“人民的轿车”研制成功

　A lot is riding on the world's cheapest car. In the words of Ratan Tata, chairman of the company behind the upstart econobox, India's "People's Car" will be a "safe, affordable, all weather vehicle for a family which is today traveling on a two wheeler." The entry level model is ticketed at just over $2,500 — a revolutionary price where the average lower middle class income is $200 a month. (For comparison's sake, in the early 1970s, Honda introduced affordable, good quality Civics at about $2,200, which adjusted for inflation would now be nearly $10,500.) It could well be one of the most important cars ever designed.

　　世界上最便宜的轿车上可以载很多东西。用制造这款经济型厢式轿车的新贵、公司董事长拉丹·塔塔的话来说，这款印度“人民的轿车”是“安全的，买得起的，是为今天还骑两轮车出行的家庭制造的全天候轿车”。入门级车型的标价只有2500美元多一点，对于平均每月200美元的中低收入阶层来说，这是个革命性的价格。(相比较，20世纪70年代早期，本田推出的低价优质的Civics价格在2200美元，考虑到通货膨胀的因素，相当于现在的10500美元。)在已设计的轿车中，它能够成为最重要的代表之一。