What makes trading between rich countries difficult?是什么让富裕国家之间的贸易变得如此困难呢？
Chickens slaughtered in the United States, claim officials in Brussels, are not fit to grace European tables.布鲁塞尔的官员声称，在美国屠宰的鸡肉不配摆上欧洲人的餐桌。
No, say the Americans: our fowl are fine, we simply clean them in a different way.不，美国人会这么说：“我们的家禽没什么问题，只是我们清洗它们的方式有所不同罢了。”
These days, it is differences in national regulations, far more than tariffs, that put sand in the wheels of trade between rich countries.如今，给富裕国家之间的贸易制造障碍的，主要是各国法规的差异，而非关税。
It is not just farmers who are complaining.不仅仅是农民在抱怨。
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.任何符合欧盟安全标准的电动剃须刀，在美国销售之前都必须经过美国相关机构的检测和批准；同样，任何在美国制造的透析设备，在欧洲市场上销售之前也必须获得欧盟的认可。
As it happens, a razor that is safe in Europe is unlikely to electrocute Americans.事实上，在欧洲安全的剃须刀，不太可能电到美国人。
So, ask businesses on both sides of the Atlantic, why have two lots of tests where one would do?那么，大西洋两岸的企业会问：既然一次测试就够了，为什么非要测两次呢？
Politicians agree, in principle, so America and the EU have been trying to reach a deal which would eliminate the need to double-test many products.从原则上讲，各国政界人士都持一致意见；因此，美国和欧盟一直在努力达成一项协议，以消除对许多产品进行重复检测的必要性。
They hope to finish in time for a trade summit between America and the EU on May 28th.他们希望能在5月28日美国与欧盟之间的贸易峰会之前完成所有工作。
Although negotiators are optimistic, the details are complex enough that they may be hard-pressed to get a deal at all.尽管谈判代表们持乐观态度，但相关细节过于复杂，他们可能很难达成任何协议。
Why? One difficulty is to construct the agreements.为什么？其中一个难点在于如何构建这些协议。
The Americans would happily reach one accord on standards for medical devices and then hammer out different pacts covering, say, electronic goods and drug manufacturing.美国人很乐意就医疗器械标准达成一项协议，然后再分别就电子产品和药品制造等领域敲定不同的协定。
The EU -- following fine continental traditions -- wants agreement on general principles, which could be applied to many types of products and perhaps extended to other countries.欧盟遵循欧洲大陆的传统，希望各方能够就一些基本原则达成共识。这种方法可以应用于许多类型的产品，并且有可能推广到其他国家。