今年，中国将取代日本成为汽车制造商劳斯莱斯(Rolls-Royce)的第三大市场，这再次印证了这个共产主义国家的经济崛起，及其新富阶层的巨大购买力。
劳斯莱斯董事长兼首席执行官伊恩•罗伯逊(Ian Robertson)昨日在接受本报采访时表示，该公司预计今年将在华销售约70辆“幻影”(Phantom)型轿车，日本则为50辆。该公司在中国的销售数字包括香港地区，劳斯莱斯昨日在香港交付了其迄今最大一笔订单，将14辆“幻影”的钥匙，交给了米高嘉道理爵士(Sir Michael Kadoorie)旗下的半岛酒店(Peninsula)。劳斯莱斯是英国的标志性企业，为德国汽车制造商宝马(BMW)所有。
“幻影”系列的零售价约为40万美元，但在中国内地和香港的税后价格，是这个数字的两倍左右。个人买主的定制要求，可能也会大幅增加幻影的售价。两周前，劳斯莱斯将其迄今最为昂贵的一款车出售给一位北京房地产开发商，他定制的这款“幻影”价格为200万美元。
罗伯逊表示：“中国的市场动力全然不同”，他指出，该公司在华销量较上年增长50%，“这让我们非常激动。这是我们的新领域。”
劳斯莱斯在中国主要经济中心——北京、上海和广州——设有3个经销点，明年将在杭州、成都和深圳增设3个经销点。
尽管在劳斯莱斯预计今年销售的800辆“幻影”（这是16年来的最高销量）中，中国所占的比例将近10%，但中国市场仍比不上劳斯莱斯的两大主要市场：美国和英国。由于好莱坞式惹人注目的消费能力，仅在加州一地，今年劳斯莱斯的销量就将高达130辆左右。
译者/梁艳梅
| CHINA'S NEW RICH DRIVE SALES OF ROLLS-ROYCES |
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| Tom Mitchell |
| Friday, December 15, 2006 |
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China will overtake Japan to become carmaker Rolls-Royce's third-largest market this year, providing yet another measure of the communist country's economic emergence and the enormous spending power of its nouveaux riches. The iconic British company – owned by German carmaker BMW – expects to sell about 70 Phantom models in China and 50 in Japan, Ian Robertson, Rolls-Royce chairman and chief executive, said yesterday in an interview with the Financial Times. The company's China sales figures include Hong Kong, where Rolls-Royce yesterday delivered its biggest order yet – handing over the keys to 14 Phantoms to Sir Michael Kadoorie's Peninsula hotel. The Phantom's retail price is about $400,000 but comes in at about twice that amount after tax in both China and Hong Kong. Bespoke requests from individual buyers can also increase a Phantom's cost substantially. Two weeks ago, Rolls-Royce sold its most expensive car yet to a Beijing property developer, who paid $2m for his custom-made Phantom. “China's market dynamics are totally different,” said Mr Robertson, noting that his company's sales there were increasing at a 50 per cent year-on-year pace. “That's what's so exciting. This is new territory for us.” Rolls-Royce has three dealerships in China's leading economic centres – Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou – and will add three more next year in Hangzhou, Chengdu and Shenzhen. While China will account for just under 10 per cent of the 800 Phantoms Rolls-Royce expects to sell this year – its highest total in 16 years – it still trails the company's two leading markets, the US and UK. This year Rolls-Royce will sell about 130 cars in California alone, driven by the Hollywood set's capacity for conspicuous consumption. |
"回译"Back-translation注：
1. 定制 ---- bespoke， custom-made， tailor-made.
2. 好莱坞式惹人注目的消费能力---the Hollywood set's capacity for conspicuous consumption.
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