经济学人:产业升级 手机成全新的旧事物(上)

 　　Business 商业

　　Mobile Phones: The new old thing 手机：全新的旧事物

　　Conformity¹, nostalgia² and 5G were on show at the Mobile World Congress. 在世界移动通行大会上的惯例、怀旧以及5G。

　　“A Sea of sameness.” A veteran of the Mobile World Congress (MWC), Ben Wood of CCS Insight, a consultancy, was not expecting much from the mobile industry's main trade show this week in Barcelona. 来英国著名移动资讯公司CCS Insight的调研主管Ben Wood是全球移动大会的常客，他本人对这周在巴塞罗那举办的移动产业贸易展览会没有过多期待，并称其为“波澜不惊的汪洋大海”。

　　As one product launch followed another, it was easy to lose track. 随着一次又一次的产品发布会，人们很难对其留下什么深刻印象。

　　Whether it was LG, Huawei or Wiko, they all showed off yet more black rectangles with slightly varying specifications³. 无论是LG，还是华为或者Wiko，然而这些手机制造商全都在炫耀只有细微不同说明的手机产品。

　　Another reminder⁴ of the smartphone business's maturity⁵ was that the most talked-about new device was the Nokia 3310 feature phone, an updated version of a phone first made 17 years ago. 智能手机产业的另一个成熟标志就是，本次大会上最为人津津乐道的新款手机是诺基亚的3310型，这是17年前所发布同款手机的全新升级版。

　　With limited internet connectivity, it appeals partly as a “digital detox”, said Arto Nummela, chief executive of HMD Global, a Finnish startup with ex-Nokia executives which licenses⁶ the brand. 来自一家由几位诺基亚前董事创立的芬兰公司HMD Global的执行总裁Arto Nummela表示，由于这款手机本身网络受限，它的出现被看做是“数码排毒”的一种手段。

　　The mobile industry is far from done in terms of genuinely new products. 就最新的产品来看，移动产业远远没有达到顶峰。

　　But the action has moved to parts of the business that do not lend themselves to splashy events and massive crowds  但是，这次活动带来的部分业务并没有引起到人们过多关注。

　　(the tent erected⁷ by Huawei, a Chinese maker⁸ of all sorts of telecoms gear, to launch its new P10 smartphone was huge, but hundreds were still left waiting outside). （中国电子零件制造商华为公司为了发布最新的P10智能手机搭建起来的展台，其影响力是巨大的，但是还剩下数以百计的展商没有得到关注。）

　　Most innovation in the next ten years will happen in the telecoms network rather than in devices, predicts John Delaney of IDC, a market-research firm. 来自市场研究公司IDC的John Delaney预计，在接下来十年内，大部分创新将出现在电信网络中，而不是移动设备上。

　　For now the industry is gearing up for the next generation of wireless⁹ technology, “5G”. 迄今为止，整个行业都在为了下一代无线技术“5G”而加速前进。

1 conformity   

n.一致，遵从，顺从

参考例句：

• Was his action in conformity with the law?他的行动是否合法？
• The plan was made in conformity with his views.计划仍按他的意见制定。

2 nostalgia   

n.怀乡病，留恋过去，怀旧

参考例句：

• He might be influenced by nostalgia for his happy youth.也许是对年轻时幸福时光的怀恋影响了他。
• I was filled with nostalgia by hearing my favourite old song.我听到这首喜爱的旧歌，心中充满了怀旧之情。

3 specifications   

n.规格；载明；详述；（产品等的）说明书；说明书( specification的名词复数 )；详细的计划书；载明；详述

参考例句：

• Our work must answer the specifications laid down. 我们的工作应符合所定的规范。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• This sketch does not conform with the specifications. 图文不符。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

4 reminder   

n.提醒物，纪念品；暗示，提示

参考例句：

• I have had another reminder from the library.我又收到图书馆的催还单。
• It always took a final reminder to get her to pay her share of the rent.总是得发给她一份最后催缴通知，她才付应该交的房租。

5 maturity   

n.成熟；完成；(支票、债券等)到期

参考例句：

• These plants ought to reach maturity after five years.这些植物五年后就该长成了。
• This is the period at which the body attains maturity.这是身体发育成熟的时期。

6 licenses   

n.执照( license的名词复数 )v.批准，许可，颁发执照( license的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• Drivers have ten days' grace to renew their licenses. 驾驶员更换执照有10天的宽限期。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Jewish firms couldn't get import or export licenses or raw materials. 犹太人的企业得不到进出口许可证或原料。 来自辞典例句

7 ERECTED   

adj. 直立的，竖立的，笔直的 vt. 使 ... 直立，建立

参考例句：

• A monument to him was erected in St Paul's Cathedral. 在圣保罗大教堂为他修了一座纪念碑。
• A monument was erected to the memory of that great scientist. 树立了一块纪念碑纪念那位伟大的科学家。

8 maker   

n.制造者，制造商

参考例句：

• He is a trouble maker，You must be distant with him.他是个捣蛋鬼，你不要跟他在一起。
• A cabinet maker must be a master craftsman.家具木工必须是技艺高超的手艺人。

9 wireless   

adj.无线的；n.无线电

参考例句：

• There are a lot of wireless links in a radio.收音机里有许多无线电线路。
• Wireless messages tell us that the ship was sinking.无线电报告知我们那艘船正在下沉。