The last bugs that Volkswagen produced rolled off the assembly line in Puebla, Mexico, on July 10th. The freed-up factory space in Mexico would be used to produce a new SUV intended for the North American market, the company said in a news release.

7月10日，大众生产的最后一批甲壳虫汽车在墨西哥普埃布拉的工厂驶下生产线，标志着这款上市八十余载，历经三代更迭的大众经典车型正式停产。大众公司表示，原先生产甲壳虫的车间将被用于生产一款针对北美市场的全新SUV车型。

The Beetle was originally designed in the 1930s by legendary engineer Ferdinand Porsche at the behest of Adolf Hitler, who wanted to see a cheap and practical mass-produced car made available to the German people. But the outbreak of World War II stalled its production, as military necessity took precedence. After the war, though, the factory was restarted by the British military and production of Volkswagen cars began to take off.

20世纪30年代，希特勒希望有一款便宜、实用的汽车，能够大规模生产供德国人使用。著名汽车设计师费迪南德·保时捷便在希特勒的授意下设计了甲壳虫汽车。然而二战爆发导致大众工厂停产，整个工厂被用来制造军用车辆。战争结束后，英国接管并重启了大众工厂，此后大众汽车的生产蒸蒸日上。

The design found international fame in the 1960s and 1970s in the Disney film featuring Herbie, the Love Bug, a racing car with a mind of its own. Beetle soon became a worldwide icon for its small, practical, but aesthetic qualities.

20世纪60、70年代，迪士尼电影《万能金龟车》让甲壳虫名声大噪，甲壳虫在片中以一辆有自己思想的赛车“贺比”的角色出现。甲壳虫汽车凭借小巧、实用又美观的特性，迅速风靡全球。

But sales, particularly in the key US market, have fallen in recent years. Consumers in the US have increasingly turned to larger cars such as crossovers and SUVs. Volkswagen, in the wake of the diesel emissions scandal and huge investment in electric vehicles, says it will look to slim down its model range with a greater focus on family and electric cars.

但近年来，甲壳虫汽车销售额下滑，尤其是在重要的美国市场。美国消费者越来越青睐更宽敞的跨界车和SUV。在柴油排放丑闻发酵及对电动汽车进行巨额投资后，大众汽车表示，他们正在考虑减少车型，专注于生产家用和电动轿车。

"It's impossible to imagine where Volkswagen would be without the Beetle," Volkswagen of America president and CEO Scott Keogh said in a statement. "From its first import in 1949 to today's retro-inspired design, it has showcased our company's ability to fit round pegs into square holes of the automotive industry. While its time has come, the role it has played in the evolution of our brand will be forever cherished."

大众汽车北美区首席执行官斯科特·基奥在声明中表示：“很难想象没有了甲壳虫的大众将会何去何从。从1949年首次引进到北美到今天的复古风设计，甲壳虫汽车是大众公司用大胆创新成就经典的力证。即便它的时代已经结束，但它对大众品牌发展所发挥的作用将被永远铭记。”

The final Beetle to roll off the assembly line will be displayed at a Volkswagen museum in Puebla, the company said.

大众表示，将在普埃布拉的大众汽车博物馆展出最后一辆生产的甲壳虫。

Vocabulary

at the behest of sb. 应某人要求

precedence n. 优先；优先权

aesthetic adj. 审美的；美学的