Airbus

　　空中客車

　　Coming to America

　　殺入美國(guó)本土市場(chǎng)

　　Europe s big aircraft-maker is to open a factory inAlabama

　　歐洲飛機(jī)制造巨頭將在阿拉巴馬州建工廠

　　THE red imported fire ant first entered Americathrough the port of Mobile, Alabama, in the 1930s.Being more aggressive than most native species, it soon spread across the country. OnJuly 2nd Airbus said it would open its first jet assembly line in America in Mobile. Thereaction of Boeing, the European aircraft-maker s biggest rival, suggests it fears a nastysting from this foreign pest. And with good reason: Airbus says the factory, which will cost$600m and start delivering aircraft in 2023, will help to boost its share of America s civil-aviation market to nearly 50%, up from 20% today.

　　紅色的火蟻?zhàn)鳛橥鈦砦锓N，20世紀(jì)30年代首次從阿拉巴馬州西南部港市莫比爾傳入美國(guó)。它比大部分本土物種的侵略性大得多，迅速遍及全國(guó)。7月2號(hào)，空中客車宣布將在莫比爾港市興建其在美國(guó)的第一個(gè)飛機(jī)組裝廠。波音，作為空客最大的競(jìng)爭(zhēng)對(duì)手，回應(yīng)道恐怕會(huì)被這個(gè)外來的害蟲狠狠咬傷，而且理由很充分：空客稱其工廠造價(jià)6000萬美元，2023年就開始交貨，這將促使他們?cè)诿绹?guó)民航市場(chǎng)所占的份額由今天的20%提高到將近50%。

　　Airbus s move seems well-timed. With the four biggest airlines in the world, America remainsthe largest market for civilian jets. Demand has been muted for years, usually accountingfor less than 30% of orders worldwide, down from 50% in 2003. But this is likely to change.Jets flying in America are typically several years older than elsewhere. Perhaps 5,000 newaircraft may be needed in the next 20 years. The single-aisle 319s, 320s and 321s thatAirbus will put together in Mobile-albeit initially at a modest rate of up to 50 a year-willchallenge Boeing s popular 757.

　　空客的這步舉措看起來時(shí)機(jī)剛剛好。美國(guó)擁有全球四大航空公司，一直是民用飛機(jī)最大的市場(chǎng)。近年來需求減弱，其訂單經(jīng)常不到全球訂單的30%，而在2003年，這個(gè)比例還是50%。不過這種局面即將扭轉(zhuǎn)。在美國(guó)運(yùn)行的飛機(jī)通常比其他地區(qū)的機(jī)齡要老幾年，未來20年大概需要5000架新飛機(jī)?？湛蛯⒃谀葼柺猩a(chǎn)大量型號(hào)為 319,320和321的單過道噴氣式飛機(jī)，雖然一開始是一年近50架，比例還較為和緩，但這大大挑戰(zhàn)了常用的波音757的地位。

　　Earlier plans by Airbus to make planes in America were thwarted when Boeing beat it to wina large order for mid-air refuelling tankers from the Pentagon. By selling aircraft that aremade in the USA, Airbus hopes to win over patriotic locals . American politicianshave long supported Boeing against its European challenger, though it is unfair to classifyAirbus as wholly European. Like Boeing, its supply chain is global. It claims, for example, tobe the largest foreign customer of America s civil-aerospace industry.

　　波音公司曾挫敗了空客早期在美國(guó)造飛機(jī)的計(jì)劃，并從國(guó)防部贏得一筆很大的空中加油飛機(jī)的訂單?？湛凸鞠Ｍㄟ^銷售美國(guó)制造的飛機(jī)，來爭(zhēng)取有強(qiáng)烈愛國(guó)心的美國(guó)消費(fèi)者。美國(guó)的政客長(zhǎng)期以來支持波音公司以抵抗其歐洲勁敵，但是將空客定性為純粹的歐洲公司是不公平的，就像波音公司，其供給鏈也是全球性的。例如，空客就聲稱將成為美國(guó)民航工業(yè)最大的外國(guó)客戶。

　　Airbus says the new factory will bring it closer to its customers in America. It will also createa natural currency hedge, with more of its costs incurred in dollars rather than euros. Given the uncertainty surrounding the euro,such hedging is doubly wise. Ironically, Airbus will also receive subsidies from Alabamareckoned to be worth almost $160m. Airbus said it noticed what was on offer only when itinvestigated the subsidies paid to Boeing.

　　空客公司稱，新工廠將會(huì)拉近其與美國(guó)消費(fèi)者之間的距離，還會(huì)產(chǎn)生自然貨幣對(duì)沖，因?yàn)槠涑杀靖嗟氖且悦涝Y(jié)算，而非歐元。考慮到歐元區(qū)的不確定性，這種對(duì)沖更為明智。諷刺的是，空客也會(huì)得到阿拉巴馬州的補(bǔ)貼，據(jù)說有將近 1600萬美元?？湛头Q，只有調(diào)查到波音公司接受的補(bǔ)貼才能知道州政府具體提供的是什么。

　　Airbus s new factory is expected to create 1,000 jobs. Part of the appeal of Alabama is that itis a right-to-work state, where employees cannot be forced to join a union as a condition ofemployment. Boeing s factories are largely in closed-shop Washington state. A new Boeingfactory in right-to-work South Carolina was blocked by the union-friendly National LabourRelations Board, until Boeing gave a gold-plated pay deal to its unionised workers in existingfactories. So far, despite high unemployment in the EU, Airbus s European workers seem tohave bought their bosses argument that the new factory will not take jobs from Europe, butmay create some by boosting sales in America.

　　空客公司的新工廠有望帶來1000個(gè)工作崗位。阿拉巴馬州吸引商家的一部分因素是其州政府保障就業(yè)權(quán)，雇工不必面臨以加入工會(huì)作為受聘的條件的窘境。而波音的工廠大部分在華盛頓州，在那里工廠只雇傭工會(huì)會(huì)員。在保障就業(yè)權(quán)的南卡羅來納州，親工會(huì)的全國(guó)勞資關(guān)系委員會(huì)封了波音公司的一個(gè)新工廠，直到公司向現(xiàn)有工廠里已加入工會(huì)的員工交出一份華而不實(shí)的薪水標(biāo)準(zhǔn)。到目前為止，盡管歐盟的失業(yè)率仍居高不下，空客公司的歐洲員工似乎已相信了老板們的言論，新工廠不會(huì)造成歐洲的工作崗位流失，反而會(huì)因?yàn)槊绹?guó)良好的銷售情況而帶來更多的工作機(jī)會(huì)。

　　Some European politicians have interpreted Airbus s move as the latest depressing symbol ofEurope s decline. That is a stretch. What is most striking is the self-confident approachto globalisation taken by Airbus, a company that over the years has suffered more than itsshare of petty squabbles, especially between its French and German tribes.

　　一些歐洲政客將空客的這一舉動(dòng)視為歐洲衰敗的最新標(biāo)志，令人十分沮喪。這種說法就夸大其詞了。最令人震驚的還是空客公司這一信心十足的全球化舉措，這個(gè)公司數(shù)年來經(jīng)歷了無數(shù)瑣碎的爭(zhēng)吵，尤其是其法國(guó)公司和德國(guó)公司之間的爭(zhēng)執(zhí)更是令人頭疼。

　　How Boeing will respond to this rocket-blast of competition in its own backyard remains tobe seen. So far it has merely grumbled that the new factory will not change the fact thatAirbus has benefited from huge subsidies at home. Perhaps Boeing should open a factory inEurope? That is easier said than done. Few places in the EU can match Alabama s sweet mixof flexible working practices and southern-fried tax breaks.

　　波音公司在自己的地盤如何應(yīng)對(duì)這場(chǎng)激烈的競(jìng)爭(zhēng)令人拭目以待。到目前為止它只是抱怨就算興建新工廠也不能改變這樣的事實(shí)，那就是空客公司已經(jīng)在它的地盤從巨額補(bǔ)貼中獲益。或許波音也該在歐洲興建工廠?這件事說起來容易做起來難，因?yàn)闅W洲很少有地方能像阿拉巴馬州那樣，將靈活的工作方式和具有南方特色的減稅措施結(jié)合的如此完美。

　　Airbus

　　空中客車

　　Coming to America

　　殺入美國(guó)本土市場(chǎng)

　　Europe s big aircraft-maker is to open a factory inAlabama

　　歐洲飛機(jī)制造巨頭將在阿拉巴馬州建工廠

　　THE red imported fire ant first entered Americathrough the port of Mobile, Alabama, in the 1930s.Being more aggressive than most native species, it soon spread across the country. OnJuly 2nd Airbus said it would open its first jet assembly line in America in Mobile. Thereaction of Boeing, the European aircraft-maker s biggest rival, suggests it fears a nastysting from this foreign pest. And with good reason: Airbus says the factory, which will cost$600m and start delivering aircraft in 2023, will help to boost its share of America s civil-aviation market to nearly 50%, up from 20% today.

　　紅色的火蟻?zhàn)鳛橥鈦砦锓N，20世紀(jì)30年代首次從阿拉巴馬州西南部港市莫比爾傳入美國(guó)。它比大部分本土物種的侵略性大得多，迅速遍及全國(guó)。7月2號(hào)，空中客車宣布將在莫比爾港市興建其在美國(guó)的第一個(gè)飛機(jī)組裝廠。波音，作為空客最大的競(jìng)爭(zhēng)對(duì)手，回應(yīng)道恐怕會(huì)被這個(gè)外來的害蟲狠狠咬傷，而且理由很充分：空客稱其工廠造價(jià)6000萬美元，2023年就開始交貨，這將促使他們?cè)诿绹?guó)民航市場(chǎng)所占的份額由今天的20%提高到將近50%。

　　Airbus s move seems well-timed. With the four biggest airlines in the world, America remainsthe largest market for civilian jets. Demand has been muted for years, usually accountingfor less than 30% of orders worldwide, down from 50% in 2003. But this is likely to change.Jets flying in America are typically several years older than elsewhere. Perhaps 5,000 newaircraft may be needed in the next 20 years. The single-aisle 319s, 320s and 321s thatAirbus will put together in Mobile-albeit initially at a modest rate of up to 50 a year-willchallenge Boeing s popular 757.

　　空客的這步舉措看起來時(shí)機(jī)剛剛好。美國(guó)擁有全球四大航空公司，一直是民用飛機(jī)最大的市場(chǎng)。近年來需求減弱，其訂單經(jīng)常不到全球訂單的30%，而在2003年，這個(gè)比例還是50%。不過這種局面即將扭轉(zhuǎn)。在美國(guó)運(yùn)行的飛機(jī)通常比其他地區(qū)的機(jī)齡要老幾年，未來20年大概需要5000架新飛機(jī)。空客將在莫比爾市生產(chǎn)大量型號(hào)為 319,320和321的單過道噴氣式飛機(jī)，雖然一開始是一年近50架，比例還較為和緩，但這大大挑戰(zhàn)了常用的波音757的地位。

　　Earlier plans by Airbus to make planes in America were thwarted when Boeing beat it to wina large order for mid-air refuelling tankers from the Pentagon. By selling aircraft that aremade in the USA, Airbus hopes to win over patriotic locals . American politicianshave long supported Boeing against its European challenger, though it is unfair to classifyAirbus as wholly European. Like Boeing, its supply chain is global. It claims, for example, tobe the largest foreign customer of America s civil-aerospace industry.

　　波音公司曾挫敗了空客早期在美國(guó)造飛機(jī)的計(jì)劃，并從國(guó)防部贏得一筆很大的空中加油飛機(jī)的訂單?？湛凸鞠Ｍㄟ^銷售美國(guó)制造的飛機(jī)，來爭(zhēng)取有強(qiáng)烈愛國(guó)心的美國(guó)消費(fèi)者。美國(guó)的政客長(zhǎng)期以來支持波音公司以抵抗其歐洲勁敵，但是將空客定性為純粹的歐洲公司是不公平的，就像波音公司，其供給鏈也是全球性的。例如，空客就聲稱將成為美國(guó)民航工業(yè)最大的外國(guó)客戶。

　　Airbus says the new factory will bring it closer to its customers in America. It will also createa natural currency hedge, with more of its costs incurred in dollars rather than euros. Given the uncertainty surrounding the euro,such hedging is doubly wise. Ironically, Airbus will also receive subsidies from Alabamareckoned to be worth almost $160m. Airbus said it noticed what was on offer only when itinvestigated the subsidies paid to Boeing.

　　空客公司稱，新工廠將會(huì)拉近其與美國(guó)消費(fèi)者之間的距離，還會(huì)產(chǎn)生自然貨幣對(duì)沖，因?yàn)槠涑杀靖嗟氖且悦涝Y(jié)算，而非歐元?？紤]到歐元區(qū)的不確定性，這種對(duì)沖更為明智。諷刺的是，空客也會(huì)得到阿拉巴馬州的補(bǔ)貼，據(jù)說有將近 1600萬美元?？湛头Q，只有調(diào)查到波音公司接受的補(bǔ)貼才能知道州政府具體提供的是什么。

　　Airbus s new factory is expected to create 1,000 jobs. Part of the appeal of Alabama is that itis a right-to-work state, where employees cannot be forced to join a union as a condition ofemployment. Boeing s factories are largely in closed-shop Washington state. A new Boeingfactory in right-to-work South Carolina was blocked by the union-friendly National LabourRelations Board, until Boeing gave a gold-plated pay deal to its unionised workers in existingfactories. So far, despite high unemployment in the EU, Airbus s European workers seem tohave bought their bosses argument that the new factory will not take jobs from Europe, butmay create some by boosting sales in America.

　　空客公司的新工廠有望帶來1000個(gè)工作崗位。阿拉巴馬州吸引商家的一部分因素是其州政府保障就業(yè)權(quán)，雇工不必面臨以加入工會(huì)作為受聘的條件的窘境。而波音的工廠大部分在華盛頓州，在那里工廠只雇傭工會(huì)會(huì)員。在保障就業(yè)權(quán)的南卡羅來納州，親工會(huì)的全國(guó)勞資關(guān)系委員會(huì)封了波音公司的一個(gè)新工廠，直到公司向現(xiàn)有工廠里已加入工會(huì)的員工交出一份華而不實(shí)的薪水標(biāo)準(zhǔn)。到目前為止，盡管歐盟的失業(yè)率仍居高不下，空客公司的歐洲員工似乎已相信了老板們的言論，新工廠不會(huì)造成歐洲的工作崗位流失，反而會(huì)因?yàn)槊绹?guó)良好的銷售情況而帶來更多的工作機(jī)會(huì)。

　　Some European politicians have interpreted Airbus s move as the latest depressing symbol ofEurope s decline. That is a stretch. What is most striking is the self-confident approachto globalisation taken by Airbus, a company that over the years has suffered more than itsshare of petty squabbles, especially between its French and German tribes.

　　一些歐洲政客將空客的這一舉動(dòng)視為歐洲衰敗的最新標(biāo)志，令人十分沮喪。這種說法就夸大其詞了。最令人震驚的還是空客公司這一信心十足的全球化舉措，這個(gè)公司數(shù)年來經(jīng)歷了無數(shù)瑣碎的爭(zhēng)吵，尤其是其法國(guó)公司和德國(guó)公司之間的爭(zhēng)執(zhí)更是令人頭疼。

　　How Boeing will respond to this rocket-blast of competition in its own backyard remains tobe seen. So far it has merely grumbled that the new factory will not change the fact thatAirbus has benefited from huge subsidies at home. Perhaps Boeing should open a factory inEurope? That is easier said than done. Few places in the EU can match Alabama s sweet mixof flexible working practices and southern-fried tax breaks.

　　波音公司在自己的地盤如何應(yīng)對(duì)這場(chǎng)激烈的競(jìng)爭(zhēng)令人拭目以待。到目前為止它只是抱怨就算興建新工廠也不能改變這樣的事實(shí)，那就是空客公司已經(jīng)在它的地盤從巨額補(bǔ)貼中獲益。或許波音也該在歐洲興建工廠?這件事說起來容易做起來難，因?yàn)闅W洲很少有地方能像阿拉巴馬州那樣，將靈活的工作方式和具有南方特色的減稅措施結(jié)合的如此完美。