VOA慢速英语 2007 0413a

This is the VOA Special English Economics Report.

Who will succeed in buying Chrysler, the troubled carmaker in the United States? The competition is just getting started.

 
Dieter Zetsche
Dieter Zetsche, chairman of DaimlerChrysler, confirmed last week that his company was in talks with possible buyers for its Chrysler Group. Chrysler has been part of the German company for less than ten years.

Investor² Kirk Kerkorian has offered four and one-half billion dollars for Chrysler through his investment company, Tracinda. He says he would seek a "true partnership³" with Chrysler workers and labor⁴ union members.

He tried to buy Chrysler in nineteen ninety-five. Now Mister Kerkorian has even offered one hundred million dollars for the right to negotiate the sale with DaimlerChrysler.

But published reports suggest that DaimlerChrysler officials have not shown much interest in his offer. Three other groups have also made offers.

Chrysler was one of America's Big Three independent automobile⁵ makers⁶, along with General Motors and Ford⁷. But Chrysler joined with Daimler-Benz in nineteen ninety-eight.

Since the merger⁸, Chrysler has struggled. The company has lost market share in the United States to Japanese carmakers like Toyota. Last year, the Chrysler Group lost one and one-half billion dollars. The company is cutting jobs in North America.

Besides Kirk Kerkorian, two private equity⁹ groups have offered to buy Chrysler. Cerberus Capital Management has made an offer. So has a partnership of the Blackstone Group and Centerbridge Partners. The value of these offers has not been made public.

Private equity groups are specialists in what is known as taking a publicly traded company private. They buy all the stock in the company. Then they make changes to the business in an effort to add value. Finally they sell the company back to public shareholders¹⁰ for a profit.

Magna International, a Canadian maker¹ of car parts, has also made an offer to buy Chrysler. Magna reportedly has offered more than four and a half billion dollars.

Labor unions are likely to play an important part in negotiations¹¹ to sell Chrysler. Workers have said they will oppose any sale if it means more job cuts, or cuts in pay or retirement¹² benefits like health care. Not only that, the company is said to have at least fifteen billion dollars too little in its retirement plan.

And that's the VOA Special English Economics Report, written by Mario Ritter. Transcripts¹³ and audio archives of our programs are at voaspecialenglish.com. I'm Steve Ember.

1 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。

2 investor   

n.投资者，投资人

参考例句：

• My nephew is a cautious investor.我侄子是个小心谨慎的投资者。
• The investor believes that his investment will pay off handsomely soon.这个投资者相信他的投资不久会有相当大的收益。

3 partnership   

n.合作关系，伙伴关系

参考例句：

• The company has gone into partnership with Swiss Bank Corporation.这家公司已经和瑞士银行公司建立合作关系。
• Martin has taken him into general partnership in his company.马丁已让他成为公司的普通合伙人。

4 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。

5 automobile   

n.汽车，机动车

参考例句：

• He is repairing the brake lever of an automobile.他正在修理汽车的刹车杆。
• The automobile slowed down to go around the curves in the road.汽车在路上转弯时放慢了速度。

6 makers   

n.制造者，制造商（maker的复数形式）

参考例句：

• The makers of the product assured us that there had been no sacrifice of quality. 这一产品的制造商向我们保证说他们没有牺牲质量。
• The makers are about to launch out a new product. 制造商们马上要生产一种新产品。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 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。

8 merger   

n.企业合并，并吞

参考例句：

• Acceptance of the offer is the first step to a merger.对这项提议的赞同是合并的第一步。
• Shareholders will be voting on the merger of the companies.股东们将投票表决公司合并问题。

9 equity   

n.公正，公平，（无固定利息的）股票

参考例句：

• They shared the work of the house with equity.他们公平地分担家务。
• To capture his equity,Murphy must either sell or refinance.要获得资产净值，墨菲必须出售或者重新融资。

10 shareholders   

n.股东( shareholder的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The meeting was attended by 90% of shareholders. 90%的股东出席了会议。
• the company's fiduciary duty to its shareholders 公司对股东负有的受托责任

11 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。

12 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。

13 transcripts   

n.抄本（ transcript的名词复数 ）；转写本；文字本；副本

参考例句：

• Like mRNA, both tRNA and rRNA are transcripts of chromosomal DNA. tRNA及rRNA同mRNA一样，都是染色体DNA的转录产物。 来自辞典例句
• You can't take the transfer students'exam without your transcripts. 没有成绩证明书，你就不能参加转学考试。 来自辞典例句