Toyota Sees First Loss in 70 Years
丰田汽车(Toyota Motor Corp.)预计将自1938年以来首次出现年度营运亏损，凸显出困扰汽车业的问题正蔓延至美国以外的地区，让实力最强的一些汽车厂商也付出了代价。
Toyota Motor Corp. forecast its first annual operating loss since 1938, a dramatic indicator that the troubles roiling the auto industry extend beyond the U.S. and are taking a toll on even the strongest car makers.
这家日本市值最大的公司表示，预计截至明年3月31日的本财年合并报表的营运亏损为1,500亿日圆（约合16.8亿美元），原因是美国、欧洲和日本汽车需求下滑以及日圆兑美元的升值。六周前，该公司刚刚将本财年营运利润预期下调至6,000亿日圆，而上个财年实现营运利润2.27万亿日圆。
Japan's biggest company by market cap said it expects consolidated operating loss of 150 billion yen, or about $1.68 billion, in the fiscal year through March 31, hurt by sliding demand in the U.S., Europe and Japan and the rising yen against the dollar. The revision came just six weeks after Toyota revised down its operating profit forecast to 600 billion yen for the current year, compared with 2.27 trillion yen posted in the year ended March 31, 2008.
成立于1937年的丰田汽车表示，在利息收入和关联企业派息的提振下，预计本财年将实现净利润500亿日圆。这尚且不到此前预期的5,500亿日圆的十分之一。该公司上个财政年度实现净利润1.72万亿日圆。
Toyota, established in 1937, said it expects to book a net profit for the current fiscal year of 50 billion yen, helped by interest income and dividend from affiliates. That's less than a tenth of its previous forecast of 550 billion yen; it posted 1.72 trillion yen net profit in the year-earlier period.
丰田汽车接连两次下调收益预期，反映出汽车业整个的经营状况都在迅速恶化，通用汽车(General Motors Corp.)等美国汽车厂商的业务状况最先亮起了红灯。通用一直以来都是丰田在争夺世界汽车销量头把交椅的有力竞争对手。在上周末从美国政府获得临时救助之前，通用汽车曾警告称，可能会在本财年结束前面临现金短缺问题。
The two revisions in quick succession reflect the rapidly deteriorating business conditions across the industry that brought warnings from U.S. auto makers like General Motors Corp., Toyota's traditional rival in the chase to be the world's biggest car maker by sales. GM had warned it might run out of cash by the end of the fiscal year before securing a temporary bailout from the U.S. government late last week.
丰田黯淡的收益预期很可能会对日本整个出口型经济带来扩散效应。该公司是日本的出口领头羊，也是日本企业实力的代表。由于丰田在业内还被视为是高效率的典范，该公司本财年无法在汽车生产上创造可观利润可能会给整个行业带来寒意。
The grave forecasts by Toyota, Japan's flagship exporter and a bellwether of Japan's corporate strength, will likely have ripple effects throughout Japan's export-dependent economy. Since Toyota is also viewed within the auto industry as a model of efficiency, its inability to generate substantial profit from making cars this fiscal year may send a chill through the whole sector.
丰田总裁渡边捷昭(Katsuaki Watanabe)在新闻发布会上表示，这是一场我们从未经历过的紧急状况，周围的环境非常严峻。
'It's a kind of emergency that we've never experienced before,' said Toyota President Katsuaki Watanabe, speaking at a news conference. 'The environment surrounding us is extremely harsh.'
日本有关部门周一称，11月该国出口以创纪录的降幅下滑，主要原因是对欧美的汽车和汽车配件出口剧减。周一，日本还下调了经济预期，表示由于很多经济行业以极高的速度下滑，日本经济在近7年来首次出现恶化。
On Monday, Japan said exports dropped by their sharpest rate on record in November, due mainly to falling shipments of cars and automobile parts to the U.S. and Europe. Also on Monday, Japan cut its view on the economy and described it as 'worsening' for the first time in almost seven years due to deterioration of many economic sectors at an exceptionally high pace.
渡边捷昭说，迅速变化的市场形势令公司很难预测明年的业务情况。他警告说，现在还无法得知市场底部在哪儿。不过他说希望丰田能实现营运利润。丰田已经在日本工厂实施减产和裁减临时工，希望藉此降低成本，而且还推迟了在密西西比州等地的新工厂投资。该厂原本计划于2010年5月开始生产颇为成功的普锐斯(Prius)混合动力轿车。
Mr. Watanabe said the rapidly changing market conditions make it difficult to predict its business next year, warning: 'It's not yet possible to tell where the market's bottom will be.' Still, he said he hopes Toyota can turn an operating profit. The company has already sought to cut costs by scaling back production and laying off temporary workers at factories in Japan, as well as postponing new factory investments in places like Mississippi, where it was scheduled to start producing its successful Prius hybrid sedan in May 2010.
预计能从这场席卷了整个汽车业的低迷中逃离的公司寥寥无几。周一，小型车厂商铃木汽车(Suzuki Motor Corp.)和丰田子公司大发汽车公司(Daihatsu Motor Co.)均宣布进行新一轮减产，而轮胎制造商普利司通轮胎公司(Bridgestone Corp.)也因销量下滑而下调了收益预期。上周，在日本销量仅次于丰田的第二大汽车厂商本田汽车(Honda Motor Co.)也在两个月中第二次下调收益预期。与此同时，韩国现代汽车(Hyundai Motor Co.)和起亚汽车(Kia Motors Corp.)周一将2008年联合销售预期下调12.5%，并表示由于汽车需求下滑，它们将冻结管理人士薪酬。
Few are expected to escape the downturn slicing through the auto sector: On Monday, small car specialist Suzuki Motor Corp. and Toyota subsidiary Daihatsu Motor Co. both announced fresh production cuts, while tire maker Bridgestone Corp. also lowered its financial forecasts on sliding sales. Last week, Honda Motor Co., Japan's second-biggest auto maker by sales after Toyota, also cut forecasts for the second time in two months. In South Korea, meanwhile, Hyundai Motor Co. and Kia Motors Corp. cut their joint 2008 sales forecast by 12.5% Monday and said they would freeze pay for managers amid slumping vehicle demand.
除面临汽车销量下滑之外，与其他日本大型出口商一样，丰田也受到了日圆兑其他主要货币大幅升值的冲击。坚挺的日圆意味着以美元和欧元计价的销售额在丰田的帐面上会“缩水”。
As well as a slowdown in vehicle sales, Toyota, like other Japanese major exporters, has been hurt by the yen's sharp gains against other major currencies. A strong yen means sales in dollars and euros are worth less in Toyota's books.
丰田还将收入预期从23万亿日圆下调至21.5万亿日圆。同时该公司还将全球汽车销量从此前预期的824万辆下调至754万辆，降幅8.5%。
Toyota also reduced its revenue projection to 21.5 trillion yen from 23 trillion yen. This reduction is in line with a cut in its estimates for global vehicle sales to 7.54 million in the fiscal year, down 8.5% from the 8.24 million it previously expected to sell.
丰田下调收益预期是在闭市后宣布的。周一，丰田股票收于每股2,895日圆，跌5日圆。
Toyota announced its forecasts after the close of markets. On Monday, Toyota's shares closed at 2,895 yen, down 5 yen.
经济低迷还重创了韩国的汽车制造商。现代汽车和起亚汽车在一份声明中表示，它们现在预期本年度总销量达420万辆，此前的预期为480万辆。两公司称，与此同时，海外库存预计将达106万辆。
The economic downturn has also hit South Korean car makers. Hyundai and Kia said in a statement that they now expect total sales to reach 4.2 million vehicles this year, compared with an earlier forecast of 4.8 million. Overseas inventories, meanwhile, are expected to reach 1.06 million vehicles, they said.
这两家在韩国汽车业占统治地位的公司组建了世界第五大汽车集团。起亚为现代汽车的一个关联企业。
The two companies, which dominate the South Korean car industry, form the world's fifth-biggest automotive group. Kia is a Hyundai affiliate.
除冻结管理人士薪酬之外，现代汽车还表示，将从本周开始缩短两个生产基地的工作时间，其中一个基地生产公共汽车。现代汽车本月早些时候自1998年以来首次缩短了加班时间。
In addition to freezing management pay, Hyundai said it will curtail working hours at two production sites, including one that manufactures buses, beginning this week. Hyundai earlier this month slashed overtime for the first time since 1998.
声明表示，这两家公司启动了紧急管理结构来克服危机。
The two automakers were in an 'emergency management structure to overcome the crisis,' the statement said.
与此同时，韩国最小的汽车厂商双龙汽车公司(Ssangyong Motor Co.)称，可能无法按时支付12月份的工资，原因是受到了眼下这场银行和金融压力的波及。中国上海汽车工业（集团）总公司持有双龙汽车的多数股权。
Meanwhile, Ssangyong Motor Co., the country's smallest automaker, said it may not be able to meet its December payroll on time. Ssangyong, majority owned by China's Shanghai Automotive Industry Corp., cited fallout from ongoing banking and financial pressures.
Yoshio Takahashi / Juro Osawa
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