VOA慢速英语2021 汽车厂商面临严重芯片短缺

Carmakers -- including BMW, Fiat¹, Chrysler and Peugeot -- warned this week that the worldwide semiconductor² processor shortage will continue in 2021 and beyond. The shortage has affected³ both production and sales of automobiles⁴.

包括宝马、菲亚特、克莱斯勒和标致在内的汽车厂商本周警告称，全球半导体处理器短缺情况在2021年及之后将会继续存在。这种短缺影响到了汽车的生产和销售。

Last year, carmakers had to shut down plants because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Now they have to compete with the consumer electronics industry for the limited supplies that were also affected by the health crisis.

去年由于新冠肺炎大流行，汽车厂商不得不关闭了工厂。现在，他们必须同消费电子行业竞争同样受到健康危机影响的有限芯片供应。

Automobiles have become increasingly dependent on processors, also known as chips. They are needed for computers to help engines with better fuel economy and assist drivers in emergency braking.

汽车越来越依赖于也被称为芯片的处理器。计算机需要使用它们来帮助发动机提高燃油经济性并帮助驾驶员进行紧急制动。

Without a good supply of chips, carmakers have centered production on higher-profit models. The higher prices keep their businesses going even though they are selling fewer cars.

由于缺乏充足的芯片供应，汽车厂商将生产集中在利润更高的车型上。即便它们的汽车销量降低，更高的价格可以维持它们的业务继续发展。

Richard Palmer is the chief financial officer of Stellantis. The company sells cars under 14 brands including Fiat, Chrysler and Peugeot. He said the company did not expect chip supply to improve before the last three months of the year. That would mean a production loss of around 1.4 million vehicles for 2021.

理查德·帕默是Stellantis公司的首席财务官。该公司销售包括菲亚特、克莱斯勒和标致在内的14个品牌的汽车。他说，该公司预计芯片供应在今年第四季度之前都不会得到改善。这意味着2021年将会减产大约140万辆汽车。

BMW, so far, has been less affected by the chip shortage than others. That is because of its strong relations with its suppliers. But the German carmaker warned that there will be more problems during the second half of this year.

到目前为止，宝马公司受到芯片短缺的影响要比其它公司小。这是因为它与供应商关系紧密。但是这家德国汽车厂商警告称，今年下半年将会出现更多问题。

"The longer the supply bottlenecks⁵ last, the more tense the situation is likely to become," BMW chief financial officer Nicolas Peter said in a statement. "We expect production restrictions⁶ to continue in the second half of the year." Those restrictions will cause a lower number of sales, he added.

宝马首席财务官尼古拉斯·彼得在一份声明中警告称：“供应瓶颈持续的时间越长，形势就可能变得越紧张。我们预计今年下半年生产将会继续受限。”他还说，这种限制将会导致销量减少。

Slowing production

生产放缓

Carmakers such as Tesla and Ford⁷ have also warned that for the near future, a lack of chips is slowing production. "While we're making cars at full speed, the global chip shortage situation remains⁸ quite serious," Tesla CEO Elon Musk⁹ said last week.

特斯拉和福特等汽车厂商也警告说，在不久的将来，芯片短缺会减缓生产。特斯拉首席执行官埃隆·马斯克上周表示：“虽然我们正在全速制造汽车，但是全球芯片短缺的情况仍然相当严重。”

German chipmaker Infineon Technologies confirmed the shortage on Tuesday. The company said the latest wave of COVID-19 cases slows the production of materials in Asia. And the amounts of goods available have now hit all-time lows.

德国芯片厂商英飞凌科技周二证实了这种短缺。该公司表示，最新一波新冠肺炎病例减缓了亚洲芯片原料的生产。现在可用产品数量已经创下历史新低。

Reinhard Ploss is the Chief Executive Officer of Infineon. He told economists¹⁰ that a sharp limit to supplies is hurting the recovery of worldwide car markets. He observed that "it will take time to get back" to a balance between supply and demand. "In our view, this will take until well into 2022," Ploss added.

莱恩哈德·普洛斯是英飞凌公司的首席执行官。他对经济学家表示，芯片供应的急剧限制正在损害全球汽车市场的复苏。他注意到恢复供需平衡需要时间。普洛斯表示：“在我们看来， 芯片短缺将会持续到2022年。”

The Ifo economic research group in Munich, Germany said Tuesday that the German car industry and its suppliers faced the worst chip supply shortage in 30 years. Its study showed that the shortage has affected 83 percent of companies, up from 65 percent in April.

德国慕尼黑Ifo经济研究机构周二表示，德国汽车行业及其供应商面临30年来最严重的芯片供应短缺。其研究表明，芯片短缺影响到了83%的企业，高于4月份的65%。

Oliver Falck is an Ifo researcher. He said, "This is leading to production stoppages. The shortages of semiconductors¹¹ will persist for some time to come."

1 fiat   

n.命令，法令，批准；vt.批准，颁布

参考例句：

• The opening of a market stall is governed by municipal fiat.开设市场摊位受市政法令管制。
• He has tried to impose solutions to the country's problems by fiat.他试图下令强行解决该国的问题。

2 semiconductor   

n.半导体

参考例句：

• In the beginning,engineers hoped to use semiconductor lasers.在开始时，工程师们希望能够利用半导体激光器。
• The main agent of the company brand semiconductor sales.本公司主要代理各品牌半导体销售。

3 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。

4 automobiles   

n.汽车( automobile的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• When automobiles become popular,the use of the horse and buggy passed away. 汽车普及后，就不再使用马和马车了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Automobiles speed in an endless stream along the boulevard. 宽阔的林荫道上，汽车川流不息。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

5 bottlenecks   

n.瓶颈( bottleneck的名词复数 )；瓶颈路段（常引起交通堵塞）；（尤指工商业发展的）瓶颈；阻碍

参考例句：

• Roadworks are causing bottlenecks in the city centre. 道路施工导致市中心交通阻塞。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• At five o'clock in the afternoon the city streets are a series of bottlenecks. 下午五点市中心的街道就成了拥挤不堪的窄路。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

6 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制

7 Ford   

n.浅滩，水浅可涉处；v.涉水，涉过

参考例句：

• They were guarding the bridge,so we forded the river.他们驻守在那座桥上，所以我们只能涉水过河。
• If you decide to ford a stream,be extremely careful.如果已决定要涉过小溪，必须极度小心。

8 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

9 musk   

n.麝香, 能发出麝香的各种各样的植物，香猫

参考例句：

• Musk is used for perfume and stimulant.麝香可以用作香料和兴奋剂。
• She scented her clothes with musk.她用麝香使衣服充满了香味。

10 economists   

n.经济学家，经济专家( economist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The sudden rise in share prices has confounded economists. 股价的突然上涨使经济学家大惑不解。
• Foreign bankers and economists cautiously welcomed the minister's initiative. 外国银行家和经济学家对部长的倡议反应谨慎。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 semiconductors   

n.半导体( semiconductor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Crystals may be insulators, semiconductors, or conductors. 晶体可以是绝缘体，半导体，或导体。 来自辞典例句
• Semiconductors containing such impurities are called p-type semiconductors. 含有这类杂质的半导体叫做P型半导体。 来自辞典例句