Achtung baby
注意，宝贝！
Anyone seeking to understand why Germany remains the economic powerhouse of Europe need only to look at the performance of its auto industry. Its flagship brands -- Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Audi, and Porsche -- are all enjoying record years and forecasting even better results for 2013.
如果有人不明白德国为什么是欧洲经济的发动机，只要看看德国汽车业的表现就明白了。梅赛德斯-奔驰（Mercedes-Benz）、宝马（BMW）、奥迪（Audi）和保时捷（Porsche）等德系品牌的旗帜这几年的销量节节攀升，而且预计2013年还会有更好的业绩。
Logically, they shouldn't be doing well at all. At a time when most of the world's consumers have a case of the shorts, Germany is selling premium cars at premium prices. With gasoline at wallet-busting levels, it continues to profit from high-performance V-6 and V-8 engines. And with typical buyers squeezing into smaller cars, there is no shortage of upscale German limos -- black only, of course -- festooned with more luxury features than a first-class seat on Emirates.
从逻辑上讲，德系车本来不应该这样繁荣的。如今全球大多数消费者的钱袋都比较紧张，更何况德国人还是以高端的价格卖高端车型。而且油价近年来一直高得吓人，德国车虽然动辄搭载V6和V8发动机，但依然能继续盈利。另外，尽管一般消费者越来越青睐小型车，但高端德国豪车总是不愁销路——当然，它们还是一水的黑色，车里的豪华配置甚至比阿联酋航空公司（Emirates）的头等舱还要豪华。
So much for logic. In the first five months of this year, BMW's global sales are up 6.4%, Porsche has gained 13%, and Audi is a remarkable 14% better off.
逻辑问题就先谈到这里。在今年的头5个月里，宝马的全球销量上升了6.4%，保时捷上升了13%，奥迪的销量更是上升了14%。
How do the Germans do it? You could say they're smart, work hard, and have momentum on their side. But they also enjoy 10 unique advantages:
德国人是如何创造这个奇迹的？你可能会说，他们很聪明，工作努力，而且得到了老天的眷顾。不过除此之外，德国还有10个独特的优势。

1. Historical roots that go deep
1. 深厚的历史积淀
The automobile was invented when Karl Benz developed one of the first internal combustion engines in the 1870s and fitted a coach to it in 1887. The other German companies are younger -- BMW didn't start making cars until 1928 -- but all of them have invested billions of euros in marketing their heritage. Just look at the lavish museums that have been erected in Stuttgart, Munich, and Ingolstadt. The Germans revere their cars, and customers respect that.
德国人卡尔•本茨（奔驰公司的创始人之一——译注）在19世纪70年代发明了世界上第一台内燃发动机，然后又在1987年给它安了个车身，世界第一台汽车就这样诞生了。和奔驰相比，其他德国汽车厂商要年轻得多。比如宝马公司1928年才开始生产汽车。不过所有德国汽车厂商都投资了数十亿欧元推广他们的汽车文化遗产。在斯图加特、慕尼黑和因戈尔斯塔特等地都建有大量的汽车博物馆。德国厂商敬畏自己的汽车，而消费者也尊重德国汽车。

2. Winning by racing
2．赛车制胜
No country -- not even Italy -- has a racing heritage like Germany's: the "silver arrow" Auto Union and Mercedes' cars of the 1930s; drivers like Juan Fangio, Stirling Moss and Michael Schumacher; and the fabled Nurburgring, which loops around a medieval castle and was nicknamed "The Green Hell." Even its accidents are memorable: Eighty-three spectators died at LeMans in 1955 when a Mercedes 300 SLR plowed into the crowd. You can't put a price on racing heritage, but nobody doubts its value.
没有一个国家拥有像德国这样深厚的赛车传统——甚至就连意大利也比不上。早在上世纪30年代，号称“银箭”的汽车联盟和奔驰公司的赛车就被人津津乐道；胡安•范吉奥、斯特林•莫斯和迈克尔•舒马赫等汽车史上赫赫有名的赛车手都是德国人。德国还有著名的纽伯林赛道，这条传奇赛道围绕着一个中世纪城堡修建而成，被车手戏称为“绿色地狱”。就连德国人的车祸都是令人难忘的。在1955年的勒芒赛上，一辆梅赛德斯300SLR赛车失控冲进人群，83名观众不幸身亡。德国人的赛车遗产没办法用价格来衡量，但没有人会怀疑它的价值。

3. No speed limits
3. 高速公路无限速
The nearly 8,000 miles of German autobahns are some of the few public roads in the world with no speed limits. Urban areas, traffic congestion, and construction keep speeds on most sections below 72 miles per hour, and German manufacturers limit their cars to a top speed of 155 mph under a gentlemen's agreement, but 190 mph on some stretches is still possible. Cars are built to go this fast nowhere else in the world.
世界上只有极少数的公路没有限速，其中就包括总长度将近8,000英里长的德国高速公路。由于城市地区、交通堵塞、道路施工等因素，大多数路段的车流速度在72英里/小时以下。德国汽车厂商基本上都遵守君子协定，把汽车的设计速度限制在155英里/小时（约255公里/小时），不过在某些情况下，设计速度上限达190英里/小时也是有可能的。世界上没有一个国家的汽车的设计速度超越了德国车。

4. Steroid-level brand strength
4. 强势品牌
It's equal parts clarity, commitment, authenticity, and relevance -- and Germans are hip deep in it. Mercedes-Benz has been downsizing since the 1950s and has struck some wrong notes (Anybody remember a three-door hatchback from a few years back called the C230?) but nobody is confused about what a Mercedes is. Ditto Porsche, despite its detours into SUVs and sedans. All four marques rank among the world's top global brands -- the most from any single country.
德国人深知，要打造强势品牌，就要对品牌清晰度、品牌长期承诺性、品牌血统纯正度和品牌相关性同等重视。虽然梅赛德斯奔驰的规模从上世纪50年代以来一直在不断收缩，而且它也做出过一些错误的决策（比如还有人记得几年前奔驰曾经推出一款叫做C230的三门掀背车吗？），但绝对不会有人把奔驰的汽车和别的汽车混淆。保时捷也是如此，虽然它既做SUV也做轿车。德国车的四大品牌都排在全球最佳品牌榜的前列，没有一个国家能出其右。

5. The triumph of technology
5.技术为王
Engineers occupy a high pedestal in a country that prizes technology and craftsmanship, which explains the ubiquity of the title Dr. Ing. (for doctorate holders) at the top of German automakers. No bean counters need apply. And who but the Germans would have taken the homely, if efficient, diesel engine (invented by a German, of course) to heart for their passenger cars? This kind of dedication to first principles resonates with customers.
在一个崇尚科技和技术的国家，工程师享有崇高的地位，这也就是为什么德国车企里到处都是博士。德国人在研发上不惜成本。除了德国人之外，还有谁会把原始但有效的柴油发动机（当然也是德国人发明的）放在乘用车里呢？这种对原则的践行也引起了消费者的共鸣。

6. The right markets
6.适销对路
As the Economist put it, "It's quite simple really -- Germany makes things which people in countries with growing economies want to buy." Like the U.S. and China. In May, Audi sales rocketed up 44.2% in China while BMW leapt ahead 31.5%, and both companies are growing faster than the overall market in the U.S. Try to name any other brands that are so well positioned in both places, and you start and stop with Buick.
正如《经济学家》（Economist ）所说的那样。“道理其实非常简单——德国人生产的东西，正是经济上升期国家消费者的购买需求。”中国和美国就是例子。今年五月，奥迪在中国的销量飙升了44.2%，宝马的销量也猛增31.5%。在美国，这两家公司的增长速度也要快于总体市场。要找出另一个在中美两国发展都很好的品牌，也就只有别克（Buick）了。

7. Arrogance with a purpose
7.刻意的狂妄
Who else but Mercedes could get away with using "The best or nothing" for its advertising tag line? It ranks up there with BMW's historic and enduring "ultimate driving machine." Even if the claims aren't always true, they underscore a level of ambition that cars from no other country can match. As one Zurich newspaper put it a few years ago, cars are as central to Germany as secret bank accounts are to Switzerland.
除了梅塞德斯之外，还有谁敢用“要么最好，要么什么都不是”（The best or nothing）来做广告词呢？能与之比肩的只有宝马那句历史悠久的广告语“终级驾驶机器”（ultimate driving machine）。虽然这番豪言壮语并不总能兑现，但它们宣示了德国厂商的信心，他们自信没有任何一个国家的汽车可以与自己的产品相媲美。就像苏黎世的一张报纸几年前写的那样，汽车对德国的重要性堪比秘密银行账户对瑞士的重要性。

8. The price is very nearly the object
8.炫富利器
Sometimes, how much you pay for something -- as opposed to its function -- is the point of the exercise, like paying $3.5 million for dinner with Warren Buffett. German cars haven't gotten to that level yet, but they are getting close. Such as charging $137,500 for a 2013 Turbo 911 Porsche with all-wheel-drive -- and then asking for another $330 to apply the Porsche crest to the lid of the central console. Buyers of German cars love to complain about this stuff so you'll understand how deep their pockets are.
有的时候，人们购买某件东西，看重的不是它的实用性，为这个东西花多少钱才是重点——比如有人花350万美元只为与股神巴菲特吃一顿饭。德国车还没有到那个地步，但是也快了。比如2013款四驱涡轮增压的保时捷 911跑车售价高达137,500美元，要想把保时捷车标镶到中控台还要另加330美元。买德国车的人经常爱报怨这种事，好让别人知道他是多么有钱。

9. Exclusive and super-exclusive
9.独有，再独有
The old Stork Club invented the idea of a club-within-a-club when it opened the Cub Room for celebrities to hide out from the hoi polloi. A regular $47,000 5-series BMW not good enough for you? How about a specially equipped M5 for $90,695? Mercedes has made this an art form with its Black Series -- special seats and trim, less weight -- layered on top of its AMG performance upgrades that hike the price of a C-class coupe to around $125,000.
史托克俱乐部（Stork Club）发明了一个“俱乐部中的俱乐部”的点子。这个俱乐部会给明星大腕专门开一个房间，好让他们躲开粉丝的围追堵截。如果你觉得一辆4.7万美元的宝马5系不够显示身价？花90,695美元来一台特殊配置的5系如何？奔驰的“黑色系列”（Black Series）把这种手法上升到了一个新的高度。它在奔驰AMG的基础上对性能进行了升级，外观、内饰和座椅均采用特殊设计，整车重量更轻了，但同时这样一款C级轿跑的价格也飙升到了12.5万美元左右。

10. Everybody else is in second place
10.对手不争气
Really, who can go up against this quartet of winners? Lexus may deliver higher quality and better service, but its tentative presentation and lack of heritage consign it to second-tier status. Cadillac has labored mightily to raise its game to international standards -- and nearly gets there with its high-performance V-series -- but will need to execute at this level for another couple of decades before being taken seriously. And for all its panache, Ferrari is a boutique competitor to Porsche, which sells more than 20 times more cars.
的确，还有谁能与这四家德国厂商争锋呢？雷克萨斯（Lexus）的质量和服务也许更胜一筹，但它缺乏霸气，也缺乏历史传统，因此只能居于二流地位。凯迪拉克（Cadillac）凭借高性能的V系列车型几乎已经达到了高端车的国际标准，但是它必须在这个水平上再保持几十年，人们才会真正拿它当回事。至于法拉利（Ferrari），尽管名头甚大，但它只是保时捷的一个小竞争者，因为保时捷的销量是它的20倍以上。