PBS高端访谈:大众汽车车主在"排放门"之后的反应

 　　JUDY WOODRUFF: But, first, hundreds of thousands of Volkswagen and Audi owners have been left in the dark about what to do after learning their diesel¹-fueled cars are emitting up to 40 times the amount of nitrogen oxide² allowed by the federal government.

　　Special correspondent Cat Wise takes a look at the reaction in Portland, Oregon. It is taking a lead role in a multistate investigation³ of Volkswagen, and has the most affected⁴ vehicles, per capita, of any state in the country.

　　CAT WISE: Gourmet⁵ meats are sizzling, and business is brisk at the Lardo sandwich shop in one of Portland's hip⁶ new neighborhoods. Owner Rick Gencarelli is a true Portlander, carefully sourcing the food in his restaurant and driving an ecologically friendly car.

　　At least, he thought he was driving an ecologically friendly car until last month. That's when he and 500,000 other U.S. owners of Volkswagen and Audi's so-called clean diesel cars learned they had been duped.

　　RICK GENCARELLI, Volkswagen Owner: You're trying to make the right decision for the environment, and then it turns out that it's 30 or 40 times the allowed amount of emissions⁷, which is — that's just completely heartbreaking.

　　CAT WISE: Gencarelli says he was already starting to feel guilty driving his 2011 Jetta TDI after the news broke. Then he discovered a note left by an anonymous⁸ person on the windshield that read in part: “Your car is currently polluting at rates higher than nearly any modern gasoline car today, two to four times more than a Chevy Suburban⁹, not to mention that V.W. lied to you and the public.

　　RICK GENCARELLI: I feel horrible. Like, I want to just wear a mask because I feel like I'm being judged so harshly. The note kindly¹⁰ says that I should consider a new car, but then what do I do with this one? It's still going to be on the road.

　　CAT WISE: In fact, many V.W. owners in Portland and around the country are wondering what to do. Volkswagen has yet to reveal plans for fixing the emissions problems, and vehicle values are dropping amid the uncertainty¹¹. Nationally, more than 250 lawsuits¹³ have been filed against Volkswagen and more are likely as states, car dealers¹⁴, and consumers grapple with the long-term implications of the company's fraud.

　　One of those filing suit is Jamie Saul, a Portland environmental law professor and a dad in a busy household. Saul and his wife, Alex, have been big fans of the newer Volkswagen diesel vehicles. They have owned two and convinced several family members to buy them as well. But now Jamie is part of a class-action lawsuit¹² against the company filed in a California federal court.

　　We caught up with Jamie as he was heading out for his morning commute¹⁵ in his family's Jetta TDI SportWagen.

　　So, tell me about that day that you heard the news. What was your reaction?

　　JAMIE SAUL, Volkswagen Owner: I was shocked. I was shocked and disappointed at Volkswagen. It's one of the few major corporations that I thought was really trying to do the right thing. There are a lot of late-model TDIs in our neighborhood and in Portland generally, because I think consumers in Portland like the idea of having a fuel-efficient, clean car that's fun to drive and practical for their family needs.

　　CAT WISE: Saul and his wife are now trying to drive less, and ride their bikes to work more often, but that's a big hassle when they have to get the kids around town. They'd like to sell the car, but who would buy it and at what price?

　　JAMIE SAUL: I think the people who own these cars need to be compensated¹⁶ for the lost value in the cars on the secondary market. And they need a real-world fix that solves the problem, while not undermining the fuel economy and the performance of these cars.

　　CAT WISE: While owners have been struggling, Volkswagen dealerships are also feeling the pain. The company has told dealers to stop selling their inventory¹⁷ of diesel vehicles, which typically account for about 20 percent of sales.

　　But Volkswagen is reportedly reimbursing¹⁸ U.S. dealers for expenses they incur¹⁹ during the scandal. We reached out to Portland area Volkswagen dealerships, but none would agree to speak with us on camera. Nationwide, sales of V.W.s are expected to take a significant hit. But the emissions scandal isn't just impacting new car dealers. It's also having a big impact in the used car market.

　　MONTY KING, Oregon Vehicle Dealers Association: The values are just dropping like a rock.

　　CAT WISE: Monty King is president of the Oregon Vehicle Dealers Association and represents used car and truck dealerships.

　　MONTY KING: The dealers are very concerned, because they're small business people. And if they had bought one of these V.W.s at the auction²⁰ or even taken it as a trade-in, and now because of this, the value drops, say, $500 or 1,000, they're going to take the loss. I think V.W. is responsible for that.

　　CAT WISE: King says independent used car dealers aren't expecting the same level of support as V.W. dealerships.

　　MONTY KING: There's 120,000 used car dealers in the United States. And if every one of them has one of these, what do you think the chances are of V.W. helping²¹? I'm not real excited about that possibility.

　　CAT WISE: One of the big questions on many V.W. owners' minds here in Portland is, can they still legally drive their car?

　　Oregon, like 29 other states, has a vehicle emissions testing program in several cities. The goal is to improve air quality by making sure vehicles are properly maintained and not emitting pollutants²² that exhaust systems are designed to catch.

　　GERRY PRESTON, Oregon Dept. of Environmental Quality: I know it seems to be out there that vehicles, if you own these, you're going to fail. And that's just not the case.

　　CAT WISE: Gerry Preston is in charge of the vehicle inspection²³ program for Oregon's Department of Environmental Quality. He says that impacted V.W. diesel cars won't automatically fail the required biannual²⁴ test. The state is waiting for a recall to happen, and then owners will be expected to get those repairs made.

　　GERRY PRESTON: We certainly care about the issue, and we know that nitrogen oxide, the component²⁵ that we're talking about, can cause problems with asthma²⁶, emphysema, and bronchitis, and things like that, so we're very concerned about that. However, we're letting EPA take the role, as are most states, to let the recall process take its form, and then after that, when they come back in, if they haven't gotten the recall done, then we will be looking at that.

　　CAT WISE: For now, Jamie Saul and many others are waiting for news about that recall expected in the next few months.

　　For the PBS NewsHour, I'm Cat Wise in Portland, Oregon.

1 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。

2 oxide   

n.氧化物

参考例句：

• Oxide is usually seen in our daily life.在我们的日常生活中氧化物很常见。
• How can you get rid of this oxide coating?你们该怎样除去这些氧化皮？

3 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

4 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。

5 gourmet   

n.食物品尝家；adj.出于美食家之手的

参考例句：

• What does a gourmet writer do? 美食评论家做什么？
• A gourmet like him always eats in expensive restaurants.像他这样的美食家总是到豪华的餐馆用餐。

6 hip   

n.臀部，髋；屋脊

参考例句：

• The thigh bone is connected to the hip bone.股骨连着髋骨。
• The new coats blouse gracefully above the hip line.新外套在臀围线上优美地打着褶皱。

7 emissions   

排放物( emission的名词复数 )； 散发物（尤指气体）

参考例句：

• Most scientists accept that climate change is linked to carbon emissions. 大多数科学家都相信气候变化与排放的含碳气体有关。
• Dangerous emissions radiate from plutonium. 危险的辐射物从钚放散出来。

8 anonymous   

adj.无名的；匿名的；无特色的

参考例句：

• Sending anonymous letters is a cowardly act.寄匿名信是懦夫的行为。
• The author wishes to remain anonymous.作者希望姓名不公开。

9 suburban   

adj.城郊的，在郊区的

参考例句：

• Suburban shopping centers were springing up all over America. 效区的商业中心在美国如雨后春笋般地兴起。
• There's a lot of good things about suburban living.郊区生活是有许多优点。

10 kindly   

adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地

参考例句：

• Her neighbours spoke of her as kindly and hospitable.她的邻居都说她和蔼可亲、热情好客。
• A shadow passed over the kindly face of the old woman.一道阴影掠过老太太慈祥的面孔。

11 uncertainty   

n.易变，靠不住，不确知，不确定的事物

参考例句：

• Her comments will add to the uncertainty of the situation.她的批评将会使局势更加不稳定。
• After six weeks of uncertainty,the strain was beginning to take its toll.6个星期的忐忑不安后，压力开始产生影响了。

12 lawsuit   

n.诉讼，控诉

参考例句：

• They threatened him with a lawsuit.他们以诉讼威逼他。
• He was perpetually involving himself in this long lawsuit.他使自己无休止地卷入这场长时间的诉讼。

13 lawsuits   

n.诉讼( lawsuit的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Lawsuits involving property rights and farming and grazing rights increased markedly. 涉及财产权，耕作与放牧权的诉讼案件显著地增加。 来自辞典例句
• I've lost and won more lawsuits than any man in England. 全英国的人算我官司打得最多，赢的也多，输的也多。 来自辞典例句

14 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。

15 commute   

vi.乘车上下班；vt.减(刑)；折合；n.上下班交通

参考例句：

• I spend much less time on my commute to work now.我现在工作的往返时间要节省好多。
• Most office workers commute from the suburbs.很多公司的职员都是从郊外来上班的。

16 compensated   

补偿，报酬( compensate的过去式和过去分词 )； 给（某人）赔偿（或赔款）

参考例句：

• The marvelous acting compensated for the play's weak script. 本剧的精彩表演弥补了剧本的不足。
• I compensated his loss with money. 我赔偿他经济损失。

17 inventory   

n.详细目录，存货清单

参考例句：

• Some stores inventory their stock once a week.有些商店每周清点存货一次。
• We will need to call on our supplier to get more inventory.我们必须请供应商送来更多存货。

18 reimbursing   

v.偿还，付还( reimburse的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• All banking charges outside Korea and reimbursing are for account of beneficiary. 所有韩国以外的用度及偿付行用度由受益人承担。 来自互联网
• A reimbursing bank's charges are for the account of the issuing bank. 然而，如果费用系由受益人承担，则开证行有责任在信用证和偿付授权书中予以注明。 来自互联网

19 incur   

vt.招致，蒙受，遭遇

参考例句：

• Any costs that you incur will be reimbursed in full.你的所有花费都将全额付还。
• An enterprise has to incur certain costs and expenses in order to stay in business.一个企业为了维持营业,就不得不承担一定的费用和开支。

20 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。

21 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

22 pollutants   

污染物质（尤指工业废物）( pollutant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Pollutants are constantly being released into the atmosphere. 污染物质正在不断地被排放到大气中去。
• The 1987 Amendments limit 301(g) discharges to a few well-studied nonconventional pollutants. 1987年的修正案把第301条（g）的普通排放限制施加在一些认真研究过的几种非常规污染物上。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法

23 inspection   

n.检查，审查，检阅

参考例句：

• On random inspection the meat was found to be bad.经抽查，发现肉变质了。
• The soldiers lined up for their daily inspection by their officers.士兵们列队接受军官的日常检阅。

24 biannual   

adj.一年两次的

参考例句：

• I have to make a biannual report next Monday.下周一我得作半年度报告。
• Our school doctor recommends a biannual visit to the dentist.我们校医建议一年去看牙医两次。

25 component   

n.组成部分，成分，元件；adj.组成的，合成的

参考例句：

• Each component is carefully checked before assembly.每个零件在装配前都经过仔细检查。
• Blade and handle are the component parts of a knife.刀身和刀柄是一把刀的组成部分。

26 asthma   

n.气喘病，哮喘病

参考例句：

• I think he's having an asthma attack.我想他现在是哮喘病发作了。
• Its presence in allergic asthma is well known.它在过敏性气喘中的存在是大家很熟悉的。