If you have ever purchased something and needed to return it, you have exercised your consumer’s rights. These rights have not always been something that was easily defined or enforced. The organization Consumers International has been bringing awareness to these rights with World Consumer Rights Day.

　　如果你曾经购买过某件物品，并且需要退货，那么你就是行使了消费者的权利。这些权利不总是那么容易界定或执行的。国际消费者协会一直以来凭借国际消费者权益日唤起人们对于这些权利的意识。

　　History of World Consumer Rights Day

　　国际消费者权益日的历史

　　Consumers International was founded in 1960 with the goal to fight for a fair, safe and sustainable future for consumers in a global market dominated by international corporations. Citing President John F. Kennedy’s groundbreaking address to Congress, they take his definition of consumer rights as their definition. It is also agreed that the President’s remarks set the ball in motion to make these rights something more than just words on paper, but rights that would come to be something enforceable.

　　国际消费者协会于1960年成立，其目标是为生活在跨国公司控制的全球市场下的消费者争取一个公平、安全和可持续性的未来。他们将约翰.F.肯尼迪总统国会开创性演讲中的关于消费者权利的定义作为他们的定义。人们也赞成总统的言论使得这些权利不仅成为文字跃然纸上，而且还得到了实施。

　　World Consumer Rights Day originated in 1983 to mobilize citizen action. Citizen action groups have been a large part of bringing change into the marketplace. They have lobbied for safer products and protections from harmful practices and products. Over time, the consumer movement has worked to write what is now regarded as the 8 basic consumer rights. These rights include ideas such as the right to safety, the right to satisfaction of basic needs, the right to redress and the right to be informed.

　　为了动员市民行动，国际消费者权益日于1983年成立。市民行动小组是为市场带来变化的主力。他们试图通过游说获得更加安全的产品，同时从有害做法和产品中获得保护。随着时间的流逝，消费者运动努力书写现在的消费者八项权利。这些权利包括安全权、基本需求满意权、救济权和知情权。

　　Consumers International has over 200 members and spans 100 countries. They take their mission of being a voice and champion for consumers in policy-making forums and in the global marketplace. They work outside of any political parties and maintains their independence so that they can make sure that consumers are treated properly.

　　国际消费者协会有200多名成员，遍及100个国家。他们的使命是在决策论坛和全球市场中为消费者发声，并且拥护他们。他们独立于任何政治党派，同时保持独立，这样他们就能够确保消费者被善待。

　　How to Celebrate World Consumer Rights Day

　　如何庆祝国际消费者权益日

　　Each year, World Consumer Rights Day adopts a theme to highlight. Some themes from the past have included antibiotic resistance and healthier diets. To celebrate in your community, look for events that are trying to bring awareness to consumer rights, or areas of public policy that need to be changed. The day is about mobilizing citizen action groups across the world and if everyone joined in to help in their own communities, it would come closer to meeting their goals.

　　每一年，国际消费者权益日都会选择一个主题进行强调。过去一些主题包括耐药性和更为健康的饮食。为了在你的社区庆祝，寻找正在试图唤起消费者权利意识的活动或者是需要被改变的公共政策。这一天就是动员全世界的市民行动小组，如果社区中的每个人都参与其中提供帮助，那么离目标就会更近一步。

　　Another way to spend the day is to find out what the goals are that being addressed and see if there are ways that you can help. It may take the form of emailing, writing or calling your local elected officials.

　　度过这一天的另外一种方式就是找到有哪些正在被处理的目标，同时弄清楚是否有你可以帮忙的地方。可以通过发邮件、给当地当选官员们写信或者是打电话。

　　China Observes World Consumer Rights Day

　　中国庆祝国际消费者权益日

　　The day March 15 never passed by quietly since 1986 -- the year the China Consumers Association began to observe World Consumer Rights Day in China.

　　自从1986年(中国消费者协会开始在中国庆祝国际消费者权益日)以来，3月15日这一天从来不会悄然而过。

　　Today, as on March 15 in past years, personnel from local industrial and commercial administrative departments and consumers associations take to the streets to offer legal information and advise consumers about their rights and interests. Experts are also invited to give on-site consultations about product quality.

　　现在，就如过去那些年的3.15，地方工商行政部门和消费者协会的人员会涌上街头提供法律信息，同时告知消费者他们的权益。专家们也受邀就产品质量给出现场咨询。

　　Scenes showing piles of shoddy and fake products being destroyed flash repeatedly on TV screens. Consumer complaints that have dragged on for a longtime without being properly handled may get resolved after the cases are exposed and businesses are forced to yield to public pressure.

　　在电视屏幕上，显示一堆假冒伪劣产品瞬间被销毁的镜头经常会出现。在这些案件被曝光，企业被迫屈服于公众压力后，那些长期未得到妥善处理的消费者投诉可能会得到解决。

（编辑：何莹莹）