German carmakers

　　德國汽車生產商

　　Stuck in third

　　穩居第三

　　Daimler is set to keep chugging down the Autobahnbehind BMW and Audi

　　奔馳意欲一舉趕超寶馬奧迪

　　AS A corporate motto, The best or nothing has a timeless quality.

　　作為戴姆勒公司的座右銘，唯有最好彰顯著一種永恒的品質。

　　Gottlieb Daimler pasted it on the wall as he went about inventing the modern car in the late19th century.

　　十九世紀晚期，當戈特利布戴姆勒著手發明現代汽車的時候，他將這句話貼在墻上。

　　In 2010 the firm that bears his name adopted it as a slogan.

　　2010年，這個以其創始人名字命名的公司將這句話作為廣告語。

　　It was as badly timed as a misfiringengine. Mercedes-Benz, Daimler s car division, already trailing BMW in terms of sales andprofitability, saw another Geman premium carmaker, Audi, also start to pull away in thesame year.

　　作為一個正走下坡路的公司，這個口號來的有點晚。在銷量、盈利方面，戴姆勒旗下的奔馳都已雙雙落后寶馬。同期，德國另一高檔汽車制造商奧迪也開始將奔馳甩在身后。

　　Yet this year Daimler s shares have surged by 40%, persuading optimists that the firm iscatching up.

　　然而，今年戴姆勒公司的股價漲幅高達40%，樂觀人士開始相信該公司正逐步趕上。

　　This week it said its worldwide sales in October had risen 15% year-on-year to a new record.

　　據說，本周戴姆勒10月份的全球銷量同比增長15%，再創新高。

　　Dieter Zetsche, Daimler s boss, is confident.

　　對此，戴勒姆現任董事長迪特蔡澈信心十足。

　　At theFrankfurtmotor show in September he reiterated that his firm can become the world stop premium carmaker by 2023, helped by the launch of a fleet of new models.

　　9月，戴勒姆公司在法蘭克福車展上發布了多款新車，藉此機會他重申到2023年戴勒姆將會成為世界上最頂級高檔汽車制造商。

　　Before this year s rally, Daimler s shares were roughly where they were when Mr Zetschetook over in 2006, whereas BMW s had doubled.

　　在此之前，戴勒姆公司的股價同蔡澈2006年剛接手時差不多，而現如今寶馬股價早已翻了一番。

　　Mr Zetsche has completed Daimler s return to its core business of making premium cars afteryears of costly errors.

　　多年的錯誤導向讓戴勒姆公司付出了慘重的代價，蔡澈讓公司重新回到其核心業務，即豪華汽車上。

　　An attempt in the 1990s to turn it into a transport conglomerate, adding planes, trains andeven spaceships to the mix, had ended in failure.

　　上世紀九十年代，戴勒姆公司嘗試向運輸集團轉型，增加了飛機、火車、甚至宇宙飛船制造業務，但卻以失敗告終。

　　Mr Zetsche presided over the demise of Daimler s stab at becoming a global car giant bymerging with Chrysler and allying with Mitsubishi and Hyundai.

　　蔡澈接任戴勒姆公司董事長后便朝著全球汽車制造巨頭的方向邁進，先同克萊斯勒公司合并，后又同日本三菱及韓國現代強強合作。

　　He sold the American carmaker at a spanking loss, the year after he took over. FiatofItalynow controls it.

　　接任戴勒姆董事長后，在面臨巨大損失的情況下，蔡澈于同年將克萊斯勒出售給了意大利菲亞特。

　　These activities had distracted Daimler from the business of making classy cars.

　　這一系列事件分散了戴勒姆公司制造高檔車的精力，

　　The entry-level A Class, introduced in 1997 and intended to induce a new generation to theMercedes brand, was a flop; Smart, a frugal city car, was a financial disaster.

　　公司1997年開始發布的入門級車奔馳A系列，隨后嘗試引入新款，卻以失敗告終。奔馳微型都市車Smart堪稱公司的財務災難，

　　A dull mid-range E Class failed to meet buyers expectations of a luxury barge.

　　毫無生氣的中檔E系車同樣未能達到賣家對奢侈汽車的預期。

　　Worse still, the reliability of its cars fell and its reputation for engineering excellencewaned.

　　更糟糕的是，奔馳車性能可靠性降低了，其卓越的設計能力也在減退。

　　In the past couple of years Daimler has issued profit warnings even as pricey cars haveprospered, outgrowing the market as a whole.

　　在過去的兩年，盡管高檔車銷量不俗，優于市場整體情況，但戴勒姆仍舊發布了盈利警告。

　　Mercedes s image as a car for the grey-haired has held it back.

　　梅賽德斯作為老年人車型的形象阻礙了公司的發展，

　　By concentrating its efforts on saloons, it missed out as BMW and Audi grabbed a share of thehottest new part of the marketSUVs.

　　過分注重車展又讓其錯失了市場新寵SUVs，而寶馬、奧迪卻抓住了這一良機。

　　Meanwhile those competitors also stretched the definition of a premium-segment car byintroducing luxurious smaller models.

　　與此同時，通過引入豪華小型車，這兩大競爭對手又拓展了高檔車的定義。

　　Daimler is now trying to put that right with its new models.

　　現今，戴勒姆正嘗試引入新款車型以扭轉局面。

　　The new GLA, launched at Frankfurt, and a GLK, set for the roads in 2023, will at last givesmaller BMW X Series and Audi Q range SUVs some serious competition.

　　今年，奔馳在法蘭克福車展上發布了GLA，而GLK將于2023年面世，此舉至少會為寶馬X系及奧迪Q系SUVs帶來巨大競爭。

　　In small cars the CLA, a pint-size saloon, is in a niche of its own.

　　小型車奔馳CLA級勢必也會占據一席之地，

　　The launch of new models in the range-topping S Class will also boost sales.

　　而作為奔馳頂級的S系新車同樣會促進公司業績。

　　Daimler is following BMW and Audi in making a broader range of vehicles to suit more tastes.

　　戴勒姆緊隨寶馬、奧迪的步伐，開發更多車系以迎合更多人的需求。

　　It should improve profitability, which has lagged the consistent 9-10% margins of its tworivals, by reducing its main platforms, the basic underpinnings of its vehicles, from four totwo.

　　鑒于戴勒姆的盈利能力已經持續落后其兩大競爭對手九到十個百分點，因此該公司真正需要是將平臺板汽車的基礎結構從四個減少到兩個，以此提升其盈利能力。

　　More standardisation and common parts, and faster development times for new models,should lower costs.

　　采用更多標準化及通用部件，縮短研發新車時間，同樣有助于降低成本。

　　But BMW and Audi have similar plans and may well do a better job.

　　但是，寶馬、奧迪也有著類似盤算，或許會比戴勒姆做的更好。

　　Both of Daimler s German rivals have a more efficient workforce that toils for lower pay.

　　摩根斯坦利稱，寶馬、奧迪生產效率高于奔馳，且工資水平更低;

　　BMW sells 30% more cars with the same number of workers, says Morgan Stanley, a bank.

　　在相同的勞動力情況下，寶馬的銷量超過奔馳30%。

　　In China, the world s biggest market for cars of all price brackets, Daimler arrived late andentered a joint venture with a local firm on unfavourable terms.

　　中國是世界上各檔車最大的市場，戴勒姆打入該市場晚于其對手，且在不利的條件下同當地公司開辦了合資公司。

　　BMW outsells Mercedes by 70%; Audi sells twice as many cars.

　　寶馬在中國的銷量超過奔馳70%，而奧迪的銷量是奔馳的兩倍。

　　But Daimler has now tidied up a messy dealership network in which outlets selling importsand ones selling locally made cars had competed with each other.

　　但是，現在戴勒姆正逐步理順同當地經銷商的關系，中國部分經銷商銷售國外進口奔馳車，部分經銷商則銷售中國國內制造的奔馳車，這也就導致了二者之間相互競爭。

　　Now it needs to speed up the opening of new showrooms in smaller inland cities.

　　現在，奔馳需要加快在中國內陸中小城市開設展示廳的部分。

　　Daimler s technology, the key to meeting increasingly strict emissions targets, also lags itsrivals .

　　戴勒姆的技術同樣落后于兩大競爭對手，而這又是滿足日益嚴格排放標準的關鍵。

　　BMW has left it standing with the launch of its new range of electric cars. Catching up will behard.

　　寶馬的電動汽車系列發布指日可待，迎頭趕上勢必困難重重。

　　BMW, controlled by the Quandt family, has steady leadership that can back long-termresearch and development.

　　由科萬特家族控制的寶馬領導團隊穩固，這有利于公司的長期研發。

　　Audi can draw on the vast resources of its parent, VW.

　　奧迪則可依靠其母公司大眾旗下的廣袤資源。

　　Harald Hendrikse of Nomura, a bank, sees Mercedes, more sensitive to the whims ofinvestors and the quarterly reporting cycle, as more short-termist and conservative.

　　野村證券的亨德里克斯認為奔馳更為依賴投資者的興趣，對季度報告也很敏感，只顧短期利益，且頑固保守。

　　Despite its bumpy ride Daimler still has a strong brand and decent revenues from cars aswell as a solid truck, van and bus business.

　　盡管戴勒姆公司遭遇不順，但其扔有著強勢的品牌，而且旗下轎車、卡車、貨車及公共汽車帶來的收入也不錯。

　　And compared with the rest of the global car industry it is nicely profitable.

　　此外，同全球其他車商相比，戴勒姆的盈利能力更好。

　　Critics say that Daimler s bosses are a little disconnected from reality in claiming that thefirm will one day lead the pack again.

　　戴勒姆老總稱公司有朝一日將會領先群雄，批評人士指責其不切實際。

　　But it is probably a better management ploy than sticking up a sign saying Third-best ornothing.

　　但是，比起死守著唯有第三的口號，這或許是個更好的管理策略。

　　詞語解釋

　　1.modern car 現代汽車

　　Kia motors becomes pool s first modern carsponsor.

　　起亞汽車公司，成為泳池的第一屆現代汽車贊助商。

　　He says the edsel was the most modern car of itstime.

　　他說，edsel是當時最現代化的汽車。

　　2.start to 開始

　　When and why did things start to change?

　　那么這種情況是什么時候開始改變的?

　　It was the best start to august trading since 1934.

　　這是1934年以來8月份最好的股市開局。

　　3.catch up 追上;吹起;打斷

　　Someday china s software will catch up with its hardware.

　　有一天，中國的軟實力終將會趕上它的硬實力。

　　Some are just getting started reading the comics while others are at different issues, trying tocatch up.

　　有些剛剛才開始讀漫畫，而有些人已經在別的章節了，想追上現在的進度。

　　4.a fleet of 一隊

　　The martians began building a fleet of space ships that would carry them across the heavensto venus.

　　火星人開始組織太空艦隊，他們要穿越天堂到金星。

　　She dreamed that a fleet of space ships from the heavens would land and a race of strong andcaring martians would emerge.

　　她夢想著從天堂來的艦隊將登陸金星，強壯體貼的火星人將出現。

　　German carmakers

　　德國汽車生產商

　　Stuck in third

　　穩居第三

　　Daimler is set to keep chugging down the Autobahnbehind BMW and Audi

　　奔馳意欲一舉趕超寶馬奧迪

　　AS A corporate motto, The best or nothing has a timeless quality.

　　作為戴姆勒公司的座右銘，唯有最好彰顯著一種永恒的品質。

　　Gottlieb Daimler pasted it on the wall as he went about inventing the modern car in the late19th century.

　　十九世紀晚期，當戈特利布戴姆勒著手發明現代汽車的時候，他將這句話貼在墻上。

　　In 2010 the firm that bears his name adopted it as a slogan.

　　2010年，這個以其創始人名字命名的公司將這句話作為廣告語。

　　It was as badly timed as a misfiringengine. Mercedes-Benz, Daimler s car division, already trailing BMW in terms of sales andprofitability, saw another Geman premium carmaker, Audi, also start to pull away in thesame year.

　　作為一個正走下坡路的公司，這個口號來的有點晚。在銷量、盈利方面，戴姆勒旗下的奔馳都已雙雙落后寶馬。同期，德國另一高檔汽車制造商奧迪也開始將奔馳甩在身后。

　　Yet this year Daimler s shares have surged by 40%, persuading optimists that the firm iscatching up.

　　然而，今年戴姆勒公司的股價漲幅高達40%，樂觀人士開始相信該公司正逐步趕上。

　　This week it said its worldwide sales in October had risen 15% year-on-year to a new record.

　　據說，本周戴姆勒10月份的全球銷量同比增長15%，再創新高。

　　Dieter Zetsche, Daimler s boss, is confident.

　　對此，戴勒姆現任董事長迪特蔡澈信心十足。

　　At theFrankfurtmotor show in September he reiterated that his firm can become the world stop premium carmaker by 2023, helped by the launch of a fleet of new models.

　　9月，戴勒姆公司在法蘭克福車展上發布了多款新車，藉此機會他重申到2023年戴勒姆將會成為世界上最頂級高檔汽車制造商。

　　Before this year s rally, Daimler s shares were roughly where they were when Mr Zetschetook over in 2006, whereas BMW s had doubled.

　　在此之前，戴勒姆公司的股價同蔡澈2006年剛接手時差不多，而現如今寶馬股價早已翻了一番。

　　Mr Zetsche has completed Daimler s return to its core business of making premium cars afteryears of costly errors.

　　多年的錯誤導向讓戴勒姆公司付出了慘重的代價，蔡澈讓公司重新回到其核心業務，即豪華汽車上。

　　An attempt in the 1990s to turn it into a transport conglomerate, adding planes, trains andeven spaceships to the mix, had ended in failure.

　　上世紀九十年代，戴勒姆公司嘗試向運輸集團轉型，增加了飛機、火車、甚至宇宙飛船制造業務，但卻以失敗告終。

　　Mr Zetsche presided over the demise of Daimler s stab at becoming a global car giant bymerging with Chrysler and allying with Mitsubishi and Hyundai.

　　蔡澈接任戴勒姆公司董事長后便朝著全球汽車制造巨頭的方向邁進，先同克萊斯勒公司合并，后又同日本三菱及韓國現代強強合作。

　　He sold the American carmaker at a spanking loss, the year after he took over. FiatofItalynow controls it.

　　接任戴勒姆董事長后，在面臨巨大損失的情況下，蔡澈于同年將克萊斯勒出售給了意大利菲亞特。

　　These activities had distracted Daimler from the business of making classy cars.

　　這一系列事件分散了戴勒姆公司制造高檔車的精力，

　　The entry-level A Class, introduced in 1997 and intended to induce a new generation to theMercedes brand, was a flop; Smart, a frugal city car, was a financial disaster.

　　公司1997年開始發布的入門級車奔馳A系列，隨后嘗試引入新款，卻以失敗告終。奔馳微型都市車Smart堪稱公司的財務災難，

　　A dull mid-range E Class failed to meet buyers expectations of a luxury barge.

　　毫無生氣的中檔E系車同樣未能達到賣家對奢侈汽車的預期。

　　Worse still, the reliability of its cars fell and its reputation for engineering excellencewaned.

　　更糟糕的是，奔馳車性能可靠性降低了，其卓越的設計能力也在減退。

　　In the past couple of years Daimler has issued profit warnings even as pricey cars haveprospered, outgrowing the market as a whole.

　　在過去的兩年，盡管高檔車銷量不俗，優于市場整體情況，但戴勒姆仍舊發布了盈利警告。

　　Mercedes s image as a car for the grey-haired has held it back.

　　梅賽德斯作為老年人車型的形象阻礙了公司的發展，

　　By concentrating its efforts on saloons, it missed out as BMW and Audi grabbed a share of thehottest new part of the marketSUVs.

　　過分注重車展又讓其錯失了市場新寵SUVs，而寶馬、奧迪卻抓住了這一良機。

　　Meanwhile those competitors also stretched the definition of a premium-segment car byintroducing luxurious smaller models.

　　與此同時，通過引入豪華小型車，這兩大競爭對手又拓展了高檔車的定義。

　　Daimler is now trying to put that right with its new models.

　　現今，戴勒姆正嘗試引入新款車型以扭轉局面。

　　The new GLA, launched at Frankfurt, and a GLK, set for the roads in 2023, will at last givesmaller BMW X Series and Audi Q range SUVs some serious competition.

　　今年，奔馳在法蘭克福車展上發布了GLA，而GLK將于2023年面世，此舉至少會為寶馬X系及奧迪Q系SUVs帶來巨大競爭。

　　In small cars the CLA, a pint-size saloon, is in a niche of its own.

　　小型車奔馳CLA級勢必也會占據一席之地，

　　The launch of new models in the range-topping S Class will also boost sales.

　　而作為奔馳頂級的S系新車同樣會促進公司業績。

　　Daimler is following BMW and Audi in making a broader range of vehicles to suit more tastes.

　　戴勒姆緊隨寶馬、奧迪的步伐，開發更多車系以迎合更多人的需求。

　　It should improve profitability, which has lagged the consistent 9-10% margins of its tworivals, by reducing its main platforms, the basic underpinnings of its vehicles, from four totwo.

　　鑒于戴勒姆的盈利能力已經持續落后其兩大競爭對手九到十個百分點，因此該公司真正需要是將平臺板汽車的基礎結構從四個減少到兩個，以此提升其盈利能力。

　　More standardisation and common parts, and faster development times for new models,should lower costs.

　　采用更多標準化及通用部件，縮短研發新車時間，同樣有助于降低成本。

　　But BMW and Audi have similar plans and may well do a better job.

　　但是，寶馬、奧迪也有著類似盤算，或許會比戴勒姆做的更好。

　　Both of Daimler s German rivals have a more efficient workforce that toils for lower pay.

　　摩根斯坦利稱，寶馬、奧迪生產效率高于奔馳，且工資水平更低;

　　BMW sells 30% more cars with the same number of workers, says Morgan Stanley, a bank.

　　在相同的勞動力情況下，寶馬的銷量超過奔馳30%。

　　In China, the world s biggest market for cars of all price brackets, Daimler arrived late andentered a joint venture with a local firm on unfavourable terms.

　　中國是世界上各檔車最大的市場，戴勒姆打入該市場晚于其對手，且在不利的條件下同當地公司開辦了合資公司。

　　BMW outsells Mercedes by 70%; Audi sells twice as many cars.

　　寶馬在中國的銷量超過奔馳70%，而奧迪的銷量是奔馳的兩倍。

　　But Daimler has now tidied up a messy dealership network in which outlets selling importsand ones selling locally made cars had competed with each other.

　　但是，現在戴勒姆正逐步理順同當地經銷商的關系，中國部分經銷商銷售國外進口奔馳車，部分經銷商則銷售中國國內制造的奔馳車，這也就導致了二者之間相互競爭。

　　Now it needs to speed up the opening of new showrooms in smaller inland cities.

　　現在，奔馳需要加快在中國內陸中小城市開設展示廳的部分。

　　Daimler s technology, the key to meeting increasingly strict emissions targets, also lags itsrivals .

　　戴勒姆的技術同樣落后于兩大競爭對手，而這又是滿足日益嚴格排放標準的關鍵。

　　BMW has left it standing with the launch of its new range of electric cars. Catching up will behard.

　　寶馬的電動汽車系列發布指日可待，迎頭趕上勢必困難重重。

　　BMW, controlled by the Quandt family, has steady leadership that can back long-termresearch and development.

　　由科萬特家族控制的寶馬領導團隊穩固，這有利于公司的長期研發。

　　Audi can draw on the vast resources of its parent, VW.

　　奧迪則可依靠其母公司大眾旗下的廣袤資源。

　　Harald Hendrikse of Nomura, a bank, sees Mercedes, more sensitive to the whims ofinvestors and the quarterly reporting cycle, as more short-termist and conservative.

　　野村證券的亨德里克斯認為奔馳更為依賴投資者的興趣，對季度報告也很敏感，只顧短期利益，且頑固保守。

　　Despite its bumpy ride Daimler still has a strong brand and decent revenues from cars aswell as a solid truck, van and bus business.

　　盡管戴勒姆公司遭遇不順，但其扔有著強勢的品牌，而且旗下轎車、卡車、貨車及公共汽車帶來的收入也不錯。

　　And compared with the rest of the global car industry it is nicely profitable.

　　此外，同全球其他車商相比，戴勒姆的盈利能力更好。

　　Critics say that Daimler s bosses are a little disconnected from reality in claiming that thefirm will one day lead the pack again.

　　戴勒姆老總稱公司有朝一日將會領先群雄，批評人士指責其不切實際。

　　But it is probably a better management ploy than sticking up a sign saying Third-best ornothing.

　　但是，比起死守著唯有第三的口號，這或許是個更好的管理策略。

　　詞語解釋

　　1.modern car 現代汽車

　　Kia motors becomes pool s first modern carsponsor.

　　起亞汽車公司，成為泳池的第一屆現代汽車贊助商。

　　He says the edsel was the most modern car of itstime.

　　他說，edsel是當時最現代化的汽車。

　　2.start to 開始

　　When and why did things start to change?

　　那么這種情況是什么時候開始改變的?

　　It was the best start to august trading since 1934.

　　這是1934年以來8月份最好的股市開局。

　　3.catch up 追上;吹起;打斷

　　Someday china s software will catch up with its hardware.

　　有一天，中國的軟實力終將會趕上它的硬實力。

　　Some are just getting started reading the comics while others are at different issues, trying tocatch up.

　　有些剛剛才開始讀漫畫，而有些人已經在別的章節了，想追上現在的進度。

　　4.a fleet of 一隊

　　The martians began building a fleet of space ships that would carry them across the heavensto venus.

　　火星人開始組織太空艦隊，他們要穿越天堂到金星。

　　She dreamed that a fleet of space ships from the heavens would land and a race of strong andcaring martians would emerge.

　　她夢想著從天堂來的艦隊將登陸金星，強壯體貼的火星人將出現。