翻阅passage39原文

    Automobile industry has been well developed both in the United States and in Japan, but it is generally agreed that Japanese automobile firms have achieved the highest levels of manufacturing efficiency in the world automobile industry. It is assumed that Japanese automobile firms use the same manufacturing equipment and techniques as the automobile firms in the United States, then, why can Japanese automobile firms achieve higher levels of manufacturing efficiency than United States automobile firms? Some observers attribute it to the unique characteristics of Japanese employees and the Japanese culture.1） However, if this were true, then one would expect Japanese auto plants in the United States to perform no better than the factories run by United States companies; but this does not prove to be the case. Japanese-run automobile plants located in the United States and staffed by local workers have demonstrated higher levels of productivity when they are compared with the automobile plants owned by United States companies.

    Other observers link high Japanese productivity to higher levels of capital investment per worker. But a historical perspective leads to a different conclusion. When the two top Japanese automobile makers matched and then doubled United States productivity levels in the mid-sixties, capital investment per employee was comparable to that of United States firms. Furthermore, by the late seventies, the amount of fixed assets required to produce one vehicle was roughly equivalent in Japan and in the United States. Since capital investment was not higher in Japan, it had to be other factors that led to higher productivity.

    A more fruitful explanation may lie with Japanese production techniques. Japanese automobile producers did not simply implement conventional processes more effectively, they made critical change in United States procedures.2）For instance, the mass-production philosophy of United States automakers encouraged the production of huge lots of cars in order to utilize fully expensive, component-specific equipment and to occupy fully workers who have been trained to execute one operation efficiently. Japanese automakers chose to make small-lot production feasible by introducing several departures from United States practices, including the use of flexible equipment that could be altered easily to do several different production tasks and the training of workers in multiple jobs. 3）Automakers could schedule the production of different components or models on single machines, thereby eliminating the need to store the spare stocks of extra components that result when specialized equipment and workers are kept constantly active.

    翻阅passage39译文

    美国和日本这两个国家的汽车(automobile)工业已经非常发达(developed)了，但是，人们普遍认为(agree)，在世界汽车行业，日本汽车公司(f[FS:PAGE]irm)的生产(manufacturing)效率(efficiency)达到了最高水平(level)。人们认为(assume)，日本的汽车公司和美国的汽车公司使用的是相同的生产设备(equipment)，采用的也是相同的技术(technique)。那么，日本汽车公司的生产效率为什么比美国汽车公司的高呢?一些观察人士(observer)把这归因于(attribute)日本工人的独特(unique)性格(characteristic)和日本文化(culture)。然而，如果真是这样的话，那么，人们肯定会认为(expect)，在美国开办的日本汽车(auto)厂(plant)不会比美国人开办(run)的汽车厂表现(perform)得更出色,但是，事实证明(prove)情况并非如此。与美国人开办(own)的汽车厂相比，日本人在美国开办(locate)的、雇佣(staff)当地(local)工人的汽车厂仍然被证实(demonstrate)具有更高的生产效率。

    其他一些观察把日本人的高生产率(productivity)归因于每名(per)日本人更高的资本(capital)投入(investment)。但是，从历史的观点(perspective)来看，你就会得到(lead　to)不同的结论(conclusion)。(20世纪)60年代中期，当两家大型的(top)日本汽车制造厂赶上(match)并达到美国汽车制造厂生产效率两倍(double)的水平时，每名工人的资本投入与美国汽车厂雇员的投入差不多。此外，(20世纪)70年代后期，美国和日本生产每辆汽车(vehicle)所需(require)的固定(fixed)资产(asset)投入也差不多。既然日本的资本投入并不比美国高，那么应该是其他因素(factor)导致日本的生产率更高。

    有关日本汽车厂高生产率的另一种更令人信服的(fruitful)解释(explanation)是，这可能与日本的生产(production)技术(technique)有关。日本的汽车制造商(producer)并不只是更有效地(effectively)利用(implement)传统的(conventional)加工(process)技术;他们对美国的生产工序(procedure)进行了根本(critical)改造。比如，美国汽车制造商的大规模(mass)生产理念。

    翻阅passage39长难句分析

    1) However, if this were true, then one would expect Japanese auto plants in the United States to perform no better than the factories run by United States companies; but this does not prove to be the case.

    【解析】：主句：“one would expect Japanese auto plants in the United States to perform...”。if引导的从句是插入语，表示与事实相反;“no better than”引导的是比较状语从句;but引导句子表示转折，其中this指前面句子提到的内容。no better than应译为并不比...强;be the case应译为是这么回事。

    【参考译文】然而，如果真是这样的话，那么，人们肯定会认为，在美国开办的日本汽车厂不会比美国人开办的汽车厂表现得更出色，但是，事实证明，情况并非如此。

    2)For instance, the mass-production philosophy of United States automakers encouraged the production of huge lots of cars in order to utilize fully expensive, component-specific equipment and to occupy fully workers who have been trained to execute one operation efficiently.

    【解析】本句主句是“the mass-production philosophy of United States automakers encouraged the production...”。“in order to”引导的短语做目的状语，“and”链接的是并列目的状语，其中的“who”引导的定语从句修饰“workers”。“philosophy”译文理念;occupy应译为调动

    【参考译文】比如，美国汽车制造商的大规模生产理念鼓励大规模生产汽车，并充分利用昂贵、[FS:PAGE]特殊的设备，以便充分调动受过培训的工人有小弟完成每项工序。

    3)Automakers could schedule the production of different components or models on single machines, thereby eliminating the need to store the spare stocks of extra components that result when specialized equipment and workers are kept constantly active.

    【解析】本句主句“Automakers could schedule the production or models...”。when引导时间状语从句。schedule应译文“设定程序”;component配件;model译文：模子。buffer stocks应译为缓冲库存。

    【参考译文】汽车制造商可以设定程序，利用同一种设备生产不同的配件或模子，这样就可以消除出现专门的设备或工人不停地工作时所导致的贮存额外配件的缓冲库存问题。