财富精英励志演讲53：信息技术的力量(8)

 　　Consider that across Europe Internet sales of about one billion dollars last year are projected to reach 30 billion dollars by the year 2001. One study says that the worldwide Internet commerce activity will double, double in the next six month alone. And most of that is business to business transactions. We see the total market for Internet commerce hitting 200 billion dollars by the end of the century. And that is a conservative forecast. It is not just about buying and selling. About a year ago IBM coined the term E-business to describe all the ways that people will derive¹ value from the Net. Transactions among employees within the business to prove how products are developed, how ideas are shared, how teams are formed, how work gets done. Transaction between a business and its suppliers, its distributors, its retailers², to increase cycle times, speed and efficiency. And the very important transactions and interactions between governments and citizens, educators and students, health-care providers and patients. It is a very exciting stuff. And the greatest changes and challenges are not in the technology. In fact, connecting to the Net is relatively³ easy. The big challenges are in the fundamental transformation⁴ of the way things get done in the world.

　　跨欧洲的 Internet 上的销售额去年是 10 亿美元，到 2001 年将达到 300 亿美元。一项研究表明，世界范围内的 Internet 商业活动仅在未来 6 个月里就将翻一番。其中绝大多数是商业团体之间的交易。我们认为本世纪末 Internet 商业的全部市场将会达到 2000 亿美元。这还只是保守的估计。我们说的不仅仅是买和卖的问题。大约一年以前，IBM 创造了一个术语 E-business （电子商务）描述所有人们得以从网上获取价值的方式。企业雇员之间的交流将验证如何开发产品、如何共享观念、如何形成小组、如何完成工作。企业与其它供应商、分销商、零售商之间的交流将加快资金循环次数、速度和效率。另外政府与市民、教育者和学生、医务提供者和病人之间的交流和交互作用也非常重要。这种情况令人非常激动。最重要的变化和挑战并不是技术方面。实际上，连接到 Internet 上相对来说很简单。大的挑战来自于这个世界运行方式的基本变革。

1 derive   

v.取得；导出；引申；来自；源自；出自

参考例句：

• We derive our sustenance from the land.我们从土地获取食物。
• We shall derive much benefit from reading good novels.我们将从优秀小说中获得很大好处。

2 retailers   

零售商，零售店( retailer的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• High street retailers reported a marked increase in sales before Christmas. 商业街的零售商报告说圣诞节前销售量显著提高。
• Retailers have a statutory duty to provide goods suitable for their purpose. 零售商有为他们提供符合要求的货品的法定义务。

3 relatively   

adv.比较...地，相对地

参考例句：

• The rabbit is a relatively recent introduction in Australia.兔子是相对较新引入澳大利亚的物种。
• The operation was relatively painless.手术相对来说不痛。

4 transformation   

n.变化；改造；转变

参考例句：

• Going to college brought about a dramatic transformation in her outlook.上大学使她的观念发生了巨大的变化。
• He was struggling to make the transformation from single man to responsible husband.他正在努力使自己由单身汉变为可靠的丈夫。