Recently, a piece of news in the automotive industry has attracted widespread attention - BMW has actually cut its prices, and the extent of the price cut is staggering. The once glorious luxury brand now has to face the reality of declining sales and has chosen to return to the battlefield of price wars. Let's review the whole incident. Not long ago, BMW vowed to withdraw from the price war and win the market by improving quality and service. However, the reality is cruel. Data shows that BMW's sales in China fell by 42% year-on-year in August, which undoubtedly sounded the alarm for BMW. 近期，汽车行业的一则新闻引起了广泛关注——宝马竟然降价了，而且降价幅度之大令人咋舌。这个曾经辉煌的豪华品牌如今不得不面对销量下滑的现实，并选择了重返价格战战场。让我们回顾一下整个事件。不久前，宝马还誓言要退出价格战，通过提升质量和服务来赢得市场。然而，现实是残酷的。数据显示，宝马8月份在华销量同比下滑42%，这无疑为宝马敲响了警钟。 Faced with a sharp decline in sales, BMW had to readjust its strategy and chose price cuts as a "quick-acting life-saving pill." It is reported that the price of BMW's flagship pure electric model i7 has been reduced by as much as 38% in many 4S stores in China, with the highest reduction even reaching 555,000 yuan. Such a price reduction is undoubtedly very attractive to consumers.面对销量的大幅下滑，宝马不得不调整战略，选择降价作为“速效救心丸”。据报道，宝马旗舰纯电动车型i7在中国多家4S店的售价降幅高达38%，最高降幅甚至达到55.5万元。这样的降价幅度对消费者来说无疑极具吸引力。 Of course, BMW's price cuts are not without cost. You know, the profit margins of luxury brands are limited, and such a large price cut will undoubtedly have a huge impact on the brand's profit margin. But facing the pressure of sales, BMW seems to no longer care about so much.当然，宝马的降价并非没有代价。要知道，豪华品牌的利润空间本就有限，如此大幅度的降价无疑会对品牌的利润率造成巨大冲击。但面对销售压力，宝马似乎已顾不上那么多。 It is worth mentioning that the price cuts by BMW are not applied to all models, but mainly to some popular models. For example, the price of the flagship pure electric model i7 is close to the level of some mid-range luxury cars after the price cut. Such a pricing strategy will undoubtedly attract some consumers who originally considered buying mid-range cars to switch to BMW.值得一提的是，宝马的降价并非针对所有车型，而是主要集中在一些热门车型上。例如，旗舰纯电动车型i7降价后的价格已接近一些中档豪华车的水平。这样的定价策略无疑会吸引一些原本考虑购买中档车的消费者转而选择宝马。 There are many different opinions on BMW's move. Some people think that BMW's price cut is a wise move, which can increase sales and ease inventory pressure in a short period of time; others worry that the price cut will damage BMW's brand image and make consumers question the value retention rate of its products.对于宝马的这一举动，外界看法不一。有人认为宝马降价是明智之举，能在短期内增加销量、缓解库存压力；也有人担心降价会损害宝马的品牌形象，让消费者对其产品的保值率产生质疑。 In fact, BMW's predicament is not an isolated case. In recent years, with the rapid development of the new energy vehicle market, traditional luxury brands are facing unprecedented challenges. On the one hand, emerging car manufacturers are constantly eroding market share with innovative technology and flexible marketing strategies; on the other hand, consumers' demand for luxury cars is also changing, with more emphasis on cost-effectiveness and intelligent configuration.事实上，宝马的困境并非个例。近年来，随着新能源汽车市场的快速发展，传统豪华品牌正面临前所未有的挑战。一方面，新兴车企凭借创新技术和灵活的营销策略不断蚕食市场份额；另一方面，消费者对豪华车的需求也在发生变化，更加注重性价比和智能化配置。 In this context, traditional luxury brands such as BMW have to re-examine their market positioning and product strategies. Although price cuts can increase sales in the short term, in the long run, in order to remain invincible in the fierce market competition, they need to continuously improve their product strength and brand strength.在此背景下，宝马等传统豪华品牌不得不重新审视自己的市场定位和产品策略。虽然降价能在短期内提升销量，但长远来看，为了在激烈的市场竞争中保持不败，它们需要不断提升产品实力和品牌实力。 Of course, BMW is also aware of this. It is reported that in addition to price cuts, BMW is also actively launching a series of new products and technologies to cope with market changes. For example, the BMW i7, a flagship pure electric model, not only has outstanding performance in terms of mileage and power performance, but also is equipped with many advanced intelligent configurations, such as automatic driving assistance systems and intelligent connected cockpits.当然，宝马也意识到了这一点。据报道，除了降价外，宝马还在积极推出一系列新产品和技术以应对市场变化。例如，旗舰纯电动车型i7不仅在续航里程和动力性能上表现出色，还配备了诸多先进的智能化配置，如自动驾驶辅助系统和智能互联座舱等。 In general, BMW's return to the price war due to falling sales is a challenging attempt. Although price cuts can bring a certain sales increase in the short term, in the long run, BMW still needs to comprehensively improve its product strength, brand strength, and services in order to remain invincible in the fierce market competition. For consumers, BMW's price war is both an opportunity and a challenge. Everyone can make a wise choice based on their needs and budget.总的来说，宝马因销量下滑而重返价格战是一次充满挑战的尝试。虽然降价能在短期内带来一定的销量增长，但长远来看，宝马仍需要全面提升产品实力、品牌实力和服务水平，才能在激烈的市场竞争中保持不败。对于消费者而言，宝马的价格战既是机遇也是挑战。大家可以根据自己的需求和预算做出明智的选择。 Kinmen on Sunday received its first tour group from the Chinese mainland in more than four years. The group of 20-plus tourists arrived in Kinmen from Xiamen, Fujian Province, on the Chinese mainland, and will go on a two-day sightseeing tour that ends on Monday. On Aug. 30, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism announced the decision to resume allowing residents in Fujian Province to travel to Kinmen.金门周日迎来了四年多来首个来自中国大陆的旅游团。这个由20多名游客组成的旅游团从中国大陆福建省厦门市抵达金门，并将开始为期两天的观光之旅，该行程将于周一结束。8月30日，文化和旅游部宣布决定恢复允许福建省居民前往金门旅游。 The Kinmen County government organized a lion-dance performance at the wharf, along with a long red banner, to welcome the tour group. Hsu Chi-hsin, chief of Kinmen's tourism department, welcomed the group at the wharf, expressing hope that the tour would pave the way for smoother and more regular cross-Strait exchanges, local media reported.金门县政府在码头组织了舞狮表演，并悬挂了一条长长的红幅，以欢迎旅游团的到来。据当地媒体报道，金门旅游局局长徐志新在码头迎接了该旅游团，并表达了希望此次旅游能为更顺畅、更定期的两岸交流铺平道路的愿望。 "We hope that after a long absence, the members of this first group will return to Xiamen with fond memories of Kinmen, sharing its beauty with friends and family, encouraging more mainland tourists to visit, and boosting Kinmen's tourism and local industries," the tourism department said in a press release.旅游局在新闻稿中表示：“我们希望，在长时间的缺席后，这个首批旅游团的成员将带着对金门的美好回忆返回厦门，与亲朋好友分享金门的美丽，鼓励更多大陆游客前来参观，从而促进金门的旅游业和当地产业发展。” Chen Yu-jen, a Kinmen legislator, urged the Democratic Progressive Party authorities to lift the current ban on tour groups from Taiwan to the mainland as soon as possible.金门立法委员陈玉珍敦促民进党当局尽快解除目前对台湾旅游团前往大陆的禁令。 素材来源：iYuba 长按上方二维码，下载TED英语演讲APP