Avon Products Inc. has suspended four executives amid an internal investigation into alleged bribery that began with the company's China operation and, according to a person familiar with the probe, now involves a dozen or more countries.

　　知情人士称，雅芳(Avon Products Inc.)已经在一次内部的贿赂调查中将四名高管停职，此次调查是从该公司的中国业务开始，现在已经涉及十几个国家。

　　The New York-based beauty-products company suspended the president, chief financial officer and top government affairs executive at its China unit, people familiar with the matter said. The fourth suspended employee was a senior executive in New York who was Avon's head of internal audit until the middle of last year, these people said.

　　据知情人士称，这家总部位于纽约的美容产品公司将中国分公司的总裁、首席财务长和负责政府事务的高管停职。第四位遭停职员工是驻纽约的一名高管，在去年年中前任雅芳内部审计主管。

　　Avon spokeswoman Nancy Glaser confirmed that four employees had been asked to take administrative leaves of absence pending the outcome of the company's investigation, which she called a 'customary action' in such circumstances.

　　雅芳发言人格拉泽(Nancy Glaser)证实有四名雇员被停职以待公司的调查结果，她说这是此种情况下的惯例。

　　The employees in China who were suspended are S.K. Kao, president of the Chinese unit; Jimmy Beh, its chief financial officer; and C.Q. Sun, head of the corporate affairs and government relations group, people familiar with the matter said. They said the fourth employee was Ian Rossetter, Avon's former head of internal audit, who started a special assignment in mid-2009, reporting to Avon Chief Financial Officer Charles Cramb.

　　知情人士说，被停职的在华员工为：中国区总裁高寿康、首席财务长Jimmy Beh和负责公司事务及负责政府公关的C.Q. Sun。知情人士说，第四名员工为罗塞特(Ian Rossetter)，此人曾任雅芳内部审计主管，于2009年年中开始一项特别任务，向雅芳首席财务长克兰布(Charles Cramb)报告。

　　The three suspensions in China took place last week, and Mr. Rossetter was suspended Monday, a person familiar with the matter said.

　　知情人士说，三名在华员工于上周停职，罗塞特则于周一被停职。

　　The suspended employees couldn't immediately be reached for comment.

　　记者无法联络到被停职人员发表评论。

　　The possible wrongdoing under investigation includes the alleged purchase of trips to France, New York, Canada and Hawaii for Chinese government officials with ties to Avon's business, the person familiar with the matter said.

　　知情人士说，正在调查的可能过错包括为与雅芳业务相关的中国政府官员出钱赴法国、纽约、加拿大及夏威夷旅游。

　　Avon disclosed in October 2008 that it was looking into whether certain travel, entertainment and other expenses in China might have 'been improperly incurred.' But the scope of the investigation has since widened to regions including Latin America, where the company garners the bulk of its sales and profits, according to the person familiar with the matter. The scale of the alleged bribery, initially involving several million dollars, has grown as well, this person said.

　　雅芳于2008年10月披露，其正在调查某些在华的差旅费、招待费及其他费用是否存在不当。知情人士说，随后调查范围扩大到拉美等地区，雅芳的很大一块销售收入和利润都来自拉美。上述知情人士说，指控的贿赂金额一开始涉及数百万美元，后来也有所增长。

　　Avon wouldn't comment on details of its investigation.

　　雅芳拒绝就调查详情置评。

　　In 2006, Avon, which sells its cosmetics door to door, became the first company to obtain a direct-selling license in China. Its chief executive, Andrea Jung, is fluent in Chinese and a corporate celebrity in the country, where she has been dubbed 'glamour queen' by some local media, and has met frequently with senior government officials.

　　2006年，以直销模式销售化妆品的雅芳成为首家在中国获得直销牌照的公司。雅芳首席执行长钟彬娴(Andrea Jung)中文流利，在中国也是商界名流。她被一些中国媒体称为“魅力女王”，并经常与中国政府高管会面。

　　China and Latin America are critical sources of sales growth for Avon, which relies on overseas markets to offset weakness in its long-struggling U.S. business. Amid the global economic slump, it eked out a sales gain of less than 1% in China last year, with sales there totaling $353.4 million. Avon's world-wide sales, meanwhile, fell 3%, to $10.4 billion.

　　中国与拉美都是雅芳销售增长的重要源头，雅芳依靠海外市场抵消其长期不景气的美国业务的疲弱。在全球经济滑坡之时，雅芳去年在华销售增长仅为不足1%，在华销售总额3.534亿美元。同时雅芳全球总销售额下滑3%，至104亿美元。

　　Latin America accounted for about 40% of Avon's sales in 2009 and more than half of its operating profits.

　　2009年，拉丁美洲占雅芳销售额的40%左右，并占其营业利润一半以上。

　　Avon announced in October 2008 that it had been investigating alleged improper business practices in China since June of that year. The probe, which the company disclosed to the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Justice Department, was sparked by an employee who wrote a letter to Ms. Jung alleging improper spending related to travel with Chinese government officials, according to the person familiar with the matter.

　　雅芳于2008年10月宣布，其自当年6月就开始调查在中国的不正当商业行为。知情人士说，这项调查的起因是一名员工致信钟彬娴，称有与中国政府官员旅游相关的不当开支。雅芳向美国证券交易委员会(Securities and Exchange Commission)和美国司法部(Justice Department)披露了这项调查。

　　Avon's inquiries focus on its employees' compliance with the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, which makes it illegal to bribe foreign officials. The U.S. Justice Department in recent years has accelerated its enforcement of alleged acts of foreign bribery by U.S. corporations, with about 150 investigations currently under way, a Justice Department spokeswoman said. Last year, the department brought 34 enforcement actions under the act. That's up from 17 enforcement actions the year before.

　　雅芳的调查集中在员工是否遵守了《反海外腐败法》(Foreign Corrupt Practices Act)，这部法律规定贿赂外国官员为非法行为。美国司法部发言人说，司法部近年来加强了对美国公司被指在海外行贿的调查，当前约有150桩调查正在进行。去年司法部处理了34桩此类案件，前一年为17桩。

　　The Justice Department spokeswoman declined to comment on the Avon matter or whether it was investigating the company.

　　美国司法部发言人拒绝就雅芳事件置评，也没有透露是否正在调查该公司。

　　Ellen Byron