VOA慢速英语2009-IN THE NEWS - Indian Automaker Launches World’s

This is IN THE NEWS in VOA Special English.

This week the world's lowest-priced passenger car was launched in Mumbai, India. The Nano, made by Tata Motors, is expected to cause a transportation revolution for millions of Indian families.
　
Tata Chairman Ratan Tata stands next to the Nano at its launch in Mumbai, India.

The small four-door car is about three meters long. It will cost one hundred thousand Indian rupees, or two thousand dollars. That is about half the price of similar cars offered by the nearest competitor. The Nano is expected to make car ownership possible for more of India's population. So it is being called "The People's Car."

Tata Motors chairman, Ratan Tata, says that was his main goal in building the Nano.

RATAN TATA:"It was never conceived¹ of as being the cheapest car. It was conceived of as being a car that would give the people of India an opportunity to own a car that had not been within their reach before. I hope that is what we will achieve."

The Nano is a very simple car. The lowest-priced version does not include a radio or air conditioning. It has a six hundred twenty-four cubic centimeter, thirty-five horsepower, gas-powered engine. Still, it is a welcomed vehicle in a country where many families of three or four people ride two-wheeled vehicles.

Industry observers predict that soon roads throughout the country could be filled with Nanos. Tata, India's top automaker, has done almost no traditional advertising² of the Nano. However, early interest in the vehicle has been huge. The company says the Nano's Web site has been visited thirty million times.

Tata Motors says it will begin taking orders for the car on April ninth both at car dealerships and on the Internet. However, the cars will not be ready for purchase until July. Demand is expected to be far greater than supply.

Ratan Tata says the first one hundred thousand buyers of the car will be chosen by chance.

Production of the Nano has been delayed for several months. Land protests last year forced the company to close its factory in the Indian state of West Bengal. A new factory is being built in the state of Gujarat.
　
The Nano is only about three meters long.

The car is expected to be popular in industrial as well as developing nations. The company says it plans to sell a version of the Nano in Europe in two thousand eleven. After that, the car will also be available in the United States. Experts say demand for low-priced automobiles³ is likely to increase as the international economic crisis⁴ continues.

However, the Nano also has its critics. Some say the new cars will increase India's traffic and pollution problems. However, Tata company officials say the Nano will produce less pollution than any other car in the country.

And that's IN THE NEWS in VOA Special English, written by Brianna Blake. Transcripts⁵, MP3s and podcasts of our programs are at voaspecialenglish.com. I'm Steve Ember.

1 conceived   

想出( conceive的过去式和过去分词 )； 构想； 设想； 怀孕

参考例句：

• He conceived the idea of transforming the old power station into an arts centre. 他想出了一个把旧发电站改造为艺术中心的主意。
• She has conceived at last. 她终于怀孕了。

2 advertising   

n.广告业；广告活动 a.广告的；广告业务的

参考例句：

• Can you give me any advice on getting into advertising? 你能指点我如何涉足广告业吗?
• The advertising campaign is aimed primarily at young people. 这个广告宣传运动主要是针对年轻人的。

3 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》

4 crisis   

n.危机，危急关头，决定性时刻，关键阶段

参考例句：

• He had proved that he could be relied on in a crisis.他已表明，在紧要关头他是可以信赖的。
• The topic today centers about the crisis in the Middle East.今天课题的中心是中东危机。

5 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