories were constructed in record time specifically to meet demand for Apple's (AAPL) iPad 2. With its Shenzhen factory operating at full capacity churning out, according to Chang, 2.5 million first-generation iPads a month, Foxconn needed 50 new production lines capable of building up to 40 million second-generation iPad per year.

    Foxconn chose Chungdu, the capital of Sichuan province, because so many of the workers in Shenzhen had come from the inland province. Foxconn hoped to tap into this source of low-cost labor without the problems -- among them a rash of high-profile suicides -- created by moving young workers from small provincial towns to a big industrial city on the coast.

    The province, eager to attract industry, bent over backward to accommodate Foxconn:

    "Sichuan's governments and officials," writes Chang in somewhat fractured English, "have provided fast-tracked approval for Foxconn to set up their factory plant in Chengdu city, including clearances for fiscal subsidies and preferential corporate income tax rates. Foxconn has requested the inland governments to support for the plant construction at the initial stage, they have to build an area of several 10 thousands square meters for the factory for less then 90 days, and within half a year, the plant has to be expand to an area of 1.7 million square meters. Foxconn has also lined up all nearby component makers and supporting enterprises in a short period of time, with the help of local officials. The government even asked local vocational schools to provide student to take internships in Foxconn factory to ensure a plentiful workforce for the future.

    "While everything has prepared ready for the new plant's production, Foxconn need Apple's approval for manufacturing iPad in Chengdu, and the Apple's inspection team only take two days to visit Chengdu's factory. The team has inspected all the production lines and facility, especially the worker's dormitories. ... Finally, Apple approved Chengdu's factory to produce iPad. It took about 70 days from setting up the production lines, 8 huge factory buildings were built and it has set a record on the shortest period of time to set up a factory plant. The officials from Chengdu has also arranged to increased cargo flights to Hong Kong and set aside the biggest block of land in its tariff-free zone for the company to help cut costs."

    UPDATE: Foxconn issued an update on Sunday:

    "Foxconn can confirm that, sadly, a third employee has died from injuries from the May 20 explosion at one of the polishing workshops at our company's Hongfujin Precision Electronics (Chengdu) Co. Ltd. facility in Chengdu."

    On Friday Apple issued this statement:

    "We are deeply saddened by the tragedy at Foxconn's plant in Chengdu, and our hearts go out to the victims and their families. We are working closely with Foxconn to understand what caused this terrible event."

    Below: More photos from M.I.C. Gadget.