2006年VOA标准英语-Delphi Financial Woes Spell Uncertainty fo

By Crystal Park
Washington
05 January 2006
 
Business- Delphi Job Cuts

The decline of American car-makers and fierce competition from overseas suppliers have forced the largest U.S. auto¹ parts manufacturer into bankruptcy². As the company negotiates deals, its employees are angry and worried about losing jobs.

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Delphi Headquarters  
  

Delphi is the largest auto parts manufacturer in the United States. Last October, it filed for bankruptcy. Since then, officials have been negotiating drastic deals to help them climb out of bankruptcy. Proposals for a 63 percent pay cut were withdrawn³ this month, but for the 50,000 workers, the situation is still uncertain.

"Honey, I'm scared to death because I could lose my job," said one woman.
 

Scott McCrumb  
  
Scott McCrumb is a shipping⁴ clerk at Delphi's Kokomo, Indiana plant where his mother, uncle and grandfather worked. A drastic wage cut would be devastating⁵. "It would mean we couldn't live here any more," he said. "We couldn't be in this school district. We'd definitely have to sell our house." 

 
Robert Miller⁶ 
  
Part of the problem is that Delphi is competing with Asian auto manufacturers who are producing high quality goods for much cheaper wages. "Today we are paying double, triple or more for hourly labor⁷ compared to what prevails in the marketplace," says Delphi CEO Robert Miller. "No business can survive doing that."

But Delphi has come under fire for giving pay bonuses and incentives⁸, potentially worth hundreds of millions of dollars, to company officials even while filing for bankruptcy. 

Delphi workers  
  
"Philosophers can speculate about fairness," responds CEO Miller. "I have to deal with reality."

The reality for thousands of workers potentially affected⁹ will be grim. The company says its unions have until next month to agree on a deal or it will ask the bankruptcy court to throw out its labor contracts.

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 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。

3 withdrawn   

vt.收回；使退出；vi.撤退，退出

参考例句：

• Our force has been withdrawn from the danger area.我们的军队已从危险地区撤出。
• All foreign troops should be withdrawn to their own countries.一切外国军队都应撤回本国去。

4 shipping   

n.船运（发货，运输，乘船）

参考例句：

• We struck a bargain with an American shipping firm.我们和一家美国船运公司谈成了一笔生意。
• There's a shipping charge of ￡5 added to the price.价格之外另加五英镑运输费。

5 devastating   

adj.毁灭性的，令人震惊的，强有力的

参考例句：

• It is the most devastating storm in 20 years.这是20年来破坏性最大的风暴。
• Affairs do have a devastating effect on marriages.婚外情确实会对婚姻造成毁灭性的影响。

6 miller   

n.磨坊主

参考例句：

• Every miller draws water to his own mill.磨坊主都往自己磨里注水。
• The skilful miller killed millions of lions with his ski.技术娴熟的磨坊主用雪橇杀死了上百万头狮子。

7 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。

8 incentives   

激励某人做某事的事物( incentive的名词复数 )； 刺激； 诱因； 动机

参考例句：

• tax incentives to encourage savings 鼓励储蓄的税收措施
• Furthermore, subsidies provide incentives only for investments in equipment. 更有甚者，提供津贴仅是为鼓励增添设备的投资。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法

9 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。