PBS高端访谈:Uber公司咄咄逼人的态度对生意有多严重的影响?

 　　GWEN IFILL: Now: the backlash against Uber.

　　The ride-sharing company exploded onto the tech scene with outposts in cities around the world. But, lately, it's been getting attention for how it's built its business and the manner in which it competes.

　　"NewsHour" economics correspondent Paul Solman begins our look.

　　PAUL SOLMAN: The ride-sharing mobile phone app Uber, which in four short years has become all the rage in more than 200 cities around the world, but growing almost as fast as its customer base, its ruthless reputation.

　　This week, the Internet news site BuzzFeed reported that at an event he thought off the record, Uber executive Emil Michael raised the prospect¹ of hiring operatives to dig up dirt on reporters critical of the company. "Might that be a P.R. problem?" he was asked. ‘Nobody would know it was us," he replied.

　　Michael's particular target, Sarah Lacy, editor of tech Web site PandoDaily, an outspoken² critic who has called Uber management misogynistic³ and urged readers to remove the app from their phones.

　　When the remarks became public, Michael retracted⁴ them, in a statement: "They were wrong no matter the circumstance, and I regret them."

　　On Twitter, Uber CEO Travis Kalanick went him one better: "His remarks showed a lack of leadership, a lack of humanity, and a departure from our values and ideals."

　　And yet another Uber executive is accused of tracking the location of a BuzzFeed reporter doing a story on the company. Brazen⁵? Uber the top? Uber has had that rap for awhile. It has reportedly been cutthroat in its quest to expand, ordering rides anonymously⁶, for instance, from archrival Lyft, only to cancel them. It employs contractors⁷ to lure⁸ drivers away from the competition.

　　And, more generally, the company faces continued backlash from taxi owners like San Francisco's Hansu Kim, who charges that Uber doesn't face the same regulations he does.

　　Might this put you out of business?

　　HANSU KIM, Owner, DeSoto Cab: Yes, and not just me, the entire taxi industry.

　　PAUL SOLMAN: Meanwhile, Uber's own drivers have taken to the street over decreasing pay.

　　MAN: When you actually really do the math, we're making less than minimum wage.

　　PAUL SOLMAN: Uber declined a request for an interview about its latest woes⁹, but earlier this year, spokeswoman Rachel Holt told us that Uber is changing the world for the better.

　　RACHEL HOLT, Uber: Taxi companies have traditionally had monopolies. Everyone kind of gives the same mediocre¹⁰ level of service. And so what that means is, there hasn't been much incentive¹¹ to improve.

　　PAUL SOLMAN: But now there is, which explains why almost all economists¹² approve of ride-sharing competition and, given Uber's lower prices, why it's been a customer favorite.

　　KAITLYN STRATTON: I love Uber because it is so convenient. So, you can just do it right on your phone and then they show up for you.

　　PAUL SOLMAN: The high-tech¹³ question of the week, though, if, as they say, culture eats strategy for breakfast, will Uber's culture upend a strategy that had the company valued at a stunning¹⁴ $18 billion because it was transforming transportation as we know it?

　　GWEN IFILL: For a closer look at why Uber is under fire, we turn to Jan Dawson, chief analyst¹⁵ for Jackdaw Research, a tech research and advisory¹⁶ firm.

　　Thank you for joining us.

　　Let's start — let's back up a moment — $18 billion, Paul Solman just told us, is how it's valued. How did Uber get so big so fast?

　　JAN DAWSON, Jackdaw Research: Well, they have done it by getting out in front of a lot of their competitors, and being the first into a lot of the markets, a lot of the cities where they operate, and by spending a lot of money in marketing¹⁷ and promotions¹⁸ and subsidies¹⁹ to undercut the competition, to get both drivers and customers on board, and to get there really quickly.

　　And some numbers leaked this afternoon suggesting that in some major cities their run rate even last December was about $200 million-plus per year in a single city in dollar terms, and that's just rapid growth, and it's come as a result of spending an awful lot to get out there quickly to sign up customers and sign up drivers, and that's driving that valuation.

　　GWEN IFILL: So, they created a business model that hadn't existed before, at least not in this, in ride-sharing, but did they also cover their bets by basically setting out to crush the competition?

　　JAN DAWSON: Yes, the problem with Uber is it's a very simple model. It's a simple app that is tied to a base of drivers and just connects the customers with the drivers and gets the car to show up when and where you need it and helps you pay for it.

　　It's not that differentiated²⁰. And there's plenty of other companies. Lyft is probably the biggest competitor in the U.S. Other alternatives like Hailo in the U.K. and elsewhere, they're all very similar. And when you have a problem that is not that differentiated, you have to compete on price and you have to compete sales, essentially²¹, and that's what Uber's done.

　　It's been very aggressive around both of those things. And that's where a lot of the current problems seem to be stemming.

　　GWEN IFILL: Well, that's what I want to talk about. How does a company go from going — from great, that's cool, that's new, that's so easy, to, they're so arrogant²², I'm going to take them off my phone? How did that make that leap? What happened in between?

　　JAN DAWSON: Yes.

　　Well, I have to say, the problem stems from the lack of differentiation²³. And whenever you have that situation, you end up competing as aggressively as possible and incentivizing both your own employees and contractors who might be working on your own behalf to do whatever essentially in order to sign up customers, to sign up drivers.

　　And when you have that kind of mentality²⁴ and that kind of attitude, it's very easy for people to start creeping over the line between proper behavior, questionable²⁵ behavior and then ultimately immoral²⁶ behavior. And that seems to apply not just to third-party contractors that they have employed to try to sign up customers and drivers, but to the executives themselves as well, if the reports in the last couple days are to be believed.

　　GWEN IFILL: Yes.

　　If those reports are to be believed, it might also suggest that there is some jealousy²⁷ involved from its competitors or just poorly managed P.R.

　　JAN DAWSON: Yes, the problem with Uber is that there's a narrative²⁸ building up now. It's not just one story here and one story there, but there's this consistent picture emerging of a sort of frat boy culture at Uber, and an overaggressiveness, a willingness to do what it takes, regardless of the consequences and of which rules might be broken, both written and unwritten ones, a willingness to use Uber's data which they have about users in inappropriate ways.

　　And when that narrative builds up about a company, that's when you start to have problems, because every new story just feeds that narrative. And it's very similar, arguably, to what happens with politicians sometimes, Gerald Ford²⁹ and his clumsiness, Mitt³⁰ Romney and his being out of touch with the people and so on.

　　These things take on a life of their own. And Uber is facing that same kind of narrative problem right now.

　　GWEN IFILL: What is Uber's defense³¹ in all this and how are they planning to turn that narrative around?

　　JAN DAWSON: Well, the irony³², or perhaps the appropriateness, is that they have hired David Plouffe, who obviously has a past in the political world, to help them to manage their reputation going forward.

　　GWEN IFILL: The president's former campaign manager, right.

　　JAN DAWSON: Exactly.

　　And so they're borrowing from the political world to try to solve some of these problems. And they're addressing it in two key ways. One is hitting some of these stories head on, whether it's Travis Kalanick's apology for the new story that came out this week or whether it's trying to get positive messages out there in terms of how they're transforming the transportation business, whether it's talking about all the people that they're helping³³ to find jobs now and get an extra income, whether it's the way that they're undercutting taxis and improving customer service and so on.

　　That's the positive side of the narrative, so it's both addressing negative points head on and then trying to build their own narrative, both of which are working to some extent, but not completely.

　　GWEN IFILL: And maybe some free coupons³⁴ along the way.

　　Jan Dawson of Jackdaw Research, thank you very much.

　　JAN DAWSON: Thank you.

1 prospect   

n.前景，前途；景色，视野

参考例句：

• This state of things holds out a cheerful prospect.事态呈现出可喜的前景。
• The prospect became more evident.前景变得更加明朗了。

2 outspoken   

adj.直言无讳的，坦率的，坦白无隐的

参考例句：

• He was outspoken in his criticism.他在批评中直言不讳。
• She is an outspoken critic of the school system in this city.她是这座城市里学校制度的坦率的批评者。

3 misogynistic   

参考例句：

• And it brings out everything that is most noxious and misogynistic about the right. 而且，这种情绪也流露出右派思想中最为保守有害，歧视女性的那一面。 来自互联网

4 retracted   

v.撤回或撤消( retract的过去式和过去分词 )；拒绝执行或遵守；缩回；拉回

参考例句：

• He made a false confession which he later retracted. 他作了假供词，后来又翻供。
• A caddy retracted his statement. 一个球童收回了他的话。 来自辞典例句

5 brazen   

adj.厚脸皮的，无耻的，坚硬的

参考例句：

• The brazen woman laughed loudly at the judge who sentenced her.那无耻的女子冲着给她判刑的法官高声大笑。
• Some people prefer to brazen a thing out rather than admit defeat.有的人不愿承认失败，而是宁肯厚着脸皮干下去。

6 anonymously   

ad.用匿名的方式

参考例句：

• The manuscripts were submitted anonymously. 原稿是匿名送交的。
• Methods A self-administered questionnaire was used to survey 536 teachers anonymously. 方法采用自编“中小学教师职业压力问卷”对536名中小学教师进行无记名调查。

7 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》

8 lure   

n.吸引人的东西，诱惑物；vt.引诱，吸引

参考例句：

• Life in big cities is a lure for many country boys.大城市的生活吸引着许多乡下小伙子。
• He couldn't resist the lure of money.他不能抵制金钱的诱惑。

9 woes   

困境( woe的名词复数 )； 悲伤； 我好苦哇； 某人就要倒霉

参考例句：

• Thanks for listening to my woes. 谢谢您听我诉说不幸的遭遇。
• She has cried the blues about its financial woes. 对于经济的困难她叫苦不迭。

10 mediocre   

adj.平常的，普通的

参考例句：

• The student tried hard,but his work is mediocre. 该生学习刻苦，但学业平庸。
• Only lazybones and mediocre persons could hanker after the days of messing together.只有懒汉庸才才会留恋那大锅饭的年代。

11 incentive   

n.刺激；动力；鼓励；诱因；动机

参考例句：

• Money is still a major incentive in most occupations.在许多职业中，钱仍是主要的鼓励因素。
• He hasn't much incentive to work hard.他没有努力工作的动机。

12 economists   

n.经济学家，经济专家( economist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The sudden rise in share prices has confounded economists. 股价的突然上涨使经济学家大惑不解。
• Foreign bankers and economists cautiously welcomed the minister's initiative. 外国银行家和经济学家对部长的倡议反应谨慎。 来自《简明英汉词典》

13 high-tech   

adj.高科技的

参考例句：

• The economy is in the upswing which makes high-tech services in more demand too.经济在蓬勃发展，这就使对高科技服务的需求量也在加大。
• The quest of a cure for disease with high-tech has never ceased. 人们希望运用高科技治疗疾病的追求从未停止过。

14 stunning   

adj.极好的；使人晕倒的

参考例句：

• His plays are distinguished only by their stunning mediocrity.他的戏剧与众不同之处就是平凡得出奇。
• The finished effect was absolutely stunning.完工后的效果非常美。

15 analyst   

n.分析家，化验员；心理分析学家

参考例句：

• What can you contribute to the position of a market analyst?你有什么技能可有助于市场分析员的职务？
• The analyst is required to interpolate values between standards.分析人员需要在这些标准中插入一些值。

16 advisory   

adj.劝告的，忠告的，顾问的，提供咨询

参考例句：

• I have worked in an advisory capacity with many hospitals.我曾在多家医院做过顾问工作。
• He was appointed to the advisory committee last month.他上个月获任命为顾问委员会委员。

17 marketing   

n.行销，在市场的买卖，买东西

参考例句：

• They are developing marketing network.他们正在发展销售网络。
• He often goes marketing.他经常去市场做生意。

18 promotions   

促进( promotion的名词复数 )； 提升； 推广； 宣传

参考例句：

• All services or promotions must have an appeal and wide application. 所有服务或促销工作都必须具有吸引力和广泛的适用性。
• He promptly directed the highest promotions and decorations for General MacArthur. 他授予麦克阿瑟将军以最高的官阶和勋奖。

19 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》

20 differentiated   

区分，区别，辨别( differentiate的过去式和过去分词 )； 区别对待； 表明…间的差别，构成…间差别的特征

参考例句：

• The development of mouse kidney tubules requires two kinds of differentiated cells. 小鼠肾小管的发育需要有两种分化的细胞。
• In this enlargement, barley, alfalfa, and sugar beets can be differentiated. 在这张放大的照片上，大麦，苜蓿和甜菜都能被区分开。

21 essentially   

adv.本质上，实质上，基本上

参考例句：

• Really great men are essentially modest.真正的伟人大都很谦虚。
• She is an essentially selfish person.她本质上是个自私自利的人。

22 arrogant   

adj.傲慢的，自大的

参考例句：

• You've got to get rid of your arrogant ways.你这骄傲劲儿得好好改改。
• People are waking up that he is arrogant.人们开始认识到他很傲慢。

23 differentiation   

n.区别，区分

参考例句：

• There can be no differentiation without contrast. 有比较才有差别。
• The operation that is the inverse of differentiation is called integration. 与微分相反的运算叫做积分。

24 mentality   

n.心理，思想，脑力

参考例句：

• He has many years'experience of the criminal mentality.他研究犯罪心理有多年经验。
• Running a business requires a very different mentality from being a salaried employee.经营企业所要求具备的心态和上班族的心态截然不同。

25 questionable   

adj.可疑的，有问题的

参考例句：

• There are still a few questionable points in the case.这个案件还有几个疑点。
• Your argument is based on a set of questionable assumptions.你的论证建立在一套有问题的假设上。

26 immoral   

adj.不道德的，淫荡的，荒淫的，有伤风化的

参考例句：

• She was questioned about his immoral conduct toward her.她被询问过有关他对她的不道德行为的情况。
• It is my belief that nuclear weapons are immoral.我相信使核武器是不邪恶的。

27 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。

28 narrative   

n.叙述，故事；adj.叙事的，故事体的

参考例句：

• He was a writer of great narrative power.他是一位颇有记述能力的作家。
• Neither author was very strong on narrative.两个作者都不是很善于讲故事。

29 Ford   

n.浅滩，水浅可涉处；v.涉水，涉过

参考例句：

• They were guarding the bridge,so we forded the river.他们驻守在那座桥上，所以我们只能涉水过河。
• If you decide to ford a stream,be extremely careful.如果已决定要涉过小溪，必须极度小心。

30 mitt   

n.棒球手套，拳击手套，无指手套；vt.铐住，握手

参考例句：

• I gave him a baseball mitt for his birthday.为祝贺他的生日，我送给他一只棒球手套。
• Tom squeezed a mitt and a glove into the bag.汤姆把棒球手套和手套都塞进袋子里。

31 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

32 irony   

n.反语，冷嘲；具有讽刺意味的事，嘲弄

参考例句：

• She said to him with slight irony.她略带嘲讽地对他说。
• In her voice we could sense a certain tinge of irony.从她的声音里我们可以感到某种讥讽的意味。

33 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。

34 coupons   

n.礼券( coupon的名词复数 )；优惠券；订货单；参赛表

参考例句：

• The company gives away free coupons for drinks or other items. 公司为饮料或其它项目发放免费赠券。 来自辞典例句
• Do you have any coupons? 你们有优惠卡吗？ 来自英汉 - 翻译样例 - 口语