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The next generations of General Motors Co.'s GM +3.19% Cadillacs will have softer corners, dashboards with more gadgetry and plusher rear seats. The U.S. auto maker is tweaking the iconic American brand to make it more palatable to Chinese buyers and GM's Chinese partner, even though Cadillac hasn't sold strongly here.
通用汽车公司(General Motors Co.)未来几代的凯迪拉克轿车(Cadillac)将拥有更加柔和的拐角线条，仪表盘将增加更多装置，后排座椅也将更为豪华。这家美国汽车制造商正在调整这个标志性美国汽车品牌的车型设计，使其更合乎中国买家以及通用汽车中国合资伙伴的口味，尽管凯迪拉克在中国的销售并不强劲。
The redesign speaks to the growing influence of the partner, SAIC Motor Corp., 600104.SH -1.06% on GM's global strategy. Since pairing up with SAIC 15 years ago in a joint venture, GM has become the dominant foreign player in China, the world's second-biggest economy and busiest auto market. Along the way, GM helped rear SAIC into a full-fledged auto maker, with top-tier designers, engineers and marketers.
这次重新设计彰显出上海汽车集团股份有限公司(SAIC Motor Corp.，简称：上汽集团)对于通用汽车全球战略不断增长的影响力。自从15年前与上汽集团组建合资公司以来，通用汽车已成为中国这个全球第二大经济体及最大汽车市场上占主导地位的外国厂商。在此过程中，通用汽车也将上汽集团培养成一个羽翼丰满的汽车制造商，拥有一流的设计师、工程师和营销人员。
SAIC now wants to move onto the world stage, and GM must decide how much it wants to help.
上汽集团现在想要登上世界舞台，而通用汽车必须决定的是，自己希望给予前者多大帮助。
Chinese law requires that foreign auto makers have local partners, and how GM manages its relationship with SAIC is crucial. The American auto maker needs SAIC to begin assembling Cadillacs in China so it can attack a luxury car market dominated by German car makers.
中国法律规定，外国汽车制造商要想在华开展业务，必须与中国公司进行合作，因此通用汽车如何管理它与上汽集团的关系就显得至关重要。这家美国汽车制造商需要与上汽集团合作才能开始在华组装凯迪拉克轿车，以打进由德国汽车制造商主导的中国豪车市场。
A successful partnership could lift GM's profits for years. But there is a risk for GM, too: SAIC could use GM expertise and technology to transform itself into a global auto powerhouse that challenges the American car maker down the road.
通用汽车与上汽集团拥有成功的合作关系可能会在未来多年里对通用的利润起到提振作用。但是，这种关系对通用汽车来说也有风险：上汽集团可能会利用通用汽车的专业知识和技术将自己打造成全球汽车巨头，并在日后对通用汽车形成挑战。
'Why do you rob a bank? Because that's where the money is,' says GM Chief Executive Dan Akerson. 'Why go to China? Because that's where the customers are.' He called the SAIC partnership his company's most important relationship around the world.
通用汽车首席执行长阿克森(Dan Akerson)说，为什么人们会去抢银行？因为银行里有钱；为什么我们要去中国？因为那里有客户。阿克森把与上汽集团的合作关系称作是通用汽车在全球最重要的关系。
This summer, SAIC opened North American headquarters in Birmingham, Mich., just 20 miles from GM's Detroit base. After years of explosive growth, China's auto market is cooling off. Yi Lu, president of SAIC USA Inc., called the growing importance of selling cars abroad a 'significant factor' in the decision to go to Michigan. SAIC currently sells no cars in the U.S.
今年夏天，上汽集团将其北美总部设在了美国密歇根州的伯明翰，距离通用汽车的底特律总部仅32公里。在经历了多年的爆炸性增长后，中国汽车市场开始逐渐降温。上汽集团美国公司(SAIC USA Inc.)的总裁鲁易(音)说，将汽车销往海外变得越来越重要，这是上汽集团决定去美国密歇根州的重要因素。上汽集团目前并没有在美国销售汽车。
This isn't SAIC's first foray outside China. A decade ago, it took a small stake in a venture GM had in Korea. In 2010, as GM was still limping out of bankruptcy, the U.S. auto maker agreed to a joint venture with SAIC in India.
这并不是上汽集团出征海外的首次尝试。10年前，上汽集团曾收购了通用汽车在韩国某合资公司的少数股份。2010年，当通用汽车仍在步履蹒跚地走出倒闭阴影时，它与上汽集团达成了在印度组建合资企业的协议。
But SAIC wants more from its American friend.
但上汽集团希望从这位美国朋友那里得到的并不止这些。
The Chinese company wants to set up operations in Latin America and Europe, two markets where GM has longtime operations. And China wants access to advanced electric-car technology, which GM wants to safeguard.
上汽集团希望在拉丁美洲和欧洲开展业务，而通用汽车在这两个市场有着长期的运营经验。另外，中国还希望获得先进的电动汽车技术，而这则是通用汽车不愿分享的。
GM has yet to decide how far it will go. 'It's kind of like a marriage,' Mr. Akerson said. 'We have a good and viable relationship and partnership. But to make it work, you have to have needs on both sides of the table, not just wants.'
通用汽车尚未决定要与上汽集团携手走多远。阿克森说，这有点像是两个人结婚，虽然有着不错且可行的关系与合作，但要想婚姻美满，就必须考虑到双方的需求，而不能只想着索取。
GM, which sells some vehicles with SAIC in Latin America, is considering expanding the partnership there. Mr. Akerson has discussed with senior executives the possibility of expanding with SAIC into Southeast Asia, according to people close to the company. But GM has no plans to follow on SAIC's request for help in setting up a dealership network in Europe for one of its brands, a person close to GM said.
通用汽车与上汽集团有部分汽车在拉美出售，前者目前正在考虑扩大与后者在拉美的合作关系。了解通用汽车的人说，阿克森与公司高管们讨论了在东南亚扩大与上汽集团合作的可能性。但一位了解通用汽车的人说，通用汽车目前并不打算应上汽集团的要求，帮助后者在欧洲建立其某汽车品牌的经销商网络。
A spokeswoman for SAIC in Shanghai said that the companies 'have established a good and enduring relationship based on a foundation of mutual benefit.' The venture, she added, 'is a model for successful cooperation in China and even the world.'
上汽集团驻上海的一位发言人说，两家公司在互惠互利的基础上建立了良好、持久的关系。她还说，这一模式是在中国、乃至世界上成功合作的一个榜样。
GM can ill afford to alienate SAIC. GM's joint ventures with SAIC Motor Corp., a separate alliance between GM and FAW Group Corp., and a further alliance involving GM, SAIC and Wuling Automobile Co. together sold 2.5 million vehicles in 2011. It posted $30 billion in revenue, and $3.2 billion in profit, of which GM received about $1.5 billion. GM reported profit from all its operations of $7.6 billion last year.
通用汽车可能难以承受与上汽集团的疏远。去年，双方的合资企业、通用汽车与中国第一汽车集团公司(FAW Group Corp.)的合资企业，以及通用汽车、上汽集团和五菱汽车(Wuling Automobile Co.)的合资企业在中国共销售了250万辆汽车，实现收入300亿美元，利润32亿美元，其中通用汽车获利约15亿美元。通用汽车去年所有业务共实现利润76亿美元。
And GM is still waiting to get the blessing of Chinese authorities to regain control of a 1% stake in Shanghai GM that will boost its ownership back to 50%. GM used the asset to get SAIC's help in obtaining a $400 million line of credit in 2009 when GM desperately needed cash.
通用汽车目前仍在等待得到中国政府的批准，以回购上海通用1%的股权，从而让自己在上海通用的持股比例重新增至50%。2009年通用汽车急需现金时，向上汽集团售出了这1%的股权，获得了4亿美元的信用额度。
Other Western companies with presence in China are facing similar challenges as the powerful Chinese partners they helped create want to expand overseas after building muscles at home.
其它在华开展业务的西方公司目前也面临着类似挑战。它们曾经帮助打造的中国合作伙伴在本土获得了强大实力后，如今开始希望向海外扩张。
Siemens AG SIE.XE +0.63% of Germany and Bombardier Inc. BBD.B.T +0.55% of Canada, which both transferred bullet-train technologies to China, are confronting Chinese rivals on overseas markets including the U.S., Saudi Arabia and Brazil. After being an apprentice to Russian and French nuclear engineering companies, China is now eying exports of nuclear reactors.
德国西门子公司(Siemens AG)和加拿大庞巴迪公司(Bombardier Inc.)都曾将子弹头列车技术转让给中国，如今它们在美国、沙特阿拉伯和巴西等海外市场上开始遇到中国对手的竞争。在给俄罗斯和法国核工程公司当过学徒之后，中国目前瞄上了核反应堆的出口。
GM's first move into modern China was a dud. By the time GM decided to get into the market, in 1992, Beijing had just shut the door to new passenger-car joint ventures; Volkswagen AG VOW3.XE +0.93% and French car maker PSA Peugeot UG.FR +5.30% Citroën made the cut.
通用汽车挺进当代中国市场的首次尝试并没有获得成功。1992年该公司决定进入中国市场时，北京方面刚刚关闭了与外商新建轿车合资公司的大门。大众汽车(Volkswagen AG)和法国汽车制造商雪铁龙集团(PSA Peugeot-Citroen)则成功“闯关”。
