Chinese automakers are making gains in Europe's electric vehicle (EV) market.
中国汽车制造商在欧洲电动汽车市场上取得一些进展。
The competitive threat has led the European Union to launch an investigation into China's government support for its EV industry.
这种竞争威胁导致欧盟对中国政府支持其电动汽车行业展开调查。
The investigation adds to technology-related tensions between the West and China. At the same time, China is one of Europe's biggest trading partners and the world's biggest auto market.
这项调查加剧了西方和中国之间与技术相关的紧张关系。与此同时，中国是欧洲最大的贸易伙伴之一，也是世界上最大的汽车市场。
Chinese EV makers and Europe
中国电动汽车制造商与欧洲
Chinese EV makers like Europe because auto import taxes are just 10 percent compared to 27.5 percent in the United States, automotive expert Matthias Schmidt said. Europe also has the world's second-biggest EV battery market after China.
汽车专家马蒂亚斯·施密特表示，中国电动汽车制造商喜欢欧洲，因为其汽车进口税仅为10%，而美国为27.5%。欧洲也是仅次于中国的全球第二大电动汽车电池市场。
Car buyers in Europe like how Chinese EVs are not costly yet filled with features and stylish designs. Concerns about the threat to local carmakers and jobs are just not as important for some European buyers who face increased living costs.
欧洲的购车者喜欢中国电动汽车价格不高，但充满了各种功能和时尚设计。对于一些面临生活成本增加的欧洲买家来说，对当地汽车制造商和就业威胁的担忧没那么重要。
British retiree John Kirkwood replaced his Volkswagen Passat three years ago with an MG5 station wagon. The MG5's price was much lower than the price of the nearest competitor — a Kia that cost thousands more.
英国退休人员约翰·柯克伍德三年前用一辆名爵5旅行车取代了他的大众帕萨特。名爵5的价格远低于最接近的竞争对手起亚的价格，后者的价格高出数千美元。
"It's nice. It's quiet, it's refined" and very quick, Kirkwood said, adding that he had few concerns about the Chinese ownership of the British brand.
柯克伍德说：“它很好。它很安静，很精致”，而且提速很快。他补充说，他对中国拥有这家英国品牌的所有权并不担心。
MG is owned by SAIC Motor, China's biggest automaker. SAIC is the largest Chinese EV company in Europe too. Another Chinese automaker, BYD, is growing fast. Other companies with complete or partial Chinese ownership include Geely, which owns Sweden's Volvo and a number of EV brands including Polestar, Lynk & Co. and British sports car maker Lotus.
名爵隶属于中国最大的汽车制造商上汽集团。上汽集团也是欧洲最大的中国电动汽车公司。另一家中国汽车制造商比亚迪正在快速发展。其他完全或部分拥有中国所有权的公司包括吉利，吉利拥有瑞典沃尔沃，以及包括极星、领克和英国跑车制造商莲花在内的多个电动汽车品牌。
Chinese EV makers combined sales are a small part of the 9.2 million vehicles sold in Europe every year. But Chinese EV builders have been taking up a piece of the smaller EV market at a fast rate.
中国电动汽车制造商的总销量只占欧洲每年920万辆汽车销量中的一小部分。但中国电动汽车制造商一直在快速占领小型电动汽车市场。
Schmidt's information suggests that Chinese automakers make up only about three percent of Western Europe's total car market, but Chinese manufacturers have 8.4 percent of the EV market. That number is up from 6.2 percent last year. In 2019, it was almost zero.
施密特的信息表明，中国汽车制造商仅占西欧汽车总市场的3%左右，但中国制造商占电动汽车市场的8.4%。这个数字比去年的6.2%有所上升。2019年，这一数字几乎为零。
The sales increase is leading some to worry about Europe's automotive industry. That powerful industry is mainly centered in France and Germany and employs many workers.
销量的增长导致一些人对欧洲汽车业感到担忧。这个强大的产业主要集中在法国和德国，雇佣了许多工人。
Last month, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said, "Global markets are now flooded with cheaper Chinese electric cars," with prices "kept artificially low by huge state subsidies."
上个月，欧盟委员会主席乌尔苏拉·冯德莱恩表示，“全球市场现在充斥着更便宜的中国电动汽车”，价格“被巨额国家补贴人为压低”。
A subsidy is government support that permits a company to sell products at unfairly low prices.
补贴是指政府支持使得公司可以以不公平的低价销售产品。
The commission, the EU's executive arm, officially opened its investigation this month, saying it would take up to 13 months and could result in import duties, another word for taxes.
欧盟执行机构欧盟委员会本月正式开始调查，称这将需要长达13个月的时间，并可能导致进口税。
China voiced "strong dissatisfaction" and promised to "firmly safeguard" Chinese companies' rights. The Chinese Commerce Ministry said the EU investigation is based on "subjective assumptions," lacks enough evidence and goes against World Trade Organization rules.
中国表示“强烈不满”，并承诺“坚决维护”中国公司的权利。中国商务部表示，欧盟的调查是基于“主观假设”，缺乏足够的证据，违反了世界贸易组织的规定。
Executives at Shanghai-based Aiways, a company headed by Volvo's former China sales chief, rejected accusations that the Chinese government unfairly supports its businesses.
沃尔沃前中国销售总监领导的总部位于上海的爱威汽车公司的高管驳斥了有关中国政府不公平地支持其业务的指控。
"We're not selling inside China, we're not being subsidized in China," said Alexander Klose, vice president of overseas operations. Klose said his company does get "some subsidies for putting a plant somewhere," but added that he believes that is "what everybody has in Europe."
负责海外业务的副总裁亚历山大·克洛泽说：“我们不在中国境内销售，也不在中国获得补贴。”克洛泽说，他的公司确实“因为在某个地方建厂获得了一些补贴”，但他补充说，他相信这是“欧洲每家都有的”。
The EU should be working on getting to a "green future "rather than keeping competition out," he said.
他说，欧盟应该致力于实现“绿色未来”，而不是阻止竞争。
I'm John Russell.
我是约翰·拉塞尔。(51VOA.COM原创翻译，请勿转载，违者必究！)