经济学人250:微软和PC行业 即将被抛弃

　　Business
商业报道
Microsoft and the PC industry
微软和PC行业
Defenestrated
即将被抛弃
Steve Ballmer is a casualty of the personal computer's rapid decline
史蒂夫·鲍尔默是个人电脑产业迅速下滑的牺牲品。
UNTIL August 23rd few people would have described Steve Ballmer as retiring.
直到8月23日之前，也很少有人会将史蒂夫·鲍尔默与退休联系在一起。
Microsoft's chief executive has played both tiger and Tigger: snarling¹ at Apple's gadgets²; and bouncing, with a whoop³, onto conference stages to extol⁴ his company's wares⁵.
这个微软的首席执行官一直在同时扮演老虎和跳跳虎的角色：对苹果产品的小工具咆哮，在阶段会议上为颂扬他公司的产品而奋力呐喊。
But retiring he is, within a year.
但是，不到一年时间，他就选择了退休。
Mr Ballmer's departure is a surprise.
鲍尔默先生的离去是一个惊喜。
222222222_副本.jpgHe had announced a reorganisation of the company only in July and had hoped to oversee⁶ much of the change.
他仅在七月份就宣布了公司重组的消息，希望可以看到新的曙光。
Some celebrated⁷ his going:
他的离去也有一些值得庆祝的事：
Microsoft's share price went up by 7.3% on the day the news broke.
消息传出的当天，微软的股价就上升了7.3%。
Mr Ballmer has plenty of critics, although Microsoft's revenues have trebled on his 13-year watch, to $77.8 billion in the year to June, and profits have grown similarly, to $21.9 billion.
虽然在他经营的13年间微软的收入增加了两倍，在今年六月更是到达了778亿美元，利润也同样增加了21.9亿美元，但是鲍尔默先生仍然遭受了许多批评指责。
The critics point at the rise of Apple and Google, and say Microsoft should have done better—or handed some of its $77 billion of cash to shareholders⁸.
批评人士认为，在苹果和谷歌迅速崛起的时候，微软完全可以做的更好，或者可以交出77亿美元的现金给股东们。
In an interview with the Seattle Times, Mr Ballmer denied that pressure from ValueAct, a fund with a small stake in the firm, helped push him out.
在一次《西雅图时报》的采访中，鲍尔默先生否认了来自激进投资基金的压力，这是一个拥有少量股权但却助他出头的基金。
Microsoft sits atop a pyramid of companies that prospered⁹ from the long boom in personal computers.
微软长期以来，一直处于PC行业金字塔的顶端并保持繁荣。
The vast majority of PCs run on Microsoft's Windows operating system and are powered by Intel's processors.
绝大多数的个人电脑都在运行微软的操作系统，并采用英特尔处理器，
They bear the brands of Dell, Hewlett-Packard, Lenovo and others, and nowadays are mostly made by Taiwanese contractors¹⁰.
他们承担的惠普，戴尔，联想和一些其他品牌，如今大多数是由台商承办的。
The trouble is that people increasingly prefer to buy mobile devices, made by Apple or running Google's Android operating system.
不过，麻烦的是，人们越来越喜欢购买由苹果或者谷歌安卓系统运行的移动设备，个人电脑的销量正在以两位数的速度迅速下降。
Sales of PCs have been falling at double-digit rates. From the pyramid's apex¹¹ to its base, companies are desperate both to refresh the PC and reduce their reliance on it.
从金字塔的顶端到底层，所有的公司都在拼命的刷新他们的个人电脑，减少对它的依赖，
Few are having much success.
不过极少能获得很大的成功。
Frank Gillett of Forrester, a research firm, reckons that Windows' share of the market for personal devices, once 95% or more, has dropped to around 30%.
福里斯特研究公司的弗兰克·吉列特认为，Windows个人设备的市场份额一旦上升到95%以上，实际上PC行业整体就下降了30%左右。
Microsoft responded belatedly with Windows 8, a new edition intended for touchscreen PCs and tablets launched last October,with variations for cheaper tablets and phones.
微软迟来的回应说，将推出用于触摸屏电脑和平板电脑的Windows8，以应对更便宜的平板电脑和手机的变化。
Applications lie behind oblong tiles designed for fingertips rather than icons¹² for mouse-clicks.
用指尖触及的长方形方块的应用，取代了鼠标的点击。
Microsoft's successful Xbox entertainment system was given the same look.
微软成功的Xbox娱乐系统被赋予了相同的外观。
The idea was that this uniform style would help to transfer Microsoft's dominance of the desktop¹³ to mobile devices, and refresh the PC too.
当时的想法是，统一的风格有助于将微软在桌面上的统治地位转移到移动设备，并刷新个人电脑。
It has not happened yet.
但这一切并没有发生，
Few businesses were likely to hurry to buy Windows 8 anyway; some have yet to switch to its predecessor¹⁴, Windows 7.
因为很少由企业急着购买Windows 8，更有甚者还没有更新到Windows 7系统。
Consumers have not taken to tiles on PC screens: a new version, Windows 8.1, due in October, will make it easier for them to stick with the old look.
消费者并没有，在十月份推出的Windows 8.1系统中，会让他们更容易坚持使用旧外观。
Only now is a wide choice of touch PCs and tablet-PC hybrids¹⁵ appearing.
而现在正是一个触摸电脑与平板电脑并驾齐驱的多选择时代。
Microsoft's own tablet, the Surface, has been a flop¹⁶, forcing it to make a $900mwrite-off in its latest results.
微软自己的平板电脑，至少从表面上看，一直是一个失败，最后不得不以九亿美元核销其最新结果。
Windows phones, mostly made by Nokia of Finland, are far behind iPhones and Android devices, with just 3.3% of the world market according to Gartner, another research firm.
Windows的手机大多是由芬兰的诺基亚公司制造，远远落后于苹果系统和安卓系统。根据另一家研究公司加特纳的数据，他们只占有3.3%的世界市场，
They have ousted¹⁷ BlackBerry from third place, but that is not saying much.
被他们从第三位赶下来的黑莓，就更不必说了。
Next to Microsoft at the apex, Intel has also done poorly in smartphones and tablets, though it is striving to catch up and in June unveiled a new chip that it hopes will bring new zip to PCs.
仅次于顶端的微软，英特尔公司在智能手机和平板电脑上也做的不好，但它正在努力赶上并于六月份推出了一款新的芯片希望能给PC产业带来新的活力。
Among the PC-makers, HP pondered quitting altogether in 2011, then sacked the chief executive who suggested it.
在这些电脑制造商中，惠普选择在2011年停下来，然后解雇了提此建议的行政长官。
Meg Whitman, his successor, chose to stay in, as well as pushing into services and software and shedding 27,000 jobs. She has plenty still to do: HP's latest results, on August 21st, sent a share-price rally into reverse.
他的继任者，梅格·惠特曼选择了留下她还是有很多事情要做：八月二十一日，惠普推出的最新成果，造成了股价的涨势逆转。
At Dell, which is scrapping¹⁸ for much the same ground, Michael Dell, the founder¹⁹ and chief executive, still hopes to win a battle to take the company private.
而在戴尔，也是大同小异，创始人兼首席执行官迈克尔·戴尔 ，仍希望能赢得一场战斗，将公司私有化。
Of the leading PC-makers, Lenovo has coped best. Its home market,China, is slowing but growing, and it is selling plenty of smartphones.
在领先的个人电脑制造商中，联想应对的最好，在其国内市场—中国，正在缓慢但是持续的增长，并售出大量的智能手机。
Despite its slow start in mobile, Microsoft remains²⁰ hugely profitable.
尽管在移动设备上进展缓慢，微软依然利润丰厚。
It's easy to get focused only on Windows, says David Cearley of Gartner.
将焦点集中在Windows上很容易。Cearley Gartner的大卫说道。
The firm was quicker than its rivals to provide cloud services to big companies.
该公司在为大公司提供云服务上比其他竞争对手更快。
Although Google's free word-processor and spreadsheet threaten its Office software, Microsoft still has most of its customers, to whom it can sell improved services online.
虽然谷歌的免费文字处理和电子表格威胁其Office软件，微软仍然有大部分可以在线销售的客户。
The direction Mr Ballmer has set makes a lot of sense, Mr Cearley says.
鲍尔默先生已经设置的方向具有很大的意义，
Had he set out sooner, he might have seen the journey through.
他越早出发，越可以看到更远的旅程。
1.describe as 描述为
He's quite bright but he's not what you should describe as intellectual.
他是十分聪明，但不是你所描述的那种高智商。
Tokyo's chic²¹ neighbourhoods certainly look better heeled than their counterparts in taipei, which even some residents describe as outdated²² and quaint²³.
东京的时尚街区肯定会比台北的看起来更奢华，甚至有些台北市民用过时和古旧来形容他们的城市。
2.hope to 希望
Democrats²⁴ hope to finish the draft in a week.
民主党人士希望在一周内完成该草案。
I really hope to find my prince charming soon.
我真希望能早点找到我的白马王子。
3.push out 推出； 长出；开除； 除掉某人
It's not easy to push out multiple updates to get the metrics up.
但是推出多样的更新来获得量的方面上升并不容易。
Companies sometimes do this to be able to push out program updates every few weeks.
有时，这些公司这样做是为了能每隔几周就能将其程序升级一次。

1 snarling   

v.（指狗）吠，嗥叫， （人）咆哮( snarl的现在分词 )；咆哮着说，厉声地说

参考例句：

• "I didn't marry you," he said, in a snarling tone. “我没有娶你，"他咆哮着说。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹
• So he got into the shoes snarling. 于是，汤姆一边大喊大叫，一边穿上了那双鞋。 来自英汉文学 - 汤姆历险

2 gadgets   

n.小机械，小器具（ gadget的名词复数 ）

参考例句：

• Certainly. The idea is not to have a house full of gadgets. 当然。设想是房屋不再充满小配件。 来自超越目标英语 第4册
• This meant more gadgets and more experiments. 这意味着要设计出更多的装置，做更多的实验。 来自英汉非文学 - 科学史

3 whoop   

n.大叫，呐喊，喘息声；v.叫喊，喘息

参考例句：

• He gave a whoop of joy when he saw his new bicycle.他看到自己的新自行车时，高兴得叫了起来。
• Everybody is planning to whoop it up this weekend.大家都打算在这个周末好好欢闹一番。

4 extol   

v.赞美，颂扬

参考例句：

• We of the younger generation extol the wisdom of the great leader and educator.我们年轻一代崇拜那位伟大的引路人和教育家的智慧。
• Every day I will praise you and extol your name for ever and ever. 我要天天称颂你，也要永永远远赞美你的名。

5 wares   

n. 货物, 商品

参考例句：

• They sold their wares at half-price. 他们的货品是半价出售的。
• The peddler was crying up his wares. 小贩极力夸耀自己的货物。

6 oversee   

vt.监督，管理

参考例句：

• Soldiers oversee the food handouts.士兵们看管着救济食品。
• Use a surveyor or architect to oversee and inspect the different stages of the work.请一位房产检视员或建筑师来监督并检查不同阶段的工作。

7 celebrated   

adj.有名的，声誉卓著的

参考例句：

• He was soon one of the most celebrated young painters in England.不久他就成了英格兰最负盛名的年轻画家之一。
• The celebrated violinist was mobbed by the audience.观众团团围住了这位著名的小提琴演奏家。

8 shareholders   

n.股东( shareholder的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The meeting was attended by 90% of shareholders. 90%的股东出席了会议。
• the company's fiduciary duty to its shareholders 公司对股东负有的受托责任

9 prospered   

成功，兴旺( prosper的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The organization certainly prospered under his stewardship. 不可否认，这个组织在他的管理下兴旺了起来。
• Mr. Black prospered from his wise investments. 布莱克先生由于巧妙的投资赚了不少钱。

10 contractors   

n.（建筑、监造中的）承包人( contractor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• We got estimates from three different contractors before accepting the lowest. 我们得到3个承包商的报价后，接受了最低的报价。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Contractors winning construction jobs had to kick back 2 per cent of the contract price to the mafia. 赢得建筑工作的承包商得抽出合同价格的百分之二的回扣给黑手党。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 apex   

n.顶点，最高点

参考例句：

• He reached the apex of power in the early 1930s.他在三十年代初达到了权力的顶峰。
• His election to the presidency was the apex of his career.当选总统是他一生事业的顶峰。

12 icons   

n.偶像( icon的名词复数 )；（计算机屏幕上表示命令、程序的）符号，图像

参考例句：

• Distinguish important text items in lists with graphic icons. 用图标来区分重要的文本项。 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓
• Daemonic icons should only be employed persistently if they provide continuous, useful status information. 只有会连续地提供有用状态信息的情况下，后台应用程序才应该一直使用图标。 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓

13 desktop   

n.桌面管理系统程序；台式

参考例句：

• My computer is a desktop computer of excellent quality.我的计算机是品质卓越的台式计算机。
• Do you know which one is better,a laptop or a desktop?你知道哪一种更好，笔记本还是台式机？

14 predecessor   

n.前辈，前任

参考例句：

• It will share the fate of its predecessor.它将遭受与前者同样的命运。
• The new ambassador is more mature than his predecessor.新大使比他的前任更成熟一些。

15 hybrids   

n.杂交生成的生物体( hybrid的名词复数 )；杂交植物（或动物）；杂种；（不同事物的）混合物

参考例句：

• All these brightly coloured hybrids are so lovely in the garden. 花园里所有这些色彩鲜艳的杂交花真美丽。 来自辞典例句
• The notion that interspecific hybrids are rare is ill-founded. 有一种看法认为种间杂种是罕见的，这种看法是无根据的。 来自辞典例句

16 flop   

n.失败(者)，扑通一声；vi.笨重地行动，沉重地落下

参考例句：

• The fish gave a flop and landed back in the water.鱼扑通一声又跳回水里。
• The marketing campaign was a flop.The product didn't sell.市场宣传彻底失败，产品卖不出去。

17 ousted   

驱逐( oust的过去式和过去分词 )； 革职； 罢黜； 剥夺

参考例句：

• He was ousted as chairman. 他的主席职务被革除了。
• He may be ousted by a military takeover. 他可能在一场军事接管中被赶下台。

18 scrapping   

刮，切除坯体余泥

参考例句：

• He was always scrapping at school. 他在学校总打架。
• These two dogs are always scrapping. 这两条狗总是打架。

19 Founder   

n.创始者，缔造者

参考例句：

• He was extolled as the founder of their Florentine school.他被称颂为佛罗伦萨画派的鼻祖。
• According to the old tradition,Romulus was the founder of Rome.按照古老的传说，罗穆卢斯是古罗马的建国者。

20 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

21 chic   

n./adj.别致(的)，时髦(的)，讲究的

参考例句：

• She bought a chic little hat.她买了一顶别致的小帽子。
• The chic restaurant is patronized by many celebrities.这家时髦的饭店常有名人光顾。

22 outdated   

adj.旧式的，落伍的，过时的；v.使过时

参考例句：

• That list of addresses is outdated,many have changed.那个通讯录已经没用了，许多地址已经改了。
• Many of us conform to the outdated customs laid down by our forebears.我们许多人都遵循祖先立下的过时习俗。

23 quaint   

adj.古雅的，离奇有趣的，奇怪的

参考例句：

• There were many small lanes in the quaint village.在这古香古色的村庄里，有很多小巷。
• They still keep some quaint old customs.他们仍然保留着一些稀奇古怪的旧风俗。

24 democrats   

n.民主主义者，民主人士( democrat的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The Democrats held a pep rally on Capitol Hill yesterday. 民主党昨天在国会山召开了竞选誓师大会。
• The democrats organize a filibuster in the senate. 民主党党员组织了阻挠议事。 来自《简明英汉词典》