经济学人322:电动汽车 充电进入美国

　　Business
商业报道
Electric cars
电动汽车
Charging into America
充电进入美国
Chinese firms are keen on America's battery-vehicle market
中国公司致力于美国电动车公司市场
TESLA, an American electric-car manufacturer, is the darling of investors¹ and the most visible success in a business more notable for its failures.
美国电动车制造商TESLA是投资者们的宠儿，相比较该行业的失败之处，它也是最显著的成功。
The praise it has attracted is encouraging Chinese firms to try to enter the American market.
它所赢得的赞赏激励中国公司试图进入美国市场。
2_副本.jpgA Hong Kong company and a mainland firm are battling for control of Fisker, a failed maker² of hybrid³-electric cars based in California; a court hearing due on January 10th will consider creditors⁵' calls for an open auction⁶.
一家香港公司和大陆公司正在为Fisker的管理控制权而争夺不休。Fisker是加利福尼亚一家倒闭的混合动力汽车制造商。1月10日的庭审将考虑债权人所要求的公开拍卖。
And BYD, another Chinese mainland firm, said this week it would start selling its own electric cars in America next year.
另一家中国公司BYD本周表示明年起将在美国出售自己的电动车。
In 2009, when America's Department of Energy agreed to give Fisker a big green energy loan to start production of its sleek⁷ Karma sports car, it looked like posing a serious threat to Tesla.
2009年，美国能源部门同意给予Fisker一笔巨大的绿色能源贷款生产其Karma跑车，这对于Tesla似乎是一种严重的威胁。
But Fisker was brought down by quality problems, poor management and the financial difficulties of A123, its battery supplier.
但是Fisker却因为质量问题、糟糕的管理、A123的财政问题及其电池供应商的问题倒闭了。
Production of the Karma ceased in late 2012 and, last November, Fisker followed A123 into bankruptcy⁸.
Karma跑车在2012年底停产了，去年11月，Fisker继A123之后破产。
Hybrid Tech Holdings, controlled by Richard Li—a son of Li Ka-shing, Hong Kong's richest tycoon—bought the DOE's loan to Fisker at a big discount and is now seeking to use its influence as a creditor⁴ to win control of the collapsed⁹ firm.
香港首富李嘉诚的儿子李泽恺的混合动力科技股份有限公司以极其优惠的价格支付了美国能源部门给Fisker的贷款，现在他正利用自己债权人的身份影响寻觅机会赢得该倒闭公司的控制权。
Fisker's managers support Mr Li's bid.
Fisker的经理支持李泽恺的投标。
But many of the company's unsecured creditors prefer the rival takeover proposal, from Wanxiang, a giant Chinese maker of car parts which aspires¹⁰ to go big into electric cars.
但是许多该公司的无担保债权人更偏向于其竞争对手，另一家打算强势打入电动车市场的汽车部件制造大亨万向集团来接管。
It has already bought A123 and plans to revive production of the Karma, assembling it in America rather than, as before, in Finland.
该公司已经收购了A123并打算重新生产Karma跑车，这次打算在美国装配，而不是之前的芬兰。
For all the excitement about Tesla, battery cars have in general been selling like pork pies at a vegetarians¹¹' convention.
所有关于Tesla的兴奋，电动车普遍被看作素食者公约买卖的猪肉派。
Yet this is deterring¹² neither Fisker's rival bidders¹³ nor BYD, which has Warren Buffett as a shareholder¹⁴.
然而这既没有阻断Fisker的竞争投标人也没有让Warren Buffett的股东BYD止步。
BYD has already persuaded Los Angeles to accept a handful of its expensive electric buses, but getting motorists to buy pricey battery cars from a firm they have not heard of will be quite a challenge.
BYD已经说服洛杉矶购买其少量的昂贵电动公交车。但是要让司机们购买他们从未耳闻的昂贵的电动车似乎很困难。
Neither BYD nor any other Chinese firm has yet produced an electric car of anything like the quality of Tesla's Model S, which motoring pundits¹⁵ have showered with plaudits.
无论是BYD还是中国任何一家其他公司能制造出与Tesla S 型电动车质量相仿的电动车，该电动车赢得许多汽车专家的喝彩。
Even in China, where big subsidies¹⁶ and other inducements are on offer, buyers have spurned¹⁷ their clunkers.
即使在中国这样有着大型津贴和其他诱因供应的地方，买家也会摒弃其废旧的汽车。
1.agree to 同意，赞成
He could agree to cut nuclear arms with russia.
他可能同意和俄罗斯一起削减核武器。
She convinced a reluctant union to agree to a pay-for-performance system.
她说服了一个不情愿的工会接受绩效工资系统。
2.in general 通常；大体上
That's a good rule for life in general.
一般来说这是一个很好原则。
Three explanations apply in general, however.
然而，这种现象通常有三种解释。
3.notable for 值得注意的
The request is notable for its size.
这个需求值得注意的是它的大小。
The song dynasty is notable for the development of cities not only for administrative¹⁸ purposes but also as centers of trade, industry, and maritime¹⁹ commerce.
宋朝在城市发展方面是非常显著的，这不单指其在管理上的职能，而且还包括其作为贸易、工业和海上贸易的中心的职能。

1 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

2 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。

3 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。

4 creditor   

n.债仅人，债主，贷方

参考例句：

• The boss assigned his car to his creditor.那工头把自己的小汽车让与了债权人。
• I had to run away from my creditor whom I made a usurious loan.我借了高利贷不得不四处躲债。

5 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》

6 auction   

n.拍卖；拍卖会；vt.拍卖

参考例句：

• They've put the contents of their house up for auction.他们把房子里的东西全都拿去拍卖了。
• They bought a new minibus with the proceeds from the auction.他们用拍卖得来的钱买了一辆新面包车。

7 sleek   

adj.光滑的，井然有序的；v.使光滑，梳拢

参考例句：

• Women preferred sleek,shiny hair with little decoration.女士们更喜欢略加修饰的光滑闪亮型秀发。
• The horse's coat was sleek and glossy.这匹马全身润泽有光。

8 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。

9 collapsed   

adj.倒塌的

参考例句：

• Jack collapsed in agony on the floor. 杰克十分痛苦地瘫倒在地板上。
• The roof collapsed under the weight of snow. 房顶在雪的重压下突然坍塌下来。

10 aspires   

v.渴望，追求( aspire的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• The fame to which he aspires was beyond his reach. 他追求的名誉乃是他所不能及的。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• An old steed in the stable still aspires to gallop a thousand li. 老骥伏枥，志在千里。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 vegetarians   

n.吃素的人( vegetarian的名词复数 )；素食者；素食主义者；食草动物

参考例句：

• Vegetarians are no longer dismissed as cranks. 素食者不再被视为有怪癖的人。
• Vegetarians believe that eating meat is bad karma. 素食者认为吃肉食是造恶业。

12 deterring   

v.阻止，制止( deter的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• However, investors say are a number of issues deterring business. 然而，投资者表示，有很多问题让他们却步。 来自互联网
• It's an effective way of deterring potential does online, the logic goes. 逻辑上这是抑制潜在线上威胁的有效方法。 来自互联网

13 bidders   

n.出价者，投标人( bidder的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Bidders should proceed only if they intend on using a PayPal account to complete payment. Bidders的唯一形式，应继续只当他们在使用贝宝帐户，以完成付款打算。 来自互联网
• The other bidders for the contract complained that it had not been a fair contest. 其他竞标人抱怨说该合同的竞标不公平。 来自《简明英汉词典》

14 shareholder   

n.股东，股票持有人

参考例句：

• The account department have prepare a financial statement for the shareholder.财务部为股东准备了一份财务报表。
• A shareholder may transfer his shares in accordance with the law.股东持有的股份可以依法转让。

15 pundits   

n.某一学科的权威，专家( pundit的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The pundits disagree on the best way of dealing with the problem. 如何妥善处理这一问题，专家众说纷纭。 来自辞典例句
• That did not stop Chinese pundits from making a fuss over it. 这并没有阻止中国的博学之士对此大惊小怪。 来自互联网

16 subsidies   

n.补贴，津贴，补助金( subsidy的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• European agriculture ministers failed to break the deadlock over farm subsidies. 欧洲各国农业部长在农业补贴问题上未能打破僵局。
• Agricultural subsidies absorb about half the EU's income. 农业补贴占去了欧盟收入的大约一半。 来自《简明英汉词典》

17 spurned   

v.一脚踢开，拒绝接受( spurn的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Eve spurned Mark's invitation. 伊夫一口回绝了马克的邀请。
• With Mrs. Reed, I remember my best was always spurned with scorn. 对里德太太呢，我记得我的最大努力总是遭到唾弃。 来自辞典例句

18 administrative   

adj.行政的，管理的

参考例句：

• The administrative burden must be lifted from local government.必须解除地方政府的行政负担。
• He regarded all these administrative details as beneath his notice.他认为行政管理上的这些琐事都不值一顾。

19 maritime   

adj.海的，海事的，航海的，近海的，沿海的

参考例句：

• Many maritime people are fishermen.许多居于海滨的人是渔夫。
• The temperature change in winter is less in maritime areas.冬季沿海的温差较小。