北京车展本土品牌活跃

 　　With MORE than 2000 auto¹ companies, 11-hundred vehicles and a hundred world premiers², the Beijing Auto Show is China's auto market in a nutshell, at the China International Exhibition Center.

　　The phrase "Market Penetration³" is constantly on the lips of domestic carmakers and their international counterparts alike.

　　Du Guozhong is a public relations manager at Chinese manufacturer BYD.

　　"As joint⁴ venture brands and their domestic self-owned brands lower their product prices and penetrate⁵ deeper into second and third-tier markets, China's own domestic brands are meeting tough competition. So our market share is sliding downwards⁶ in general."

　　Du's company is trying to fight back with unique products that meet the demands of average consumers.

　　"The key is to develop our own techniques and to offer unique products. I mean we can always learn from our competitors, but we've got to have some highlights of our own. We'll rely on science and technology to improve the consumer experience."

　　Certainly, going "geek" with technology is seen as one way to succeed in a highly-industrial business.

　　But there are others who dare take a risk to build up a name.

　　Zeng Yehui from GAC Gonow Auto boasts "unprecedented⁷ service".

　　"Our clients can return their cars for any or no reason within 7 days of purchase. So far, GAC Gonow is the only company that supports returning without reason. And clients who buy our Xinglang model during a promotion⁸ period can enjoy free maintenance till the car becomes obsolete⁹. We are the first carmaker to guarantee that service."

　　With enough commitment to customer service, China's domestic brands might just make a breakthrough.

　　But Wuhu-based Chery seems keen on winning the battle when it comes to personal tastes. Former Porsche designer Hakan Saracoglu now leads their design team.

　　"And we are an international team, a domestic team of international influence. My job is really to show possibilities; it is the designers themselves, the young creative Chinese designers putting these things on the paper. I can take their creativity, and put it into a real car to show them how to build a car, but the creativity comes from those guys, who can do it better than them?"

　　Decades ago, when China signed the treaty to enter the WTO, people worried about Chinese carmakers being knocked out by competitive foreign brands.

　　Today, still, no one can forsee the futures¹⁰ of those automakers, but now at least some of them are trying their best to enjoy the ride.

　　For CRI and China.com, I'm Ding Lulu.

1 auto   

n.(=automobile)(口语)汽车

参考例句：

• Don't park your auto here.别把你的汽车停在这儿。
• The auto industry has brought many people to Detroit.汽车工业把许多人吸引到了底特律。

2 premiers   

n.总理，首相( premier的名词复数 )；首席官员，

参考例句：

• The Vice- Premiers and State Councillors assist the Premier in his work. 副总理、国务委员协助总理工作。 来自汉英非文学 - 中国宪法
• The Premier, Vice-Premiers and State Councillors shall serve no more than two consecutive terms. 总理、副总理、国务委员连续任职不得超过两届。 来自汉英非文学 - 中国宪法

3 penetration   

n.穿透，穿人，渗透

参考例句：

• He is a man of penetration.他是一个富有洞察力的人。
• Our aim is to achieve greater market penetration.我们的目标是进一步打入市场。

4 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

5 penetrate   

v.透(渗)入；刺入，刺穿；洞察，了解

参考例句：

• Western ideas penetrate slowly through the East.西方观念逐渐传入东方。
• The sunshine could not penetrate where the trees were thickest.阳光不能透入树木最浓密的地方。

6 downwards   

adj./adv.向下的（地），下行的（地）

参考例句：

• He lay face downwards on his bed.他脸向下伏在床上。
• As the river flows downwards,it widens.这条河愈到下游愈宽。

7 unprecedented   

adj.无前例的，新奇的

参考例句：

• The air crash caused an unprecedented number of deaths.这次空难的死亡人数是空前的。
• A flood of this sort is really unprecedented.这样大的洪水真是十年九不遇。

8 promotion   

n.提升，晋级；促销，宣传

参考例句：

• The teacher conferred with the principal about Dick's promotion.教师与校长商谈了迪克的升级问题。
• The clerk was given a promotion and an increase in salary.那个职员升了级，加了薪。

9 obsolete   

adj.已废弃的，过时的

参考例句：

• These goods are obsolete and will not fetch much on the market.这些货品过时了，在市场上卖不了高价。
• They tried to hammer obsolete ideas into the young people's heads.他们竭力把陈旧思想灌输给青年。

10 futures   

n.期货，期货交易

参考例句：

• He continued his operations in cotton futures.他继续进行棉花期货交易。
• Cotton futures are selling at high prices.棉花期货交易的卖价是很高的。