过去两周以来，国内的平面媒体和广播媒体都对苹果公司（Apple）进行了强烈的抨击，谴责它贪婪、不诚实和“无与伦比的傲慢”；周二，这些媒体用大量篇幅引用了苹果CEO蒂姆•库克向中国消费者发出的公开道歉信。

    《环球时报》（the Global Times）发表文章指出，“苹果公司的道歉信让局势得到了缓解，使苹果与中国市场的紧张关系有所改善。在这一点上，苹果公司比有些美国公司更值得尊重。”

    路透社（Reuters）报道称，中国外交部（The Foreign Ministry）对苹果“认真”回应消费者的需求表示赞扬。外交部发言人洪磊在例行记者会上称：“我们认可苹果公司的道歉”。

    但是，许多批评人士指出，库克的道歉信和对苹果在华维修政策的调整是严重的错误。他们认为，如果史蒂夫•乔布斯在世，他绝对不会因为售后服务道歉，因为苹果的大多数中国消费者知道，苹果的售后服务是首屈一指的。

    但是，乔布斯从未来过中国。而库克打造了苹果在亚洲的供应链，对于如何处理远东地区复杂的正式关系，他心里更有数。

    更换问题iPhone手机部件，或者延长保修期，并不会花费苹果太多资金，这么做主要是为了满足中国国家媒体。

    “真诚地道歉”以及道歉信中的措辞（如下文），并不会让库克有所损失：

    “我们意识到，关于在华运营和沟通工作，还有许多需要我们学习的地方。在此，我们向大家保证，苹果对于中国的承诺和热情与其他国家别无二致。为消费者带来最佳用户体验及满意的服务，是我们的理想，更是我们的承诺，它已深深植根于苹果的公司文化之中。我们会不懈努力，以实现这一目标。”

    这种措辞能让双方都极大地保留了颜面。

    译者：乔树静/汪皓

    Tim Cook's public apology to Apple's (AAPL) Chinese customers was being quoted at length Tuesday in the very print and broadcast media that for a fortnight had been ripping the company apart for its greed, dishonesty and "unparalleled arrogance."

    "The company's apology letter has eased the situation, softening the tense relationship between Apple and the Chinese market," wrote theGlobal Times. "Its reaction is worth respect compared with other American companies."

    The Foreign Ministry praised Apple for "conscientiously" responding to consumers' demands, according to Reuters. "We approve of what Apple said," spokesman Hong Lei told reporters at his daily news briefing.

    There were plenty of critics Monday who said Cook's letter and the changes he made in Apple's repair policies in China were a big mistake. Steve Jobs, they said, would never have apologized for customer service that, as most of Apple's customers in China know, is second to none.

    But Jobs never set foot in China. Cook, on the other hand, built Apple's Asian supply chain, and he knows something about navigating the complexities of official relations in the Far East.

    It won't cost the company very much to repair broken iPhones with new parts or extend their warranties -- basically giving China's state-run media everything they asked for.

    It cost Cook nothing "sincerely apologize" and to say, as he did in his letter:

    "We recognize that we have much to learn about operating and communicating in China, but we want to assure everyone that we bring the same deep commitment and passion to China as we do to any other part of the world. This commitment, a desire to delight all of our customers and provide them with an extremely high-quality experience, is deeply rooted in the culture of our company. And we will not rest until we achieve this goal."

    That kind of language can save a lot of face, on both sides of the Pacific.