VOA慢速英语2019 美国科技公司的规模过大了吗?（在线收听）

Are American Technology Companies Too Big?

Are big technology companies too big? Are they doing enough to protect users’ privacy?

大型科技公司过大了吗？这些公司在保护用户隐私方面做得够吗？

Like Europe before it, the U.S. government seems ready to try to place limits on its technology giants. But doing so may be more difficult than it seems.

同之前欧洲采取的举措一样，美国政府似乎准备对科技巨头施加限制。但这种做法可能比看起来要困难得多。

Department of Justice and FTC

美国司法部和美国联邦贸易委员会

This week, the U.S. Department of Justice, or DOJ opened an investigation of major technology companies following months of concern expressed in Congress and elsewhere.

本周，美国司法部（简称DOJ）开展针对大型科技公司的调查，因为此前数周，国会和社会各界不断表达对这些公司的担心。

The main question: Have tech companies hurt competition, slowed innovation or caused other harm?

主要问题是：科技公司是否破坏了竞争、减慢了创新速度或造成了其他伤害？

The investigation, which could look at companies such as Apple, Google, Facebook and Amazon, will take into account “widespread concerns” about social media, search engines and online retail services.

这项调查可能审查苹果、谷歌、脸谱网和亚马逊等公司，将考虑涉及社交媒体、搜索引擎和网络零售服务的广泛担忧。

Also this week, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission said that Facebook Inc. will pay a record-breaking $5 billion fine to settle a government investigation into its privacy practices.

同时，美国联邦贸易委员会本周宣布，脸谱网要支付创记录的50亿美元罚款，以结束针对其隐私做法的政府调查。

The FTC said that Facebook’s data policy was deceptive to “tens of millions” of people. Under the settlement, Facebook’s leaders will create an independent privacy committee.

美国联邦贸易委员会表示，脸谱网的数据政策欺骗了“数千万”人。依据和解协议，脸谱网负责人要组建一个独立的隐私委员会。

The FTC also reportedly plans to fine Google for the way it dealt with children’s information on YouTube.

据悉，美国联邦贸易委员会还计划对谷歌处理YouTube网站上儿童信息的方式进行处罚。

Tech companies: criticisms and responses

科技公司：批评与回应

Both liberal and conservative American politicians have criticized tech companies. Democratic presidential candidates, for example, have called for stricter rules and even breakups of the big tech companies.

美国自由派和保守派政治家均对科技公司进行了指责。举例来说，民主党总统候选人呼吁制定更严格的政策，他们甚至呼吁解体大型科技公司。

Amazon CEO and founder Jeff Bezos says Amazon is small compared to other companies in international retail. In a recent letter to shareholders, he wrote, “There are much larger retailers in every country where we operate. And that’s largely because nearly 90% of retail remains offline, in brick and mortar stores.”

亚马逊公司首席执行官兼创始人杰夫·贝佐斯表示，与国际零售领域的其他公司相比，亚马逊只是家小公司。最近，他在致股东信中写道，“我们经营的每个国家都有更大的零售商。这主要是因为近90%的零售业仍然在实体商店中脱机。”

Facebook vice president and spokesman Nick Clegg criticized calls for breaking up the company. He said Facebook “accepts that with success comes accountability.” But he argued that the government should not break up companies to enforce accountability.

脸谱网副总裁兼发言人尼克·克莱格对希望解体公司的要求进行了抨击。他说，脸谱网“承认问责会伴随成功而来”。但他认为，政府不应该为了执行问责而分解公司。

Difficult issue

难点

The American technology industry developed without much government supervision, notes a paper published by Congressional Research Services or CRS.

美国国会研究服务局（简称CRS）发表的文章指出，美国科技业的发展壮大没有受到太多政府监管。

American antitrust law could apply to the big technology companies. But, CRS notes, antitrust actions against them would raise complex legal issues. Big tech companies are difficult targets because U.S. antitrust law does not easily apply to companies offering low cost goods or free online services.

美国反垄断法适用于大型科技公司。但是，美国国会研究服务局指出，针对这些公司的反垄断措施可能会引出复杂的法律问题。大型科技公司是难以瞄准的目标，因为美国反垄断法不能轻易适用于提供低价商品或免费在线服务的公司。

Traditional American antitrust law centers on large businesses that harm consumers through price-gouging and similar acts. Many tech companies offer free products. Some, such as Amazon, also offer low prices on many goods.

传统的美国反垄断法聚焦那些通过哄抬物价或类似行为损害消费者利益的大型公司。许多科技公司提供免费产品。亚马逊等公司还为众多商品提供优惠。

Words in This Story

innovation – n. the act or process of introducing new ideas, devices, or methods

resolve – v. to find an answer or solution to (something) : to settle or solve (something)

deceptive -- adj. intended to make someone believe something that is not true

shareholder – n. someone who owns shares in a company or business

regulation – n. an official rule or law that says how something should be done

price-gouging – n. economics a term for when a seller increases the price of goods or services in an unreasonable or unfair way