號外！號外！

????今年新年期間，我們在汽車媒體上讀到的大多數內容都似曾相識。我知道汽車業是周期性的，歷史總會不斷重演，不過這還是有點荒唐。

????這些話題反復見諸報端，證明了記者們口中所謂的“常青樹”話題的確存在，這些故事無論何時都可以拿來炒作，無論放在過去、現在還是未來，它們永不過時。

????汽車行業之所以能產生這么多“常青樹”式的故事，是因為這個行業在很大程度上受到“日歷”的影響。汽車廠商每個月都會公布銷量數據，總是有人上升有人下降。另外在每年的同一時段，分析師們會公布調查得出的初始質量數據或客戶滿意度數據，這難免又會激起一輪指責和攻訐。經銷商們總是對新車型感到興奮，消費者總是變得越來越挑剔，汽車評論員們總是喜歡更大馬力的汽車。

????以下謹為大家列舉今年年初的一些“常青新聞”。

Extra! Extra!

????Already the New Year seems like déjà vu all over again. Most of what I've read and heard in 2012 has a familiar ring to it. I know the auto industry is cyclical and history repeats itself, but this is ridiculous.

????These recurring headlines signal the presence of what among journalists are known as "evergreens" -- stories that can run anytime. They were just as true today as they were yesterday, and they will likely remain just as true tomorrow.

????The car business lends itself to these kinds of stories because so much of it is dictated by the calendar. Vehicle sales are reported every month, so somebody is always up and somebody else is always down. Analysts release their data on initial quality or customer satisfaction at the same time every year, generating the predictable finger pointing and recriminations. Dealers are always getting excited about new models, customers are always becoming more discriminating, and car reviewers always want more horsepower.

????Here are some evergreens from early 2012:

底特律的倒掉

????《全球車市重現增長，美國廠商繼續敗退》——《汽車新聞》（Automotive News）2012年1月28日

????盡管車市總體變暖，但底特律三巨頭的市場份額仍在下滑。早在艾森豪威爾當總統的時候，這種趨勢就已經出現了，而且一直延續至今。當時，德國大眾汽車（Volkswagen）的大舉登陸美國市場，導致美國車企痛失不少份額。這一次，《汽車新聞》的這篇報道則采取了一個新的角度，稱隨著日本廠商擺脫了地震、海嘯和洪水的影響，豐田（Toyota）和本田（Honda）將能夠在2012年恢復滿負荷生產。不過其實在過去的半個多世紀里，進口車一直在蠶食美國車的市場份額，所以這條新聞幾乎稱不上是“新”聞了。

The downfall of Detroit

????"U.S. automakers seen losing market share amid growth" --Automotive News 01/28/12

????The Detroit Three have been losing market share in a rising market since Volkswagen launched the import invasion back in the Eisenhower administration. The new angle this time is that Toyota and Honda will be able to resume full production in 2012 unhindered by earthquakes, tsunamis, or floods. But since imports have been making gains for more than half a century, this hardly qualifies as new news.