VOA标准英语2012--Automakers Vie for Market Share in China

Automakers Vie for Market Share in China

 

Featuring more than 1,100 flashy, new vehicles, the Beijing Auto¹ Show is now among the largest in the world. Car News web magazine editor Tycho de Feyter says it's an important showcase of China's economic clout².

"The Chinese auto industry really wants to show off. They want to show what they have. They want to show their new developments. They want to show their new cars. So this is really important," Feyter said.

With annual sales projected to top $30 million by 2020, automakers are increasingly turning to China to drive global revenues. General Motors is opening up 600 new dealerships. And Ford³ Motors Asia Chief John Hinrichs says construction of two new manufacturing plants will double Ford's production capacity there.

"China is a big part of our growth plan. It is the largest market in the world and a great potential opportunity for Ford to grow our business even further as part of our plan to sell 8 million vehicles annually⁴ in 2015 around the world," Hinrichs said.

With a recent Beijing directive to have 5 million hybrid⁵ and electric vehicles on the road by 2020, many see China as a lucrative⁶ market for green technology. 

Among them, Nissan Motors chief executive Carlos Ghosn.

"As leaders of the zero emission⁷ and EV [electric] cars in the world, we have to bring our technology and bring our products. The Chinese want us to put it under a Chinese name. We selected Venusia, so you're going to see a lot electric cars with Nissan technology coming under the Venusia name," Ghosn said.

Not to be outdone, Europe's largest automaker, Volkswagen, is investing $400 million to build new manufacturing plants in China. And Daimler CEO Dieter Zetsche says Mercedes Benz is expanding its lineup to target Chinese buyers.

"First of all there is no stronger brand than the Mercedes brand with the three pointed⁸ star. Secondly⁹, we're in the middle of our product offensive, that we'll add 10 new vehicles in our portfolio¹⁰, plus replacing the ones which exist," Zetsche said. 

Despite a slowdown in overall sales from previous years, industry experts say the growing ranks of Chinese millionaires continue to fuel double-digit increases in the sales of sport utility vehicles (SUV's) and luxury automobiles¹¹. 

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 clout   

n.用手猛击；权力，影响力

参考例句：

• The queen may have privilege but she has no real political clout.女王有特权，但无真正的政治影响力。
• He gave the little boy a clout on the head.他在那小男孩的头部打了一下。

3 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。

4 annually   

adv.一年一次，每年

参考例句：

• Many migratory birds visit this lake annually.许多候鸟每年到这个湖上作短期逗留。
• They celebrate their wedding anniversary annually.他们每年庆祝一番结婚纪念日。

5 hybrid   

n.(动，植）杂种，混合物

参考例句：

• That is a hybrid perpetual rose.那是一株杂交的四季开花的蔷薇。
• The hybrid was tall,handsome,and intelligent.那混血儿高大、英俊、又聪明。

6 lucrative   

adj.赚钱的，可获利的

参考例句：

• He decided to turn his hobby into a lucrative sideline.他决定把自己的爱好变成赚钱的副业。
• It was not a lucrative profession.那是一个没有多少油水的职业。

7 emission   

n.发出物，散发物；发出，散发

参考例句：

• Rigorous measures will be taken to reduce the total pollutant emission.采取严格有力措施，降低污染物排放总量。
• Finally,the way to effectively control particulate emission is pointed out.最后，指出有效降低颗粒排放的方向。

8 pointed   

adj.尖的，直截了当的

参考例句：

• He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
• She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。

9 secondly   

adv.第二，其次

参考例句：

• Secondly,use your own head and present your point of view.第二，动脑筋提出自己的见解。
• Secondly it is necessary to define the applied load.其次，需要确定所作用的载荷。

10 portfolio   

n.公事包；文件夹；大臣及部长职位

参考例句：

• He remembered her because she was carrying a large portfolio.他因为她带着一个大公文包而记住了她。
• He resigned his portfolio.他辞去了大臣职务。

11 automobiles   

n.汽车( automobile的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• When automobiles become popular,the use of the horse and buggy passed away. 汽车普及后，就不再使用马和马车了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Automobiles speed in an endless stream along the boulevard. 宽阔的林荫道上，汽车川流不息。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》