VOA慢速英语2017--日本钢铁制造商承认造假

Japanese Steelmaker Admits False Safety Information

The Japanese manufacturer Kobe Steel is investigating problems with safety inspection² information about its products.

The company reported “improper³ conduct” related to some steel, aluminum⁴ and copper⁵ products. On Wednesday, the company said in a statement that an outside legal company was carrying out an investigation⁶.

While facing the news media in Tokyo Thursday, Kobe Steel’s chief executive officer Hiroya Kawasaki bowed deeply to apologize.

“Trust in our company has dropped to zero,” he said.

Kawasaki said the most important issue now was to carry out safety checks of the products in question.

The admission has raised concerns about the safety of some of Kobe Steel’s products, which are used in cars, trains, aircraft and household machines.

However, the company’s latest statement raises questions about whether the problem is more widespread than earlier reported.

As many as 500 companies could be affected⁷.

Company looking back at data from up to 10 years

News reports say Kobe Steel may have fabricated inspection information about steel powder used to manufacture parts for cars and other uses.

Earlier, the company had reported that inspection certificates had been improperly⁸ written for aluminum and copper products. Thousands of tons of steel, aluminum and copper are involved.

Kobe Steel also has started an investigation of Kobelco Research Institute, which tests products for the company. The company is looking into information going back 10 years.

Materials used by many large international companies

Kobe Steel, also known as Kobelco, is Japan’s third largest steel maker¹.

The company is a worldwide supplier of steel, aluminum and copper materials. The conglomerate⁹ also manufactures machinery¹⁰, generates power and has several other businesses including real estate.

Products made by Kobe Steel are used not only in Japan, but by large corporations around the world.

Companies such as car makers¹¹ Toyota and Ford¹², and aircraft manufacturers Boeing and Mitsubishi are investigating the reports.

Other car makers affected include General Motors and Daimler.

Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Kotaro Nogami called on Kobe Steel to investigate the causes of the problem and make sure they do not happen again. He added that the company needed “to restore the trust of not only its customers but of society as a whole.”

The news of the use of false product information is the most recent problem reported by a major Japanese company.

Dangerous airbags made by Japan’s Takata Corporation were blamed for a number of deaths. The manufacturing problems resulted in a huge recall, $1 billion in fines and the company seeking bankruptcy¹³ protection from its creditors¹⁴.

Recently, car maker Nissan also faced scandal about false safety inspection information. Last year, Mitsubishi was caught for providing false information about its vehicles’ fuel usage.

A company linked to Kobe Steel, Shinko Wire Stainless¹⁵ Co., reported it had given false strength testing information about some of its steel products last year.

I’m Mario Ritter.

Words in This Story

improper –adj. not right, not correct

conglomerate –n. a company that operates businesses in several industries that may be related or not

fabricated –adj. made up, fictional¹⁶ not factual

certificates –n. a document that provide proof that something is correct or has met certain requirements

customers –n. someone who buys good or services from a business

scandal –n. an incident that causes shock or disapproval by people who find it to be wrong

1 maker   

n.制造者，制造商

参考例句：

• He is a trouble maker，You must be distant with him.他是个捣蛋鬼，你不要跟他在一起。
• A cabinet maker must be a master craftsman.家具木工必须是技艺高超的手艺人。

2 inspection   

n.检查，审查，检阅

参考例句：

• On random inspection the meat was found to be bad.经抽查，发现肉变质了。
• The soldiers lined up for their daily inspection by their officers.士兵们列队接受军官的日常检阅。

3 improper   

adj.不适当的，不合适的，不正确的，不合礼仪的

参考例句：

• Short trousers are improper at a dance.舞会上穿短裤不成体统。
• Laughing and joking are improper at a funeral.葬礼时大笑和开玩笑是不合适的。

4 aluminum   

n.(aluminium)铝

参考例句：

• The aluminum sheets cannot be too much thicker than 0.04 inches.铝板厚度不能超过0.04英寸。
• During the launch phase,it would ride in a protective aluminum shell.在发射阶段，它盛在一只保护的铝壳里。

5 copper   

n.铜；铜币；铜器；adj.铜(制)的；(紫)铜色的

参考例句：

• The students are asked to prove the purity of copper.要求学生们检验铜的纯度。
• Copper is a good medium for the conduction of heat and electricity.铜是热和电的良导体。

6 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

7 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

8 improperly   

不正确地，不适当地

参考例句：

• Of course it was acting improperly. 这样做就是不对嘛！
• He is trying to improperly influence a witness. 他在试图误导证人。

9 conglomerate   

n.综合商社，多元化集团公司

参考例句：

• The firm has been taken over by an American conglomerate.该公司已被美国一企业集团接管。
• An American conglomerate holds a major share in the company.一家美国的大联合企业持有该公司的大部分股份。

10 machinery   

n.(总称)机械，机器；机构

参考例句：

• Has the machinery been put up ready for the broadcast?广播器材安装完毕了吗？
• Machinery ought to be well maintained all the time.机器应该随时注意维护。

11 makers   

n.制造者，制造商（maker的复数形式）

参考例句：

• The makers of the product assured us that there had been no sacrifice of quality. 这一产品的制造商向我们保证说他们没有牺牲质量。
• The makers are about to launch out a new product. 制造商们马上要生产一种新产品。 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 Ford   

n.浅滩，水浅可涉处；v.涉水，涉过

参考例句：

• They were guarding the bridge,so we forded the river.他们驻守在那座桥上，所以我们只能涉水过河。
• If you decide to ford a stream,be extremely careful.如果已决定要涉过小溪，必须极度小心。

13 bankruptcy   

n.破产；无偿付能力

参考例句：

• You will have to pull in if you want to escape bankruptcy.如果你想避免破产，就必须节省开支。
• His firm is just on thin ice of bankruptcy.他的商号正面临破产的危险。

14 creditors   

n.债权人，债主( creditor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• They agreed to repay their creditors over a period of three years. 他们同意3年内向债主还清欠款。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Creditors could obtain a writ for the arrest of their debtors. 债权人可以获得逮捕债务人的令状。 来自《简明英汉词典》

15 stainless   

adj.无瑕疵的，不锈的

参考例句：

• I have a set of stainless knives and forks.我有一套不锈钢刀叉。
• Before the recent political scandal,her reputation had been stainless.在最近的政治丑闻之前，她的名声是无懈可击的。

16 fictional   

adj.小说的，虚构的

参考例句：

• The names of the shops are entirely fictional.那些商店的名字完全是虚构的。
• The two authors represent the opposite poles of fictional genius.这两位作者代表了天才小说家两个极端。