美国汽车业萧条大批车行关闭一托福阅读机经背景.docx

智课网TOEFL备考资料美国汽车业萧条大批车行关闭一托福阅读机经背景 By Kate Woodsome Washington 04 June 2009 Two of the biggest automakers in the United States plan to close thousands of dealerships nationwide to cut costs. Car dealers and members of Congress are worried about the impact on local communities. Mechanics wearing grey work suits with their names stitched onto their pockets make repairs on a row of cars. The team at the Fitzgerald Auto Mall in Rockville, Maryland is on the front-lines of the battle to save Americas car industry. The dealership is losing its cars and trucks made by the U.S. automaker Chrysler. It is one of 789 Chrysler franchises nationwide being forced to close by June 9 because of a restructuring plan aimed to cut costs. The Fitzgerald Auto Mall is staying open because it also sells foreign-made cars. Owner Jack Fitzgerald says Chrysler customers can still go there for repairs. Im telling customers that Im going to stay open and take care of their cars. Thats what Im telling them, he said. Not all dealerships are as fortunate. Many showrooms that only carry Chrysler brands will be forced to close. General Motors, once the worlds biggest automaker, also plans to close about 2,500 dealerships by the end of next year. Both companies have declared bankruptcy after failing to recover from a drastic drop in auto sales. A U.S. Senate committee held a hearing Wednesday on the planned cuts and the tens of thousands of jobs that could be lost. In the packed chamber, the GM and Chrysler executives sat side by side with dealers. Senator Olympia Snowe criticized the executives for taking government aid and then leaving customers and dealers without any support. The American taxpayers provided billions of dollars, and ultimately, the auto dealers are on the frontlines with the harsh consequences of the failure at the top, she said. The GM and Chrysler executives defended their decisions. This has been the most difficult business decision Ive ever personally had to take. The decisions had to be made. They were gut-wrenching, but absolutely necessary for Chryslers survival, said James Press, the president of Chrysler. But many people at the hearing and in dealerships across the country are unconvinced. John McEleney, the chairman of the National Automobile Dealers Association, says the reductions will not help cut costs. Over 90 percent of Chrysler and GMs revenue comes from the dealer, because the dealer buys the cars, the parts, and even the dealership signs from the manufacturer?Dealer cuts wont save any money because dealers dont cost the manufacturers any money, he said. Chrysler and GM are under pressure from senators to provide greater support for the dealerships that are facing closure with parking lots full of unsold cars. The manufacturers say they are trying to help dealers, but the justice local business people are seeking may only be found in bankruptcy court. Many are challenging GM and Chryslers decision to take their cars off the road. 美国汽车业萧条大批车行面临关闭 美国最大汽车厂商中的其中两家计划在全美关闭数千个经销网点以削减成本。汽车销售商和国会议员担心此举会对本地区造成冲击。 在马里兰州洛克维尔市的菲茨杰拉德汽车商城，汽车维修工人身着灰色的工作服，绣在他们上衣口袋上的名字赫然可见。工人们正在给一列汽车进行维修。菲茨杰拉德汽车商城处在挽救美国汽车工业战场的前列。 这家汽车销售商正在丧失销售美国克莱斯勒汽车公司生产的轿车和卡车的经营权。为了削减成本，克莱斯勒的重组计划包括强制性取消全美789个加盟经销商的销售权。菲茨杰拉德汽车商城便是其中之一。 由于还同时销售外国品牌的汽车，菲茨杰拉德汽车商城还不至关门。店主杰克.菲茨杰拉德表示，克莱斯勒的用户仍然可以把车放到他们那里进行维修。菲茨杰拉德说:“我对顾客们说，我们还在营业，我们还会维修他们的汽车。” 但并不是所有经销商都这么幸运。很多只代理克莱斯勒品牌汽车的经销商将不得不关闭他们的汽车展示厅。曾是世界最大汽车厂商的通用汽车也计划在明年年底前关闭2千500个销售商网点。 这两家汽车厂商都已经宣布破产。此前它们都未能从严重的销售下滑中恢复过来。 美国参议院一个委员会星期三就这些拟议之中的关闭销售网点以及可能造成的数万人失业的情况举行听证会。听证会举行的大厅座无虚席。通用和克莱斯勒的高级主管和销售商并排坐在一起。 参议员奥林皮亚.斯诺批评通用和克莱斯勒的主管拿了政府的救助款却抛弃顾客和经销商而不给予任何补助。斯诺参议员说:“美国的纳税人拿出了数十亿美元。但最后的结果却是经销商要为厂商犯下的错误承担严峻后果。” 通用汽车和克莱斯勒的主管为他们作出的决定进行辩护。克莱斯勒总裁詹姆斯.普雷斯说:“这是我个人所做出的最艰难的商业决定。决定必须要做。这对经销商来说是极为痛苦的。但是对克莱斯勒的生存来说，这个决定是绝对必要的。” 但是这并不能使听证会上很多人，以及遍布全美的销售商们感到信服。 美国全国汽车销售商协会主席约翰.麦克埃莱尼说，减少销售商的数量并不能帮助削减成本:“克莱斯勒和通用汽车超过90%的利润来自销售商。这是 因为销售商向厂商购买汽车、零部件。销售商甚至与厂商订下合同。减少销售商的数量不会给厂商节省成本，因为销售商根本不花厂商的钱。” 参议员们向克莱斯勒和通用汽车施压，要求这两家公司向停车场上满是卖不出去的汽车的经销商们提供更多支持。