每日英语听力外刊精读20230726:台积电推迟美国首家芯片工厂开工


文本选自:The Guardian(卫报)
作者:Reuters
原文标题:TSMC says skilled worker shortage delays start of Arizona chip production
原文发布时间:21 Jul. 2023
TSMC says skilled worker shortage delays start of Arizona chip production
Shares of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co slumped more than 3% Friday after the world's largest contract chipmaker flagged a 10% drop in 2023 sales and said production due to start next year at its first plant in Arizona would be delayed. On Thursday, TSMC (TSM) reported a 23% fall in second-quarter net profit — its first year-on-year drop in quarterly profit since 2019 — as global economic woes take a toll on demand for chips used in everything from cars to cellphones.
"While the company's declining revenue and profit were disappointing, its long-term growth prospects remain encouraging, " said Brady Wang, associate director at Counterpoint Research. "Despite facing macroeconomic headwinds, TSMC's long-term outlook remains robust, supported by mega trends like 5G and high-performance computing." As TSMC steps up its global expansion, the company said production at its first plant in Arizona will be delayed until 2025 due to a shortage of specialist workers.
"While we are working to improve the situation, including sending experienced technicians from Taiwan to train the local skilled workers for a short period of time, we expect the production schedule of N4 process technology to be pushed out to 2025," TSMC chairman Mark Liu said Thursday. TSMC's total investment in the US project amounts to $40 billion. The company said its position as the largest manufacturer of artificial intelligence chips and high demand for AI have not offset broader end-market weakness as the global economy recovers more slowly than it had expected.
台积电推迟美国首家芯片工厂开工

精听党背景导读
台湾积体电路制造股份有限公司,中文简称:台积电,英文简称:TSMC,属于半导体制造公司。成立于1987年,是全球第一家专业积体电路制造服务(晶圆代工foundry)企业,总部与主要工厂位于中国台湾省的新竹科学园区。
据台湾“中时新闻网”报道,台积电日前在法说会上表示,台积电美国亚利桑那州厂目前遭遇一些挑战,因熟练装机人才不足,4纳米芯片制程量产时间将由2024年底延后至2025年,震惊外界和投资人。
文本选自:The Guardian(卫报)作者:Reuters原文标题:TSMC says skilled worker shortage delays start of Arizona chip production原文发布时间:21 Jul. 2023关键词:台积电 芯片 工人短缺
精听党带着问题听
1.“对…产生负面影响”用英语可以怎样描述?2. 找出“skilled worker”的同义替换?3. 为什么副董事Brady Wang认为长期增长前景仍然很好?
精听党选段赏析
标题解读
TSMC says skilled worker shortage delays start of Arizona chip production
台积电称熟练工人短缺推迟亚利桑那州芯片投产
TSMC abbr. 台积电;台湾积体电路制造股份有限公司(Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company);
skilled worker 熟练工人;
Arizona n. 美国亚利桑那州;
chip n. 芯片;
段一
Shares of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co slumped more than 3% Friday after the world's largest contract chipmaker flagged a 10% drop in 2023 sales and said production due to start next year at its first plant in Arizona would be delayed. On Thursday, TSMC (TSM) reported a 23% fall in second-quarter net profit — its first year-on-year drop in quarterly profit since 2019 — as global economic woes take a toll on demand for chips used in everything from cars to cellphones.
share n. 股份;
semiconductor n. 半导体;半导体装置;
slump vi. (价格、价值、数量等)骤降,猛跌,锐减;1. economic slump 经济衰退;
chipmaker n. 芯片制造商;
flag vt. 标志;
plant n. 工厂;1. a chemical plant 化工厂;
second-quarter n. 第二季度;
net profit 净利润;
year-on-year adj. 与上年同期数字相比的;
quarterly adj. 季度的,每季的;
economic woes 经济困境;
take a toll on 对…产生负面影响;1. Chronic worry may take a toll on our hearts. 长期的忧虑可能会对我们的心脏造成伤害。
参考译文
台积电股价周五重挫逾3%,此前这家全球最大的代工芯片制造商表示,2023年销售额下降10%,并表示将推迟原定于明年在亚利桑那州投产的第一家工厂的生产。周四,台积电公布第二季度净利润下降23%,这是该公司自2019年以来首次出现季度利润同比下降,原因是全球经济困境对从汽车到手机等各种芯片的需求造成了影响。
段二
"While the company's declining revenue and profit were disappointing, its long-term growth prospects remain encouraging," said Brady Wang, associate director at Counterpoint Research. "Despite facing macroeconomic headwinds, TSMC's long-term outlook remains robust, supported by mega trends like 5G and high-performance computing." As TSMC steps up its global expansion, the company said production at its first plant in Arizona will be delayed until 2025 due to a shortage of specialist workers.
declining adj. 越来越少的,越来越差的;1. declining industries 夕阳产业;2. declining population 人口下降;3. declining years 垂暮之年;老年;
revenue n.(企业、组织的)收入,收益;
prospect n. 前景;展望;设想;1. an exciting prospect 令人兴奋的前景;
associate director 副董事;副主任;
macroeconomic adj. 宏观经济的,总体经济的;
headwind n. 逆风;
outlook n. 前景,展望;1. the country's economic outlook 国家的经济前景;2. n. 世界观;人生观;
He had a practical outlook on life. 他的人生观很实际。
robust adj. 强劲的;富有活力的;1. robust economic growth 强劲的经济增长;
high-performance adj. 高性能的;高效能的;
step up 加快,提高;
global expansion 全球扩张;
参考译文
Counterpoint Research副董事Brady Wang表示:“尽管该公司收入和利润的下降令人失望,但其长期增长前景仍然令人鼓舞。”“尽管面临宏观经济逆风,但在5G和高性能计算等大趋势的支持下,台积电的长期前景依然强劲。”随着台积电加快全球扩张,该公司表示,由于专业工人短缺,其位于亚利桑那州的第一家工厂的生产将推迟到2025年。
段三
"While we are working to improve the situation, including sending experienced technicians from Taiwan to train the local skilled workers for a short period of time, we expect the production schedule of N4 process technology to be pushed out to 2025," TSMC chairman Mark Liu said Thursday. TSMC's total investment in the US project amounts to $40 billion. The company said its position as the largest manufacturer of artificial intelligence chips and high demand for AI have not offset broader end-market weakness as the global economy recovers more slowly than it had expected.
process technology 工艺技术;
be pushed out to 被推至;
amount to 总计;等于;
artificial intelligence chips 人工智能芯片;
offset vt. 补偿,抵销,抵消;
broader end-market 更广泛的终端市场;
参考译文
“虽然我们正在努力改善这种情况,包括从台湾派遣经验丰富的技术人员短期培训当地技术工人,但我们预计N4工艺技术的生产计划将推迟到2025年。”台积电董事长刘德音周四表示。台积电在美国项目的总投资达400亿美元。该公司表示,由于全球经济复苏慢于预期,其作为最大人工智能芯片制造商的地位和对人工智能的高需求未能抵消终端市场整体疲软的影响。
精听党每日单词
TSMC
 abbr. 台积电;台湾积体电路制造股份有限公司(Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company);
skilled worker
 熟练工人;
Arizona
/ˌærɪˈzoʊnə/ n. 美国亚利桑那州;
chip
/tʃɪp/ n. 芯片;
share
/ʃer/ n. 股份;
semiconductor
/ˈsemikəndʌktər/ n. 半导体;半导体装置;
slump
/slʌmp/ vi. (价格、价值、数量等)骤降,猛跌,锐减;
chipmaker
/ˈtʃɪpˌmeɪkər/ n. 芯片制造商;
flag
/flæɡ/ vt. 标志;
plant
/plænt/ n. 工厂;
second-quarter
 n. 第二季度;
net profit
 净利润;
year-on-year
/'jə:r,ɔn'jə:, 'jiə,ɔn'jiə/ adj. 与上年同期数字相比的;
quarterly
/ˈkwɔːrtərli/ adj. 季度的,每季的;
economic woes
 经济困境;
take a toll on
 对…产生负面影响;
declining
/dɪˈklaɪnɪŋ/ adj. 越来越少的,越来越差的;
revenue
/ˈrevənuː/ n.(企业、组织的)收入,收益;
prospect
/ˈprɑːspekt/ n. 前景;展望;设想;
associate director
 副董事;副主任;
macroeconomic
/ˌmækroʊˌiːkəˈnɑːmɪk; ˌmækroʊˌekəˈnɑːmɪk/ adj. 宏观经济的,总体经济的;
headwind
/ˈhedwɪnd/ n. 逆风;
outlook
/ˈaʊtlʊk/ n. 前景,展望;
robust
/roʊˈbʌst/ adj. 强劲的;富有活力的;
high-performance
/ˌhaɪ pərˈfɔːrməns/ adj. 高性能的;高效能的;
step up
 加快,提高;
global expansion
 全球扩张;
process technology
 工艺技术;
be pushed out to
 被推至;
amount to
 总计;等于;
artificial intelligence chips
 人工智能芯片;
offset
/ˈɔːfset/ vt. 补偿,抵销,抵消;
broader end-market
 更广泛的终端市场;
精听党文化拓展
此前,台积电创办人张忠谋就不看好赴美设厂,认为制造成本太高,也缺乏相关人才。财经专家黄世聪则表示,最近流传一张台积电美国厂工人席地而坐滑手机的照片,看来生产进度慢不是没有原因。
黄世聪日前在电视节目中表示,张忠谋先前与时任美国众议院议长佩洛西说,在美国设厂徒劳无功,对照台积电董事长刘德音近期在法说会上,坦承因为工人减少,还有安装设备人员不足,导致台积电美国厂确定要延迟到2025年才能量产的说法。
黄世聪分享台积电征台籍粗工的条件,要有台积电的红卡,没经验、不会技术都没关系。待遇方面,月薪15万新台币、加班费另外计算,而且包交通包住宿,连税都不用付,看起来条件相当优渥。
黄世聪说,台籍工人好教、工作态度佳,反观美国工人时间到就要下班,让台积电头非常大,他认为美国工人只是把台积电当跳板,有经验就会跳到英特尔等其他芯片大厂。
值得关注的是,台积电正在美国建厂,但在员工招聘方面却出了问题,美国《财星》先前报道,台积电1名工程师在美国人力资源网站Glassdoor上留言说,“在办公室睡了1个月,每天工作12小时是基本,周末轮班是家常便饭;这里的工作与生活平衡是多么残酷。”另1名工程师也写到“台积电是服从文化,而且还没为美国做好准备。”
精听党每日美句
Actions speak louder than words.
行动胜于空谈。
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