Last week, as Nissan finally reached a historic deal with Renault to reset their troubled alliance, the subtext was clear. The Japanese electric vehicle pioneer is facing an existential crisis in China, and this is no time for infighting.
上周，日产(Nissan)终于与雷诺(Renault)达成历史性协议，重启陷入困境的联盟，言外之意很清楚。这家日本电动汽车先驱在中国面临着生存危机，现在不是内讧的时候。
Global auto giants, including Japanese carmakers, have been caught badly off-guard by the rapid shift away from the internal combustion engine and the rise of China’s homegrown electric vehicles groups.
包括日本汽车制造商在内的全球汽车巨头，都对内燃机的迅速淘汰和中国本土电动汽车集团的崛起感到措手不及。
Sales of Japanese cars in the country have tumbled, with Nissan’s alliance partner Mitsubishi Motors recently forced to suspend production. In June, according to the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA). Japanese brands’ share of China’s auto market fell to 17.8 per cent, down from 21.5 per cent in the same month last year.
日本汽车在华销量大幅下降，日产的联盟伙伴三菱汽车(Mitsubishi Motors)最近被迫临时停产。根据中国乘用车市场信息联席会(CPCA)的数据，今年6月，日本品牌在中国汽车市场所占份额从去年同期的21.5%降至17.8%。
Analysts say, however, the challenges Nissan faces in the world’s largest car market go far deeper than the changes caused by the shift to electric vehicles.
然而，分析师表示，日产在中国这个全球最大汽车市场面临的挑战，远比向电动汽车转型带来的变化要深刻得多。