1. How did Detroit’s financial situation get so dire, and does it hold lessons for other cities?
1. 底特律的財政狀況怎么會變得這么差，對其他城市有什么經(jīng)驗(yàn)教訓(xùn)?
Most experts point to a number of reasons for Detroit’s woes: corruption, financial mismanagement, an automotive industry that shed jobs rapidly from the early 1980s to now. All this was exacerbated by population loss. Detroit has steadily lost population since the 1950s, going from a peak of 1.9 million residents to fewer than 700,000 today.
很多專家指出了底特律困境的許多原因：腐敗、經(jīng)濟(jì)管理不善，而且從20世紀(jì)80年代初到現(xiàn)在，汽車行業(yè)一直在迅速裁員。人口損失又把情況加重了。底特律從20世紀(jì)50年代起人口數(shù)量穩(wěn)步下滑，居民數(shù)從190萬的最高點(diǎn)到現(xiàn)在不到700000人。
2. What is the state of the city’s bankruptcy?
2. 底特律的破產(chǎn)情況到了什么程度?
Even though emergency manager Kevyn Orr announced in July he planned to have Detroit declare Chapter 9 bankruptcy, the city still needs federal court approval to do so. The process has not been a smooth one, as many vested interests involved in the potential restructuring - namely the city’s public sector unions and creditors - have pushed back significantly. Bondholders and other creditors are fighting the prospect of receiving pennies on the dollar, and unions say a bankruptcy would violate the state constitution, which protects retiree benefits.
即使緊急狀態(tài)管理人奧爾在7月時曾經(jīng)說他準(zhǔn)備提交破產(chǎn)保護(hù)申請，但底特律仍然要等聯(lián)邦法院的批準(zhǔn)。過程并不順利，因?yàn)樵S多既得利益者參與了重組——即城市公共部門的工會和債權(quán)人——他們大力主張延后處理。債券持有人和其他債權(quán)人反對廉價處理資產(chǎn)，而且工會說破產(chǎn)會違反保護(hù)退休福利的憲法。
3. How is Detroit shoring up its finances in the meantime?
3. 底特律現(xiàn)在是如何鞏固其財政的?
Earlier this month the city announced it would replace health-care benefits for retirees under age 65 with a $125 monthly stipend; those 65 and older would transition to Medicare, with the city paying all or most of the premiums.
底特律在本月早些時候宣布，將把65歲以下退休人員的醫(yī)療福利改成每月125美元的津貼;而65歲以上的老年人將轉(zhuǎn)成醫(yī)療保險，底特律會支付全部或大部分的保費(fèi)。
Mr. Orr says the changes will trim the city’s annual cost of retiree health care by more than two-thirds, from $170 million to $50 million or less.
奧爾先生說這個改變將會讓每年對退休人員醫(yī)療保健的開支減少超過三分之二，從1.7億美元將到5000萬或更少的數(shù)額。
Orr recently hired Christie’s Appraisals, the famed New York City auction house, to appraise the 60,000-piece collection, which may be worth billions of dollars.While Orr has the right to sell the collection, it is more likely he will use it as collateral to raise money for a loan. DIA officials say such leveraging would put the art at risk; if the city defaults on such a loan, the fine-art collateral could be seized and sold. Another solution: Rent out parts of the collection to other museums.
奧爾最近聘請了著名的紐約拍賣行來估價博物館中的60000件藏品，價值可能達(dá)到數(shù)十億美元。雖然奧爾有權(quán)出售藏品，但他更有可能將藏品作為貸款抵押品籌集資金。DIA官員說這樣舉債會對藝術(shù)品產(chǎn)生風(fēng)險，如果底特律違約，這些藝術(shù)藏品會被沒收和出售。另一個解決方案是：把部分藏品給其他博物館收藏。
4. What is the status of Detroit’s auto industry now?
4. 底特律現(xiàn)在的汽車產(chǎn)業(yè)怎么樣?
Detroit’s big three automakers - General Motors, Ford, and Chrysler - are rebounding, making it one of the city’s few success stories in recent years. All three reported strong gains in global sales for the first half of 2013. One factor boosting revenue: China. All three car companies have opened factories or established supply chains there. GM leads competitors in sales; it enjoyed a nearly 11 percent jump in Chinese sales for the first half of the year, a record for the company and a figure that nearly matched its car sales in North America.
底特律三大汽車制造商——通用汽車、福特和克萊斯勒——正在恢復(fù)元?dú)庵校@是近年來這個城市為數(shù)不多的功績之一。這三家公司都報告了2013年上半年全球銷售的強(qiáng)勁上漲。收入增加一個因素來自中國。這三家汽車公司都在那里開了工廠或建了供應(yīng)鏈。通用汽車在銷售方面領(lǐng)先競爭對手，它上半年在中國的銷量增長近11%，破了公司的記錄，并幾乎可以與北美的汽車銷量媲美。
Detroit is also benefiting from Chinese investment. Chinese companies are pouring $1 billion into Michigan, and 95 percent of it is automotive-related, according to the state.
底特律也得益于中國投資。底特律表示，中國企業(yè)向密歇根投入了10億美元，其中95%與汽車行業(yè)相關(guān)。
