财富精英励志演讲54：信息技术的力量(9)

 　　That is because networks are great levelers. They dissolve barriers to entry the neutralized¹ traditional assets like physical stores and branches. Networks dissolved the boundaries within and between companies, countries, continents and time-zones. It is not hyperbole to say that the network is quickly emerging as the largest, most dynamic, restless, sleepless² marketplace of good services and ideas the world has ever seen. And naturally this comes with very profound applications. For one thing, they are all ready, time-honored processes that govern the way things work in the world, the way we buy and sell, the way we distribute things, the way we teach, and the way we interact with each other. That I will tell you that nearly every one of those conventions is being challenged by the network world.

　　网络是伟大的平均主义者。网络消解了所有进入那些受压制的传统产业 -- 比如实际的商店和分店 -- 的障碍。网络消解了各个企业、各个国家、各个大陆和时区内部以及它们之间的界限。可以毫不夸张的说，网络正在迅速成为一个前所未有的最大、最为活跃、从不平静和从不休息的业务和思想的市场。自然这也将带来一些意义深远的应用。一件值得注意的事儿是，这些障碍都是历史悠久的、早有准备的部门，它们统治着信息世界运转的方式 -- 买卖的方式、分销的方式、教育的方式以及我们互相交往的方式。我得说几乎传统观念中的每一方面都在受到网络世界的挑战。

　　Let me cite a few examples drawing on what we and IBM have learned from helping³ thousands of customers in the last year come to the Net. New competitors can come out of nowhere, overnight, and not just from within your industry. One of the most contentious⁴, fast moving, and bare knocle battles waged today is, believe it or not, in book selling.

　　下面让我举几个例子，几个过去一年中我们 IBM 在帮助成千上万的消费者走上网络时得到的例子。新的竞争者将会无时无刻无所不在，而不仅仅是来自你自己的产业界。今天争吵得最利害、行动最为迅速的竞争 -- 信不信由你 -- 是在书籍销售领域。

1 neutralized   

v.使失效( neutralize的过去式和过去分词 )；抵消；中和；使（一个国家）中立化

参考例句：

• Acidity in soil can be neutralized by spreading lime on it. 土壤的酸性可以通过在它上面撒石灰来中和。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• This strategy effectively neutralized what the Conservatives had hoped would be a vote-winner. 这一策略有效地冲淡了保守党希望在选举中获胜的心态。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 sleepless   

adj.不睡眠的，睡不著的，不休息的

参考例句：

• The situation gave her many sleepless nights.这种情况害她一连好多天睡不好觉。
• One evening I heard a tale that rendered me sleepless for nights.一天晚上，我听说了一个传闻，把我搞得一连几夜都不能入睡。

3 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

4 contentious   

adj.好辩的，善争吵的

参考例句：

• She was really not of the contentious fighting sort.她委实不是好吵好闹的人。
• Since then they have tended to steer clear of contentious issues.从那时起，他们总想方设法避开有争议的问题。