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The chip shortage is a self-solving problem
芯片短缺是一个能自我解决的问题
One firm's crisis is another's opportunity. A shortage of semiconductors has helped pump up the valuations of firms such as Nvidia, whose chips power everything from video-gaming to machine learning and data centres. But boom time for sellers means misery for buyers. Carmakers, whose products have become computers on wheels, are among the victims. Profits at Ford, America's second-biggest carmaker by volume, fell by half in the most recent quarter amid a global shortage of chips. Analysts say the industry might build around 5m fewer cars this year, all for want of their tiniest components.
一家公司的危机是另一家公司的机遇。半导体的短缺使得像英伟达等公司的估值大幅上涨，从电子游戏到机器学习和数据中心的所有产品中都能看到英伟达的芯片。但卖方的市场繁荣意味着买方市场的凋敝。汽车制造商也是受害者之一，他们的产品已经变成了“轮子上的电脑”。在全球芯片短缺的情况下，美国第二大汽车制造商福特的利润在最近一个季度下降了一半。分析师们表示，汽车行业今年可能会减少生产约500万辆汽车，所有这些原因都是缺少（需要）最小的零部件。
Carmakers are not the only firms feeling the pinch. Apple and Microsoft have also warned that they will be affected. Politicians are being drawn in, too. Chips will be on the agenda later this month when America's vice-president, Kamala Harris, visits Vietnam, which has a flourishing electronics industry. Angela Merkel, the outgoing German chancellor, has lamented Europe's small share of global chip production.
并非只有汽车制造商感受到了压力。苹果和微软也警告说，他们将受到影响。政客们也被卷入其中。本月底，美国副总统卡玛拉·哈里斯（Kamala Harris）将访问蓬勃发展电子工业的越南，芯片问题也将被提上日程。就连即将离任的德国总理安格拉·默克尔（Angela Merkel）对欧洲在全球芯片生产中所占的小份额也感到遗憾。
The shortage is the result of a sudden surge in demand. Chipmaking is a cyclical business which, between the peaks and troughs, has been enjoying strong growth for decades as computers creep into every corner of society. That trend was amplified by the pandemic. Locked-down consumers shopped online, logged into meetings remotely, and wiled away the hours with video-streaming and video-gaming. The result has been a spike in demand for the semiconductors that power the data centres and gadgets that make such things possible, clogging factories with orders.
供应短缺是需求激增的结果。芯片制造是一个在波峰和波谷之间徘徊的周期性的行业，几十年来，随着计算机进入社会的每一个角落，它（芯片制造）一直保持着强劲的增长势头。这一趋势因大流行病而加剧。被隔离的消费者在网上购物，参加远程会议，通过视频流媒体和电子游戏消磨时间。结果导致了数据中心所需的半导体和相关设备的需求激增，订单在工厂排起了长队。
