【英语国际】苹果日本公司对过热IPod提供换货服务

Apple Inc.'s Japan unit, under pressure from the Japanese government, responded to reports of battery problems with some of its early-generation iPod Nano music players and agreed to replace devices that overheat.

In a statement Tuesday, Apple Japan acknowledged 'very rare cases of overheating' in some units sold between September 2005 and December 2006 and said the malfunction links back to a specific battery supplier, which it didn't identify. It also offered to replace the batteries of the affected first-generation devices.

Apple Japan said it hasn't received reports of overheating problems connected to any of its other iPod Nano models.

The Japanese arm of the Cupertino, Calif., company has been under scrutiny from Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry since last month, following a consumer's report of an overheating Nano.

The ministry last month asked Apple for more information about 27 reported cases of overheating devices it had received since 2008. The incidents included six fires that resulted in four minor burn injuries.

The ministry last week said Apple had reported 34 additional cases of overheating Nanos. The ministry said it found Apple's failure to report the additional incidents to be 'very regrettable.'

Ministry officials also have complained that instructions on overheating units are hard to find on the company's website.

苹果公司(Apple Inc.)的日本子公司迫于日本政府的压力，对于有关其某些早期iPod Nano音乐播放器存在电池问题的报导作出了回应，同意对出现过热现象的这类播放器给予换货处理。

Reuters一名消费者在东京苹果店内选购iPod nano，照片拍摄于2006年。苹果日本公司在周二的一份声明中承认，公司在2005年9月至2006年12月期间出售的iPod Nano中，有极少数出现了过热问题，声明说这一故障与某家电池供应商有关，但未指明是哪家供应商。该公司还提出为出现故障的第一代iPod Nano更换电池。

苹果日本公司说，尚未收到与其他款iPod Nano有关的过热问题报告。

在有关一起iPod Nano过热事件的客户报告出炉后，苹果日本公司自上个月以来一直在接受日本经济产业省(Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry)的严格审查。

自2008年以来，经济产业省已经接到约27起Nano过热事件的报告。其中有六部起火，造成四人轻度烧伤。经济产业省上个月要求苹果就这些事件提供更多信息。

经济产业省上周说，苹果已经又报告了34起Nano过热事件。它说，苹果此前没有报告这些问题让它非常遗憾。

经济产业省官员还不满地说，有关如何处理过热Nano的说明很难在苹果网站上找到。