斯柯达加大投入、增强在华业务
One hundred and twenty four years ago, a bookseller in Mlada Boleslav, a small Bohemian town in today's Czech Republic, had been trying in vain for weeks to order parts to fix his bicycle.
124年前，在捷克一个名为姆拉达·博莱斯拉夫的波西米亚小镇，一位书商用了几个星期时间订购修理自行车所需要的零件，却徒劳无果。
Unable to get the manufacturer to send them, he decided to take matters into his own hands. Quitting the book business for good, he opened a bicycle repair shop with a friend.
因为自行车制造商无法给他提供相应的零件，他决定亲自动手解决这个问题，于是就和朋友一起合开了一家自行车修理店。
They seized a business opportunity. From humble beginnings at the heart of Europe has come a globally successful automaker. Skoda is now one of the most visible Czech companies in the world.
他们抓住了商机。这家诞生于欧洲中心地带的小小自行车修理店，现在已经发展成为享誉全球的汽车制造商。如今，斯柯达是世界上最知名的捷克公司之一。
Skoda’s rise coincided with a blossoming relationship between the Chinese and Czech peoples. Far from being a bystander, Skoda has played an active role in fostering engagement between the two countries over the past seven decades.
斯柯达的发展正好与中捷两国人民的友谊并肩同行。在中捷七十年的密切交往中，斯柯达并不是一个旁观者，而是在促进两国友好关系上发挥了积极作用。
Early successes in China
斯柯达在中国的早期成功
As early as 1935, the Skoda Popular first made its way to China. Although economical for its time, the rear wheel drive, twodoor model’s windswept styling and body lines perfectly captured the zeitgeist of the 1930s.
早在1935年，斯柯达就向中国出口了第一款汽车——斯柯达POPULAR。尽管斯柯达POPULAR在当时属于经济型车型，但这款后轮驱动双门车型拉风造型和车身线条仍完美呈现了上世纪30年代的时代风采。
As the dust settled at the end of World War II in 1945, the automaker spent several years rebuilding its manufacturing capabilities.
在1945年第二次世界大战尘埃落定之后，斯柯达用了好几年重建生产设施。
Soon, fate brought Skoda and China back together. In 1949, Czechoslovakia became one of the first countries to establish diplomatic relations with the government of the People’s Republic of China.
很快，命运又一次将斯柯达与中国联系在一起。1949年，捷克斯洛伐克成为最早与中华人民共和国建交的国家之一。
Although then Czechoslovakia was still young itself, in the following decade, the two nations grew closer together as the Czech people made great efforts to support China.
尽管那时捷克斯洛伐克还是一个年轻的国家，但是在接下来的十多年中，捷克人民为支持新中国做出了很多努力，中捷关系日益紧密。
In the early 1950s, the Czechoslovak government sent 670 agricultural vehicles and equipment along with many agricultural machinery experts who volunteered to go to China.
50年代初，捷克斯洛伐克政府为中国提供了670台农用车辆和相关机械设备，同时很多捷克农机专家自愿前往中国、支持新中国建设。
In May 1952, China and Czechoslovakia signed the Agreement on Science and Technology Cooperation — the first intergovernmental science and technology cooperation agreement signed by the People’s Republic of China with any foreign country.
1952年5月，中国与捷克斯洛伐克签署了“科技合作协定”——这是中华人民共和国与外国签署的第一份政府间科学技术合作协定。
As China took its first steps toward car manufacturing, many experts from Czechoslovakia, including former Skoda chief engineer Oldrich Meduna, worked in China and taught at technical universities in Beijing, Changchun in Jilin province, and other cities. Thus, they helped to develop the Chinese automotive industry.
在中国发展汽车制造业之初，许多捷克斯洛伐克的专家来到中国，其中包括斯柯达前首席工程师Oldrich Meduna，他们在北京、长春和其他城市工作和在高校任教，从而为中国汽车工业的发展贡献了一份力量。
Skoda was especially honored in 1952 when the Czechoslovak government presented an executive car — a VOS— as a state gift to Chairman Mao Zedong. The car is now on display at the military museum in Beijing.
1952年，捷克斯洛伐克政府向毛泽东主席赠送了一辆斯柯达贵宾车VOS作为国礼——斯柯达为此深感荣幸。这辆车如今在北京的中国人民革命军事博物馆保存、展示。
The Czech carmaker’s 706 RO became Beijing’s main model of bus. The model was initially imported and later built in China in large quantities starting in 1954, and was the familiar face of public transport for two decades.
斯柯达706 RO也曾经是北京公交车的主要车型。最初中国进口这款车型，自1954年开始该车型也在中国量产，并成为随后二十年人们非常熟悉的公共交通工具。
Return to the market
重回中国市场
The year 2007 was momentous for Skoda as it started to localize its models in China through its partnership with SAIC Volkswagen. The first ever Skoda car manufactured in China, the Octavia, was built that year. Within three years after starting local production, China became the largest single market for Skoda in 2010.
2007年对于斯柯达来说是至关重要的一年，斯柯达与上汽大众合作开始在中国生产汽车。斯柯达在中国生产的第一款车型明锐也在同一年下线。实现国产三年后，中国就成为斯柯达全球最大的单一市场。
The automaker’s triumphant return to the market seems fitting for a brand and a people that were among the first to offer their support to China after 1949.
1949年新中国成立后，捷克人民和斯柯达是最早伸出援助之手和建立友好关系者之一，多年后斯柯达在中国的成功也可谓顺理成章。
So far, 2019 has been a banner year for Skoda with its brand turning 124 years old and its global bestseller Octavia celebrating its 60th anniversary. More than 1.3 million Chinese families have chosen an Octavia. Today, nearly one in every four Skoda cars sold worldwide is delivered to a Chinese customer — a symbolic threshold, and one that has underscored the market’s importance to Skoda.
2019年对于斯柯达来说是标志性的一年。今年是斯柯达品牌成立124周年，同时也是斯柯达全球最畅销车型明锐诞生60周年，已经有130多万中国家庭选择了斯柯达明锐。如今，斯柯达在中国市场的销量占斯柯达在全球销量的近四分之一——这是一个了不起的成绩，凸显了中国市场对斯柯达的重要性。
Expanding portfolio and major investments
扩展车型阵容并加大投资
Together with its joint venture partner SAIC Volkswagen, Skoda is in the process of investing 15 billion yuan ($2.11 billion) over five years to optimize its portfolio and better serve Chinese customers.
携手合资伙伴上汽大众，斯柯达正在进行为期五年、总额达150亿元的投资计划，以发展车型产品，更好地为中国客户服务。
Speaking to China Daily, Skoda China President Ralf Hanschen said that electromobility, digitalization, and portfolio growth are the pillars of the company’s global plan, dubbed “Strategy 2025”.
斯柯达中国总裁韩盛在接受《中国日报》采访时表示，电动化、数字化和发展车型阵容是斯柯达全球“2025战略”的重要支柱。
On the basis of this strategy, the automaker is also expanding its offerings with solutions in new business segment such as digital mobility and connectivity services. In terms of products, the automaker recently launched the new Superb in the market. Its SUV campaign began in earnest in 2017 and 2018, with the Kodiaq, Karoq, Kamiq, and a fourth, coupe model — the Kodiaq GT — which launched at the Guangzhou Auto Show last year. All of the models are produced locally.
基于这一战略，斯柯达将同时发展一些新业务，提供数字化移动出行、互联互通服务等解决方案。在产品方面，斯柯达近期推出了斯柯达新速派。此外，斯柯达通过在2017、2018年开展SUV车型攻势，陆续推出了斯柯达柯迪亚克、柯珞克、柯米克车型，并在去年的广州车展发布了轿跑SUV车型柯迪亚克GT。这些车型均在中国生产。
The automaker teased the Vision GT, an outlook for the production model Kamiq GT, the next member of its SUV family, at the ShenzhenHong KongMacao International Auto Show in June.
此外，在今年6月的深港澳国际车展上，斯柯达还展示了VISION GT概念车，其量产车型柯米克GT将成为斯柯达SUV家族的一个新成员。
“The Kamiq GT will be our next SUV in the market. China will be the only market where Skoda offers five SUVs,” Hanschen said. “For us, China is the cornerstone of our growth strategy — it’s a power house for all of the things that make up our brand.
韩盛表示：“柯米克GT将成为斯柯达推出的下一款SUV车型，中国将因此成为斯柯达唯一提供五款SUV车型的市场。中国是斯柯达增长策略的基石，为我们品牌的发展提供源源不断的动力。”
“That’s why, just a few months ago, we proudly opened Skoda Auto DigiLab in China — a new innovation center in Beijing,” he said.
“也正因如此，我们在几个月前成立了斯柯达汽车中国数字实验室——一个位于北京的创新中心。” 他补充道。
The company said the Skoda DigiLab is a unique channel for the brand to connect with local talents and the Chinese startup community, adding that it is a place to rethink how owners use their cars.
斯柯达表示，数字实验室是斯柯达与中国创业企业和人才相互沟通、合作的桥梁，也是一个启发人们重新定位汽车用途的地方。
It is looking at the future of mobility through “both radical innovation and Simply clever design solutions that are already a hallmark of our brand,” Hanschen added.
韩盛补充说，通过“激进的创新”和“斯柯达品牌标志性的智慧出行解决方案”，斯柯达汽车正在不断展望和探索未来出行的发展。
For the first period in the brand’s long history, China is not only a symbolic overseas market: it is a key driver of global strategy.
在斯柯达品牌悠久历史的初期，中国不仅仅代表着一个海外市场，还是斯柯达全球战略的关键驱动力。
With so many vehicles now being delivered here, local consumers’ preferences and the market’s advanced digitalization are playing a key role in how the auto maker designs and manufactures.
如今，斯柯达在中国生产、销售的汽车越来越多，中国消费者的喜好和中国市场高度数字化的发展趋势对斯柯达汽车的设计和制造发挥关键的作用。
Marking 70 years
with strong engagement
庆祝中捷建交70年
继续增强在华业务
For Skoda, 2019 will be remembered also for the important cultural and commercial engagements that it has been active in.
2019年还是斯柯达积极支持和参与的中捷经济文化交流活动的重要一年。
In late April, the company attended the second Belt & Road Forum as part of the national delegation of the Czech Republic, headed by Czech President Milos Zeman, and was showcased at the country’s pavilion at the Beijing Horticultural Expo.
4月下旬，斯柯达作为捷克代表团成员，随总统米罗什·泽曼参加了第二届“一带一路”国际高峰合作论坛，并在北京园艺博览会的捷克国家馆中进行品牌和产品展示。
In July, with the popularity of winter sports growing fast in China ahead of the coming Winter Olympics in Beijing, Skoda offered its strong support to China’s youth, extending its 27year long commitment to supporting ice hockey in China.
7月，随着冬季运动在中国因北京冬奥会即将到来而迅速普及，斯柯达支持中国青少年冰球运动的发展，延续了其连续27年支持冰球运动的传统。
With a donation to the China National Sports Foundation, Skoda helped organize a youth ice hockey camp in August in 22 cities nationwide, promoting the sport to China’s youth.
斯柯达通过向中华全国体育基金会提供赞助，支持其8月份在22个城市举行青少年冰球训练营，推广和普及青少年冰球运动。
Despite a slowdown in China’s automotive market, Skoda is optimistic for the future.
尽管最近中国汽车市场放缓，但斯柯达对未来依然乐观。
“We see China as a long term growth market with huge potential,” said Hanschen.
韩盛表示：“我们认为中国是一个将长期内保持增长、具有潜力巨大的市场。”
“Our commitment to the market runs deep. After 84 years of Skoda cars being present in China and 70 years of political relations between China and the Czech people, we are a brand that is committed to our customers in China in a deep and meaningful way,” he said.
“我们对中国市场的承诺坚定而长远。自从斯柯达汽车初次来到中国，至今已经84年，中捷建交已经70年。从始至终，斯柯达品牌一直保持对中国用户的坚定承诺，为中国消费者提供出色的产品和服务。”
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