紐時賞析／川普讓美國洗碗機再次偉大？

Making Dishwashers Great Again?

讓美國洗碗機再次偉大？

President Donald Trump has complained that toilets these days require him to flush “10 or 15 times.” He has said that the drip from modern shower fixtures leaves him “standing there five times longer” and gets in the way of coifing his “perfect” hair. LED light bulbs, he says, make him look orange.

美國總統川普曾抱怨，現在他如廁後要沖水「10至15次」。他也曾說，現代淋浴固定裝置滴滴答答的水流讓他「站在那的時間多了5倍」，妨礙他打理「完美」的秀髮。川普說，LED燈泡讓他看起來像是橘色的。

The president’s disdain for modern-day household appliances, which he says have been ruined by energy- and water-efficiency regulations, is about to have far-reaching consequences.

總統川普對於現代家電設備的輕蔑將產生影響深遠的後果。他說，這一切都被能源和水資源效率法規破壞。總統對現代家用設備的輕蔑—他認為這些設備被節能與節水規範「毀掉了」—即將帶來深遠的後果。

Even as his tariffs have shaken up the global economy, Trump has taken time to sign an executive order aimed at maintaining acceptable water pressure in shower heads. And he has directed the Energy Department to use “all lawful authority to rescind” or weaken water and energy efficiency regulations for faucets, showers, bathtubs, toilets, washing machines and more.

儘管他的關稅政策已攪亂全球經濟，川普仍抽出時間簽署行政命令，目的是維持蓮蓬頭的合理水壓。他也指示能源部動用「一切合法權限」，撤銷或削弱針對水龍頭、蓮蓬頭、浴缸、馬桶、洗衣機等設備的用水與能源效率規定。

The Department of Energy said it was starting its repeal of a long list of energy and water standards, adding dehumidifiers, microwaves and more to the list. His administration also plans to eliminate Energy Star, the popular energy efficiency certification for dishwashers, refrigerators, dryers and other home appliances.

能源部表示，已啟動撤銷一長串能源與用水標準的程序，新增的還包括除濕機、微波爐等設備。他的政府也計畫取消「能源之星」認證，這是一項針對洗碗機、冰箱、烘乾機與其他家電的熱門節能標章。

Many of those rollbacks, experts say, would be unlawful, violating an anti-backsliding provision in underlying statutes.

專家表示，許多這類回溯舉措恐怕是違法的，違反了相關法案中防止標準倒退的條款。

Experts also say this would cost consumers money. The government’s own scientists say the water and efficiency rules saved U.S. households an average of $576 on their utility bills in 2024 while cutting the nation’s annual energy consumption by 6.5% and public water use by 12%.

專家也指出，這將讓消費者損失金錢。據政府自己科學家所說，這些用水與能源效率規定在2024年幫助美國家庭平均省下576美元的水電費，同時讓全國年度能源消耗減少6.5%、公共用水減少12%。

Andrew deLaski, executive director of the Appliance Standards Awareness Project, a coalition of environmental and consumer groups, utilities and government agencies, said already-stressed water supplies in many parts of the country would be further strained if the rules were eliminated. “This is a campaign to undo what has been an incredible American success story,” he said.

家電標準意識計畫執行長安德魯・德拉斯基表示，在美國許多地區，水資源已經緊張，如果取消這些規定，情況只會更糟。他說「這是在摧毀一個美國極為成功的政策故事。」

Tucked away in the White House’s policy documents is a plan to recommend to Congress that it repeal or amend the 1992 Energy Policy Act, as well as other statutes that help underpin the federal government’s regulation of efficiency standards.

在白宮政策文件中，還隱藏著一項計畫，打算建議國會廢除或修訂1992年的「能源政策法」及其他作為聯邦政府節能規範根基的法條。

Trump’s move to repeal the standards elevates a long-standing campaign by libertarian and free-market groups to push back against what they see as prime examples of government overreach, intrusion into daily lives, and infringement on personal choice, even toilet choices.

川普撤銷這些標準的行動，實質上讓長期倡導自由市場與反政府管控的團體多年來所推動的運動得以成真。這些團體視此類規定為政府越權、對日常生活的干涉、甚至是對個人選擇—包括「馬桶選擇」—的侵犯。

文／Hiroko Tabuchi　譯／羅方妤