In June 2006, an official at China's State Council said environmental damage (everything from crop loss to health care costs) was costing 10 percent of its gross domestic product--in other words, all of the economy's celebrated growth.

How bad translation software and an ambiguous ideogram blazoned the f-word all over China.

Part of a fascinating series on getting stuff manufactured in China. Much, much more is done by hand than you'd think; even tasks that could be handled by machines are cheaper with $1.80/hour workers.