VOA标准英语2010年-New Management Team Vows to Rescue Jap

The new chairman of Japan Airlines (JAL) says management will decide soon which U.S. airline the company will partner with. Kazuo Inamori takes over two weeks after JAL, once one of Japan's premier¹ companies, filed for bankruptcy². Akiko Fujita reports from Tokyo.

Kazuo Inamori described himself as an amateur in the aviation industry on Monday, in his first news conference as Japan Airline's chairman.

The founder³ of electronics maker⁴ Kyocera spent decades in the technology industry and served as chairman of one of Japan's top telecommunications companies. He retired⁵ more than a decade ago to become a Buddhist⁶ monk⁷ - but the Japanese government brought him out of retirement⁸ to bring JAL out of bankruptcy.

Inamori addressed the size of the challenge.  He says JAL is a company that represents Japan. Its misfortunes directly affect the country's overall economy. And, Inamori says, they must bring the company back, to bring Japan's economy back.

Inamori takes over as chairman with new president Masaru Onishi by his side. Their first order of business will be deciding on an alliance with a U.S. airline. Both American Airlines and Delta⁹ have offered significant financial support in an attempt to woo the company into an alliance.

Onishi did not give a timetable, but says JAL will decide on a partner soon.  Onishi says they are absolutely "neutral" at the moment and that both plans have good points and bad points. With JAL's new system in place, he says, they plan to reexamine this issue.

Onishi and Inamori must also tackle nearly $25 billion in debt. The company plans to slash¹⁰ unprofitable routes, along with a third of its workforce¹¹. Inamori did not confirm that number Monday, but said he must consider job cuts.

Inamori says it pains him to think he has to cut jobs. If that is what it takes to bring JAL back, he must convince employees that it is a necessary step for the company's future success.

The former state-owned carrier once symbolized¹² the strength of the country's post-war economic boom. For decades, it was considered one of the top airlines in the world, and other carriers in Asia tried to copy its style and success.

But its fortunes declined in the last decade, because of the fall in business after the September 2001 terrorist attacks, a surge in fuel prices, and the worldwide economic slowdown. The Japanese government bailed¹³ out the airline three times in the past 10 years, but it could not save the company from bankruptcy this time around.

A state-backed group overseeing the company's restructuring plan has agreed to give JAL $3 billion in capital. In exchange, the company's lenders were asked to forgive about $3 billion in loans.  The restructuring plan is expected to take three years.

 

1 premier   

adj.首要的；n.总理，首相

参考例句：

• The Irish Premier is paying an official visit to Britain.爱尔兰总理正在对英国进行正式访问。
• He requested that the premier grant him an internview.他要求那位总理接见他一次。

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 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。

4 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。

5 retired   

adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的

参考例句：

• The old man retired to the country for rest.这位老人下乡休息去了。
• Many retired people take up gardening as a hobby.许多退休的人都以从事园艺为嗜好。

6 Buddhist   

adj./n.佛教的，佛教徒

参考例句：

• The old lady fell down in adoration before Buddhist images.那老太太在佛像面前顶礼膜拜。
• In the eye of the Buddhist,every worldly affair is vain.在佛教徒的眼里，人世上一切事情都是空的。

7 monk   

n.和尚，僧侣，修道士

参考例句：

• The man was a monk from Emei Mountain.那人是峨眉山下来的和尚。
• Buddhist monk sat with folded palms.和尚合掌打坐。

8 retirement   

n.退休，退职

参考例句：

• She wanted to enjoy her retirement without being beset by financial worries.她想享受退休生活而不必为金钱担忧。
• I have to put everything away for my retirement.我必须把一切都积蓄起来以便退休后用。

9 delta   

n.（流的）角洲

参考例句：

• He has been to the delta of the Nile.他曾去过尼罗河三角洲。
• The Nile divides at its mouth and forms a delta.尼罗河在河口分岔，形成了一个三角洲。

10 slash   

vi.大幅度削减；vt.猛砍，尖锐抨击，大幅减少；n.猛砍，斜线，长切口，衣衩

参考例句：

• The shop plans to slash fur prices after Spring Festival.该店计划在春节之后把皮货降价。
• Don't slash your horse in that cruel way.不要那样残忍地鞭打你的马。

11 workforce   

n.劳动大军，劳动力

参考例句：

• A large part of the workforce is employed in agriculture.劳动人口中一大部分受雇于农业。
• A quarter of the local workforce is unemployed.本地劳动力中有四分之一失业。

12 symbolized   

v.象征，作为…的象征( symbolize的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• For Tigress, Joy symbolized the best a woman could expect from life. 在她看，小福子就足代表女人所应有的享受。 来自汉英文学 - 骆驼祥子
• A car symbolized distinction and achievement, and he was proud. 汽车象征着荣誉和成功，所以他很自豪。 来自辞典例句

13 bailed   

保释，帮助脱离困境( bail的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Fortunately the pilot bailed out before the plane crashed. 飞机坠毁之前，驾驶员幸运地跳伞了。
• Some water had been shipped and the cook bailed it out. 船里进了些水，厨师把水舀了出去。