2023年经济学人 谷歌反垄断的误解(1)

 

 

    In search of a problem

    寻找问题

    The current era of trustbuster activism is based on a misapprehension.

    当今时代的反垄断激进主义是基于一种误解。

    In 1912 America’s Supreme¹ Court ruled that a coalition² of 14 railroad proprietors³ had used their joint⁴ ownership of a bridge across the Mississippi river, near the St Louis terminal, to unlawfully stifle⁵ competition.

    1912年，美国最高法院裁定，一个由14名铁路业主组成的联盟利用他们对圣路易斯终点站附近一座横跨密西西比河大桥的共同拥有权，非法扼杀了竞争。

    The crossing gave the railroad trust a chokehold over traffic to and from the city’s main terminal.

    这条通道让这一铁路托拉斯扼住了往返圣路易斯市主要终点站的交通咽喉要道。

    St Louis was an important railway hub.

    而圣路易斯是一个重要的铁路枢纽。

    In the court’s opinion, the monopoly power over the railway bridge was therefore a means to foreclose the business of rival rail operators across America.

    因此，法院认为，对铁路桥的垄断是一种手段，用以阻止美国各地的竞争对手开展铁路运营业务。

    More than a century later, American trustbusters are preparing for battle with another giant in a network industry.

    一个多世纪后，美国的反托拉斯者正准备与网络行业的另一个巨头展开战斗。

    In January the Department of Justice (DOJ) set out a 155-page complaint against Google for monopolising digital advertising⁶ on exchanges.

    今年1月，美国司法部对谷歌提起了长达155页的申诉，认为其垄断了数字广告交易。

    It alleges⁷ that Google used strong-arm tactics to lock up the ad-tech business.

    司法部声称，谷歌使用了强硬策略来锁定广告技术业务。

    The case is billed as the biggest antitrust challenge to tech since the DOJ’s epic⁸ battle with Microsoft in the late 1990s.

    此案被标榜为自上世纪90年代末美国司法部与微软展开史诗般的斗争以来，科技行业面临的最大的反垄断挑战。

    Central to the case is the acquisition by Google in 2008 of DoubleClick, which had developed a lead in the marketing⁹ of digital-advertising space.

    此案的核心是谷歌在2008年收购了DoubleClick，后者在数字广告位的营销方面占据领先地位。

    It has become almost an article of faith among regulators that the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) should have blocked the merger¹⁰.

    联邦贸易委员会本该阻止这项合并，这几乎已经成为监管机构的一个信条。

    As if to compensate¹¹ for this laxity, trustbusters have recently sought to block many tech mergers¹², including Microsoft’s purchase of Activision Blizzard¹³, a video-game maker¹⁴.

    似乎是为了弥补这种松懈，反托拉斯机构最近试图阻止许多科技公司并购，包括微软收购视频游戏开发商动视暴雪。

    The DOJ is seeking to break up Google’s ad-tech business—in effect, undoing¹⁵ the DoubleClick merger.

    美国司法部正在试图拆分谷歌的广告技术业务——实际上是将合并后的DoubleClick拆出去。

    It is far from clear, however, that allowing this merger was actually a mistake.

    然而，允许这一合并是否是一个错误，目前还远不清楚。

    To understand why, start with a stylised view of Google’s ad-tech “stack”.

    要了解其中原因，先以非写实的方式来看看谷歌的广告技术“堆栈”吧。

    The middle layer is Google’s Ad Exchange, which matches buyers and sellers of advertising space (or “inventory¹⁶”).

    中间层是谷歌的广告交易平台，它为广告位(或“库存”)的买家和卖家牵线搭桥。

    On one side of the market are website publishers who want to sell ad space.

    市场的一方是想要出售广告位的网站出版商。

    They submit sales requests via a digital tool.

    他们通过数字工具提交售卖请求。

    The antecedent of Google’s sell-side software is DoubleClick for Publishers, acquired in the merger.

    谷歌卖方软件的前身是在合并中收购的DoubleClick for Publishers。

    On the other side of the exchange are ad buyers, who have two routes to the market.

    在交易平台的另一边是广告买家，他们有两条通往市场的途径。

    Agencies and large ad buyers use demand-side platforms to bid for inventory.

    代理商和大型广告买家使用需求方平台竞标库存。

    Smaller advertisers go directly to Ad Exchange.

    小型广告商则直接前往广告交易平台。

    Google’s share of traffic varies between 40% and over 90%, depending on the stage of the journey.

    在交易的不同阶段，谷歌的流量份额在40%到90%以上不等。

    Bids and offers are matched by complex algorithms in the instant between a click on a website and a display ad appearing.

    在点击网站和显示广告的瞬间，出价和提供的库存就通过复杂的算法进行了匹配。

    In a case such as this, the best initial question is a straightforward¹⁷ one: where is the choke point?

    在这种情况下，首先最该提出的问题是一个直截了当的问题：咽喉要道在哪里？

    Microsoft was accused of tying Windows, the dominant¹⁸ operating system for desktop¹⁹ computers, to Internet Explorer in a manner that sought to exclude Netscape and others from the market for web browsers²⁰.

    微软曾被指控将占主导地位的台式电脑操作系统Windows与IE浏览器进行捆绑，试图将网景等其他浏览器排除在网页浏览器市场之外。

    Windows was the choke point, just as the bridge to St Louis was in the railroad case.

    Windows系统就是咽喉要道，就像铁路案例中通往圣路易斯的大桥一样。

    The charge against Google is more complex, or at least the story is one that is harder to tell.

    对谷歌的指控则要复杂得多，或者说，至少这个故事更不容易讲清楚。

 

1 supreme   

adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的

参考例句：

• It was the supreme moment in his life.那是他一生中最重要的时刻。
• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。

2 coalition   

n.结合体，同盟，结合，联合

参考例句：

• The several parties formed a coalition.这几个政党组成了政治联盟。
• Coalition forces take great care to avoid civilian casualties.联盟军队竭尽全力避免造成平民伤亡。

3 proprietors   

n.所有人，业主( proprietor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• These little proprietors of businesses are lords indeed on their own ground. 这些小业主们，在他们自己的行当中，就是真正的至高无上的统治者。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹
• Many proprietors try to furnish their hotels with antiques. 许多经营者都想用古董装饰他们的酒店。 来自辞典例句

4 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

5 stifle   

vt.使窒息；闷死；扼杀；抑止，阻止

参考例句：

• She tried hard to stifle her laughter.她强忍住笑。
• It was an uninteresting conversation and I had to stifle a yawn.那是一次枯燥无味的交谈，我不得不强忍住自己的呵欠。

6 advertising   

n.广告业；广告活动 a.广告的；广告业务的

参考例句：

• Can you give me any advice on getting into advertising? 你能指点我如何涉足广告业吗?
• The advertising campaign is aimed primarily at young people. 这个广告宣传运动主要是针对年轻人的。

7 alleges   

断言，宣称，辩解( allege的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• The newspaper article alleges that the mayor is corrupt. 报纸上断言该市长腐败。
• Steven was tardy this morning and alleges that his bus was late. 史提芬今天早上迟到的说词是公车误点了。

8 epic   

n.史诗，叙事诗；adj.史诗般的，壮丽的

参考例句：

• I gave up my epic and wrote this little tale instead.我放弃了写叙事诗，而写了这个小故事。
• They held a banquet of epic proportions.他们举行了盛大的宴会。

9 marketing   

n.行销，在市场的买卖，买东西

参考例句：

• They are developing marketing network.他们正在发展销售网络。
• He often goes marketing.他经常去市场做生意。

10 merger   

n.企业合并，并吞

参考例句：

• Acceptance of the offer is the first step to a merger.对这项提议的赞同是合并的第一步。
• Shareholders will be voting on the merger of the companies.股东们将投票表决公司合并问题。

11 compensate   

vt.补偿，赔偿；酬报 vi.弥补；补偿；抵消

参考例句：

• She used her good looks to compensate her lack of intelligence. 她利用她漂亮的外表来弥补智力的不足。
• Nothing can compensate for the loss of one's health. 一个人失去了键康是不可弥补的。

12 mergers   

n.（两个公司的）合并( merger的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Mergers fall into three categories: horizontal, vertical, and conglomerate. 合并分为以下三种：横向合并，纵向合并和混合合并。 来自辞典例句
• Many recent mergers are concentrated within specific industries, particularly in retailing, airlines and communications. 现代许多合并企业集中进行某些特定业务，在零售业、民航和通讯业中更是如此。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件

13 blizzard   

n.暴风雪

参考例句：

• The blizzard struck while we were still on the mountain.我们还在山上的时候暴风雪就袭来了。
• You'll have to stay here until the blizzard blows itself off.你得等暴风雪停了再走。

14 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。

15 undoing   

n.毁灭的原因，祸根；破坏，毁灭

参考例句：

• That one mistake was his undoing. 他一失足即成千古恨。
• This hard attitude may have led to his undoing. 可能就是这种强硬的态度导致了他的垮台。

16 inventory   

n.详细目录，存货清单

参考例句：

• Some stores inventory their stock once a week.有些商店每周清点存货一次。
• We will need to call on our supplier to get more inventory.我们必须请供应商送来更多存货。

17 straightforward   

adj.正直的，坦率的；易懂的，简单的

参考例句：

• A straightforward talk is better than a flowery speech.巧言不如直说。
• I must insist on your giving me a straightforward answer.我一定要你给我一个直截了当的回答。

18 dominant   

adj.支配的，统治的；占优势的；显性的；n.主因，要素，主要的人(或物)；显性基因

参考例句：

• The British were formerly dominant in India.英国人从前统治印度。
• She was a dominant figure in the French film industry.她在法国电影界是个举足轻重的人物。

19 desktop   

n.桌面管理系统程序；台式

参考例句：

• My computer is a desktop computer of excellent quality.我的计算机是品质卓越的台式计算机。
• Do you know which one is better,a laptop or a desktop?你知道哪一种更好，笔记本还是台式机？

20 browsers   

浏览器

参考例句：

• Three-layer architecture is a model made up of browser, web server and background database server. 这种体系结构是由Browser、Web Server、Database Server组成的浏览器／Web服务器／后台数据库服务器三层模型。 来自互联网
• Another excellent approach is to abandon the browser entirely and, instead, create a non-browser-based, Internet-enabled application. 另一个非常好的方法是干脆放弃浏览器，取而代之，创建一个不基于浏览器，但却是基于互联网的应用。 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓