VOA标准英语2013--India’s Auto Industry Hit Hard by Lagging Economy

 

India’s Auto¹ Industry Hit Hard by Lagging Economy

New Delhi resident Rajesh Kumar could not think of a better time to replace his 10-year old Hyundai Santro.

"The price is right, the sales people are also very good. And I am buying a car this month because it’s the [Hindu] religious festival of Navatri," he said.

For those in the market for a new car in India, this could not be a better time, as dealers² are offering discounts to get people in the door.

Sales in the world’s second fastest growing automotive market are expected to post their first annual decline since 2003.

The Society of Indian Automobile³ Manufacturers says the industry will miss all growth targets this year, noting that the sale of passenger cars was down 12 percent in January compared to the same period last year.

Sharad Mehra owns four auto dealerships in and around New Delhi, including this Hyundai showroom in Gurgaon. He says the stagnant⁴ market has his employees working harder for a sale.

"Earlier, what used to happen is we used to sit in the showrooms and wait for customers to come in, walk in - we used to try to convert that. But now, they [sales people] are all trying to go out, go and reach the customer. The customer gives a call, we try to go out to him," he said.

Rajiv Kumar, with India’s Center for Policy Research, says the steep fall in car sales reflects the frustration⁵ and despondency of those most affected⁶ by India’s slumping⁷ economy. 

He says people are finding it harder to make aspirational⁸ purchases, including upgrading from owning a motorcycle to a car.

"As long as your car sales were growing, it represented the growth of that middle class and its aspirations⁹ and the fact that it could meet those aspirations," he said. "Now it’s not happening," he said.

Analysts¹⁰ say the economy’s effect on the auto industry is far-reaching. Major foreign automakers, like Ford¹¹, Suzuki, and Hyundai, have invested billions to build up operations in India and are now having to reassess their growth models.

Domestic manufacturers of auto parts are looking outside India for business, and steel companies are also feeling the pinch.

With interest rates at more than 12 percent, dealers and customers like Rajesh Kumar say the government can take steps to help bring sales back up.

"The government keeps increasing the interest rate, if they reduce it a little bit, then the public will benefit and more people will buy cars," he said.

While automakers wait for urban sales to recover, many are looking to take advantage of what many see as India’s untapped rural sector¹². 

1 auto   

n.(=automobile)(口语)汽车

参考例句：

• Don't park your auto here.别把你的汽车停在这儿。
• The auto industry has brought many people to Detroit.汽车工业把许多人吸引到了底特律。

2 dealers   

n.商人( dealer的名词复数 )；贩毒者；毒品贩子；发牌者

参考例句：

• There was fast bidding between private collectors and dealers. 私人收藏家和交易商急速竞相喊价。
• The police were corrupt and were operating in collusion with the drug dealers. 警察腐败，与那伙毒品贩子内外勾结。

3 automobile   

n.汽车，机动车

参考例句：

• He is repairing the brake lever of an automobile.他正在修理汽车的刹车杆。
• The automobile slowed down to go around the curves in the road.汽车在路上转弯时放慢了速度。

4 stagnant   

adj.不流动的，停滞的，不景气的

参考例句：

• Due to low investment,industrial output has remained stagnant.由于投资少，工业生产一直停滞不前。
• Their national economy is stagnant.他们的国家经济停滞不前。

5 frustration   

n.挫折，失败，失效，落空

参考例句：

• He had to fight back tears of frustration.他不得不强忍住失意的泪水。
• He beat his hands on the steering wheel in frustration.他沮丧地用手打了几下方向盘。

6 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。

7 slumping   

大幅度下降，暴跌( slump的现在分词 )； 沉重或突然地落下[倒下]

参考例句：

• Hong Kong's slumping economy also caused a rise in bankruptcy applications. 香港经济低迷，破产申请个案随之上升。
• And as with slumping, over-arching can also be a simple postural habit. 就像弯腰驼背，过度挺直也可能只是一种习惯性姿势。

8 aspirational   

志同的，有抱负的

参考例句：

• Most of the images that bombard us all are aspirational. 轰击的图像，我们都期望最大。
• Analysts said self-help and aspirational reading could explain India's high figures. 分析师们指出，自助读书、热爱读书是印度人均读书时间超过别的国家的主要原因。

9 aspirations   

强烈的愿望( aspiration的名词复数 )； 志向； 发送气音； 发 h 音

参考例句：

• I didn't realize you had political aspirations. 我没有意识到你有政治上的抱负。
• The new treaty embodies the aspirations of most nonaligned countries. 新条约体现了大多数不结盟国家的愿望。

10 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。

11 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。

12 sector   

n.部门，部分；防御地段，防区；扇形

参考例句：

• The export sector will aid the economic recovery. 出口产业将促进经济复苏。
• The enemy have attacked the British sector.敌人已进攻英国防区。