跟《经济学人》学英文：2024年6月15日这期 Chinese electric vehicles (EVs)

The EU hits China’s carmakers with hefty new tariffs

Duties will only hold them back for a while

欧盟对中国汽车制造商征收高额新关税

hit: 对xxx施加

在句子"The EU hits China’s carmakers with hefty new tariffs"中，“hits”的意思是“对……施加”或“强行实施”。这句话的意思是，欧盟对中国的汽车制造商实施了沉重的新关税。这里的“hits”传达了欧盟对这些汽车制造商采取了强有力且具有影响力的措施。

hefty：美 [ˈhefti] 大的；重的；粗壮的；有力的；

hefty fine：巨额罚款

tariffs：美 [ˈterəfs] 关税；关税表；（tariff的复数）注意发音

在这里插入图片描述

One satisfaction of buying a new car is the distinctive aroma within. The

smell that emanates from the Chinese electric vehicles (EVs) that are increasingly common on Europe’s roads is, for the European Commission,

that of a rat. On June 12th, after an eight-month probe, the

EU’s executive arm accused China of unfairly subsidising its industry with tax breaks, cheap

loans and the like. It fears that cut-price imports pose a “clearly foreseeable

and imminent injury” to European carmakers. Provisional tariffs of between

26% and 48%, compared with 10% for other imported cars, will be imposed

from July on Chinese EVs. The precise duty will depend on each firm’s

willingness to assist the investigation.

购买新车的一个满足感是车内独特的香味。在欧洲道路上越来越常见的中国电动汽车散发出的气味，对欧洲委员会来说，是老鼠的味道。6月12日，经过八个月的调查，欧盟执行机构指控中国通过税收减免、低息贷款等方式不公平地补贴其工业。它担心降价进口会对欧洲汽车制造商造成“明显可预见且迫在眉睫的伤害”。从7月起，将对中国电动汽车征收26%至48%的临时关税，相比之下，其他进口汽车的临时关税为10%。具体的职责将取决于每家公司协助调查的意愿。

学习：

aroma：美 [əˈroʊmə] 芳香；香味；香气；气氛

distinctive aroma：独特的香味

electric vehicle (EV)：电动汽车

emanate：美 [ˈeməneɪt] 散发；来源；产生；

probe：美 [proʊb] 探针；探头；探查

EU’s executive arm: 欧盟的执行机构

accuse：指控

unfairly subsidising its industry: 不公平地补贴

tax break：税收减免

cheap loans: 低息贷款

imminent：美 [ˈɪmɪnənt] 即将发生的；迫近的；迫在眉睫的

foreseeable and imminent injury: 可预见的即将发生的伤害

provisional：美 [prəˈvɪʒənl] 临时的，暂时的

In the short term, it is hard to sniff out a winner. Car buyers hoping to inhale

the intoxicating new-car odour will certainly suffer if the prices of imported

cars rise and competitive pressures on European firms ease. But Europe’s

carmakers are not taking a victory lap, either. They did not ask for the probe,

which was launched under pressure from France’s government. German

companies such as Volkswagen and BMW, which make lots of cars in China

and export plenty there, have been particularly vocal opponents. Now they

fear retaliation from Beijing, which looks inevitable.

在短期内，很难找到赢家。如果进口汽车价格上涨，欧洲公司的竞争压力缓解，希望吸入令人陶醉的新车气味的购车者肯定会受到影响。但欧洲的汽车制造商也没有取得胜利。他们没有要求调查，调查是在法国政府的压力下发起的。大众（Volkswagen）和宝马（BMW）等德国公司在中国生产大量汽车，并在中国出口大量汽车，它们一直是特别强烈的反对者。现在他们担心来自北京的报复，这看起来是不可避免的。

学习：

sniff out：发现，找出，嗅到

intoxicating：美 [ɪnˈtɑːksɪkeɪtɪŋ] 醉人的; 令人陶醉的; 含酒精的; 令人头脑迷糊的

intoxicating odour：令人陶醉的气味

the prices rise: 价格上升

competitive pressures ease：压力减少

take a victory lap：获胜

make cars：制造汽车

vocal：大声表达的

opponent：对手; 反对者;

retaliation：美 [rɪˌtæliˈeɪʃn] 报复

在这里插入图片描述

China has hinted at raising its tariffs on large-engine (in other words,

German) vehicles from 15% to 25%. It could also make life harder for

foreign carmakers in China with more onerous regulations and spread the

net of tariffs wider to agricultural goods or aviation. In January it fired a

warning shot at France by initiating an anti-dumping investigation of cognac

and other European brandies.

中国已经暗示将大引擎(换句话说，德国)汽车的关税从15%提高到25%。这也可能让外国汽车制造商在中国的日子更加难过，因为中国的监管更加严格，关税范围也将扩大到农产品或航空业。一月份，它向法国鸣枪示警，对法国白兰地和其他欧洲白兰地发起反倾销调查。

学习：

raise tariffs：提高关税

onerous: 美 [ˈoʊnərəs] 繁重的；费力的；困难的；义务沉重的

onerous regulations: 严格的监管

aviation: 航空业

anti-dumping：反倾销

brandy：白兰地

initiate an investigation：发起调查

Europe’s tariffs will hit not only Chinese firms. Foreign companies that

make cars in China for export back to Europe will be subject to duties of

31% on average. Tesla, the American

EV pioneer, is by far the most exposed.

But Europe’s mass-market carmakers, which face the greatest threat from

cheap Chinese electric runarounds, are also in the firing line.

欧洲的关税不仅会打击中国企业。在中国生产汽车出口回欧洲的外国公司将被征收平均31%的关税。迄今为止，美国电动汽车先驱特斯拉(Tesla)受到的影响最大。但欧洲的大众市场汽车制造商面临着来自中国廉价电动汽车的最大威胁，它们也在被攻击的行列中。

学习：

mass-market：大众市场

runaround：小型汽车

在这段话中，“runaround” 指的是小型且经济实惠的电动汽车（通常是用于日常通勤的车辆）。所以，这里的 “cheap Chinese electric runarounds” 意思是便宜的中国小型电动汽车。整个句子的意思是，欧洲的主流汽车制造商面临着来自便宜的中国小型电动汽车的最大威胁。

Carlos Tavares, chief executive of Stellantis, which counts Citroën and

Peugeot among its many brands (and whose largest shareholder part-owns

The Economist’s parent company), once seemed to favour tariffs. He has

become less keen since a deal last October with Leapmotor, a Chinese

startup, to make cheap EVs in China for the European market. Renault has not

explicitly called for tariffs but rather a “level playing-field”, and a more

supportive European industrial policy. It also sends

EVs to Europe from China under its Dacia brand.

Stellantis的首席执行官唐唯实曾经似乎支持关税。Stellantis旗下拥有众多品牌，包括雪铁龙和标致(其最大股东拥有《经济学人》母公司的部分股权)。自从去年10月与中国初创企业Leapmotor达成协议，在中国为欧洲市场制造廉价电动汽车后，他就变得不那么热衷了。雷诺没有明确呼吁征收关税，而是呼吁建立“公平的竞争环境”，以及更具支持性的欧洲产业政策。它还以Dacia品牌从中国向欧洲出口电动汽车。

学习：

Citroen：雪铁龙

Peugeot：标致

Renault: 雷诺

level playing-field：公平的竞争环境

As for Chinese carmakers, higher duties may temporarily slow their progress

and give the Europeans the opportunity to catch up by launching a new

generation of more competitive vehicles. But the tariff barrier is unlikely to

stop all the Chinese in their tracks. Having set prices in Europe a little lower

than for competing European models, they have scope to cut. BYD,

which will now be subject to an extra 17% tariff, sells its Seal

EV for around $24,000 in China and double that in Europe, suggesting that it could absorb the new

duties and still make a profit. Rhodium, a research firm, reckons that tariffs

of 40-50% would apply the brakes more fully.

SAIC, which will be hit with a 48% tariff on its popular

MG marque, may have more problems, unless its

starts to help with the investigation.

对于中国汽车制造商来说，更高的关税可能会暂时减缓他们的进步，并给欧洲人一个机会，通过推出新一代更具竞争力的汽车来迎头赶上。但是关税壁垒不太可能阻止所有中国人的脚步。他们在欧洲设定的价格比欧洲竞争车型略低，因此有降价空间。比亚迪现在将被征收17%的额外关税，其Seal EV在中国的售价约为24，000美元，在欧洲的售价是这一价格的两倍，这表明它可以吸收新的关税，并仍有利润。研究公司Rhodium认为，40-50%的关税会更充分地踩刹车。SAIC，其受欢迎的MG品牌将被征收48%的关税，可能会有更多的问题，除非它开始帮助调查。

学习：

higher duties：更高的关税

tariff barrier：关税壁垒

they have scope to cut：有降价空间

make a profit：盈利

Indeed, in the long run the tariffs could even hasten China’s conquest of the

European car market. To become significant forces on the continent, the

Chinese companies were always going to have to produce their

EVs locally. BYD, which aims to become the region’s top EV-maker by 2030, will build a

factory in Hungary and is soon expected to announce another in Spain.

Chery signed a deal in April also to make cars in Spain. Others are

reportedly knocking on the door of big European contract manufacturers,

according to Matthias Schmidt, a consultant.

事实上，从长远来看，关税甚至可能加速中国对欧洲汽车市场的征服。为了成为欧洲大陆的重要力量，中国公司总是不得不在当地生产电动汽车。比亚迪的目标是到2030年成为该地区最大的电动汽车制造商，该公司将在匈牙利建立一家工厂，预计很快将宣布在西班牙建立另一家工厂。奇瑞在4月份也签署了一项在西班牙生产汽车的协议。据顾问马蒂亚斯·施密特称，其他公司也在敲欧洲大型合同制造商的门。

学习：

in the long run：从长远来看

conquest：美 [ˈkɑːŋkwest]征服；攻占；战胜；

become significant forces：变成重要力量

produce cars locally: 在当地生产汽车

Chery: 奇瑞汽车

knock on the door：敲门

Chinese carmakers, in other words, aren’t going anywhere. In a sign of the

times, BYD has taken over from Volkswagen as the main sponsor of the

European football championship, which kicks off on June 14th in Germany.

Even if EU member states vote later in the year to make the tariffs permanent,

it will do little to put Chinese noses out of joint.