Japan Reports Drop in Corporate Bankruptcies

Japan Reports Drop in Corporate¹ Bankruptcies²

Amy Bickers³

Japanese corporate bankruptcies have fallen and Coca-Cola's Japan unit has plans to introduce two new drinks.

Corporate bankruptcies continue to fall in Japan.

Research agency Teikoku Databank says bankruptcies fell 16 percent in January from a year earlier to about 1,200 cases.

The combined debts left by insolvent⁴ companies also dropped, down 63 percent to $4.3 billion. Economists⁵ say more government aid for struggling small and medium-sized firms is helping⁶ cut bankruptcies.

Japan's second-largest automaker and the world's largest jet engine maker⁷ are teaming up to produce a new engine for light business jets. Honda Motor and General Electric of the United States will jointly⁸ manufacture and market an engine, called the HF 118 turbofan, already developed by Honda. They hope to emerge as a big player in light jets, a growth area of aviation.

Honda's President Takeo Fukui told reporters that Honda has long wanted to enter the aviation industry.

He says Honda has been working on this project for nearly 20 years and the deal fulfills⁹ the ambitions of the company's founder¹⁰.

Mr. Fukui also said it would take at least five years for the venture to make a profit. Other Japanese companies, including Mitsubishi and Toyota, are now considering moves into aviation, inspired by Honda's example.

Coca-Cola's Japanese unit will introduce a drink next month that tastes like beer but contains almost no alcohol. The carbonated beverage¹¹ will be called Sky Malt and will be sold only to those 20 years and older. Coca-Cola plans to sell another beverage in Japan starting in May - it will taste like a cocktail¹², but contains just a dash of alcohol and will be called Sokkahappo - which means "a quick burst of bubbles" in Japanese.

 

注释：

corporate bankruptcy  企业破产

insolvent [In5sRlvEnt] adj. 破产的

small and medium-sized firms  中小型企业

automaker [5C:tEu7meikE] n. （美）汽车制造商

jet engine maker  喷气发动机制造商

team up  合作，协作

light business jet  轻型商务机

Honda Motor  本田汽车

General Electric  通用电器

jointly [5dVCintli] adv. 共同地，联合地

market [5mB:kit] vt. 使上市

turbofan [5tE:bEu7fAn] n. 扇涡轮

aviation [7eivi5eiFEn] n. 航空，飞行

Takeo Fukui  本田的首席执行官福井威夫

venture [5ventFE(r)] n. 企业

Mitsubishi [mi5tsubiFi] n. 三菱

Toyota 丰田汽车

carbonated beverage  碳酸饮料

dash [dAF] n. 少量（搀加物）

bubble [5bQbl] n. 泡沫

 

1 corporate   

adj.共同的，全体的；公司的，企业的

参考例句：

• This is our corporate responsibility.这是我们共同的责任。
• His corporate's life will be as short as a rabbit's tail.他的公司的寿命是兔子尾巴长不了。

2 bankruptcies   

n.破产( bankruptcy的名词复数 )；倒闭；彻底失败；（名誉等的）完全丧失

参考例句：

• It's a matter of record that there were ten bankruptcies in the town last year. 去年这个城市有十家破产是事实。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Business bankruptcies rose 50 percent over the previous year. 破产企业的数量比前一年增加５０％。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件

3 bickers   

v.争吵( bicker的第三人称单数 )；口角；（水等）作潺潺声；闪烁

参考例句：

4 insolvent   

adj.破产的，无偿还能力的

参考例句：

• They lost orders and were insolvent within weeks.他们失去了订货，几周后就无法偿还债务。
• The bank was declared insolvent.银行被宣布破产。

5 economists   

n.经济学家，经济专家( economist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The sudden rise in share prices has confounded economists. 股价的突然上涨使经济学家大惑不解。
• Foreign bankers and economists cautiously welcomed the minister's initiative. 外国银行家和经济学家对部长的倡议反应谨慎。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

7 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。

8 jointly   

ad.联合地，共同地

参考例句：

• Tenants are jointly and severally liable for payment of the rent. 租金由承租人共同且分别承担。
• She owns the house jointly with her husband. 她和丈夫共同拥有这所房子。

9 fulfills   

v.履行（诺言等）( fulfill的第三人称单数 )；执行（命令等）；达到（目的）；使结束

参考例句：

• He always fulfills his promises. 他总是履行自己的诺言。 来自辞典例句
• His own work amply fulfills this robust claim. 他自己的作品在很大程度上实现了这一正确主张。 来自辞典例句

10 Founder   

n.创始者，缔造者

参考例句：

• He was extolled as the founder of their Florentine school.他被称颂为佛罗伦萨画派的鼻祖。
• According to the old tradition,Romulus was the founder of Rome.按照古老的传说，罗穆卢斯是古罗马的建国者。

11 beverage   

n.(水，酒等之外的)饮料

参考例句：

• The beverage is often colored with caramel.这种饮料常用焦糖染色。
• Beer is a beverage of the remotest time.啤酒是一种最古老的饮料。

12 cocktail   

n.鸡尾酒；餐前开胃小吃；混合物

参考例句：

• We invited some foreign friends for a cocktail party.我们邀请了一些外国朋友参加鸡尾酒会。
• At a cocktail party in Hollywood,I was introduced to Charlie Chaplin.在好莱坞的一次鸡尾酒会上，人家把我介绍给查理·卓别林。