Ford CEO Worries Detroit Rivals Won't Survive
福特汽车(Ford Motor Co.)首席执行长穆拉利(Alan Mulally)周三表示，他越来越担心通用汽车(General Motors)和克莱斯勒(Chrysler LLC)的命运。底特律三巨头此前提交了具体的业务扭转计划，以寻求获得至多350亿美元的政府担保贷款。
Ford Motor Co. Chief Executive Alan Mulally said Wednesday he was increasingly worried about the fates of General Motors Corp. and Chrysler LLC after Detroit's Big Three submitted detailed plans to secure up to $35 billion in government-backed loans.
穆拉利在华盛顿接受《华尔街日报》采访时表示，在通用汽车和克莱斯勒对国会表示他们需要立即获得现金注入才能维持生存后，他非常担心它们的财务状况。
In an interview with The Wall Street Journal in Washington, Mr. Mulally said he was 'very concerned' about the financial health of GM and Chrysler after the auto makers told Congress they needed the immediate infusion of cash to survive.
作为寻求财务救助的新举措之一，通用汽车表示自己需要立即获得40亿美元注资才能维持年底前的运转，而要重现生机还需要180亿美元贷款。克莱斯勒的现金也在不断减少，该公司正寻求70亿美元贷款以帮助其支付即将于明年第一季度到期的帐单。
As part of a renewed bid for a financial rescue, GM said it needs an immediate injection of $4 billion to stay afloat until the end of the year and a total of $18 billion in loans to return to viability. With a dwindling pot of cash, Chrysler is seeking $7 billion in loans to help it pay bills coming due as soon as the first quarter of 2009.
穆拉利说，当上个月通用汽车公开表示如果不能尽快获得现金，公司能否继续维持运转将面临疑问时，他的担忧就开始日益加深。11月18日，通用汽车首席执行长瓦格纳(Rick Wagoner)在参加国会听证会时发出了更为悲观的论调，他表示，为汽车制造商提供一揽子贷款是必要的，这样才能避免美国经济陷入灾难性崩溃。
Mr. Mulally traced back his deepening worry to last month when GM publicly questioned whether it could continue to be a 'going concern' without access to quick cash. Testifying before Congress on Nov. 18, GM CEO Rick Wagoner offered a more dire assessment, saying the loan package for the auto makers is needed to save the 'U.S. economy from a catastrophic collapse.'
穆拉利周三表示，我们竞争对手显露出来的状况越来越令人担忧。
'Each revelation by our competitors has been of growing concern,' Mr. Mulally said Wednesday.
记者未能联系到通用汽车和克莱斯勒代表对此置评。
Representatives at GM and Chrysler were not available for immediate comment.
福特汽车正寻求从政府获得90亿美元信用额度，但公司同时表示可能并不需要动用这笔信用额度。福特汽车在周二提交给国会的36页计划中表示，只有当经济状况恶化，或者一家或更多竞争对手倒闭并引起联合供应商网络中断，公司才需要动用这一信用额度。
Ford is seeking a $9 billion line of credit from the government, though it adds it may not need to tap it. According to the 36-page plan it submitted to Congress Tuesday, the company said it will only need to access the line of credit if the economy worsens or one or more of its competitors fail and disrupt a joint supplier network.
穆拉利表示，他了解到供应商目前要求汽车制造商缩短付款期限，包括货到付款。我们现在的供应基础非常脆弱。
Mr. Mulally said he is aware of suppliers who are now demanding shorter payment terms from auto makers, including cash-on-delivery. 'We have a very delicate supply base right now.'
他没有透露具体细节，也没有表示这些要求是否针对福特汽车，或供应商是否正在限制对通用汽车与克莱斯勒的付款期限。他不愿预测新付款期限可能影响的范围。
He offered no details and he wouldn't say whether these demands are coming to Ford or whether the suppliers are tightening terms on GM and Chrysler. He also declined to venture how widespread the new terms could be.
底特律三巨头上个月向国会申请250亿美元的低成本贷款，以帮助他们渡过经济低迷时期，挺过数十年来汽车销量最糟糕的一个时期。但议员们不能确信三巨头有明确的重组计划来重新实现盈利，于是他们让三巨头12月2日带着具体计划再来申请，详细阐述他们会如何使用纳税人资金以保持生 。
The Big Three last month appealed to Congress for $25 billion in low-cost loans to carry them through the downturn in the economy and one of the worst auto sales slumps in decades. But lawmakers were unconvinced that the three had clear restructuring plans to return to profitability and told them to come back by Dec. 2 with more details on how they would use taxpayer funds to 'become viable.'
穆拉利还表示，全美汽车工人联合会(UAW)领导人即将与底特律三巨头达成2007年劳动合同的调整协议，这是个积极的迹象。可能的调整包括了放宽就业保障条款，推迟新的医疗信托生效的日期。
Mr. Mulally also said it was positive sign that leaders of the United Auto Workers union are close to signing off on changes to the 2007 labor contract with Detroit's three auto makers. Changes may include relaxing job-security provisions and push back the date on when a new health-care trust becomes active.
许多国会议员一直在批评底特律三巨头与在美的日本汽车企业相比相对高昂的劳动力成本。
Many in Congress had been critical of the high labor costs Detroit's Big Three have compared with their Japanese competitors operating in the U.S.
穆拉利周四、周五即将参加国会听证会。他对此表示，自己非常希望展示福特汽车与竞争对手的不同之处。他也承认，自己此前由于乘坐公司专机前往华盛顿和数百万美元的年薪遭受了批评，公司从中吸取了很多教训。
Speaking about his upcoming testimony before Congress on Thursday and Friday, Ford's chief executive said he was enthusiastic to demonstrate how different his company is from its competitors. He also admitted Ford learned a lot from the skewering Mr. Mulally received for traveling to Washington on a corporate jet and the size of his multimillion-dollar pay.
如果能获得政府贷款，福特汽车计划出售公司的五架专机，并且穆拉利还将把年薪从200万美元降至1美元。穆拉利这次是乘坐一辆福特油电混合动力SUV抵达华盛顿的。
The company now plans to sell its five aircraft and Mr. Mulally's $2 million salary will be reduced to $1 if Ford accesses government loans. Mr. Mulally arrived in Washington this time inside a Ford gas-electric hybrid SUV.
穆拉利表示，我们和其他汽车制造商境况不同。我们相信自己拥有充足的流动性可以渡过此次衰退。但如果经济继续恶化，行业形势每况愈下，那么即便是福特汽车可能也不得不需要过渡性贷款。
'We are a in a different place' than other auto makers, Mr. Mulally said. 'We believe we have sufficient liquidity to get through this recession. But if the economy continued to deteriorate and the industry continued to deteriorate, then even Ford might have to need a bridge loan also.'
谈到上个月汽车制造商遭受国会的冷遇，穆拉利说，福特汽车与其竞争对手只是没有对议员们后来提出的问题做好准备。穆拉利此前以为听证会将完全专注于美国汽车业的困境问题。
As for the cold shoulder that Congress gave the auto makers last month, Mr. Mulally said Ford and its competitors were simply not ready for the follow-up questions posed by members of Congress. Mr. Mulally had expected the hearings to focus solely on the ailing health of the U.S.-based auto sector.
穆拉利说，当时我们没有为接下来的一轮讨论做好准备。他同时表示，现在我们准备好了。
'We were not prepared for that next round of discussions,' he said. Now, Mr. Mulally added, they are.
Matthew Dolan
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