万花筒 2012-05-04&05-06 本田汽车业绩强势反弹

 Honda's $1.4 billion in operating profit is more than double what it made a year ago, and ends a five-quarter streak¹ of profit slides. Japan's number three automaker is also forecasting a near 170 percent surge in full-year earnings³, as it leaves a string of major setbacks behind. Director Fumihiko Ike says Honda's recovery is well underway. Sales of our 4-wheel vehicles, were greatly boosted by the release of new models as well as the recovery from the earthquake disaster and Thai floods."Honda was the last Japanese automaker to get its supply chain in order after the massive earthquake last year, and was alone in having one of its factories inundated⁴ by Thailand's floods in October. Honda calls it the toughest period in its 64-year history. But work at its Thai plant finally resumed late last month, and its dominant⁵ and profitable motorcycle business has helped it cope. Executive VP Iwamura Tetsuo says a recovery in the U.S. auto² market has also made a difference. "In North America, sales are recovering gradually. In China and other Asian markets, we expect a boost in sales exceeding the market average due to expansion into new market segments." Honda also has a globally spread-out manufacturing footprint that cushioned the impact of the strong yen⁶. Honda exported just 35 percent of its cars from Japan last year, compared to 54 percent for Toyota and 62 percent for Nissan. Honda admits it let down its guard during the previous decade of rapid expansion, and will be under intense scrutiny⁷ to redeem⁸ itself with new models this fall. Arnold Gay, Reuters.

1 streak   

n.条理，斑纹，倾向，少许，痕迹；v.加条纹，变成条纹，奔驰，快速移动

参考例句：

• The Indians used to streak their faces with paint.印第安人过去常用颜料在脸上涂条纹。
• Why did you streak the tree?你为什么在树上刻条纹？

2 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。

3 earnings   

n.工资收人；利润，利益，所得

参考例句：

• That old man lives on the earnings of his daughter.那个老人靠他女儿的收入维持生活。
• Last year there was a 20% decrease in his earnings.去年他的收入减少了20%。

4 inundated   

v.淹没( inundate的过去式和过去分词 )；（洪水般地）涌来；充满；给予或交予（太多事物）使难以应付

参考例句：

• We have been inundated with offers of help. 主动援助多得使我们应接不暇。
• We have been inundated with every bit of information imaginable. 凡是想得到的各种各样的信息潮水般地向我们涌来。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 dominant   

adj.支配的，统治的；占优势的；显性的；n.主因，要素，主要的人(或物)；显性基因

参考例句：

• The British were formerly dominant in India.英国人从前统治印度。
• She was a dominant figure in the French film industry.她在法国电影界是个举足轻重的人物。

6 yen   

n. 日元；热望

参考例句：

• He wanted to convert his dollars into Japanese yen.他想将美元换成日币。
• He has a yen to be alone in a boat.他渴望独自呆在一条船上。

7 scrutiny   

n.详细检查，仔细观察

参考例句：

• His work looks all right,but it will not bear scrutiny.他的工作似乎很好，但是经不起仔细检查。
• Few wives in their forties can weather such a scrutiny.很少年过四十的妻子经得起这么仔细的观察。

8 redeem   

v.买回，赎回，挽回，恢复，履行（诺言等）

参考例句：

• He had no way to redeem his furniture out of pawn.他无法赎回典当的家具。
• The eyes redeem the face from ugliness.这双眼睛弥补了他其貌不扬之缺陷。