经济学人156:要当心安卓系统了

 　　Business

　　商业

　　HTC's patent problems

　　HTC的专利问题

　　Android alert

　　要当心安卓系统了

　　Using Google's Android software has given HTC a boost, but it may now make the Taiwanese handset-maker vulnerable to costly¹ lawsuits².

　　使用谷歌的安卓软件推动了宏达电的发展，但是现在它可能变成弱点，令这家台湾手机制造公司遭遇昂贵的诉讼

　　UNTIL a few years ago HTC was pretty small and relatively³ obscure.

　　几年前HTC还只是一个规模很小、相对不知名的公司。

　　But the Taiwanese company's recent growth has been remarkable⁴.

　　但是这家台湾公司最近的业绩增长却有目共睹。

　　In the second quarter it sold 11m smartphones, more than doubling its revenues in the same period last year.

　　今年第二季度它共出售了1100万部智能手机，收入比去年同期增加了一倍多。

　　HTC's main rivals, Nokia, Samsung and Apple, still sell around twice as many smartphones.

　　HTC的主要竞争对手诺基亚、三星和苹果公司卖出的智能手机仍然是HTC的大概两倍。

　　But its rapid growth, especially on Apple's American home turf, has made it a competitor to reckon with.

　　但是它的快速崛起、特别是在苹果的美国老家的迅速发展，已经使它成为不容小觑的对手。

　　One reason for HTC's surging sales is the relentless⁵ pace of its innovation:

　　HTC手机销量猛增的原因之一是它源源不断的创新：

　　in the past quarter, in which Apple had no new iPhone to launch, HTC introduced ten new models.

　　上个季度，苹果公司没有发布任何新款iPhone，但是HTC却推出了10款新机型。

　　Another is Google's Android operating system, on which most of HTC's smartphones are now based, which has proved a hit among consumers.

　　还有一个原因是谷歌的安卓操作系统，现在HTC智能手机的大部分都以此系统为平台，它在消费者中间非常受欢迎。

　　Apple has not taken the challenge from HTC lightly.

　　苹果公司并未轻视来自HTC的挑战。

　　On July 15th the US International Trade Commission upheld two claims in a larger patent suit Apple had filed against its rival.

　　7月15日，在苹果公司起诉HTC的一起比较大的专利诉讼案中，美国国际贸易委员会裁决HTC侵犯苹果公司的两项专利。

　　Earlier in the month, Apple had filed additional claims and MOSAID, a Canadian company, said it would also sue HTC, and Sony Ericsson, for patent infringement⁶.

　　本月初，苹果公司还起诉HTC侵犯了自己另外几项专利，而加拿大公司MOSAID称它也要起诉HTC和索尼爱立信侵犯专利。

　　The outcome of these cases will be of keen interest not just for HTC but for other handset-makers using Android: promoted as a free, open-source system, it is proving surprisingly expensive.

　　这些案件的结果不仅关系到HTC的直接利益，同时也关系到其他使用安卓系统的手机制造商的切身利益：安卓系统以免费、开放资源的姿态推广入市，但现在证明它会非常得贵。

　　This is because it relies on a host of basic features that may be subject to patents: how a screen is swiped with a finger, how a phone number embedded⁷ in an e-mail can be called by tapping it, and so on.

　　这是因为它的一些基本特色也许涉及到专利：触摸屏、电邮里的电话号码能直接拨打等等。

　　Last year HTC resolved another claim over Android, with Microsoft, agreeing to pay it hefty royalties⁸.

　　去年，HTC也解决了一起有关安卓系统的专利问题，它同意向微软支付巨额专利费用。

　　More such suits may yet emerge, and prove costly.

　　更多这样的诉讼也许还会浮出水面，而且代价高昂。

　　HTC's shares, having hitherto outperformed its peers,have dropped by a third since early June.

　　HTC的股价目前已经胜过同行们的了，而自6月初以来已经下跌了三分之一。

　　HTC will appeal against the trade commission's ruling; but it will fight back in other ways, too.

　　HTC将就贸易委员会的裁决提起上诉；不过它也从其他方面予以反击。

　　This month it spent $300m buying a loss-making software firm, S3, which recently won a patent case against Apple and may have other patents that will be useful in fending⁹ off Apple's legal forays.

　　本月，它耗资3亿美元收购了亏损软件公司S3，这家公司最近在与苹果的专利案中胜诉，它也许还有其他专利能帮助HTC应对苹果的法律突袭。

　　Founded in 1997, HTC started out mostly doing contract manufacturing for other gadget-sellers.

　　HTC成立于1997年，最初主要为其他小机械销售者做代工。

　　But as it has gained confidence in making smartphones under its own brand, it has steadily¹⁰ risen up mobile operators' lists of the handsets they promote to subscribers.

　　但是随着在制造自己品牌智能机方面积累起了信心，它在移动运营商向用户推荐的手机名单中的地位平稳上升。

　　By April this year it had a bigger market capitalisation than troubled Nokia.

　　到今年4月，它的市场资本化已经比身陷困境的诺基亚公司要大了。

　　The firm's success has pushed Cher Wang, its chairwoman and largest shareholder¹¹, to the top of Forbes's Taiwan rich list, passing Terry Gou, the boss of Hon Hai.

　　HTC的成功使得其董事长、也是最大的股东王雪红女士超过鸿海集团董事长郭台铭荣登福布斯台湾富人榜榜首。

　　HTC has kept much of its production in Taiwan whereas Hon Hai has shifted it to mainland China and stuck with contract manufacturing—a business that emphasises cost-trimming and low value-added.

　　HTC的生产多保留在台湾省内，而鸿海集团则把生产移向中国大陆，继续做代工—它注重节省成本和低附加值。

　　HTC has shown remarkable speed in building new products, adapting to changing telecoms standards and developing its own applications software.

　　HTC制造新产品非常迅速，也能很快地适应电信商的标准、开发自己的应用软件。

　　And its manufacturing quality has been remarkably¹² high.

　　其生产质量之高令人瞩目。

　　Unlike rivals HTC has not suffered unpleasant headlines about shoddy products or suicides at its factories.

　　不同于竞争对手，HTC并未因劣质产品或是工厂里员工自杀而登上头条惹一身麻烦。

　　It has made progress in building a brand that reflects innovation and trust, allowing it to escape from the low-cost treadmill¹³ on which some of its peers remain stuck.

　　在建立一个反应创新和信任的品牌方面它取得了进步，这使得它能从禁锢了一些同行的低成本枯燥无味的工作中逃脱出来。

　　But there is a risk that Android, a key element in this successful strategy, is turning into a vulnerability.

　　但是风险在于这种成功策略的关键因素之一安卓系统正转变为致命弱点。

　　Apple sees its patents as a weapon to undermine Android's cost advantage.

　　苹果公司以专利作为武器削弱安卓的价格优势。

　　The more time HTC has to spend fighting lawsuits, and the greater the share of its revenues it has to pay out in software royalties, the harder it will be to keep up its remarkable run of success.

　　HTC花在反抗诉讼上的时间越多，它在软件专利费上支出的钱占其收入的份额越大，那么它就越难保持巨大的优势。

1 costly   

adj.昂贵的，价值高的，豪华的

参考例句：

• It must be very costly to keep up a house like this.维修这么一幢房子一定很昂贵。
• This dictionary is very useful,only it is a bit costly.这本词典很有用，左不过贵了些。

2 lawsuits   

n.诉讼( lawsuit的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Lawsuits involving property rights and farming and grazing rights increased markedly. 涉及财产权，耕作与放牧权的诉讼案件显著地增加。 来自辞典例句
• I've lost and won more lawsuits than any man in England. 全英国的人算我官司打得最多，赢的也多，输的也多。 来自辞典例句

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 remarkable   

adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的

参考例句：

• She has made remarkable headway in her writing skills.她在写作技巧方面有了长足进步。
• These cars are remarkable for the quietness of their engines.这些汽车因发动机没有噪音而不同凡响。

5 relentless   

adj.残酷的，不留情的，无怜悯心的

参考例句：

• The traffic noise is relentless.交通车辆的噪音一刻也不停止。
• Their training has to be relentless.他们的训练必须是无情的。

6 infringement   

n.违反；侵权

参考例句：

• Infringement of this regulation would automatically rule you out of the championship.违背这一规则会被自动取消参加锦标赛的资格。
• The committee ruled that the US ban constituted an infringement of free trade.委员会裁定美国的禁令对自由贸易构成了侵犯

7 embedded   

a.扎牢的

参考例句：

• an operation to remove glass that was embedded in his leg 取出扎入他腿部玻璃的手术
• He has embedded his name in the minds of millions of people. 他的名字铭刻在数百万人民心中。

8 royalties   

特许权使用费

参考例句：

• I lived on about £3,000 a year from the royalties on my book. 我靠着写书得来的每年约3，000英镑的版税生活。 来自辞典例句
• Payments shall generally be made in the form of royalties. 一般应采取提成方式支付。 来自经济法规部分

9 fending   

v.独立生活，照料自己( fend的现在分词 )；挡开，避开

参考例句：

• He is always spending his time fending with the neighbors. 他总是与邻里们吵架。 来自互联网
• Fifth, it is to build safeguarding system and enhance the competence in fending off the risk. 五是建立政策保障体系，提高防范和抵御风险的能力。 来自互联网

10 steadily   

adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地

参考例句：

• The scope of man's use of natural resources will steadily grow.人类利用自然资源的广度将日益扩大。
• Our educational reform was steadily led onto the correct path.我们的教学改革慢慢上轨道了。

11 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。

12 remarkably   

ad.不同寻常地，相当地

参考例句：

• I thought she was remarkably restrained in the circumstances. 我认为她在那种情况下非常克制。
• He made a remarkably swift recovery. 他康复得相当快。

13 treadmill   

n.踏车；单调的工作

参考例句：

• The treadmill has a heart rate monitor.跑步机上有个脉搏监视器。
• Drugs remove man from the treadmill of routine.药物可以使人摆脱日常单调的工作带来的疲劳。