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原帖链接：http://www.onesixth.co.uk/vb4forum/showthread.php?5648-EXCLUSIVE-ONESIXTH-CO-UK-INTERVIEW-WITH-DRAGON-MODELS-%96-Not-Out-of-1-6th-Just-Resting&p=47305#post47305
以下观点均属原作者个人观点，不代表译者立场：
David Coates （网名Actionman）专访威龙董事长弗雷迪梁
As I think most people know, I am English but have lived in Hong Kong for 17 years. My home is just 15 minutes’ drive from the HQ of Dragon Model Limited (‘DML’), and for some time it had been my intention to try to get an interview with Freddie Leung, the President of Dragon Models.
可能大家都知道，我是英国人，但已经在香港住了17年了。
我家里威龙总部就15分钟车程，我想采访弗雷迪梁 这个念头已经有些日子了。
Since DML - long the mainstay of the 1/6th military world - haven’t produced any new 1/6th figures for almost 2 years, I thought I would get in touch to try to find out what is happening at Dragon and end the speculation that's been rife on the 1/6th boards. I called them up and Freddie Leung and his son Adrian Leung, DML’s Director of Business Development, kindly agreed to meet me, so I went along to their Tsuen Wan HQ on Thursday 29th May.
威龙这个(曾经的)1/6（二战）军事中流砥柱品牌已经快两年没公布新产品了，我觉得是时候找出答案威龙到底是怎么了，顺便终结下1/6板块满天飞的流言了。
于是我打电话给Freddie 和他儿子Adrian, 威龙业务拓展主管，他们欣然同意和我会面，于是我在5月29号去了威龙荃湾总部和他俩会面。
Freddie met me and took me along to their Board Room, which was lined with cabinets displaying many of their products. Adrian came in and joined us.
Freddie径直带我去了他们的陈列室，这里的展示柜里陈列着大量威龙的产品。Adrian这时也加入了我们。
I think it’s important to note that Freddie started DML because he is a keen modeller himself. In his own words:
Freddie创办威龙的原因之一是他自己就是一个狂热的模型家，这一点我认为非常重要，用他自己的话说就是：
“I am a modeller ever since I was a boy. I opened up a hobby shop after I finished university and subsequently I started DML in 1987, based on the experience I gained from importing and selling model kits.
“在我孩提时代我就是个模型玩家，大学一毕业我就开了家模型店，然后在1987年我积累了一些进口和售卖模型的经验，创办了威龙公司。
In 1998 I ventured into 1/6 action figures, at that time only GI Joe was available and I saw lots of improvements that can be applied to the 1/6 line utilising modelling touch and ingredients from model kits. I think I revolutionized the 1/6 market, it’s not a toy anymore, but rather a hobby for serious collectors”.
1998年，威龙进军1/6可动人偶市场，那时1/6市场只有GI Joe这一个品牌, 我感觉到拼装模型的很多元素和经验可以应用到1/6生产线上去，
从而带来空前的改进，我觉得我彻底变革了1/6市场，使它不再是玩具，而变成了收藏家手中的收藏品。“
My main question was “has Dragon Models stopped producing 1/6th figures completely?” In a nutshell, the good news is no they haven’t; the bad news is yes they are taking an undetermined break.
而我的问题是”威龙已经完全退出1/6人偶市场了吗？“
简而言之，好消息是：不，他们并没有退出；
坏消息是：是的，他们目前正在整休中，时间方面是个未知数。
Freddie explained to me that when the global economy tanked a few years ago Dragon saw a loss of interest in 1/6th collecting which translated in to a significant drop in sales of their 1/6th scale action figure line. As these sales figures have stayed low, the businessman in Freddie had to over-rule Freddie the modeller and so DML has had to go with profitable lines which in Dragon’s case are primarily their 1/72nd and 1/35th models kits and their new 1/9th scale movie figure line.
Freddie对我解释道：几年前全球经济低迷时，1/6人偶市场萎缩直接导致威龙1/6销量的大幅滑落，这种低迷情况持续了很久，
于是Freddie脑海中作为商人的一面占了上风，而作为模型家的一面不得不让位，
所以威龙不得不转向其他能多赚钱的生产线，比如1/72和1/35拼装模型，还有就是他们的新产品1/9影视人偶。
Freddie said that DML would very much like to move back in to the 1/6th market BUT only when the global economy has picked up.
Freddie说威龙会很高兴回归1/6市场但是要等到全球经济复苏后（现在不就挺好吗？）。
HOWEVER… the Asian business landscape has changed significantly over the last few years meaning that the days of the US$ 30 action figure are over. Three key factors drive manufacturing costs – and so the price of action figures up: increasing wages in China, increases in the price of plastic and the increase in the value of the Renminbi (or ‘Yuan’, the Chinese currency) against the US Dollar. These combine to mean that retail prices have to increase considerably. (To put this in to context I’ve added charts below to show how all three have risen over the last decade).
但是。。。亚太方面的形势在近几年已经发生了翻天覆地的变化，也就是胡说30美金一个人偶的时代已经终结了。
3个主要因素促使生产成本上升 - 1/6人偶也一样： 中国工人工资上涨，塑胶原料涨价，以及人民币对美元的升值。
这一切促使零售价也相应地变高了（原作者还去考证了一番，在后面贴了几张数据图表）
Freddie’s worry is that when Dragon does come back in to the 1/6th market the retail price of a figure will of necessity have to be considerably higher than before, and he is concerned how the market will react to that. This is understandable as for some 1/6th collectors DML has always been the bogey-man of 1/6th manufacturers. (This is something which I’ve personally never understood and neither can Freddie - no other /16th manufacturer has ever produced as many different and affordable figures as DML. I know some figures weren’t perfect, but I don’t think the perfect 1/6th figure has ever been produced by any company?).
Freddie担心威龙重返1/6市场后，1/6人偶的售价肯定会相应地会比以前上涨，这样就不知道市场将对此作何反应。
至于一些1/6玩家老把威龙当成1/6业者里的妖怪这点是可以理解的
（我和Freddie都无法理解：没有任何一家1/6厂家像威龙出过这么多的让大家买的起的人偶，我也知道有些人偶不是完美的，但我也认为没有任何厂家出过什么完美的人偶）
Freddie’s other worry is producing something new as he doesn’t want to re-hash an old subject. However, before we start clamouring for our own personal holy grail (a British 3 inch mortar!), it must again be mentioned that Freddie is running a business and so whatever he makes must make a profit. I mentioned Viet Nam, which Freddie didn’t think was popular! As an example Freddie explained that to make a new camo uniform means commissioning a new bolt of 1/6th scale pattern fabric. The minimum production of a bolt of fabric is around 500 meters – can you imagine how many 1/6th uniforms could be made from that? You can’t just make 200 and throw the rest of the material away, that isn’t good business.
One thing Freddie did mention was the use of 3D technology to produce their 1/9th scale movie figures, and he said that this is something he can see them using down the line in 1/6th.
关于出新品，Freddie并不想吃老本，用老散件拼凑新品。但是有一点必须明确，Freddie是在做生意，所以不论做什么都必须要赚钱才行。
我提到了越战，但Freddie认为这个已经不流行了！
Freddie解释说：如果要开发一种新的迷彩服，就必须外包做一种新的1/6的迷彩图案的布料，而布料一做就至少要做500米----你想想这得做多少个1/6人偶啊？
你不能只用其中200米，然后把剩下的扔了，这是亏本生意。
Freddie还提到1/9人偶里的3D技术，他觉得这个可以用在1/6生产线上。
1/6th Vehicles/Kits
1/6载具/套件
Yes, the Firefly IS coming, although there is no firm release date as yet. The master model is currently in the UK where it is being checked over by an allied armour expert, so it is still in play.
With regards to new 1/6th vehicles the problem is the cost of tooling. To make something in 1/6th costs considerably more than in 1/72nd or 1/35th – even to make something as small as a Universal Carrier, so DML would have to be pretty sure of sales before committing to such a large investment.
是的，萤火虫要出了，虽然具体发售时间还不清楚。母版现在在英国，一位盟军装甲专家正在对其进行各种检查，目前还在进行中。
关于新的1/6载具，主要问题在于模具成本。1/6的成本比1/72和1/35 高很多 ---就算开发一个像英军的“通用载具”这种小型载具也是这样
（就是那个小型的带布伦机鎗的轻型侦察运输装甲车，2战里产量超过11万辆），所以在做这种大投资之前威龙一定要确定他能赚钱才行。
Conclusion
结论
Freddie and Adrian were obviously proud of the contribution DML has made to the 1/6th landscape. They effectively took the Action Man / GI Joe idea and massively developed and improved it to become collectible, laying the ground-work for some of the hyper-realistic models on the market today. However, it must be remembered that 1/6th is only a small part of DML’s business, and apparently a not very profitable one at the moment. They will come back in to the market, but probably releasing fewer new figures than before.
父子俩很自豪威龙对1/6做出的贡献：它传承了可动人偶和GI Joe的理念，并把它提升到了收藏品的高度，并为现在市场上的一些超现实主义的人偶做了些前期的基础工作。
然而，必须明确的是1/6只是威龙业务的一小部分，而且很明显现在并不赚钱。威龙会再次回归，但是推出新品的数量肯定不比以前了。
Freddie said: “When we release brand new figures in the future, we hope to incorporate some new ideas and ingredients into the product. We are experimenting different options and hopefully the collectors will be pleased with our directions”.
Anyone who bought one of their Falkland War figures (probably the last of their 1/6th figures releases), knows just how much DML had improved their product, especially their head-sculpts, so I am one collector who hopes that DML does return to the 1/6th market in the not too distant future!
Freddie说：“将来推出全新产品之际，我们希望能给产品注入新的理念和元素，我们在尝试不同的选择，同时也希望得到玩家的认可。”
”任何买了马岛海战人偶的玩家都知道威龙的产品有了多大的提高，尤其是头雕 （哎，这里再次重申不代表译者立场，手滑哥只是个网络义工而已），
所以我也是期望威龙在不久的将来重返1/6市场的玩家中的一员！“
I would very much like to thank Freddie and Adrian for giving up their time to meet me and for being such honest, open and gracious hosts.
我个人非常感谢Freddie和Adrian抽出时间促成这次开诚布公的访谈。
David Coates.
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