VOA时事新闻2023 纽约市起诉韩国现代和起亚

New York City is taking legal action against the carmakers Hyundai and Kia.

纽约市正在对汽车制造商现代和起亚采取法律行动。

City officials say some of the companies' vehicles have a design problem that makes them easier to steal.

市政府官员表示，这两家公司的一些汽车存在设计问题，这使得它们更容易被盗。

The car models in the case lack equipment called engine immobilizers.

本案涉及的车型缺少一种叫做发动机防盗锁装置的设备。

These devices prevent the engine from starting unless the key is present.

除非有钥匙，否则这种装置会阻止发动机启动。

Such devices have been used on most cars since the 1990s.

自20世纪90年代以来，大多数汽车都使用了这种装置。

But videos on TikTok and other sites show how to start the cars using only USB cables and a common tool called a screwdriver¹.

但TikTok和其他网站上的视频显示，如何仅用USB数据线和一种叫做螺丝刀的常用工具来启动汽车。

New York government lawyers say that Hyundai Motor America and Kia America Inc. failed to keep up with other automakers by not using immobilizer technology.

纽约市政府律师表示，现代汽车美国公司和起亚汽车美国公司没有使用防盗技术，未能跟上其他汽车制造商的步伐。

"Hyundai's and Kia's business decisions to reduce costs, and thereby² boost profits, by foregoing common anti-theft technology have resulted in an epidemic³ of thefts," the lawsuit⁴ states.

诉讼称，“现代和起亚的商业决定是为了降低成本，从而提高利润，放弃了常见的防盗技术，这导致了车辆盗窃的泛滥”。

The city says the vehicle thefts are putting pressure on its police department's resources and harming public safety and emergency services.

纽约市表示，汽车被盗事件给警察局的资源带来了压力，并损害了公共安全和紧急服务。

The New York City police department reports that about 287 Kias were stolen last year, compared with approximately 119 in 2021.

纽约市警察局报告称，去年约有287辆起亚汽车被盗，而2021年约有119辆起亚汽车被盗。

Around 415 Hyundais were reported stolen in 2022, compared with 232 a year earlier.

据报道，2022年约有415辆现代汽车被盗，而2021年有232辆现代汽车被盗。

The problem has continued, with an estimated 977 Hyundai and Kia vehicles reported stolen in the first four months of this year.

这个问题仍在继续，据估计，今年前四个月有977辆现代和起亚汽车被盗。

There were only 148 such thefts in the same months last year.

去年同期，这类盗窃案件只有148起。

New York, the nation's biggest city by population, joins a growing list of cities going after the carmakers.

作为美国人口最多的城市，纽约市加入了越来越多起诉汽车制造商的城市之列。

Other major cities in Maryland, Ohio, Wisconsin and other states have filed similar legal complaints after large increases in car thefts.

马里兰州、俄亥俄州、威斯康星州和其他州的其他主要城市在汽车盗窃案大幅增加后也提出了类似的法律诉讼。

New York City is requesting an order for abatement⁵ of the problem.

纽约市正在申请一项缓解这一问题的命令。

It also requests that the court order Hyundai and Kia to pay for economic losses suffered by the city as a result of the problem.

它还请求法院命令现代和起亚赔偿因该问题而给该市造成的经济损失。

Hyundai says it is committed to ensuring the quality and soundness of its products.

现代汽车公司表示，它致力于确保其产品的质量和稳健性。

In a written statement, the automaker said that a small group of basic, low cost Hyundai cars on the road in the U.S. today "are not equipped with push-button ignitions and immobilizing anti-theft devices."

这家汽车制造商在一份书面声明中表示，目前在美国道路上行驶的一小部分基本款、低成本的现代汽车“没有配备按钮点火装置和发动机防盗锁装置”。

The statement added, "It is important to clarify that an engine immobilizer is an anti-theft device and these vehicles are fully⁶ compliant⁷ with federal anti-theft requirements."

声明还称，“必须澄清的是，发动机防盗器是一种防盗装置，这些汽车完全符合联邦防盗要求。”

All Hyundai cars made from November 2021 onward⁸ have engine immobilizers.

从2021年11月起生产的所有现代汽车都安装了发动机防盗锁装置。

The company also said that it's speaking with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration on the actions it is taking to assist its customers.

该公司还表示，其正在与美国国家公路交通安全管理局就其为帮助客户而采取的措施进行沟通。

Kia did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.

起亚没有立即回复路透社的置评请求。

Last month Hyundai and Kia reached a settlement to end a lawsuit prompted by an increase in vehicle thefts.

上个月，现代和起亚达成和解，结束了一场因车辆失窃案增加而引发的诉讼。

The settlement could be valued at $200 million and covers about 9 million 2011-2022 model year Hyundai and Kia vehicles in the U.S., the companies said at the time.

两家公司当时表示，和解赔偿金可能高达2亿美元，涵盖了在美国销售的约900万辆2011-2022年车型的现代和起亚汽车。

The settlement will provide payment to customers who suffered theft-related losses or damage not covered by insurance — as well as payments for insurance deductibles, increased insurance prices and other losses, Kia and Hyundai said.

起亚和现代表示，根据该和解协议，它们将向遭受与盗窃相关的损失或保险未涵盖的损害的客户赔偿，以及支付保险免赔额、上涨的保险价格和其他损失费用。

A software improvement will also be provided to some owners.

还将会向一些车主提供软件改进服务。

For customers with vehicles that cannot use the software upgrade, the agreement will provide a payment of up to $300 for anti-theft devices.

根据该协议，对于无法使用升级软件的汽车客户，它们将支付高达300美元的防盗设备费用。

Kia and Hyundai have also given affected⁹ customers tens of thousands of free steering¹⁰ wheel locks through local law enforcement and direct shipments, the companies said.

起亚和现代表示，它们还通过当地执法部门和直接发货的方式向受影响的客户免费提供了数万个方向盘锁。

A court is expected to consider that proposed settlement starting in July.

预计法院将从7月份开始考虑拟议的和解方案。

I'm John Russell.

约翰·拉塞尔为您播报。

1 screwdriver   

n.螺丝起子；伏特加橙汁鸡尾酒

参考例句：

• He took a screwdriver and teased out the remaining screws.他拿出螺丝刀把其余的螺丝卸了下来。
• The electric drill can also be used as a screwdriver.这把电钻也可用作螺丝刀。

2 thereby   

adv.因此，从而

参考例句：

• I have never been to that city,,ereby I don't know much about it.我从未去过那座城市，因此对它不怎么熟悉。
• He became a British citizen,thereby gaining the right to vote.他成了英国公民，因而得到了投票权。

3 epidemic   

n.流行病；盛行；adj.流行性的，流传极广的

参考例句：

• That kind of epidemic disease has long been stamped out.那种传染病早已绝迹。
• The authorities tried to localise the epidemic.当局试图把流行病限制在局部范围。

4 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。

5 abatement   

n.减(免)税，打折扣，冲销

参考例句：

• A bag filter for dust abatement at the discharge point should be provided.在卸料地点应该装设袋滤器以消除粉尘。
• The abatement of the headache gave him a moment of rest.头痛减轻给他片刻的休息。

6 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

7 compliant   

adj.服从的，顺从的

参考例句：

• I don't respect people who are too compliant.我看不起那种唯命是从，唯唯诺诺的人。
• For years I had tried to be a compliant and dutiful wife.几年来，我努力做一名顺从和尽职尽职的妻子。

8 onward   

adj.向前的，前进的；adv.向前，前进，在先

参考例句：

• The Yellow River surges onward like ten thousand horses galloping.黄河以万马奔腾之势滚滚向前。
• He followed in the steps of forerunners and marched onward.他跟随着先辈的足迹前进。

9 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。

10 steering   

n.操舵装置

参考例句：

• He beat his hands on the steering wheel in frustration. 他沮丧地用手打了几下方向盘。
• Steering according to the wind, he also framed his words more amicably. 他真会看风使舵，口吻也马上变得温和了。