日本的啤酒业可能已经错过了走向全球的机会。日本的主要酿酒商可能在定价上协调过度，但在整合上力度不足，导致他们无法有效与更大的全球竞争对手抗衡。
The nation’s beer industry may have missed its chance to go global Japan's major brewers may have coordinated too much on pricing but too little on consolidation, leaving them unable to compete effectively with much larger global rivals.
来日本的游客都知道当地啤酒的简单乐趣——无论标签上的品牌是什么，一杯拉格啤酒总是味道一致且熟悉。
Visitors to Japan know the simple joys of a local beer — a mug of lager that, regardless of the brand on the label, is consistently tasty and familiar.
这种一致性可能是个问题，公平贸易委员会这么说，该委员会已对四家主要酿酒商展开调查。据彭博社报道，监管机构怀疑他们串通以固定批发商的涨价时间和幅度。进一步的报道表明，监管机构可能已经就这一做法进行了数十年的审查。
That consistency might be a problem, says the Fair Trade Commission, which has launched an investigation into the four major brewers. The regulator suspects they colluded to fix the timing and level of price hikes for wholesalers, according to Bloomberg News. Further reports suggest the regulator has been looking at the practice for decades.
这种串通存在问题；如果指控属实，多年来消费者一直在为啤酒支付超出必要的费用。
The collusion is problematic; if the allegations are true, customers have been paying more than needed for years.