VOA标准英语2009-GM Southeast Asia Seeks to Reassure Customer

The bankruptcy¹ and restructuring of General Motors Corporation in the United States has raised concerns about the future of the global automaker. In Southeast Asia, General Motors is seeking to assure customers and investors³ the bankruptcy will not affect their operations. In this part of the world, the auto² company says it is still planning for growth.
　
Man examines Buick sedan in GM showroom in Beijing, China, 02 un 2009

General Motors in Southeast Asia opened a packed news briefing in Bangkok with a promotional video.

The video shows G.M. trucks driving through explosions set to the classic song "Don't Stop Me Now" by the British band Queen. A G.M. public relations chief announced the song expressed the automaker's feelings about operations in the region as being there to stay.

Chapter 11

General Motors filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy Monday to protect itself from creditors⁴ while the heavily indebted corporation is restructured with the U.S. government owning the majority of new shares.

General Motors Southeast Asia Operations President Steve Carlisle said the restructuring only applied⁵ to the company's U.S. operations and its overseas units in Southeast Asia would not be directly affected⁶.

"As I have mentioned before, we are separate entities⁷ from GMC and have the capability⁸, resource, and technology to continue our operations and grow," Carlisle said. "A good example is G.M. Asia Pacific, which recorded unprecedented⁹ growth in the first quarter of this year, and all indications point to the continuation of this trend for the rest of 2009. We believe growth potential in this region to be tremendous once the economy recovers."

Sales down in some countries

Auto markets in Thailand, Malaysia, and the Philippines are down 30 to 50 percent from last year and Carlisle says G.M. sales are in line with those drops and other market slumps¹⁰ in Southeast Asia. Although, G.M. sales were up in Indonesia by nearly 20 percent.

Carlisle said slowing demand is likely to close some car dealers¹¹ in the region.

He said cutting costs is a big concern and acknowledged that a G.M. plant in Thailand had paused production for two weeks after a drop in consumer demand.

No layoffs¹²

But he said no layoffs or closings are planned and G.M. production in Thailand would continue to expand.

"Previously¹³ we announced the diesel¹⁴ engine and the pick-up would start up in the middle of 2011. So, we are still on track according to that timeline," he said.

G.M. Southeast Asia Vice¹⁵ President for Sales Antonio Zara said sales in Thailand have been on the rise since March and the company's market share had returned to about the same as last year.

"And, despite all the negative coverage¹⁶ we are getting due to the G.M. news in the U.S., we are opening new show rooms, we are launching various campaigns to enhance customer services in after sales support," Zara said.

G.M. Southeast Asia President Carlisle said consumer sentiment was a challenge. He said the company is negotiating with Thai banks for loans to carry on production and marketing¹⁷ plans.

1 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。

2 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。

3 investors   

n.投资者，出资者( investor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• a con man who bilked investors out of millions of dollars 诈取投资者几百万元的骗子
• a cash bonanza for investors 投资者的赚钱机会

4 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》

5 applied   

adj.应用的；v.应用，适用

参考例句：

• She plans to take a course in applied linguistics.她打算学习应用语言学课程。
• This cream is best applied to the face at night.这种乳霜最好晚上擦脸用。

6 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。

7 entities   

实体对像； 实体，独立存在体，实际存在物( entity的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Our newspaper and our printing business form separate corporate entities. 我们的报纸和印刷业形成相对独立的企业实体。
• The North American continent is made up of three great structural entities. 北美大陆是由三个构造单元组成的。

8 capability   

n.能力；才能；(pl)可发展的能力或特性等

参考例句：

• She has the capability to become a very fine actress.她有潜力成为杰出演员。
• Organizing a whole department is beyond his capability.组织整个部门是他能力以外的事。

9 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。

10 slumps   

萧条期( slump的名词复数 )； （个人、球队等的）低潮状态； （销售量、价格、价值等的）骤降； 猛跌

参考例句：

• Deflation could emerge from simultaneous slumps in the world's three major economies. 如果世界经济三大主体同时衰退，通货紧缩就会出现。
• This is the cycle of economic booms and slumps. 这是经济繁荣和经济萧条的周期变化。

11 dealers   

n.商人( dealer的名词复数 )；贩毒者；毒品贩子；发牌者

参考例句：

• There was fast bidding between private collectors and dealers. 私人收藏家和交易商急速竞相喊价。
• The police were corrupt and were operating in collusion with the drug dealers. 警察腐败，与那伙毒品贩子内外勾结。

12 layoffs   

临时解雇( layoff的名词复数 )； 停工，停止活动

参考例句：

• Textile companies announced 2000 fresh layoffs last week. 各纺织公司上周宣布再次裁员两千人。
• Stock prices broke when the firm suddenly announced layoffs. 当公司突然宣布裁员时，股票价格便大跌

13 previously   

adv.以前，先前（地）

参考例句：

• The bicycle tyre blew out at a previously damaged point.自行车胎在以前损坏过的地方又爆开了。
• Let me digress for a moment and explain what had happened previously.让我岔开一会儿，解释原先发生了什么。

14 diesel   

n.柴油发动机，内燃机

参考例句：

• We experimented with diesel engines to drive the pumps.我们试着用柴油机来带动水泵。
• My tractor operates on diesel oil.我的那台拖拉机用柴油开动。

15 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

16 coverage   

n.报导，保险范围，保险额，范围，覆盖

参考例句：

• There's little coverage of foreign news in the newspaper.报纸上几乎没有国外新闻报道。
• This is an insurance policy with extensive coverage.这是一项承保范围广泛的保险。

17 marketing   

n.行销，在市场的买卖，买东西

参考例句：

• They are developing marketing network.他们正在发展销售网络。
• He often goes marketing.他经常去市场做生意。