经济学人307:苹果在中国 明天会更好

　　Business
商业报道
Apple in China
苹果在中国
Better days ahead
明天会更好
The tech giant can rebound¹ from its recent misfortunes in China
科技巨头将从最近在中国遇到的霉运中走出
THINGS have not gone well for Apple in China of late.
苹果近来在中国发展并不顺利。
Earlier this year official news media orchestrated a series of attacks on the firm, following allegations that it had offered Chinese customers unsatisfactory guarantees for its products.
今年早些时候，官媒策划了一系列对苹果进行责难的报道，称苹果对中国消费者所购产品的保修服务令人不满。
Apple ended up issuing a humiliating apology.
此事以苹果耻辱性地道歉而告一段落。
The Middle Kingdom is the world's biggest market for both luxury goods and for smartphones.
中国是世界上奢侈品和智能机的最大市场。
That should have propelled Apple's iPhones to the top of the heap.
这本该将iPhone的销售推向了顶峰。
2_副本.jpgBut the firm's market share languishes² at around 8% of all handset sales, whereas Samsung commands just over a fifth of them.
但是苹果所占手机市场份额只有8%左右，而三星超过了1/5。
Apple's fortunes are improving.
苹果的运势在改善。
The main reason the company's iPhones have fared poorly in China so far is that they are not offered on the inferior 3G network run by China Mobile, the country's largest mobile operator.
迄今为止苹果在中国进展缓慢，主要原因是iPhone并不支持中国移动提供的较次的3G网络，而中国移动是中国最大的移动电话运营商。
But the arrival of a new, whizzier network could change that. On December 4th the Chinese government authorised the country's three main wireless-telecoms operators to go ahead with the next generation of network technology, known as 4G.
但是新的更先进的网络将会改变这一状况。12月4日，中国政府授权中国三大主要无线通信运营商继续开发下一代的网络技术，即4G网络。
The same day it emerged that later this month China Mobile—a state-owned giant that is also the world's largest mobile-phone operator, with more than 700m customers—will unveil a 4G iPhone for the Chinese market.
同一天，中国移动宣布，将在本月下旬发布面向中国市场的4G iPhone。
RBC, an investment bank, suggests that sales of such a device could be worth 9 billion to 10 billion to Apple.
投资银行加拿大皇家银行暗示该设备的销售可能为苹果公司带来90亿到100亿美元的收入。
Anand Ramachandran of Barclays, another bank, is more cautious.
巴克莱银行的安纳德?拉马钱德兰更加谨慎。
He wants to see whether Apple is forced to yield to demands by China Mobile that it split the cost of its handset subsidies³ with customers.
他想看看苹果公司是否会被迫向中国移动让步，与顾客一起分担手机补贴的费用。
Investors⁴ are also wondering whether Apple will give in to pressure to return more of its giant cash mountain to shareholders⁶ through such things as share buy-backs.
投资者还想知道苹果公司是否会屈服于压力，通过股份回购返回更多现金给股东。
Carl Icahn, a veteran shareholder⁵ activist⁷, had been pressing the tech giant to hand back 150 billion immediately.
资深股东维权人士卡尔伊坎一直逼迫这个科技巨头马上返还1.5亿美元。
But this week Mr Icahn reduced his demand to 50 billion, which is still an eye-wateringly large amount of money.
但是本周伊坎将要价减少到5000万美元，但这还是非常大的一笔钱。
Ironically, greater success in China could lead to more friction⁸ if it puts even more cash in Apple's already overflowing⁹ coffers.
讽刺的是，如果苹果公司本已过剩的现金流因此而增多，那么在中国市场的成功反而会令它面临更大的压力。
1.rebound from 反弹
The rebound from britain's double-dip recession is likely to be tentative and modest.
英国在经历了连续两次衰退后可能会迎来一个短暂和温和反弹。
Until it returns to a stronger pace, the rebound from the recession will be held back.
除非支出走强，否则经济反弹将受阻。
2.end up 结束；最终成为
I don't know how this will end up.
我不知道这件事将以何种方式结束。
It may end up having the opposite effect.
这或许会以适得其反而告终。
3.propel to 推进
Experts say several factors have helped propel moocs to the center of the education stage, including improved technology and the exploding costs of traditional universities.
专家表示有几个原因把moocs网教推向了教育舞台的中央，包括科技的日新月异，还有传统大学天价的花费。
The threat of persistent¹⁰ negative real interest rates scares beijing, as it could propel depositors to empty their bank accounts and plough their cash into an already frothy stock market.
长时间的负实际利率令中国政府感到恐惧，因为这可能驱使储蓄者清空自己的银行账户，并将所有现金投入一个已存在泡沫的股市。
4.authorise to 授权
To re-appoint auditors¹¹ and authorise the directors to fix their remuneration.
续聘核数师及授权董事会厘定其酬金。
To authorise a cheque to be paid.
批准兑现一张支票。

1 rebound   

v.弹回；n.弹回，跳回

参考例句：

• The vibrations accompanying the rebound are the earth quake.伴随这种回弹的振动就是地震。
• Our evil example will rebound upon ourselves.我们的坏榜样会回到我们自己头上的。

2 languishes   

长期受苦( languish的第三人称单数 )； 受折磨； 变得（越来越）衰弱； 因渴望而变得憔悴或闷闷不乐

参考例句：

• I cant tell why this heart languishes in silence. 我不知道，为什麽这颗心在寂静中憔悴。
• For the purpose of this device is qiangxinli ve now languishes. 为了这个设备我现在已经是心力憔悴了。

3 subsidies   

n.补贴，津贴，补助金( subsidy的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• European agriculture ministers failed to break the deadlock over farm subsidies. 欧洲各国农业部长在农业补贴问题上未能打破僵局。
• Agricultural subsidies absorb about half the EU's income. 农业补贴占去了欧盟收入的大约一半。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 investors   

n.投资者，出资者( investor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• a con man who bilked investors out of millions of dollars 诈取投资者几百万元的骗子
• a cash bonanza for investors 投资者的赚钱机会

5 shareholder   

n.股东，股票持有人

参考例句：

• The account department have prepare a financial statement for the shareholder.财务部为股东准备了一份财务报表。
• A shareholder may transfer his shares in accordance with the law.股东持有的股份可以依法转让。

6 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

7 activist   

n.活动分子，积极分子

参考例句：

• He's been a trade union activist for many years.多年来他一直是工会的积极分子。
• He is a social activist in our factory.他是我厂的社会活动积极分子。

8 friction   

n.摩擦，摩擦力

参考例句：

• When Joan returned to work,the friction between them increased.琼回来工作后，他们之间的摩擦加剧了。
• Friction acts on moving bodies and brings them to a stop.摩擦力作用于运动着的物体，并使其停止。

9 overflowing   

n. 溢出物,溢流 adj. 充沛的，充满的 动词overflow的现在分词形式

参考例句：

• The stands were overflowing with farm and sideline products. 集市上农副产品非常丰富。
• The milk is overflowing. 牛奶溢出来了。

10 persistent   

adj.坚持不懈的，执意的；持续的

参考例句：

• Albert had a persistent headache that lasted for three days.艾伯特连续头痛了三天。
• She felt embarrassed by his persistent attentions.他不时地向她大献殷勤，使她很难为情。

11 auditors   

n.审计员，稽核员( auditor的名词复数 )；（大学课程的）旁听生

参考例句：

• The company has been in litigation with its previous auditors for a full year. 那家公司与前任审计员已打了整整一年的官司。
• a meeting to discuss the annual accounts and the auditors' report thereon 讨论年度报表及其审计报告的会议