When Masamichi Kogai, the Mazda chief executive, appeared last year together with Akio Toyoda, his Toyota counterpart, the technology tie-up they announced seemed to offer the answer to how Japan’s fifth-largest carmaker would survive in the new era of electrification and self-driving vehicles.

去年，当马自达(Mazda)首席执行官小饲雅道(Masamichi Kogai)与丰田(Toyota)首席执行官丰田章男(Akio Toyoda)一起亮相时，他们宣布的技术结盟似乎为日本第五大汽车制造商如何在电气化和无人驾驶汽车的新时代生存下来提供了答案。

Mazda sells 1.5m vehicles a year but is overshadowed both in size and innovation by Toyota, which in 2015 was the world’s largest carmaker, selling more than 10m units, and is a pioneer of both hybrid and fuel-cell technology.

马自达每年的汽车销量为150万辆，但在规模和创新方面都不及丰田；丰田是2015年全球最大汽车制造商，销量超过1000万辆，而且是混合动力汽车和燃料电池技术的先驱。

Though the alliance is not backed by capital ties, industry watchers see it as a gateway for the sports car maker to join the sprawling Toyota family, which includes Daihatsu, Hino and Subaru-maker Fuji Heavy.

尽管双方的合作没有得到资本合作的支持，但行业观察人士认为，此举是这家跑车制造商加入庞大的丰田家族的门户，丰田家族包括大发(Daihatsu)、日野(Hino)和斯巴鲁(Subaru)制造商富士重工(Fuji Heavy)。

This month, Suzuki said it may also explore a similar technology partnership with Toyota.

上月铃木(Suzuki)表示，可能也会探索与丰田开展类似的技术合作。

It’s give and take.

这是一种取舍。

We won’t be swallowed up, says the 62-year-old Mr Kogai, speaking at the company’s headquarters in Hiroshima.

我们不会被吞掉。62岁的小饲雅道在马自达广岛总部表示。

The building survived the US atomic bomb of 1945 because it was shielded by a mountain.

这座大楼躲过了1945年美国原子弹轰炸的冲击波，因为它正好被山体挡着。

The surrounding area was destroyed.

当年周边地区都被摧毁。

If we can make good cars through an all-Japan co-operation, why not join hands? he says.

他表示：如果我们能通过这种日本国内的合作，制造出高质量的汽车，为什么不联手呢？

In fact, Mr Toyoda himself has conceded Toyota has much to learn from its nimbler rival in terms of slick vehicle design and fuel-saving engines.

实际上，丰田章男自己承认，在流畅汽车设计以及节能发动机方面，丰田有很多要向这位更为灵活的竞争对手学习。

The Mazda MX-5, a two-seater roadster, was voted both world car of the year and world car design of the year this year — a rare double accolade.

马自达MX-5两座敞篷跑车今年被评选为年度全球最佳车型以及年度全球最佳汽车设计，这种双料冠军相当少见。

But Mazda, with its dogged focus on petrol and diesel engines, is an outlier at a time when carmakers are racing to build a better hybrid or electric vehicle to comply with environmental regulations.

但在汽车制造商为遵守环保法规而竞相打造更好的混合动力汽车或电动汽车之际，马自达对汽油和柴油发动机的不懈关注显得特立独行。

We are not Toyota, Nissan or Volkswagen who need to cover everything, Mr Kogai explains.

小饲雅道解释道：我们不是丰田、日产(Nissan)或大众(Volkswagen)，它们需要面面俱到。

Mazda has learnt hard lessons about overextending itself.

马自达在过度扩张方面有过痛苦的教训。

In its 96-year history, the company has faced financial trouble three times, each after an expansion drive.

在马自达96年的公司历史上，该公司曾3次面临财务困境，每一次都是在扩张努力之后。

It bounced back from its first crisis in 1979 — when sales of its rotary engine powered vehicles collapsed in the wake of the oil shock.

该公司的首次危机发生在1979年，当时其转缸式发动机汽车在石油危机过后遭受重创。

It did so with help from Ford, which went on to acquire a third of the Japanese company in 1996 when Mazda was once again in difficulties.

马自达在福特(Ford)的帮助下恢复元气，后来，在1996年马自达再次陷入困境时，福特购入该公司三分之一股权。

Mr Kogai, a former engineer who has spent four decades at the carmaker, can still recall a letter from a US consumer in the late 1990s lashing out at Mazda for losing focus.

工程师出身、在马自达工作了40年的小饲雅道仍记得上世纪90年代末一位美国消费者的来信，批评马自达失去重点。

That missive, sent to executives, was a wake-up call.

那封写给公司高管的信给马自达敲响了警钟。

We realised that the more we increased vehicle models, car sales dropped and our brand weakened, Mr Kogai says.

小饲雅道表示：我们意识到，我们越增加汽车车型，汽车销量越下降，我们的品牌也随之削弱。

In response, the company, guided by Ford, decided to reboot by specialising in sports cars with a fun-to-drive, Zoom-Zoom slogan (replaced last year with the less jazzy Driving Matters).

作为回应，该公司在福特的指引下决定整改产品系列，专业生产运动型汽车，打出提倡驾驶乐趣的Zoom-Zoom口号（去年被不那么花哨的Driving Matters取代）。

In later years, Mazda outsourced production of compact cars to Suzuki and more recently, pick-up trucks to Isuzu, allowing it to focus on its core business.

后来几年，马自达将紧凑型轿车的生产外包给铃木，最近，该公司将皮卡汽车的生产外包给五十铃(Isuzu)，使自己得以专注于核心业务。

The chief executive took up his role in 2013, just as Mazda had returned to profit after racking up net losses of almost ￥250bn ($2.3bn) in the four years following the global financial crisis.

小饲雅道于2013年上任，当时马自达刚刚恢复盈利，此前4年该公司在金融危机爆发后遭遇近2500亿日元（合23亿美元）的净亏损。

During its third crisis, Ford itself was battling for its survival and the 36-year alliance with the US carmaker came to an end last year with the sale of its remaining 2 per cent stake.

在马自达第三次危机期间，福特自己正为生存而挣扎，去年马自达与这家美国汽车制造商36年的联盟划上句号，福特出售了剩余的2%马自达股权。

The steady confidence Mr Kogai possesses today follows an extensive overhaul in which he was heavily involved.

在小饲雅道现在充满信心之前，马自达进行了一场广泛整改，他深入参与其中。

This started in 2006, when the Japanese carmaker took a gamble on perfecting its engine and transmission technology.

这场整改始于2006年，当时马自达押注于完善发动机和变速器技术。

Rivals marched in the opposite direction, developing cars powered by hydrogen and electricity.

其竞争对手则向另一个方向努力，开发以氢和电力为动力的汽车。

We built the optimum engine that could be fitted into all types of vehicles, Mr Kogai said. In the past . . . it was good for one model but not for the other.

我们打造出了最优化的发动机，适用于所有类型的汽车，小饲雅道表示，过去……发动机适用于一种车型，但不适用于其他车型。

The new lightweight engine is part of a collection of fuel-efficient technologies that Mazda calls SkyActiv.

新的轻型发动机是节能技术集合的一部分，马自达把这些技术统称为SkyActiv。

With these technologies, Mazda has improved average fuel economy for its cars by about 26 per cent from 2008 levels, and met emissions regulations without turning to electric vehicles or hybrids.

借助这些技术，马自达汽车的平均燃油效率较2008年提高了26%左右，在没有转向电动汽车或混合动力汽车的情况下满足了排放规定。

The look of Mazda cars also changed: all designs are now based on traditional Japanese art and aesthetics.

马自达汽车的外观也发生了变化：所有的设计现在都基于日本传统艺术和美学。

Mr Kogai, known among employees for his down-to-earth manner, is credited with steering Mazda away from overambitious sales targets, but its turnround could once again be jeopardised by the yen’s stubborn rise.

小饲雅道的务实作风在员工中是出了名的，他被誉为领导马自达放弃野心过大的销售目标，但日元汇率持续上涨可能再次危及该公司的复苏。

Mazda’s decision to partner with Toyota will be watched closely by other smaller carmakers.

马自达与丰田联手的决定，将受到其他较小汽车制造商的密切关注。

With advances in self-driving technology, the automotive industry is wrestling to block incursions by Google, Apple and other technology rivals.

随着无人驾驶技术的进步，汽车行业正努力阻止谷歌(Google)、苹果(Apple)和其他科技竞争对手的入侵。

A company the size of Mazda, with a market value of $9.5bn and annual revenue of $33bn, cannot compete alone in artificial intelligence and other new technologies.

一家像马自达这种规模的公司（市值95亿美元、年收入330亿美元）不可能单枪匹马地在人工智能和其他新技术领域竞争。

Driverless vehicles will threaten the core of what Mazda believes makes its cars attractive.

无人驾驶汽车将威胁马自达对于汽车吸引力的核心理念。

Our cars are human-centric so people will be driving them, Mr Kogai says.

我们的汽车是以人为中心，因此人们要驾驶它们，小饲雅道表示，

Driving can lift spirits, relieve stress and stimulate the brain . . .  That’s the kind of cars that make sense for Mazda to make and that’s our role, he adds with a laugh.

驾驶可以振奋心情、疏解压力并刺激大脑……这让马自达生产汽车变得有意义，那是我们的角色。

It’s not that we’re a company that hates autonomous driving.

他笑着补充称，我们并不憎恨无人驾驶。

Toyota already supplies Mazda with hybrid drivetrain technology, but Mr Kogai dismisses speculation it will turn to its partner to develop a hydrogen-powered fuel-cell vehicle.

丰田已向马自达供应混合动力传动技术，但小饲雅道否认如下传言，即马自达将求助于其合作伙伴，开发氢动力燃料电池汽车。

It’s really not that easy to get access to, he says.

他表示：进入这一领域真的不那么容易。

Both companies have been cagey on what the tie-up entails, with Mr Kogai only revealing a very long-term alliance, saying that a joint product is unlikely to be rolled out in the next two years.

两家公司都对联盟细节三缄其口，小饲雅道只是透露，这是一种非常长期的联盟，他表示，未来两年不太可能推出合作研发的产品。

Even in the new era, Mr Kogai is convinced Mazda’s engineers will prove its cars are still relevant: This isn’t the end, he says.

即便在当今新时代，小饲雅道也相信，马自达的工程技术人员将证明马自达汽车仍然举足轻重：这不是终点，他表示。