彭蒙惠英语：Hollywood Studios Are Hot Customers

Hollywood Studios Are Hot Customers

 

By Dean Takahashi /

©2004 San Jose Mercury News,

Knight¹ Ridder Newspapers.

Distributed by Tribune Media Service

 

Hewlett-Packrd (HP) is striving to become the king of entertainment technology with the computing³ services it offers to Hollywood studios

 

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Hollywood studios like DreamWorks have become coveted⁴ customers for HP and its rivals, since the shift to digital animation⁵ demands sophisticated computing know-how⁶. HP wants to make sure that HP — and not competitors such as IBM and Sun Microsystems — gets Hollywood’s business.

 

Thanks in part to a collaboration⁷ with HP, the animation division of DreamWorks had a good year in 2004, launching two major movies in one year. Shrek 2 grossed a gargantuan⁸ $901 million worldwide, and Shark Tale generated $341 million.

 

Computer power

 

Behind this bonanza⁹ is DreamWorks’ use of a novel technology concept: The company rents computing power from HP. In 2001, the two companies worked together on the original Shrek, expanding their partnership¹⁰ in the making of Shrek 2. HP hopes such deals will help it make a stand against its larger rival IBM, which is in many ways an underdog when it comes to Hollywood connections.

 

IBM has hardly conceded the fight. Big Blue has provided services and Linux-based computers to more than 75 special-effects companies over the past several years. As studios cut costs, they have replaced their older, more expensive SGI supercomputers — the ones used to make special-effects spectaculars such as Jurassic Park and The Matrix — with cheaper servers.

 

While IBM lacks marquee customers such as DreamWorks, Big Blue has had success with its own version of utility computing, which it calls “on demand” computing. “This industry lends itself to on demand particularly well because it is driven by big projects with a lot of peaks in crunch¹¹ time,” says Steve Canepa, vice² president of global media and entertainment at IBM. “We’re going to see a lot more customers take advantage of it.”

 

 

Vocabulary Focus

gargantuan (adj) [^B:5^AntjuEn] very large; huge

bonanza (n) [bEu5nAnzE] something that suddenly produces large profits or great opportunities

make a stand (idiom) to make a determined¹² effort to defend something or compete against someone or something

underdog (n) [5QndEdC^] one at a disadvantage; the person or team considered to be the weakest and least likely to win

 

Specialized¹³ Terms

Linux (n) 一种免费计算机操作系统品牌 a trademark¹⁴ for a freely available, open-source software that is a version of the UNIX operating system

SGI (n) 视算科技公司 Silicon¹⁵ Graphics¹⁶ Incorporated, a computer company best known for developing hardware and software used to create movie special effects and animation

server (n) 服务器 a central computer from which other computers obtain information

marquee (adj) 超人气的；有顶尖的 relating to someone or something whose name has great public appeal and will attract large crowds of people

utility computing (n phr) 公用电算服务 a service that provides computing resources and infrastructure¹⁷ management to the customer as needed, charging for specific usage rather than a flat fee

 

好莱坞片厂是当红客户

许美鸾   译

 

惠普公司提供好莱坞制片公司电脑技术服务，致力成为娱乐技术之王

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自从电影潮流转向数字动画，造成精密计算机技术的需求后，像梦工厂这样的制片公司已成为惠普及其对手们觊觎的顾客。惠普想确定是自己拿到好莱坞的生意，而不是对手，如 IBM 与太阳。   

梦工厂动画部门在2004年推出两部巨片，过了个好年，而部分原因正是靠了和惠普的合作关系。《史莱克2》全世界卖座总计高达9.01亿美元，而《鲨鱼黑帮》则创造了3.41亿美元的票房收入。

 

电脑能力   

这些大为卖座的电影的幕后，有着梦工厂所使用的一个新兴技术观念：向惠普租用电脑技术支持。2001年双方合作制作《史莱克》，其后合作关系延伸到制作 《史莱克2》。惠普希望这样的生意可以帮助它对抗其规模较大的对手 IBM。就与好莱坞的关系而言，IBM在许多方面居于下风。   

然而 IBM 可谈不上退让。过去几年内，这名“蓝色巨人”将各种服务和 Linux 操作系统的计算机，提供给超过75家特效公司。为了降低成本，制片公司用较便宜的服务器，取代由视算科技公司（SGI）所生产的既旧又贵的超级计算机，他们曾用这些超级计算机制作诸如《侏罗纪公园》和《骇客任务》等特效巨片。    

IBM 虽然缺乏像梦工厂这样的高人气客户，但自己发展的公用电脑技术服务却很成功，称之为“实时电脑技术服务”。IBM 全球媒体娱乐部门副总裁史提夫·卡内帕说：“这个产业特别适用实时服务，因为这是一个受大型计划驱动的产业，在紧要关头会有很多需求高峰。我们预期会有更多的客户接受此种服务。”

 

1 knight   

n.骑士，武士；爵士

参考例句：

• He was made an honourary knight.他被授予荣誉爵士称号。
• A knight rode on his richly caparisoned steed.一个骑士骑在装饰华丽的马上。

2 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

3 computing   

n.计算

参考例句：

• to work in computing 从事信息处理
• Back in the dark ages of computing, in about 1980, they started a software company. 早在计算机尚未普及的时代（约1980年），他们就创办了软件公司。

4 coveted   

adj.令人垂涎的；垂涎的，梦寐以求的v.贪求，觊觎(covet的过去分词)；垂涎；贪图

参考例句：

• He had long coveted the chance to work with a famous musician. 他一直渴望有机会与著名音乐家一起工作。
• Ther other boys coveted his new bat. 其他的男孩都想得到他的新球棒。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 animation   

n.活泼，兴奋，卡通片／动画片的制作

参考例句：

• They are full of animation as they talked about their childhood.当他们谈及童年的往事时都非常兴奋。
• The animation of China made a great progress.中国的卡通片制作取得很大发展。

6 know-how   

n.知识；技术；诀窍

参考例句：

• He hasn't got the know-how to run a farm.他没有经营农场的专业知识。
• I don't have much know-how about engines.发动机方面的技术知识我知之甚少。

7 collaboration   

n.合作，协作；勾结

参考例句：

• The two companies are working in close collaboration each other.这两家公司密切合作。
• He was shot for collaboration with the enemy.他因通敌而被枪毙了。

8 gargantuan   

adj.巨大的，庞大的

参考例句：

• My gargantuan,pristine machine was good for writing papers and playing solitaire,and that was all.我那庞大的、早期的计算机只适合写文章和玩纸牌游戏，就这些。
• Right away,I realized this was a mistake of gargantuan proportions.我立刻意识到这是一个巨大的错误。

9 bonanza   

n.富矿带，幸运，带来好运的事

参考例句：

• Bargain hunters enjoyed a real bonanza today.到处买便宜货的人今天真是交了好运。
• What a bonanza for the winning ticket holders!对于手持胜券的人来说，这是多好的运气啊。

10 partnership   

n.合作关系，伙伴关系

参考例句：

• The company has gone into partnership with Swiss Bank Corporation.这家公司已经和瑞士银行公司建立合作关系。
• Martin has taken him into general partnership in his company.马丁已让他成为公司的普通合伙人。

11 crunch   

n.关键时刻；艰难局面；v.发出碎裂声

参考例句：

• If it comes to the crunch they'll support us.关键时刻他们是会支持我们的。
• People who crunch nuts at the movies can be very annoying.看电影时嘎吱作声地嚼干果的人会使人十分讨厌。

12 determined   

adj.坚定的；有决心的

参考例句：

• I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
• He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。

13 specialized   

adj.专门的，专业化的

参考例句：

• There are many specialized agencies in the United Nations.联合国有许多专门机构。
• These tools are very specialized.这些是专用工具。

14 trademark   

n.商标；特征；vt.注册的…商标

参考例句：

• The trademark is registered on the book of the Patent Office.该商标已在专利局登记注册。
• The trademark of the pen was changed.这钢笔的商标改了。

15 silicon   

n.硅(旧名矽)

参考例句：

• This company pioneered the use of silicon chip.这家公司开创了使用硅片的方法。
• A chip is a piece of silicon about the size of a postage stamp.芯片就是一枚邮票大小的硅片。

16 graphics   

n.制图法，制图学；图形显示

参考例句：

• You've leveraged your graphics experience into the video area.你们把图形设计业务的经验运用到录像业务中去。
• Improved graphics took computer games into a new era.经改进的制图技术将电脑游戏带进了一个新时代。

17 infrastructure   

n.下部构造，下部组织，基础结构，基础设施

参考例句：

• We should step up the development of infrastructure for research.加强科学基础设施建设。
• We should strengthen cultural infrastructure and boost various types of popular culture.加强文化基础设施建设，发展各类群众文化。