VOA新闻杂志2022 芯片短缺已转为过剩（在线收听）

The coronavirus pandemic left makers of personal computers, smartphones, and cars without the computer chips needed to make their products.

新冠病毒大流行使得个人电脑、智能手机、汽车制造商缺乏制造产品所需的计算机芯片。

That suddenly changed during a period of three weeks from late May to June. High inflation, China's latest COVID restrictions and the war in Ukraine have reduced consumer spending -- especially on computers and smartphones.

从5月下旬到6月的三周时间里，这种情况突然发生了变化。高通胀、中国最近的新冠疫情以及乌克兰战争减少了消费者支出，尤其是在电脑和智能手机上。

Chip shortages turned into a surplus in some industries. By late June, memory chip company Micron Technology Inc. said it would reduce production. The sudden change in the market caught Micron by surprise, said Chief Business Officer Sumit Sadana.

在某些行业，芯片的短缺变成了过剩。到6月底，存储芯片公司美光科技表示将会减产。首席商务官Sumit Sadana表示，市场的突然变化让美光感到意外。

Worries about an industry recession have severely affected computer chip stocks. The Philadelphia Semiconductor index has fallen 35 percent so far in 2022. That is far more than the S&P 500's 19 percent loss.

对行业衰退的担忧严重影响了计算机芯片库存。2022年迄今为止，费城半导体指数已经下跌了35%。这远远超过了标准普尔500指数19%的跌幅。

Hoarding is making the situation worse. Hoarding is the practice of collecting or storing a large amount of something. Many manufacturers stored a large number of computer chips during the pandemic.

囤积使情况变得更糟。囤积是指收集和储存大量物品的做法。许多制造商在大流行期间储存了大量的计算机芯片。

Before that, those manufacturers ordered parts as close to production time as possible to avoid having extra supplies and to reduce storage space and spending.

在此之前，这些制造商订购零件尽可能接近生产时间，以避免额外供应并减少储存空间和支出。

Experts say the computer chip surplus has hit unevenly across business areas. Big suppliers of chips to electronics makers will be hit hardest by the decline, said semiconductor expert Tristan Gerra.

专家表示，计算机芯片过剩对各个业务领域的影响并不均衡。半导体专家特里斯坦·杰拉表示，电子制造商的大型芯片供应商将受到衰退的最大打击。

Computer chip design company Nvidia Corp could be hit especially hard as prices continue to fall, Gerra added. Nvidia produces graphic chips used for gaming and the digital money known as cryptocurrency.

杰拉还说，随着价格继续下跌计算机芯片设计公司英伟达可能受到的打击尤为严重。英伟达生产用于游戏和数字货币的图形芯片。

Among those least affected by a surplus are Apple Inc's suppliers like Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co, said computer chip expert Matt Bryson. Demand remains high for Apple devices.

计算机芯片专家马特·布莱森表示，受芯片过剩影响最小的是台积电等苹果公司供应商。苹果设备的需求仍然很旺盛。

Industry executives and experts cannot say how many surplus chips are in storerooms around the world. But industry expert Mark Lipacis said supply numbers for the first three months of 2022 hit a record high at major electronics manufacturing services companies. The earlier record was over 20 years ago.

行业高管和专家无法说出全球仓库中有多少过剩芯片。但行业专家马克·里帕西斯表示，主要电子制造服务公司2022年前三个月的储备量创下历史新高。更早的记录是在20多年前。

Manufacturers may decide to use up chips in storerooms instead of buying new ones, and cancel orders, Lipacis warned.

里帕西斯警告说，制造商可能会决定用完仓库的芯片，而不是购买新的芯片，并取消订单。

Some experts said automobile chipmakers are safe for now. But that may not last long.

一些专家表示，汽车芯片制造商目前是安全的。但这可能不会持续很长时间。

Industry expert Stacy Rasgon told Reuters that automakers were ordering far more chips than they appeared to need.

行业专家斯泰西·拉斯根对路透社表示，汽车制造商订购的芯片数量远远超过了他们的需求。

That will create a problem when vehicle makers stop buying chips to use up their current supplies.

当汽车制造商停止购买芯片以耗尽他们的现有储备时，就会产生问题。