Big Three Plead For Aid
底特律三大汽车巨头的首席执行长以迫切言语呼吁美国纳税人对汽车业施以援手，但这仍无法消除国会内部的怀疑情绪，正是这种情绪给政府出台一项汽车业救助计划的前景蒙上了阴影。
The chief executives of Detroit's Big Three auto makers appealed in dire language for U.S. taxpayers to help their industry, but couldn't dispel doubts in Congress that have clouded prospects for a government-led rescue.
周二，通用汽车(General Motors Corp.)、福特汽车(Ford Motor Co.)和克莱斯勒(Chrysler LLC)的领导人同全美汽车工人联合会(UAW)的负责人一起向参议院银行委员会表示，动荡的美国经济不能承受其中任何一家公司的倒闭了。
In appearances Tuesday before the Senate Banking Committee, the leaders of General Motors Corp., Ford Motor Co. and Chrysler LLC, together with the head of the United Auto Workers union, argued the shaky U.S. economy couldn't withstand a collapse of any of the companies.
通用汽车和克莱斯勒的首席执行长称，如果没有政府的支持，它们将会耗尽资金。通用汽车首席执行长瓦格纳(Rick Wagoner)说，需要有这样一个方案，以把美国经济从灾难性的崩溃边缘拯救出来。
The chief executives of GM and Chrysler said they could run out of funds without the government's support. GM CEO Rick Wagoner said the package is needed to 'save the U.S. economy from a catastrophic collapse.'
按民主党参议员克里斯托弗?多德(Christopher Dodd)的说法，这些公司“毕恭毕敬地”出现在国会一个委员会面前彰显出它们所面临困难的严重程度和其政治实力的下降。是否向在美国制造业中长期处于核心位置的底特律汽车厂家施以援手看来还是个未知数。
That the companies were convening -- 'hat in hand,' as Sen. Christopher Dodd (D., Conn.) said -- before a congressional panel reinforced the depth of their difficulties and the possible diminishment of their political clout. Extending a helping hand to Detroit auto makers, long a central part of the nation's manufacturing base, doesn't appear to be a given.
现在的问题是这些汽车厂家能否支撑到1月份，届时在新国会中民主党将占据显著多数，入住白宫的也将是来自民主党的总统。可能的干预措施的复杂程度以及由此产生的政治分歧恐怕都过于强大，难以在本周克服。
One question is whether the auto makers can muddle through to January when a new Congress convenes with strengthened Democratic majorities and a Democrat in the White House. The complexity of a possible intervention -- and the political divisiveness it has wrought -- could be too great to overcome this week.
周一，参议院民主党议员推出了一项法案，希望从用于稳定金融市场的7,000亿美元资金中拨出250亿美元帮助汽车业。该法案将允许汽车公司和零部件供应商以优惠利率获得至少10年的“过渡性贷款”。但这受到许多共和党高级人士和白宫的抵制。如果本周不能做出决定，这个问题将会遗留给新的111届国会。
On Monday, Senate Democrats introduced legislation that would set aside $25 billion to help the industry, drawing from the $700 billion fund created to stabilize financial markets. The legislation would allow the auto companies and parts suppliers to receive 'bridge loans' of at least ten years with favorable interest rates. But there is resistance among many senior Republicans and the White House. If no decision is made this week, the issue will be kicked over to the new 111th Congress.
在听证会持续了3个多小时之后，这些高管披露了如果国会批准250亿美元的贷款方案，他们各想从中申请多少：通用汽车为100亿至120亿美元；福特汽车为70亿至80亿美元；克莱斯勒为70亿美元。
As the hearing stretched past its third hour, the top executives disclosed how much they might each apply for if Congress approved the $25 billion loan package: $10 billion to $12 billion for GM; $7 billion to $8 billion for Ford; and $7 billion for Chrysler.
这些公司称，他们会用这笔钱支付员工工资，解决当前的运营支出和开发新产品。
The companies said they would use the money to pay employees, cover current operating costs and develop new products.
根据第三季度的收益情况，通用汽车和福特汽车每月都要消耗20亿美元现金。无法迅速获得资金将对通用汽车产生最直接的影响，因为该公司的经营已将要触及最低资金要求水平。三巨头都分享相同的供应链，因此一家提交破产申请也会给另外两家带来问题。
Both GM and Ford are on a pace to use up $2 billion each a month, based on their third-quarter earnings. Not getting funding immediately threatens GM most directly because the firm is operating close to its minimal funding requirements. The supply chain is shared among the Big Three, so a bankruptcy filing of one could spell problems for the other two.
部分分析师认为，通用汽车、福特汽车和克莱斯勒能够通过削减成本生存到明年1月份。但如果美国汽车市场继续下滑，这些公司现金的缺口可能超过它们削减成本的能力。
Some analysts suggest GM, Ford and Chrysler can cut costs enough to survive until January. But if the U.S. auto market continues to sink, the companies' cash drain could outpace their ability to cut costs.
通用汽车表示，如果没有政府救助，公司最快明年年初就会耗尽运营资金。
GM has said that without government aid, the company would run out of operating funds as early as early 2009.
克莱斯勒也首次加入通用汽车的行列，把自身生存和联邦救助联系起来。克莱斯勒董事长兼首席执行长纳尔德里(Robert Nardelli)表示，如果不能迅速得到过渡融资支持，克莱斯勒的流动性可能会低于维持正常运营所需的水平。他还说，公司目前每个月都会比预期多花10 亿美元左右，导致目前手头现金仅略高于60亿美元。
Chrysler joined GM for the first time in linking its survival to a federal bailout. 'Without immediate bridge financing support, Chrysler's liquidity could fall below the level necessary to sustain operations in the ordinary course,' Robert Nardelli, the company's chairman and CEO, said. He added that the company was currently spending about a $1 billion a month more than they were taking in, leaving the auto maker with slightly more than $6 billion cash on hand.
只有福特汽车表示，尽管需要贷款计划以改善美国汽车制造商状况，但没有政府救助，公司也能渡过难关。
Only Ford says that while the loan package is necessary for the betterment of the U.S.-based auto companies, it could withstand the downturn without government assistance.
汽车制造商和工会也大谈它们公司的深远影响。它们还表示，底特律三巨头正和外国汽车制造商展开竞争，但整体经济动荡破坏了它们的大好计划。三巨头在美国总计雇佣了23.9万名员工。
The auto makers and the union sketched their companies' far-reaching impact. They also argued that Chrysler, Ford and GM are on the right track to compete with foreign-based auto makers, but that turmoil in the broader economy foiled their good planning. The companies together employ 239,000 people in the U.S.
在参议院要求限制高管薪酬的压力下，克莱斯勒的纳尔德里表示，如果得到联邦救助，他愿意接受1美元的年薪。1979年，执掌克莱斯勒的艾科卡(Lee Iacocca)在接受联邦政府贷款担保时也曾作出同样的表示。通用汽车和福特汽车首席执行长拒绝这么做。
Under pressure from senators over the issue of executive compensation, Chrysler's Mr. Nardelli said he would be willing to accept a salary of $1 a year as part of a federal bailout. Lee Iacocca made the same commitment when he ran Chrysler and secured federal loan guarantees in 1979. The chief executives of GM and Ford declined to make the same commitment.
银行业委员会听证会是零部件供应商和经销商发起的大范围游说活动之一。相关公司高管周三将在众议院金融服务委员会露面。这些公司希望获得250亿美元以应对疲软的经济形势。经济疲软压制了汽车需求，限制了消费者获得贷款的渠道。
The Banking Committee testimony is part of a broader lobbying campaign that includes parts suppliers and dealers. The executives will appear before the House Financial Services Committee Wednesday. All told, the companies are seeking $25 billion to weather the weakening economy, which has dampened demand for autos and restricted consumer access to loans.
另一个反映汽车业问题的迹象是，全球三大信贷保险商目前均认为美国汽车业是违约风险最高的行业之一。
In another indication of the industry's problems, the world's three dominant credit insurers now consider the U.S. auto industry among the riskiest sectors for default.
为了符合救助条件，这些公司可能需要限制高管薪酬、允许政府持股，并提交具体计划，阐述如何重新拥有强劲财务实力以及如何提高产能生产节能型汽车。
To qualify, companies would have to accept limits on executive compensation, allow the government to take stock in the firms, and submit a detailed plan showing how they intend to return to sound financial footing and improve their capacity to produce fuel-efficient vehicles.
目前还不清楚国会是否会将管理层调整列为救助计划的一项条件，不过一些议员已在考虑这个问题。
It wasn't clear whether Congress would demand management changes as a condition to any bailout, although the topic was on the minds of some lawmakers.
除了拟议中的救助计划，国会已批准250亿美元资金用于帮助汽车业重组、以实现更高的能效标准。白宫正在制定一项竞争计划，希望取消部分限制，加快已批准贷款的发放速度。
The proposed assistance would be on top of $25 billion in already-approved loans intended to help the industry retool to meet higher fuel-efficiency standards. The White House is pushing a rival plan to speed release of the previously approved loans, by removing certain restrictions.
Greg Hitt / Matthew Dolan
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