经济学人:陷入窘境?苹果的未来该怎么走?

 　　Business: The future of Apple Shake it off

　　商业：苹果的未来，摆脱窘境

　　The world’s most valuable company needs another mega hit.

　　世界市值最高的公司现需另一款爆款产品。

　　“Our product pipeline¹ has amazing innovations in store,” Tim Cook, the boss of Apple, declared on April 26th.

　　4月26日，苹果首席执行官蒂姆·库克公开声称：“我们的产品线上即将有重大创新”。

　　He hoped to sound reassuring² after the company reported its first year-on-year quarterly revenue decline since 2003.

　　自2003年以来，该公司公布的同比一季度财政收入首次出现下滑后，蒂姆·库克希望这番话能安抚人心。

　　But he was not convincing enough.

　　但他此番话难以服众。

　　苹果的未来摆脱窘境.jpg

　　Shares of Apple fell by around 8% in the hours after its results emerged, erasing³ more than $46 billion in market value.

　　结果公布后的几个小时，苹果股份暴跌了近8个百分点，市值蒸发多达460亿美元。

　　Investors⁴’ immediate⁵ concern is the popularity of the iPhone.

　　投资者最为关心的是iPhone的畅销程度。

　　It accounts for the bulk of Apple’s revenues and profits; sales were 18% lower than a year ago.

　　它是苹果公司财政收入及利润的主要来源，销售额与去年同期相比降低了18%。

　　The broader smartphone market is sluggish⁶, says Mr Cook.

　　库克先生称，整个智能手机大市场现今疲软萎靡。

　　Apple hopes that the flashy new features of the iPhone 7, which it is expected to introduce in September, will convince customers to abandon older models.

　　苹果指望iPhone7手机全新闪耀的功能将说服顾客放弃旧机型，该手机预计九月推出。

　　Until then, the company will probably face a further fall in revenue.

　　但在此之前，公司将极有可能面临财政收入的进一步下挫。

　　The bigger question that Mr Cook must answer is whether Apple will ever have another product as successful as the iPhone, the most lucrative⁷ in the technology business to date.

　　库克先生必须要回答的一个更大的问题是：未来苹果公司是否能再推出一款像iPhone一样成功的产品，iPhone是科技产业迄今为止利润最丰厚的产品。

　　Enthusiasm has waned⁸ for some of its other older products, such as iPads, and its newer ones remain niche⁹ offerings.

　　一些顾客对苹果其他老款产品的热情已渐渐减弱，各机型的iPad便是其中一例，并且其新款产品维持在一些专营市场发售。

　　The Apple Watch celebrated¹⁰ its first full year on the market on April 24th.

　　4月24日是苹果手表发行上市整一周年的纪念日。

　　It sold more in its first year than the iPhone did in 2007.

　　相较2007年第一代iPhone的上市首年度销量，它的销售额更高。

　　But today’s consumers are better primed to buy gadgets¹¹ now than they were then; watch sales should be far higher.

　　然而现在的消费者应该远比之前更倾向于购置科技产品，手表销量本该远超目前的业绩。

　　The cost of the Apple Watch—which starts at $300—puts people off.

　　苹果手表以300美元开售的价格让很多人望而却步。

　　So does its dependence¹² on a smartphone for most activities, such as providing directions.

　　苹果手表在提供导航等大多数功能操作上仍需依赖智能手机，这也是顾客不愿购买的原因。

　　The firm will sell a mere¹³ 8m watches in 2016, generating $4 billion in sales, thinks Toni Sacconaghi of Sanford C.Bernstein, a research firm.

　　桑福德·伯恩斯坦研究公司的分析师托尼·萨科纳吉认为，苹果公司2016年仅能售出800万只苹果手表，销售额为40亿美元。

　　One bright spot is Apple’s services business, which is expected to grow steadily¹⁴.

　　苹果的服务业务是其一大亮点，服务业务预计发展稳定。

　　As it sells more gadgets—over 1 billion devices are in use—it can also sell content and services, and gain revenue from music, its app store and more.

　　现今有超过十亿的终端正在使用苹果产品，由于苹果卖出的产品越来越多，它同时也可以出售更多服务业务及服务内容，在音乐服务，应用商店以及更多领域中获得收益。

　　In the second quarter Apple had $6 billion in services revenues, more than for Macs or iPads.

　　在第二季度，苹果在服务业务上营收多达60亿美元，这是Mac或iPad各种机型所难以企及的数字。

　　What else could the firm come up with?

　　苹果公司还能推出哪些新产品呢？

　　That Apple has been working on an electric car is one of the worst-kept secrets in the technology business.

　　苹果研发电动车是科技领域人尽皆知的秘密。

　　Reported disagreements with German carmakers over control of users’ data may have halted a potential alliance.

　　据报导，苹果公司与德国汽车商在用户数据管理的问题上出现分歧，可能已经导致中止了俩家公司之间可能存在的合作关系。

　　Many also expected Apple to disrupt television.

　　许多人认为苹果会搅乱电视领域。

　　But Apple TV, the firm’s alternative to a set-top box and subscription¹⁵, sells most shows and films à la carte, which becomes expensive very quickly. Its appeal is limited.

　　但作为苹果公司替代机顶盒以及订阅付费的一款产品，苹果电视以点单的方式对大多数节目及电影收费，很快会产生昂贵的费用，因而影响力也有限。

　　The problem, says James McQuivey of Forrester, another research firm, is that it will be difficult for Apple to come up with another single product as central to daily routines as the iPhone.

　　另一家研究公司福雷斯特的分析师，詹姆斯·麦克奎维则表示：问题的实质在于苹果很难再推出一款像iPhone般在日常生活举足轻重的单品。

　　Collections of devices in connected homes will matter more instead.

　　智能家居设备将转而变得越来越重要。

　　The exception may be augmented¹⁶ reality, but Apple’s rivals already appear to be ahead.

　　虽然增强现实技术可能是个例外，但是苹果的竞争对手似乎已在这方面取得领先。

　　Apple’s biggest problem is its past success.

　　苹果最大的问题在于其辉煌的过去。

　　It is the most valuable company in the world by market capitalisation because investors believe the firm can make new technologies popular.

　　从市场资本来说，苹果是世界市值最高的公司，因为投资者相信这家公司能让新科技流行起来。

　　Mr Cook, who took over as chief executive in 2011, soon before the death of the firm’s co-founder, Steve Jobs, has led Apple competently.

　　2011年，在苹果公司联合创始人史蒂夫·乔布斯逝世前不久，库克先生接任首席执行官一职，他出色地领导着苹果公司。

　　But there are lingering doubts about whether he can produce the sort of smash for which Jobs was so feted.

　　但是，人们依然心存疑虑，他究竟是否能推出一款当初令乔布斯那样名声大噪受欢迎的产品。

　　1.Shake off 摆脱；抖落

　　例句:He was unaware¹⁷ that they had shaken off their pursuers.

　　他不知道他们已经甩掉了追捕者。

　　2.took over 接管

　　例句:A new warden¹⁸ took over the prison.

　　一位新的监狱长接管了这所监狱。

　　3.put off 推迟；阻止

　　例句:Women who put off having a baby often make the best mothers.

　　晚育的女性经常会成为最优秀的母亲。

　　4.come up with 提出

　　例句:Several of the members have come up with suggestions of their own.

　　有几位成员提出了自己的建议。

1 pipeline   

n.管道，管线

参考例句：

• The pipeline supplies Jordan with 15 per cent of its crude oil.该管道供给约旦15%的原油。
• A single pipeline serves all the houses with water.一条单管路给所有的房子供水。

2 reassuring   

a.使人消除恐惧和疑虑的，使人放心的

参考例句：

• He gave her a reassuring pat on the shoulder. 他轻拍了一下她的肩膀让她放心。
• With a reassuring pat on her arm, he left. 他鼓励地拍了拍她的手臂就离开了。

3 erasing   

v.擦掉( erase的现在分词 )；抹去；清除

参考例句：

• He was like a sponge, erasing the past, soaking up the future. 他象一块海绵，挤出过去，吸进未来。 来自辞典例句
• Suddenly, fear overtook longing, erasing memories. 突然，恐惧淹没了渴望，泯灭了回忆。 来自辞典例句

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 immediate   

adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的

参考例句：

• His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
• We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。

6 sluggish   

adj.懒惰的，迟钝的，无精打采的

参考例句：

• This humid heat makes you feel rather sluggish.这种湿热的天气使人感到懒洋洋的。
• Circulation is much more sluggish in the feet than in the hands.脚部的循环比手部的循环缓慢得多。

7 lucrative   

adj.赚钱的，可获利的

参考例句：

• He decided to turn his hobby into a lucrative sideline.他决定把自己的爱好变成赚钱的副业。
• It was not a lucrative profession.那是一个没有多少油水的职业。

8 waned   

v.衰落( wane的过去式和过去分词 )；（月）亏；变小；变暗淡

参考例句：

• However,my enthusiasm waned.The time I spent at exercises gradually diminished. 然而，我的热情减退了。我在做操上花的时间逐渐减少了。 来自《用法词典》
• The bicycle craze has waned. 自行车热已冷下去了。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

9 niche   

n.壁龛；合适的职务(环境、位置等)

参考例句：

• Madeleine placed it carefully in the rocky niche. 玛德琳小心翼翼地把它放在岩石壁龛里。
• The really talented among women would always make their own niche.妇女中真正有才能的人总是各得其所。

10 celebrated   

adj.有名的，声誉卓著的

参考例句：

• He was soon one of the most celebrated young painters in England.不久他就成了英格兰最负盛名的年轻画家之一。
• The celebrated violinist was mobbed by the audience.观众团团围住了这位著名的小提琴演奏家。

11 gadgets   

n.小机械，小器具（ gadget的名词复数 ）

参考例句：

• Certainly. The idea is not to have a house full of gadgets. 当然。设想是房屋不再充满小配件。 来自超越目标英语 第4册
• This meant more gadgets and more experiments. 这意味着要设计出更多的装置，做更多的实验。 来自英汉非文学 - 科学史

12 dependence   

n.依靠，依赖；信任，信赖；隶属

参考例句：

• Doctors keep trying to break her dependence of the drug.医生们尽力使她戒除毒瘾。
• He was freed from financial dependence on his parents.他在经济上摆脱了对父母的依赖。

13 mere   

adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过

参考例句：

• That is a mere repetition of what you said before.那不过是重复了你以前讲的话。
• It's a mere waste of time waiting any longer.再等下去纯粹是浪费时间。

14 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。

15 subscription   

n.预订，预订费，亲笔签名，调配法，下标（处方）

参考例句：

• We paid a subscription of 5 pounds yearly.我们按年度缴纳5英镑的订阅费。
• Subscription selling bloomed splendidly.订阅销售量激增。

16 Augmented   

adj.增音的 动词augment的过去式和过去分词形式

参考例句：

• 'scientists won't be replaced," he claims, "but they will be augmented." 他宣称：“科学家不会被取代；相反，他们会被拓展。” 来自英汉非文学 - 科学史
• The impact of the report was augmented by its timing. 由于发表的时间选得好，这篇报导的影响更大了。

17 unaware   

a.不知道的，未意识到的

参考例句：

• They were unaware that war was near. 他们不知道战争即将爆发。
• I was unaware of the man's presence. 我没有察觉到那人在场。

18 warden   

n.监察员，监狱长，看守人，监护人

参考例句：

• He is the warden of an old people's home.他是一家养老院的管理员。
• The warden of the prison signed the release.监狱长签发释放令。