汽车“新”闻9大招牌菜

号外！号外！

    今年新年期间，我们在汽车媒体上读到的大多数内容都似曾相识。我知道汽车业是周期性的，历史总会不断重演，不过这还是有点荒唐。

    这些话题反复见诸报端，证明了记者们口中所谓的“常青树”话题的确存在，这些故事无论何时都可以拿来炒作，无论放在过去、现在还是未来，它们永不过时。

    汽车行业之所以能产生这么多“常青树”式的故事，是因为这个行业在很大程度上受到“日历”的影响。汽车厂商每个月都会公布销量数据，总是有人上升有人下降。另外在每年的同一时段，分析师们会公布调查得出的初始质量数据或客户满意度数据，这难免又会激起一轮指责和攻讦。经销商们总是对新车型感到兴奋，消费者总是变得越来越挑剔，汽车评论员们总是喜欢更大马力的汽车。

    以下谨为大家列举今年年初的一些“常青新闻”。

Extra! Extra!

    Already the New Year seems like déjà vu all over again. Most of what I've read and heard in 2012 has a familiar ring to it. I know the auto industry is cyclical and history repeats itself, but this is ridiculous.

    These recurring headlines signal the presence of what among journalists are known as "evergreens" -- stories that can run anytime. They were just as true today as they were yesterday, and they will likely remain just as true tomorrow.

    The car business lends itself to these kinds of stories because so much of it is dictated by the calendar. Vehicle sales are reported every month, so somebody is always up and somebody else is always down. Analysts release their data on initial quality or customer satisfaction at the same time every year, generating the predictable finger pointing and recriminations. Dealers are always getting excited about new models, customers are always becoming more discriminating, and car reviewers always want more horsepower.

    Here are some evergreens from early 2012:

底特律的倒掉

    《全球车市重现增长，美国厂商继续败退》——《汽车新闻》（Automotive News）2012年1月28日

    尽管车市总体变暖，但底特律三巨头的市场份额仍在下滑。早在艾森豪威尔当总统的时候，这种趋势就已经出现了，而且一直延续至今。当时，德国大众汽车（Volkswagen）的大举登陆美国市场，导致美国车企痛失不少份额。这一次，《汽车新闻》的这篇报道则采取了一个新的角度，称随着日本厂商摆脱了地震、海啸和洪水的影响，丰田（Toyota）和本田（Honda）将能够在2012年恢复满负荷生产。不过其实在过去的半个多世纪里，进口车一直在蚕食美国车的市场份额，所以这条新闻几乎称不上是“新”闻了。

The downfall of Detroit

    "U.S. automakers seen losing market share amid growth" --Automotive News 01/28/12

    The Detroit Three have been losing market share in a rising market since Volkswagen launched the import invasion back in the Eisenhower administration. The new angle this time is that Toyota and Honda will be able to resume full production in 2012 unhindered by earthquakes, tsunamis, or floods. But since imports have been making gains for more than half a century, this hardly qualifies as new news.