大众陷丑闻股价大跌

AS IT IS 2015-11-06 Volkswagen and Takata Shares Drop Amid Fresh Scandals 大众陷丑闻股价大跌

The price of Volkswagen AG shares dropped Wednesday as a scandal about its truthfulness¹ continued.

The German car maker² said its emissions³ testing scandal was much bigger than previously⁴ believed.

The German automaker said Tuesday it lied about carbon dioxide emissions from its cars. It said it gave wrong information to regulators. This could affect about 800,000 more cars and cost at least an extra $2 billion, reported the Wall Street Journal. 

The Wall Street Journal reported that VW shares were down 8.4 percent after the market opened in Frankfurt. They fell 9 percent within 25 minutes of trading. Shares of Porsche Automobil Holding SE, a controlling shareholder⁶ of VW, fell 8 percent.

Volkswagen is Europe’s largest automaker. The company did not say which cars were affected⁷, reported the Wall Street Journal. Industry analysts⁹ said cars sold in Europe were probably affected.

The U.S. government said Monday that VW cheated on emissions tests. The Associated Press reported that VW placed software in about 10,000 cars that reported false levels of pollution.

The German automaker installed that device on VW, Porsche, and Audi vehicles. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and California Air Resources Board announced the findings Monday.

The cars give off up to nine times more pollution than the amount allowed by the EPA. The EPA is a federal agency that focuses on protecting the environment.

The new report is another blow to VW. In September, the German automaker admitted that up to 11 million cars globally could have the misleading devices.

Volkswagen has reorganized top executives since the scandal emerged. The company said it contacted government agencies to fix the situation, reported the Wall Street Journal. 

“Volkswagen would do well to immediately and completely disclose all people and products in this deception¹⁰, no matter how far-reaching,” said Karl Brauer, a senior analyst⁸ for Kelley Blue Book, a well-known car valuation and research service.     

Air bag maker Takata’s shares also fell Wednesday because of scandals. U.S. regulators fined the company Wednesday for producing defective¹¹ airbags. Airbags inflate¹² during accidents to protect drivers and passengers.

The U.S. National Highway Transportation Safety Administration imposed a $200 million fine on Takata for failing to warn the public and government about the defective airbags. This was the largest civil penalty in the agency’s history.

Honda Motors, Takata’s biggest client, said it would no longer buy airbags from the company, just hours after the announcement.

Eight people have been killed and more than 100 others injured by airbags that didn’t work properly. The airbags exploded instead of inflated¹³ during accidents. All the accidents happened in cars made by Honda. 

The defective airbags caused a recall of millions of cars globally, including 19 million in the U.S.

Words in This Story

scandals – n. an occurrence in which people are shocked and upset because of behavior that is morally or legally wrong

emissions – n.  the act of producing or sending out something (such as energy or gas) from a source

regulators – n. an official who works for the part of the government that controls a public activity (such as banking¹⁴ or insurance) by making and enforcing rules

defective – adj. having a problem or fault that prevents something from working correctly : having a defect or flaw

understated – v.  to say that (something) is smaller, less important, etc., than it really is

carbon dioxide – noun phrase  Carbon dioxide (CO2) is a colorless, odorless gas, and it is the primary greenhouse gas emitted through human activities, according to the EPA 

disclosures – n. the act of making something known : the act of disclosing something

analyst – n. a person who studies or analyzes¹⁵ something

pollutant¹⁶ – n. a substance that makes land, water, air, etc., dirty and not safe or suitable to use : something that causes pollution

nitrogen oxide⁵ – noun phrase a mixture of gases composed of nitrogen and oxygen, given off by cars. It pollutes the air and causes acid rain, says GreenFacts.org.

deception – n.  the act of making someone believe something that is not true : the act of deceiving someone

1 truthfulness   

n. 符合实际

参考例句：

• Among her many virtues are loyalty, courage, and truthfulness. 她有许多的美德，如忠诚、勇敢和诚实。
• I fired a hundred questions concerning the truthfulness of his statement. 我对他发言的真实性提出一连串质问。

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 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。

4 previously   

adv.以前，先前（地）

参考例句：

• The bicycle tyre blew out at a previously damaged point.自行车胎在以前损坏过的地方又爆开了。
• Let me digress for a moment and explain what had happened previously.让我岔开一会儿，解释原先发生了什么。

5 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？

6 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。

7 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。

8 analyst   

n.分析家，化验员；心理分析学家

参考例句：

• What can you contribute to the position of a market analyst?你有什么技能可有助于市场分析员的职务？
• The analyst is required to interpolate values between standards.分析人员需要在这些标准中插入一些值。

9 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。

10 deception   

n.欺骗，欺诈；骗局，诡计

参考例句：

• He admitted conspiring to obtain property by deception.他承认曾与人合谋骗取财产。
• He was jailed for two years for fraud and deception.他因为诈骗和欺诈入狱服刑两年。

11 defective   

adj.有毛病的，有问题的，有瑕疵的

参考例句：

• The firm had received bad publicity over a defective product. 该公司因为一件次品而受到媒体攻击。
• If the goods prove defective, the customer has the right to compensation. 如果货品证明有缺陷， 顾客有权索赔。

12 inflate   

vt.使膨胀，使骄傲，抬高（物价）

参考例句：

• The buyers bid against each other and often inflate the prices they pay.买主们竞相投标，往往人为地提高价钱。
• Stuart jumped into the sea and inflated the liferaft.斯图尔特跳到海里给救生艇充气。

13 inflated   

adj.（价格）飞涨的；（通货）膨胀的；言过其实的；充了气的v.使充气（于轮胎、气球等）( inflate的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）膨胀；（使）通货膨胀；物价上涨

参考例句：

• He has an inflated sense of his own importance. 他自视过高。
• They all seem to take an inflated view of their collective identity. 他们对自己的集体身份似乎都持有一种夸大的看法。 来自《简明英汉词典》

14 banking   

n.银行业，银行学，金融业

参考例句：

• John is launching his son on a career in banking.约翰打算让儿子在银行界谋一个新职位。
• He possesses an extensive knowledge of banking.他具有广博的银行业务知识。

15 analyzes   

v.分析( analyze的第三人称单数 )；分解；解释；对…进行心理分析

参考例句：

• This approach analyzes management by studying experience usually through cases. 这个学派通常从实例获得经验，用以分析管理。 来自辞典例句
• The econometrician analyzes statistical data. 经济计量学者要分析统计材料。 来自辞典例句

16 pollutant   

n.污染物质，散布污染物质者

参考例句：

• Coal itself is a heavy pollutant.煤本身就是一种严重的污染物。
• Carbon dioxide may not be a typical air pollutant.二氧化碳可能不是一种典型的污染物。