Apple posts strong quarterly earnings

 　　SAN FRANCISCO, July 19 (Xinhua) -- Apple Inc. on Tuesday reported strong third fiscal¹ quarter results that top analysts²' expectations, citing strong iPhone and iPad sales.

　　For its fiscal 2011 third quarter ended on June 25, Apple reported net income of 7.31 billion U.S. dollars or 7.79 dollars per share, compared with 3.25 billion dollars, or 3.51 dollars per share a year ago.

　　Its revenue reached 28.57 billion dollars, compared with 15.7 billion dollars in the same period a year earlier. International sales accounted for 62 percent of the quarter's revenue.

　　The average estimate is a profit of 5.84 dollars a share on revenue of 24.9 billion dollars.

　　The Cupertino, Califronia-based company sold 20.34 million iPhones in the quarter, representing 142 percent unit growth over the year-ago quarter. It sold 9.25 million iPads in the third quarter, a 183 percent unit increase on a year-over-year basis.

　　The only drawback is the sales of iPods, which had a 20 percent unit decline to 7.54 million from the year-ago quarter.

　　"We're thrilled to deliver our best quarter ever, with revenue up 82 percent and profits up 125 percent," Steve Jobs, Apple's chief executive officer, said in a statement.

　　"Right now, we're very focused and excited about bringing iOS 5 and iCloud to our users this Fall," added Job.

　　It is the first time since 2008 that Apple's third-quarter earnings³ does not include the release of a new iPhone, which, slated⁴ for launch in September, is reportedly to be thinner and lighter⁵ with a faster chip and 8-megapixel camera.

　　Apple has enjoyed double-digit year-over-year percentage revenue growth for the past four quarters. It had previously⁶ beaten the average earning projection⁷ for at least 29 straight quarters, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

　　For the fourth fiscal quarter of 2011, Apple's chief financial officer Peter Oppenheimer said the company expects revenue of 25 billion dollars and earnings per share of about 5.5 dollars. Apple has been known for its conservative projections⁸ of earnings.

　　Apple has been operating without the daily attention of Jobs since the CEO took a medical leave this January. The Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday that some members of Apple's board have discussed CEO succession with executive recruiters and at least one head of a high-profile technology company.

　　But the people familiar with the matter told the newspaper that it was more of an informal exploration of the company's options and don't appear to have been acting⁹ on behalf of the full board.

　　Meanwhile, Apple has recently been busy with a number of legal battles over patent rights with HTC, Eastman Kodak and Samsung.

　　Last week, the U.S. International Trade Commission made an initial ruling that HTC infringed¹⁰ two of Apple's phone patents in its smartphones powered by Google's Android operating system.

　　If upheld, the ruling could let Apple force other Android phone makers¹¹ to pay significant patent fees.

　　On Tuesday, Google's executive chairman Eric Schmidt said at a conference in Tokyo that Apple's smartphone lawsuits¹² are inspired by jealousy¹³ and a lack of innovation in iPhone, noting Google would support HTC's fight against Apple and was confident of a win.

1 fiscal   

adj.财政的，会计的，国库的，国库岁入的

参考例句：

• The increase of taxation is an important fiscal policy.增税是一项重要的财政政策。
• The government has two basic strategies of fiscal policy available.政府有两个可行的财政政策基本战略。

2 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。

3 earnings   

n.工资收人；利润，利益，所得

参考例句：

• That old man lives on the earnings of his daughter.那个老人靠他女儿的收入维持生活。
• Last year there was a 20% decrease in his earnings.去年他的收入减少了20%。

4 slated   

用石板瓦盖( slate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Yuki is working up an in-home phonics program slated for Thursdays, and I'm drilling her on English conversation at dinnertime. Yuki每周四还有一次家庭语音课。我在晚餐时训练她的英语口语。
• Bromfield was slated to become U.S. Secretary of Agriculture. 布罗姆菲尔德被提名为美国农业部长。

5 lighter   

n.打火机，点火器；驳船；v.用驳船运送；light的比较级

参考例句：

• The portrait was touched up so as to make it lighter.这张画经过润色，色调明朗了一些。
• The lighter works off the car battery.引燃器利用汽车蓄电池打火。

6 previously   

adv.以前，先前（地）

参考例句：

• The bicycle tyre blew out at a previously damaged point.自行车胎在以前损坏过的地方又爆开了。
• Let me digress for a moment and explain what had happened previously.让我岔开一会儿，解释原先发生了什么。

7 projection   

n.发射，计划，突出部分

参考例句：

• Projection takes place with a minimum of awareness or conscious control.投射在最少的知觉或意识控制下发生。
• The projection of increases in number of house-holds is correct.对户数增加的推算是正确的。

8 projections   

预测( projection的名词复数 )； 投影； 投掷； 突起物

参考例句：

• Their sales projections are a total thumbsuck. 他们的销售量预测纯属估计。
• The council has revised its projections of funding requirements upwards. 地方议会调高了对资金需求的预测。

9 acting   

n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的

参考例句：

• Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她，她只是假装的。
• During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代，她的表演生涯黯然失色。

10 infringed   

v.违反（规章等）( infringe的过去式和过去分词 )；侵犯（某人的权利）；侵害（某人的自由、权益等）

参考例句：

• Wherever the troops went, they never infringed on the people's interests. 大军过处，秋毫无犯。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• He was arrested on a charge of having infringed the Election Law. 他因被指控触犯选举法而被拘捕。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

11 makers   

n.制造者，制造商（maker的复数形式）

参考例句：

• The makers of the product assured us that there had been no sacrifice of quality. 这一产品的制造商向我们保证说他们没有牺牲质量。
• The makers are about to launch out a new product. 制造商们马上要生产一种新产品。 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 lawsuits   

n.诉讼( lawsuit的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Lawsuits involving property rights and farming and grazing rights increased markedly. 涉及财产权，耕作与放牧权的诉讼案件显著地增加。 来自辞典例句
• I've lost and won more lawsuits than any man in England. 全英国的人算我官司打得最多，赢的也多，输的也多。 来自辞典例句

13 jealousy   

n.妒忌，嫉妒，猜忌

参考例句：

• Some women have a disposition to jealousy.有些女人生性爱妒忌。
• I can't support your jealousy any longer.我再也无法忍受你的嫉妒了。