乔布斯传 第132期:年度机器(3)

 Apple launched the Lisa in January 1983--a full year before the Mac was ready

1983年1月，苹果公司发布了丽萨电脑--比Mae早了整整一年，

and Jobs paid his $5,000 wager¹ to Couch.

乔布斯在和库奇的这场赌局中输掉了5000美元。

Even though he was not part of the Lisa team,

尽管乔布斯并不是丽萨团队的一员，

Jobs went to New York to do publicity² for it in his role as Apple's chairman and poster boy.

他还是以董事会主席及形象代言人的身份前往纽约为丽萨作宣传。

He had learned from his public relations consultant³ Regis McKenna how to dole⁴ out exclusive interviews in a dramatic manner.

乔布斯从自己的公共关系顾问里吉斯·麦肯纳那里学会了如何以戏剧化的方式限量派发独家专访的机会。

Reporters from anointed publications were ushered⁵ in sequentially for their hour with him in his Carlyle Hotel suite⁶,

来自指定媒体的记者按次序一个个被带进他在卡莱尔酒店的套房，对他进行采访，

where a Lisa computer was set on a table and surrounded by cut flowers.

房间里的桌子上摆着一台丽萨电脑，周围用切花装饰着。

The publicity plan called for Jobs to focus on the Lisa and not mention the Macintosh,

宣传计划要求乔布斯专注于介绍丽萨，不要谈及麦金塔，

because speculation⁷ about it could undermine the Lisa.

因为对麦金塔的猜测可能损害丽萨的销售。

But Jobs couldn't help himself.

但乔布斯却没能控制住。

In most of the stories based on his interviews that day

根据那天对他的采访而写成的大多数报道

in Time, Business Week, the Wall Street Journal, and Fortune—the Macintosh was mentioned.

包括刊登在《时代》、《商业周刊》、《华尔街日报》以及《财富》上的，都提到了麦金塔。

"Later this year Apple will introduce a less powerful, less expensive version of Lisa, the Macintosh," Fortune reported.

“今年晚些时候，苹果公司将推出一款性能稍弱、售价更低的丽萨版本，即麦金塔电脑。”《财富》报道说，

"Jobs himself has directed that project."

“乔布斯亲自领导那个项目。”

Business Week quoted him as saying, "When it comes out, Mac is going to be the most incredible computer in the world."

《商业周刊》引用了乔布斯的话：“Mac问世后，将成为全世界最不可思议的电脑。”

He also admitted that the Mac and the Lisa would not be compatible.

他还坦承Mac和丽萨是无法兼容的。

It was like launching the Lisa with the kiss of death.

这就像是在发布丽萨的同时给它送上了死亡之吻。

The Lisa did indeed die a slow death.

丽萨确实慢慢地消亡了。

Within two years it would be discontinued.

不到两年，它就停产了。

"It was too expensive, and we were trying to sell it to big companies when our expertise⁸ was selling to consumers," Jobs later said.

“它太贵了，我们试图把它卖给大公司，但我们擅长的是出售给个人客户。”乔布斯后来说。

But there was a silver lining⁹ for Jobs:

不过这让乔布斯看到了一线希望：

Within months of Lisa's launch, it became clear that Apple had to pin its hopes on the Macintosh instead.

丽萨刚刚面世几个月，有一件事情就很明显了，那就是苹果公司必须把希望寄托在麦金塔身上。

1 wager   

n.赌注；vt.押注，打赌

参考例句：

• They laid a wager on the result of the race.他们以竞赛的结果打赌。
• I made a wager that our team would win.我打赌我们的队会赢。

2 publicity   

n.众所周知，闻名；宣传，广告

参考例句：

• The singer star's marriage got a lot of publicity.这位歌星的婚事引起了公众的关注。
• He dismissed the event as just a publicity gimmick.他不理会这件事，只当它是一种宣传手法。

3 consultant   

n.顾问；会诊医师，专科医生

参考例句：

• He is a consultant on law affairs to the mayor.他是市长的一个法律顾问。
• Originally,Gar had agreed to come up as a consultant.原来，加尔只答应来充当我们的顾问。

4 dole   

n.救济，（失业）救济金；vt.（out）发放，发给

参考例句：

• It's not easy living on the dole.靠领取失业救济金生活并不容易。
• Many families are living on the dole since the strike.罢工以来，许多家庭靠失业救济金度日。

5 ushered   

v.引，领，陪同( usher的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The secretary ushered me into his office. 秘书把我领进他的办公室。
• A round of parties ushered in the New Year. 一系列的晚会迎来了新年。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 suite   

n.一套(家具)；套房；随从人员

参考例句：

• She has a suite of rooms in the hotel.她在那家旅馆有一套房间。
• That is a nice suite of furniture.那套家具很不错。

7 speculation   

n.思索，沉思；猜测；投机

参考例句：

• Her mind is occupied with speculation.她的头脑忙于思考。
• There is widespread speculation that he is going to resign.人们普遍推测他要辞职。

8 expertise   

n.专门知识(或技能等)，专长

参考例句：

• We were amazed at his expertise on the ski slopes.他斜坡滑雪的技能使我们赞叹不已。
• You really have the technical expertise in a new breakthrough.让你真正在专业技术上有一个全新的突破。

9 lining   

n.衬里，衬料

参考例句：

• The lining of my coat is torn.我的外套衬里破了。
• Moss makes an attractive lining to wire baskets.用苔藓垫在铁丝篮里很漂亮。