ECONOMICS REPORT - Automakers, Airlines Hit by Sky-High Fuel Prices
Thu, 5 Jun 2008
This is the VOA Special English Economics Report.
经济报道： 天价油价冲击汽车制造厂商和航空公司。
2008年6月5日，星期四。
这是VOA特别英语的经济报道。
There was more evidence this week of the effects of high oil prices on the transportation industry.
本周有更多的证据，证明高油价对交通业的影响。
Automakers reported further drops in sales of trucks and SUVs, sport utility vehicles, in the United States. Big, fuel-hungry vehicles brought in big profits -- until Americans faced big costs for fuel. Now they want smaller and more fuel-efficient cars.
汽车制造厂商报告了美国的卡车和SUV(“运动型多用途车”，也称“越野车”)销量进一步下降。在美国人面临高油价之前，大型、耗油汽车带来了巨大的利润。现在，美国人想要更小、燃油效率更高的小汽车。
The head of General Motors, Rick Wagoner, says the prices are changing consumer behavior, maybe permanently. G.M. sales in the United States in May dropped thirty percent from last year. The Ford Motor Company had a nineteen percent drop.
通用汽车CEO里克.瓦格纳说，油价正在改变消费者的行为，也许是永久性地改变。通用汽车5月在美国的销售与去年(同期)相比下降了30%。福特汽车公司也下降了19%。
Toyota sales in the United States were down eight percent. But another Japanese maker, Honda, reported an eleven percent increase on strong sales of cars.
General Motors announced it will close four truck factories in North America and expand car production. It may also sell its Hummer division. Hummers are military-like vehicles.
丰田汽车在美国的销售下降了8%。但是，另一家日本汽车制造厂商本田却报告说，小汽车销售强劲，上升了11%。通用汽车宣布，将关闭北美四家卡车工厂，并扩大小汽车产量。通用汽车也可能出售悍马分部，悍马类似于军用车辆。
But Rick Wagoner said G.M. will go forward with plans to make the Chevy Volt, a car powered mainly by electricity. He says it will be available no later than the end of two thousand ten.
但是，里克.瓦格纳说，通用汽车将推进以电力驱动为主的切维.伏特小汽车的生产计划。他说，切维.伏特将在2010年底之前可面世。
Still, new findings show that Americans are driving less. The Federal Highway Administration says the number of kilometers traveled on public roads has dropped since late two thousand six.
然而，新发现表明，美国人驾车减少。联邦高速公司管理局说，公共道路上驾驶的里程数自2006年底一直在下降。
Many people may be driving less because of high gasoline prices. But transportation officials worry that less demand for gasoline will mean shortages of money from fuel taxes that support roads.
许多人驾驶减少是因为高油价。但是，交通官员担心，汽油需求的减少即用于道路资金的燃油税的溃泛。
Use of public transportation, though, is up. The American Public Transportation Association says it increased three percent in the first three months of this year over last year.
然后，公共交通的使用在上升。美国公共交通协会说，与去年相比，今年前三个月上升了3%。
High fuel prices are also affecting air travel. The International Air Transport Association expects the industry to lose at least two billion dollars this year, mainly because of prices for jet fuel.
高油价也影响航空。国际航空运输协会预计，航空业今年至少亏损20亿美元，主要原因是航空煤油的价格(上涨)。
This week, more air carriers in the United States announced plans to cut flights and jobs and remove older, less fuel-efficient planes from service. Continental Airlines said record-high fuel prices have produced the worst crisis for the industry since the terrorist attacks of two thousand one.
本周，美国更多的航空公司宣布计划减少航班和工作，并撤下旧的、燃油效率低下的飞机。大陆航空公司说，创记录的油价产生了自2001年恐怖分子袭击以来航空业最严重的危机。
Continental announced Thursday that it will reduce flights in the United States by sixteen percent during the last three months of the year. The airline will cut three thousand jobs, about seven percent of its positions worldwide.
大陆航空公司周四宣布，将在今年最后三个月减少美国航班16%。大陆航空将裁员3000，大约其全球职位的7%。
And that's the VOA Special English Economics Report, written by Mario Ritter. I'm Steve Ember.
这是由Mario Ritter编写的、VOA特别英语的经济报道。我是Steve Ember。
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