VOA慢速英语：印度“大使”牌汽车停产

印度“大使”牌汽车停产

From VOA Learning English, this is the Technology Report.

这里是美国之音慢速英语科技报道。

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”牌汽车是印度最著名和历史最久的印度自产汽车。在1958年印度汽车公司向市场投放了第一部“大使”牌汽车。这种汽车不久便成为印度公路之王，但现在这个长期的汽车领导品牌却处于次要地位。印度汽车公司称，“大使”牌汽车已经停产了。很多喜爱这种车的人都害怕“大使”牌汽车不会在重新生产。

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.

这种盒形汽车是基于英国莫里斯·奥克斯福特公司所设计的一款汽车。印度人称这款车为“Amby”，它拥有高强度钢制成的车身，它可以轻松容易的穿越丘陵和颠簸之路。

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.

辛格是一位出租车司机，他说他在工作中除了大使牌车，他不会使用其他任何车。并说大家都喜欢这款车，这款车很舒服。他一直开大使牌车开了50年了。当印度汽车公司宣布停产大使牌汽车时，辛格很伤心。汽车公司称他们决定停产这款车是因为这款车市场需求少，而且该公司缺少资金。

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世纪80年代中期，印度汽车市场的竞争都不是很激烈。日本车铃木，和印度一家公司合并，来生产一种小巧，低成本的汽车。而大使牌汽车一直保持着它的富裕和强大威武。

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，印度对外开放经济，很多国际汽车公司开始在印度汽车市场出售更新更节能的汽车。其他公司为印度日益壮大的中产阶级提供运动型多用汽车。大使牌汽车制造商发现越来越难以找到买家。

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是新德里的一名年轻专家，她对她祖父的那辆黄棕色的大使牌汽车印象深刻，但是她却从来没想过自己要买一辆那样的汽车。

"They are a bit retro, so they feel a little outdated, and I don't think they will have the same amount of power and swiftness that you want in a car in today's day and age.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说：“大使牌汽车有点复古，让人感觉有点过时，我不认为它们有和你想要的现代汽车一样的功率和速度。我喜欢越野车就是因为它们动力强大，而且对于车来说动力强大很重要。”

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.

自从一开始生产大使牌汽车，汽车公司就很少改变大使牌汽车的设计。直到10年以前，印度政府还一直继续使用这种车。很多司机喜欢大使车是因为他修理起来花费很少，在英国Top Gear汽车节目中，大使牌车还曾被评为最好的出租车。

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.

但是它的销量记录并不好，去年，经销商只销售了2200台，而去年的汽车销售总数为180万台。他们报道称要寻找新的投资者。但是汽车专家称，他们不认为大使牌汽车会重返市场。

And that's the VOA Learning English Technology Report.

这就是今天的美国之音慢速英语科技报道的全部内容。