×

We use cookies to help make LingQ better. By visiting the site, you agree to our cookie policy.

image

The Rise and Fall, The Rise And Fall Of Hummer

The Rise And Fall Of Hummer

(upbeat music)

Irene Kim: You know what car this is.

Matt DeBord: Everybody remembers the Hummer,

even though it's been gone for 10 years now.

Irene: Its tough look and military background

made it instantly cool, and everyone from Mike Tyson

to Britney Spears was driving one.

Hummers were seemingly everywhere in the early 2000s.

But in 2010, all manufacturing and sales came to a halt.

So, what happened?

Hummer's story begins with the U.S. military.

The military used the Jeep as its go-to vehicle

during the world wars and through the Vietnam War.

But around the '80s,

it started looking for something more heavy-duty.

Matt: The Jeep didn't have a lot of power.

Jeep couldn't pull a lot of stuff.

It couldn't carry a lot of people, it had no armor.

Irene: So the Pentagon gave AM General a billion-dollar

contract to develop a fleet of High Mobility

Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicles.

Eventually called Humvees, the bulky vehicles were designed

to transport troops and cargo.

Matt: The Humvee didn't have a lot of armor,

but it was at least a little bit more survivable

in terms of being shot at

or having something blow up next to it.

Irene: Humvees rose to fame after being seen in action

during the Gulf War.

They were also used in military processions,

which was how they caught Arnold Schwarzenegger's eye.

While filming his movie "Kindergarten Cop" in Oregon,

the actor saw Humvees rolling by and immediately wanted one.

In a 1991 Rolling Stone interview,

Schwarzenegger said they reminded him of his younger days

when he drove tanks while serving in the Austrian army.

So, he contacted AM General to try to get his hands on one.

When he was turned down,

the star pushed for a civilian version to be made.

And AM General listened.

Matt: Because, you know, everybody, I dunno,

was influenced by Arnold Schwarzenegger

at that point in time.

Irene: Schwarzenegger became the first civilian

to own a specially made humvee.

AM General even stenciled Terminator on the model.

In 1992, a civilian version of the Humvee

officially went on sale.

Named the Hummer, the boxy vehicle cost up to $100,000.

Matt: It was ridiculous to be rolling around in that thing

on the public roads.

I mean, the wheels were too high off the ground.

Yes, it had air-conditioning, yes, it had airbags,

but I mean, you know, to drive it, you're sort of, like,

you're sitting up like this and then you've got this big,

this big compartment sitting over.

I mean, not organized for comfort

or luxury or anything like that.

Irene: The Hummer averaged less than 10 miles a gallon

and weighed 10,000 pounds.

It was so heavy that owning one meant you could claim

a farm equipment tax credit with the IRS.

True to its military roots, the Hummer's original design

featured an engine button labeled Fire

until company lawyers intervened.

In 1999, General Motors bought the rights to market

and sell Hummers from AM General.

Thanks to the booming economy and low gas prices,

Hummer's sales took off, especially in Hollywood.

OG Hummer fan Schwarzenegger

quickly amassed a fleet of the war wagons.

From 1999 to 2000 alone, Hummers were featured in 32 movies,

which only increased the brand recognition

the vehicle already had thanks to its military pedigree.

And it was its association with the military

that really drove up the Hummer's popularity in the U.S.

Matt: People saw it in active use

during the first Gulf War for the first time.

And they thought, well, if that thing can handle,

you know, desert combat,

then it could certainly be used for weekend camping trips.

Irene: Many people also saw owning a Hummer

as an act of patriotism.

Matt: I don't really buy the argument

that it implied a sort of warlike mentality

or anything like that, but that was definitely

part of its overall DNA.

Irene: While the first Hummer model

was basically a carbon copy

of its bulky military predecessor,

the second model featured a slightly sleeker design

and cost about $50,000.

Named the H2, it quickly became Hummer's top-selling model,

and was followed by the H3,

which was further scaled down in size

and price to appeal to more consumers.

Hummer's overall sales peaked in 2006,

with a little over 70,000 units sold.

Matt: So that's pretty good.

That's not crazy popular.

It certainly pales by comparison

with some of the pickup trucks and other vehicles

that General Motors was selling

through its various divisions at the time.

But for an offbeat vehicle like that,

that's kind of incredible.

Irene: Hummers eventually came to embody

America's supersized lifestyle

and the people who aspired to it.

Matt: You know, they gotta come,

they gotta roll large everywhere they go.

You know, the G-Wagen, Mercedes G-Wagen-type people.

And for them the Hummer was just that turned up to 11

or maybe 11,000, you know, it's like, the biggest,

baddest, stupidest, most obnoxious,

it was completely inappropriate,

most impractical in a lot of ways.

Irene: But while Hummer's in-your-face quality

initially drew consumers in, it soon led to its downfall.

Hummers became a symbol of wasteful consumption.

Matt: People just saw it as a symbol

of everything that was wrong with Detroit.

Everything that was wrong with our American attitude

about cars, everything was wrong with patriotism.

Everything was wrong with, like,

the militarization of American society.

Everything that was wrong about the way we treat the planet.

Irene: Hummer owners found themselves fending off critics

and protestors who saw Hummers as pollution machines.

Some owners reported finding their Hummers keyed,

and others said they got dirty looks in parking lots.

Eco-vandals took things even further,

breaking windows and slashing tires.

Throughout 2003, protestors set fire to Hummers

at a number of dealerships in Los Angeles.

And ironically, while one war helped make Hummers popular,

another would bring it down:

the war in Iraq shot up gas prices,

which made owning a Hummer seem even more impractical.

Then, in 2007, the financial recession hit.

And Hummer's parent brand,

General Motors, was in big trouble.

Matt: So, General Motors, prior to the financial crisis,

had become a big mess.

It had too many brands.

It had stopped making money.

Irene: In 2009, General Motors filed for bankruptcy

and discontinued a number of its brands.

Matt: At that point, they had a bunch of brands,

much more than they have now.

And each of those brands needs marketing support.

Each of those brands need manufacturing support.

Each of those brands needs research and development.

So they had to look at what they had, and they said,

"Well, you know, Hummer is kind of a marginal brand."

Irene: In 2010, GM attempted to sell the Hummer brand

to Tengzhong, a Chinese manufacturer.

But the deal fell through,

and GM shut down all manufacturing and sales of Hummer.

Effectively ending the life of its once beloved brand.

Today, Hummers are seen more as relics of a bygone era.

New models haven't been manufactured in nearly a decade.

But should General Motors bring Hummer back?

Matt: So, Americans like big cars;

they've always liked big cars.

They're always gonna like big cars.

People in Detroit at the time,

because of how dire the situation

got around the financial crisis,

were completely freaked out about their futures.

And they forgot this.

Irene: But since 2013, the market for big SUVs

and large pickup trucks has made a robust recovery.

And in response to consumer demand,

luxury car brands like Rolls-Royce to Lamborghini

to Aston Martin have all released SUVs.

Matt: Pretty soon we're gonna have a Ferrari SUV.

So for Hummer to come back

as kind of a really rough-and-tumble luxury platform

would probably be a halfway decent idea.

Irene: General Motors is also looking

to expand its presence in the electric-vehicle market,

and there's been talk that it might be considering

resurrecting Hummer to do just that.

Matt: The business case for it is strong

because it's an iconic brand.

Everybody already knows about it.

Irene: Arnold Schwarzenegger has already converted

one of his original Hummers to run on electricity.

Perhaps paving the way for Hummer once again.

Matt: The beauty of the brand is if they could get rid

of all the bad baggage and transplant goodness in it,

you know, you still have one of the toughest

and possibly long-lasting vehicles ever.

You might be able to operate that thing

with regular battery changes for decades

and decades and decades.

We're fighting global warming right here.

Look at this thing, you know,

so it's not just fighting wars,

it's fighting global warming too.

Irene: So while people

may have once associated Hummers

with everything that was wrong with America,

it could be time for a second chance.

(upbeat music)

Learn languages from TV shows, movies, news, articles and more! Try LingQ for FREE

The Rise And Fall Of Hummer |||||Хаммер |||||Hummer Der Aufstieg und Fall von Hummer Auge y declive de Hummer L'ascension et la chute de Hummer ハマーの興亡 허머의 흥망성쇠 "Hummer" iškilimas ir žlugimas Powstanie i upadek Hummera A ascensão e queda do Hummer Взлет и падение Hummer Hummer'ın Yükselişi ve Düşüşü Зліт і падіння Хаммера 悍马的兴衰 悍馬的興衰

(upbeat music) (アップビート・ミュージック)

Irene Kim: You know what car this is. アイリーン・キムこれがどんな車か知ってる?

Matt DeBord: Everybody remembers the Hummer, |ДеБорд||помнит|| |DeBord|||| |||||Hummer マット・デボード誰もがハマーのことを覚えている、 Matt DeBord:每个人都记得悍马,

even though it's been gone for 10 years now. もう10年も前のことなのに。

Irene: Its tough look and military background アイリーンタフなルックスと軍歴

made it instantly cool, and everyone from Mike Tyson ||瞬间|||||| ||||||||Тайсон マイク・タイソンに至るまで、すべての人が、それを瞬時にクールにした。

to Britney Spears was driving one. |Бритни|||| |Britney|Spears||| ブリトニー・スピアーズが運転していた。

Hummers were seemingly everywhere in the early 2000s. Хаммеры||||||| Hummer||scheinbar||||| 2000年代初頭、ハマーはどこにでもあるように見えた。 2000 年代初期,悍马似乎随处可见。

But in 2010, all manufacturing and sales came to a halt. |||制造业||||||停止 |||||||||Stillstand |||||||||parou completamente しかし2010年、すべての製造と販売が停止した。 但在2010年,所有制造和销售都陷入停滞。

So, what happened? で、何が起きたんだ?

Hummer's story begins with the U.S. military. Hummer'а||||||| Hummer||||||| ハマーの物語は米軍から始まる。

The military used the Jeep as its go-to vehicle ||||Джип|||основной|| |||||||||车辆 軍用車としてのジープ

during the world wars and through the Vietnam War. 世界大戦からベトナム戦争まで。

But around the '80s, しかし、80年代ごろには

it started looking for something more heavy-duty. |||||||重型 ||||||schwer|robustem もっとヘビーデューティーなものを探し始めた。 它开始寻找更重型的东西。

Matt: The Jeep didn't have a lot of power. マット:ジープはパワーがなかった。

Jeep couldn't pull a lot of stuff. ジープは多くの荷物を引っ張ることができなかった。

It couldn't carry a lot of people, it had no armor. ||||||||||装甲 ||||||||||Rüstung 大勢を乗せることはできないし、装甲もない。 它无法运载很多人,而且没有装甲。

Irene: So the Pentagon gave AM General a billion-dollar |||Пентагон|||||миллиард|доллар ||||||General||| アイリーンそれで、国防総省はAMゼネラルに10億ドルを与えた。

contract to develop a fleet of High Mobility ||||车队|||机动性 ||||Flotte|||Mobilität ||||флот|||мобильности 高機動車の開発契約 签订合同开发高机动性车队

Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicles. 多用途|| Mehrzweck|| многоцелевой|колесные| 多目的装輪車。

Eventually called Humvees, the bulky vehicles were designed ||悍马车||笨重的||| ||||bulky||| ||veículos pesados||||| ||Хаммеры||громоздкие||| 最終的にハンヴィーと呼ばれるようになったこのかさばる車両は、次のように設計された。

to transport troops and cargo. ||部队|| ||Truppen||Fracht 兵員や貨物を輸送する。

Matt: The Humvee didn't have a lot of armor, ||Хамви|||||| ||Humvee|||||| ||||||||装甲 マット:ハンヴィーにはあまり装甲がなかった、

but it was at least a little bit more survivable |||||||||выживаемый |||||||||überlebensfähig |||||||||suportável しかし、少なくとももう少し生き延びることができた。 但至少生存能力更强一点

in terms of being shot at |in Bezug auf|||| 撃たれるという点では

or having something blow up next to it. |||爆炸|||| |||explodieren|||| あるいはその隣で何かが爆発する。 或者旁边有东西爆炸。

Irene: Humvees rose to fame after being seen in action ||stieg(en)||||||| アイリーン:ハンヴィー、実戦投入で一躍有名に 艾琳:悍马因参与战斗而声名鹊起

during the Gulf War. 湾岸戦争中のことだ。

They were also used in military processions, ||||||游行队伍 ||||||Zügen ||||||процессиях военных

which was how they caught Arnold Schwarzenegger's eye. ||||||施瓦辛格的| |||||Arnold|Schwarzeneggers| ||||||Шварценеггера| それがアーノルド・シュワルツェネッガーの目に留まったきっかけだった。 这就是他们引起阿诺德施瓦辛格注意的原因。

While filming his movie "Kindergarten Cop" in Oregon, |съемки||||||Орегон |||||||俄勒冈州 オレゴンで映画『キンダーガーデン・コップ』の撮影中、 在俄勒冈州拍摄电影《幼儿园警探》时,

the actor saw Humvees rolling by and immediately wanted one. ||||驶过||||| |Schauspieler||||||sofort|| ハンヴィーが走っているのを見て、すぐに欲しくなった。 这位演员看到悍马驶过并立即想要一辆。

In a 1991 Rolling Stone interview, 1991年の『ローリング・ストーン』誌のインタビューである、

Schwarzenegger said they reminded him of his younger days Шварценеггер|||||||| Schwarzenegger|||erinnerten||||| シュワルツェネッガーは、若い頃を思い出すと語った。 施瓦辛格说它们让他想起了自己的年轻时光

when he drove tanks while serving in the Austrian army. |||||servindo|||| オーストリア軍で戦車を運転していたときのことだ。

So, he contacted AM General to try to get his hands on one. そこで彼はAMゼネラルに連絡を取り、手に入れようとした。

When he was turned down, |||被拒绝时| 彼は断られた、 当他被拒绝时,

the star pushed for a civilian version to be made. |||||гражданская версия|||| スターは民間版の製作を推し進めた。

And AM General listened. そしてAMゼネラルは耳を傾けた。

Matt: Because, you know, everybody, I dunno, ||||||不知道 ||||||weiß nicht ||||||не знаю マット:だって、みんな、わからないよ、

was influenced by Arnold Schwarzenegger |оказал влияние||| アーノルド・シュワルツェネッガーに影響を受けた

at that point in time. その時点で

Irene: Schwarzenegger became the first civilian |||||Zivilist アイリーンシュワルツェネッガー、初の民間人となる

to own a specially made humvee. |||специально сделанный|| 特製のハンヴィーを所有する。

AM General even stenciled Terminator on the model. |||喷涂上|终结者||| |||stempelte|Terminator||| |||нанесла трафаретом|Терминатор||| AM General 甚至在模型上印上了《终结者》的图案。

In 1992, a civilian version of the Humvee |||||dem| 1992年、民間版ハンヴィー

officially went on sale. 正式に発売が開始された。

Named the Hummer, the boxy vehicle cost up to $100,000. ||||кубатный|||| ||||kastenförmiges|||| |||||车辆||| ハマーと名付けられたこの箱型の車は、最高10万ドルもした。

Matt: It was ridiculous to be rolling around in that thing マット:あの中で転げ回るなんて馬鹿げてたよ。 马特:在那个东西里打滚真是太荒唐了

on the public roads. 公道を走る。

I mean, the wheels were too high off the ground. つまり、車輪が地面から高すぎたんだ。 我的意思是,轮子离地面太高了。

Yes, it had air-conditioning, yes, it had airbags, ||||空调|||| ||||||||Airbags ||||||||подушки безопасности エアコンはあったし、エアバッグもあった、

but I mean, you know, to drive it, you're sort of, like, でも、つまり、それを運転するのは、なんというか、そんな感じなんだ、

you're sitting up like this and then you've got this big, こうして座っていて、この大きさだ、 你像这样坐着,然后你就有这么大,

this big compartment sitting over. ||这个大隔间|| ||Fach|| ||отсек|| この大きなコンパートメントに座っている。 这个大隔间就坐在那边。

I mean, not organized for comfort つまり、快適さのために整理されていない 我的意思是,没有为舒适而组织起来

or luxury or anything like that. ||||ähnliches| 豪華さとか、そういうものだ。

Irene: The Hummer averaged less than 10 miles a gallon |||средний|меньше||||галлон |||fuhr|||Meilen|| アイリーンハマーの平均燃費は1ガロン10マイル以下 艾琳:悍马平均每加仑行驶不到 10 英里

and weighed 10,000 pounds. ||磅 重量は1万ポンド。 重10,000磅。

It was so heavy that owning one meant you could claim ||||||||||beanspruchen Es war so schwer, dass der Besitz eines solchen versprach, あまりに重かったので、1台所有していれば、クレームをつけることができた。 它太重了,拥有它意味着你可以声称

a farm equipment tax credit with the IRS. ||||农机税收抵免||| |||||||Налоговая служба einen Steuerabzug für Landmaschinen beim Finanzamt geltend zu machen. 農機具税額控除をIRSに申請する。 向美国国税局申请农场设备税收抵免。

True to its military roots, the Hummer's original design ||||Wurzeln|||| Treue zu seinen militärischen Wurzeln, das ursprüngliche Design des Hummers 軍用車としてのルーツに忠実なハマーのオリジナル・デザイン 悍马的原始设计忠于其军事根源

featured an engine button labeled Fire 配备||引擎按钮||| ||||beschriftet| ||||с пометкой Fire| エンジンボタンに「Fire」の文字 带有标有“火灾”的发动机按钮

until company lawyers intervened. ||юристы компании|вмешались адвокаты |||eingriffen |||介入 会社の弁護士が介入するまで。 直到公司律师介入。

In 1999, General Motors bought the rights to market 1999年、ゼネラル・モーターズが販売権を買い取った。

and sell Hummers from AM General. を買収し、AMゼネラルからハマー車を販売している。

Thanks to the booming economy and low gas prices, |||蓬勃发展||||| |||цветущий||||| 好景気とガソリン安のおかげだ、 由于经济繁荣和油价低廉,

Hummer's sales took off, especially in Hollywood. ||起飞了|||| ||||||Голливуде ハマーはハリウッドを中心に売れ行きを伸ばした。 悍马的销量一路飙升,尤其是在好莱坞。

OG Hummer fan Schwarzenegger оригинальный||| OG|||

quickly amassed a fleet of the war wagons. |迅速集结||车队||||战车队伍 |ansammelte|||||| |||||||carros de guerra |собрал|||||| すぐに戦車隊を集めた。 很快就集结了一支战车舰队。

From 1999 to 2000 alone, Hummers were featured in 32 movies, |||||出现在|| 1999年から2000年までだけでも、ハマーは32本の映画に登場した、

which only increased the brand recognition ||||品牌知名度|品牌认知度 これはブランド認知度を高めるだけだった。 这只会提高品牌知名度

the vehicle already had thanks to its military pedigree. ||||||||军用血统 ||||||||herkunft ||||||||потомство その軍用車の血統のおかげで、この車はすでに持っていた。

And it was its association with the military そして、それは軍との関係だった。

that really drove up the Hummer's popularity in the U.S. das|||||||||| 米国でのハマー人気を押し上げた。 这确实提高了悍马在美国的受欢迎程度

Matt: People saw it in active use マット:みんな現役で使っているのを見たんだ。

during the first Gulf War for the first time. 第一次湾岸戦争で初めて。

And they thought, well, if that thing can handle, ||||||||справляться それで、あれで大丈夫ならと考えたんだ、

you know, desert combat, ||пустыня| |||沙漠战斗 砂漠での戦闘だ、 你知道,沙漠战斗,

then it could certainly be used for weekend camping trips. それなら週末のキャンプにも使えるだろう。

Irene: Many people also saw owning a Hummer アイリーン多くの人がハマーを所有していると考えています。

as an act of patriotism. ||||爱国行为 ||Akt||Patriotismus 愛国心からだ。

Matt: I don't really buy the argument ||||glaube|| Matt: Ich glaube nicht wirklich an das Argument マット:私はその議論をあまり信用していない。 Matt:我不太认同这个观点

that it implied a sort of warlike mentality ||暗示了||||好战心态| ||implizierte||||kriegerischen| dass es eine Art kriegerische Denkweise impliziert それはある種の戦争的なメンタリティーを暗示していた。 它暗示了一种好战心态

or anything like that, but that was definitely oder so etwas, aber das war definitiv でも、それは間違いなく

part of its overall DNA. |||整体的| その全体的なDNAの一部である。

Irene: While the first Hummer model アイリーンハマーの最初のモデル

was basically a carbon copy |||翻版| は基本的にコピーである。 基本上是复制品

of its bulky military predecessor, ||笨重的||笨重的军事前身 ||||Vorgänger 嵩張る軍用機の前身である、 与其庞大的军用前身相比,

the second model featured a slightly sleeker design |||特色|||更流线型的设计| |||||etwas|schlankeres| 第二款的设计略显时尚

and cost about $50,000. 費用は約5万ドル。

Named the H2, it quickly became Hummer's top-selling model, H2と名付けられたこのモデルは、瞬く間にハマーのトップセラーとなった、

and was followed by the H3,

which was further scaled down in size ||weiter|||| der weiter in der Größe reduziert wurde さらに縮小された 尺寸进一步缩小

and price to appeal to more consumers. |||ansprechen||| und im Preis, um mehr Verbraucher anzusprechen. そして、より多くの消費者にアピールするための価格である。

Hummer's overall sales peaked in 2006, Die Gesamtverkäufe von Hummer erreichten 2006 ihren Höhepunkt, ハマー全体の販売は2006年にピークを迎えた、

with a little over 70,000 units sold. 万台強を販売した。

Matt: So that's pretty good. マット:それはかなりいいことだね。

That's not crazy popular. それはクレイジーな人気ではない。

It certainly pales by comparison ||相形见绌|| |sicherlich|blass werden|| それに比べれば、確かに見劣りする 相比之下,它确实黯然失色

with some of the pickup trucks and other vehicles ピックアップトラックや他の車と一緒に 一些皮卡车和其他车辆

that General Motors was selling ゼネラルモーターズが販売していた

through its various divisions at the time. |||Abteilungen||| 当時のさまざまな部門を通じて。

But for an offbeat vehicle like that, |||另类的|另类车辆|| |||außergewöhnliches||| しかし、あのようなオフビートな車には 但对于这样一辆另类的汽车来说,

that's kind of incredible. それはちょっと信じられないね。

Irene: Hummers eventually came to embody |||||体现 |||||verkörpern アイリーン:ハマーはやがて、それを体現するようになった。 艾琳:悍马最终体现了

America's supersized lifestyle |überdimensioniert| アメリカの超大型ライフスタイル 美国人的超大生活方式

and the people who aspired to it. ||||strebten|| そしてそれを目指す人々。 以及那些渴望实现这一目标的人们。

Matt: You know, they gotta come, マット:彼らは来なければならないんだ、

they gotta roll large everywhere they go. ||rollen|||| 彼らはどこに行くにも、大きく転がさなければならない。 他们走到哪里都要滚到哪里。

You know, the G-Wagen, Mercedes G-Wagen-type people. ||||G级越野车||||| ||||Wagen||||| Gワーゲン、メルセデスのGワーゲンタイプの人たちだよ。 您知道的,G-Wagen,梅赛德斯 G-Wagen 类型的人。

And for them the Hummer was just that turned up to 11 彼らにとってハマーは、まさに11倍の存在だった。

or maybe 11,000, you know, it's like, the biggest, いや、11,000かもしれない、

baddest, stupidest, most obnoxious, |||最讨厌的 schlechtesten|stupidsten||anstößig 最も悪く、最も愚かで、最も不愉快だ、

it was completely inappropriate, |||完全不合适 |||unangemessen 完全に不適切だった、

most impractical in a lot of ways. |unpraktisch||||| いろいろな意味で最も非現実的だ。

Irene: But while Hummer's in-your-face quality Irene: Aber während Hummers direkt ins Gesicht springen アイリーンしかし、ハマーの面目躍如たる品質とは裏腹に

initially drew consumers in, it soon led to its downfall. 最初|吸引|||||||| zunächst|zog||||||||Untergang zogen sie anfangs die Verbraucher an, führte dies bald zu ihrem Untergang. 当初は消費者を惹きつけたが、やがて没落につながった。 最初吸引了消费者,但很快就导致了它的衰落。

Hummers became a symbol of wasteful consumption. ||||||浪费消费 |||||verschwenderischem| Hummer wurden zu einem Symbol für verschwenderischen Konsum. ハマーは無駄遣いの象徴となった。

Matt: People just saw it as a symbol マット:人々はそれを象徴として見ていた。

of everything that was wrong with Detroit. ||||||底特律的问题 デトロイトの悪いところのすべてを。 底特律的所有问题。

Everything that was wrong with our American attitude |||||||Einstellung アメリカ人の態度の悪いところ

about cars, everything was wrong with patriotism. ||||||爱国主义

Everything was wrong with, like,

the militarization of American society. |美国社会军事化||| |Militarisierung|||Gesellschaft

Everything that was wrong about the way we treat the planet.

Irene: Hummer owners found themselves fending off critics |||||抵挡|| |||sahen||abwehren|| Irene: Hummer-Besitzer sahen sich Kritikern gegenüber 艾琳:悍马车主发现自己正在抵御批评

and protestors who saw Hummers as pollution machines. |抗议者|||||| |Protestierende|||||Verschmutzung| und Demonstranten, die Hummer als Umweltverschmutzungsmaschinen betrachteten. また、ハマーは公害車であるとする抗議者たちもいた。

Some owners reported finding their Hummers keyed, ||||||zerkratzt Einige Besitzer berichteten, dass ihre Hummer zerkratzt gefunden wurden. ハマーに鍵がかけられていたというオーナーもいた、 一些车主报告说,发现他们的悍马被钥匙扣住了,

and others said they got dirty looks in parking lots. ||||||Blicke|||

Eco-vandals took things even further, |破坏者|||| Eco|Vandalen|||| 生态破坏者则更进一步,

breaking windows and slashing tires. |||划破| |||einschneiden|Reifen 打破窗户、划破轮胎。

Throughout 2003, protestors set fire to Hummers |抗议者|||| im Jahr|||||

at a number of dealerships in Los Angeles. ||||经销店||| ||||Autohäuser|||

And ironically, while one war helped make Hummers popular, |ironischerweise|||||||

another would bring it down:

the war in Iraq shot up gas prices, 伊拉克战争导致油价暴涨,

which made owning a Hummer seem even more impractical. ||||||||不切实际

Then, in 2007, the financial recession hit. ||||经济衰退| ||||rezession|

And Hummer's parent brand, |||品牌 ||Eltern| 悍马的母品牌,

General Motors, was in big trouble.

Matt: So, General Motors, prior to the financial crisis, ||||vor|||| Matt: Also, General Motors war vor der Finanzkrise, 马特:通用汽车在金融危机之前,

had become a big mess. zu einem großen Durcheinander geworden.

It had too many brands. Es hatte zu viele Marken.

It had stopped making money.

Irene: In 2009, General Motors filed for bankruptcy ||||申请了||破产 ||||||Insolvenz

and discontinued a number of its brands. |停产|||||

Matt: At that point, they had a bunch of brands, |||||||Menge||

much more than they have now.

And each of those brands needs marketing support.

Each of those brands need manufacturing support.

Each of those brands needs research and development. |||||||Entwicklung

So they had to look at what they had, and they said,

"Well, you know, Hummer is kind of a marginal brand." ||||||||边缘品牌| ||||||||marginale|

Irene: In 2010, GM attempted to sell the Hummer brand

to Tengzhong, a Chinese manufacturer. |腾中||| |Tengzhong|||

But the deal fell through, |||ging|

and GM shut down all manufacturing and sales of Hummer.

Effectively ending the life of its once beloved brand. |||||||geliebten| 这实际上结束了这个曾经深受喜爱的品牌的生命。

Today, Hummers are seen more as relics of a bygone era. ||||||遗物|||过去的| ||||||Relikte|||vergangenen| 如今,悍马已不再是过去的产物。

New models haven't been manufactured in nearly a decade.

But should General Motors bring Hummer back?

Matt: So, Americans like big cars;

they've always liked big cars.

They're always gonna like big cars.

People in Detroit at the time, ||底特律的人们|||

because of how dire the situation |||严峻|| |||ernst||

got around the financial crisis,

were completely freaked out about their futures. 对自己的未来感到十分恐慌。

And they forgot this.

Irene: But since 2013, the market for big SUVs |||||||SUVs

and large pickup trucks has made a robust recovery. |||||||强劲的| ||||||||Erholung

And in response to consumer demand,

luxury car brands like Rolls-Royce to Lamborghini ||品牌|||||兰博基尼 |||||||Lamborghini

to Aston Martin have all released SUVs.

Matt: Pretty soon we're gonna have a Ferrari SUV. |||||||Ferrari|SUV 马特:很快我们就会有一辆法拉利 SUV。

So for Hummer to come back

as kind of a really rough-and-tumble luxury platform |||||||粗犷豪华|| |||||rauh||tollerei|| 作为一个真正粗糙的豪华平台

would probably be a halfway decent idea. ||||halbwegs|| 这可能是一个还不错的想法。

Irene: General Motors is also looking

to expand its presence in the electric-vehicle market,

and there's been talk that it might be considering

resurrecting Hummer to do just that. 复活||||| wiederbeleben|||||

Matt: The business case for it is strong |||Fall||||

because it's an iconic brand. |||标志性|

Everybody already knows about it.

Irene: Arnold Schwarzenegger has already converted |||||转变了

one of his original Hummers to run on electricity.

Perhaps paving the way for Hummer once again. |铺平道路|||||| |ebnen||||||

Matt: The beauty of the brand is if they could get rid |||||||||||摆脱 Matt: Das Schöne an der Marke ist, dass, wenn man sie loswerden könnte

of all the bad baggage and transplant goodness in it, ||||行李||移植善良||| ||||||transplante||| von all dem schlechten Ballast zu befreien und das Gute darin zu verpflanzen, 所有的坏包袱和移植的善良,

you know, you still have one of the toughest

and possibly long-lasting vehicles ever.

You might be able to operate that thing

with regular battery changes for decades

and decades and decades.

We're fighting global warming right here.

Look at this thing, you know,

so it's not just fighting wars,

it's fighting global warming too.

Irene: So while people

may have once associated Hummers |||assoziert|

with everything that was wrong with America,

it could be time for a second chance.

(upbeat music)