(单词翻译:单击)
听力文本
From VOA Learning English, this is the Technology Report.
The Ambassador automobile is the most famous and longest made Indian car. Hindustan Motors released the first one to the market in 1958. The car soon became known as the King of Indian Roads. But now the long-time car leader will take a back seat. Hindustan Motors says it has suspended production of the Ambassador. Many Ambassador supporters fear it will never return.
The box-shaped car was based on a car design by Britain's Morris Oxford. Indians call the car the "Amby". The Amby has a strong steel body. The car makes it through very hilly areas and bad roads with ease.
Singh is a taxi driver. He says he would not use any other vehicle in his work. He says everyone likes it, it is a very comfortable car. He has driven only the Ambassador for 50 years. Mr. Singh was very sad when Hindustan Motors announced the end of production for the Ambassador. The company says its decision is the result of low demand and lack of money.
The auto market in India did not get seriously competitive until the middle of 1980s. Japanese car maker, Suzuki, joined within an Indian company to produce a small, low cost vehicle. But the Ambassador remained the car of the rich and the powerful.
However, in 1991, India further opened its economy to foreign investors. Many international auto companies began to offer buyers newer, more fuel-efficient vehicles. Other companies offered sport utility vehicles to a rising Indian middle class. The Ambassador maker found it increasingly difficult to find buyers.
Diksha Pande is a young professional in New Delhi. She remembers an orange and brown Ambassador her grandfather owned. But she has never thought of buying an Ambassador for herself.
"They are a bit retro, so they feel a little outdated, and I don't think they will have the same amount of power and swiftness that you want in a car in today's day and age. I like SUVs because they are big powerful cars. And power is important in a car," said Pande.
Hindustan Motors made few changes to the Ambassador design since its beginning. The Indian government continued using the car until ten years ago. Many taxi drivers like the Ambassador because repairs are generally low-cost. It was even rated the best taxi by the British television show Top Gear.
But Amby's sales records are not good. Last year, dealers sold only 2,200 of them out of 1.8 million car sales. There are reports about search for new Amby investor. But auto experts say they do not believe India's Ambassador will return.
And that's the VOA Learning English Technology Report. For more technology stories, go to our website learningenglish.voanews.com. I'm Jonathan Evans.
文本来自51voa，译文属可可原创，仅供学习交流使用，未经许可请勿转载
词汇解释
1.suspend vt. 延缓，推迟；使暂停；使悬浮 vi. 悬浮；禁赛
The union suspended strike action this week.
工会本周暂停了罢工行动。
2.Sport Utility Vehicle 运动型多用途车
They buy huge trucks and sport utility vehicles (SUVs) that could go across a desert and back to take their kids to school.
他们购买卡车或是运动型车辆，这样既能横穿沙漠，回来又可以接送小孩读书。
3.swiftness n. 迅速，敏捷；快
The secrecy and swiftness of the invasion shocked and amazed army officers.
这次入侵的隐秘和迅速令陆军军官们大为震惊。
内容解析
1.But now the long-time car leader will take a back seat.
take a back seat 处于默默无闻的地位；处于次要地位；退居二线
This is a country where women usually take a back seat.
在这个国家通常是男尊女卑。
Adults need to learn to take a back seat.
成年人需要学会让步。
参考译文
这里是美国之音慢速英语科技报道。
大使牌汽车是印度最知名、历史最悠久的汽车，印度斯坦汽车公司1958年将首款汽车推向市场，这款汽车很快成为“印度道路之王”。但现在这个历史悠久的汽车领导者将退居二线。印度斯坦汽车公司称已暂停大使汽车的生产，大使汽车的很多支持者担心这款车将一去不复返。
这款盒子构造的汽车是由英国人莫里斯·牛津设计的，印度人称这款车为Amby，它有着强壮的钢铁身躯，能在高山地区和糟糕的道路上行走自如。
辛格是一名出租车司机，他说他不会使用其他汽车作为出租车。他说大家都喜欢它，这款车很舒服。他50多年来一直开大使汽车，当印度斯坦汽车公司宣布大使汽车停产时，辛格非常伤心。该公司称之所以做出该决定，是因为需求低和缺少资金。
印度的汽车市场一直到20世纪80年代中期才出现激烈的竞争，日本铃木汽车和印度一家公司合作生产一种小型、低成本的汽车。但大使汽车仍是权势人士的选择。
然而在1991年，印度进一步将经济向外国投资者开放。很多国际汽车公司开始向购买者提供更新、更节能的汽车。其他公司向正在崛起的印度中产阶级提供运动型多功能车，因此大使汽车发现越发难以找到购买者。
迪克沙·潘德是新德里一位青年专家，她记得祖父拥有的一辆橙棕色大使车，但她从未想过给自己买一辆大使车。
“这款车有点复古，所以有点过时，我认为这款车不具备现代车那样的力量和敏捷，我喜欢越野车是因为其动力强劲，而动力对汽车来说很重要。”
自大使汽车面世以来，印度斯坦汽车公司对它做了很少的改进。印度政府10年前还在使用这款车，很多出租车司机喜欢大使汽车，是因为其维修费用较低，甚至被英国电视节目Top Gear评为最佳出租车。
但这款车的销量并不好，去年，在180万辆车的销量中，经销商只销售了2200辆大使车。有报道称在为该车寻找新的投资者，但汽车专家说他们认为大使汽车将一去不复返。
这就是美国之音慢速英语科技报道，登陆learningenglish.voanews.com获得更多科技报道，我是乔纳森·伊万斯。
