VOA慢速英語：印度“大使”牌汽車停產(chǎn)

印度“大使”牌汽車停產(chǎn)

From VOA Learning English, this is the Technology Report.

這里是美國之音慢速英語科技報道。

The Ambassador automobile is the most famous and longest made Indian car. Hindustan Motors released the first one to the market in 1958. The car soon became known as the King of Indian Roads. But now the long-time car leader will take a back seat. Hindustan Motors says it has suspended production of the Ambassador. Many Ambassador supporters fear it will never return.

“大使”牌汽車是印度最著名和歷史最久的印度自產(chǎn)汽車。在1958年印度汽車公司向市場投放了第一部“大使”牌汽車。這種汽車不久便成為印度公路之王，但現(xiàn)在這個長期的汽車領(lǐng)導(dǎo)品牌卻處于次要地位。印度汽車公司稱，“大使”牌汽車已經(jīng)停產(chǎn)了。很多喜愛這種車的人都害怕“大使”牌汽車不會在重新生產(chǎn)。

The box-shaped car was based on a car design by Britain's Morris Oxford. Indians call the car the "Amby". The Amby has a strong steel body. The car makes it through very hilly areas and bad roads with ease.

這種盒形汽車是基于英國莫里斯·奧克斯福特公司所設(shè)計的一款汽車。印度人稱這款車為“Amby”，它擁有高強度鋼制成的車身，它可以輕松容易的穿越丘陵和顛簸之路。

Singh is a taxi driver. He says he would not use any other vehicle in his work. He says everyone likes it, it is a very comfortable car. He has driven only the Ambassador for 50 years. Mr. Singh was very sad when Hindustan Motors announced the end of production for the Ambassador. The company says its decision is the result of low demand and lack of money.

辛格是一位出租車司機，他說他在工作中除了大使牌車，他不會使用其他任何車。并說大家都喜歡這款車，這款車很舒服。他一直開大使牌車開了50年了。當(dāng)印度汽車公司宣布停產(chǎn)大使牌汽車時，辛格很傷心。汽車公司稱他們決定停產(chǎn)這款車是因為這款車市場需求少，而且該公司缺少資金。

The auto market in India did not get seriously competitive until the middle of 1980s. Japanese car maker, Suzuki, joined within an Indian company to produce a small, low cost vehicle. But the Ambassador remained the car of the rich and the powerful.

一直到20世紀(jì)80年代中期，印度汽車市場的競爭都不是很激烈。日本車鈴木，和印度一家公司合并，來生產(chǎn)一種小巧，低成本的汽車。而大使牌汽車一直保持著它的富裕和強大威武。

However, in 1991, India further opened its economy to foreign investors. Many international auto companies began to offer buyers newer, more fuel-efficient vehicles. Other companies offered sport utility vehicles to a rising Indian middle class. The Ambassador maker found it increasingly difficult to find buyers.

但是到了1991年，印度對外開放經(jīng)濟，很多國際汽車公司開始在印度汽車市場出售更新更節(jié)能的汽車。其他公司為印度日益壯大的中產(chǎn)階級提供運動型多用汽車。大使牌汽車制造商發(fā)現(xiàn)越來越難以找到買家。

Diksha Pande is a young professional in New Delhi. She remembers an orange and brown Ambassador her grandfather owned. But she has never thought of buying an Ambassador for herself.

Diksha Pande是新德里的一名年輕專家，她對她祖父的那輛黃棕色的大使牌汽車印象深刻，但是她卻從來沒想過自己要買一輛那樣的汽車。

"They are a bit retro, so they feel a little outdated, and I don't think they will have the same amount of power and swiftness that you want in a car in today's day and age. I like SUVs because they are big powerful cars. And power is important in a car," said Pande.

Pande說：“大使牌汽車有點復(fù)古，讓人感覺有點過時，我不認為它們有和你想要的現(xiàn)代汽車一樣的功率和速度。我喜歡越野車就是因為它們動力強大，而且對于車來說動力強大很重要。”

Hindustan Motors made few changes to the Ambassador design since its beginning. The Indian government continued using the car until ten years ago. Many taxi drivers like the Ambassador because repairs are generally low-cost. It was even rated the best taxi by the British television show Top Gear.

自從一開始生產(chǎn)大使牌汽車，汽車公司就很少改變大使牌汽車的設(shè)計。直到10年以前，印度政府還一直繼續(xù)使用這種車。很多司機喜歡大使車是因為他修理起來花費很少，在英國Top Gear汽車節(jié)目中，大使牌車還曾被評為最好的出租車。

But Amby's sales records are not good. Last year, dealers sold only 2,200 of them out of 1.8 million car sales. There are reports about search for new Amby investor. But auto experts say they do not believe India's Ambassador will return.

但是它的銷量記錄并不好，去年，經(jīng)銷商只銷售了2200臺，而去年的汽車銷售總數(shù)為180萬臺。他們報道稱要尋找新的投資者。但是汽車專家稱，他們不認為大使牌汽車會重返市場。

And that's the VOA Learning English Technology Report.

這就是今天的美國之音慢速英語科技報道的全部內(nèi)容。