VOA标准英语2011--Apple Changed Way the World Communicates

Apple Changed Way the World Communicates

Under the leadership of Steve Jobs, Apple has produced products that have changed the way people around the world communicate, obtain information and entertain themselves. Here's a look at Apple’s success and what sets the company apart from other computer companies as it prepares for its founder¹ and visionary leader to step down as CEO.
Whether it’s iPods, iPhones or iPads, they have become a part of daily life for people around the world. Technology analyst² Francis Lun in Hong Kong said the man responsible is Apple’s chief executive officer, Steve Jobs.
"Steve Jobs actually changed the way that we download music, changed the way that we use handsets, and also changed the way that we use computers," said Lun.
University of California Los Angeles management professor Richard Rumelt said the ideas behind Apple’s products are not original.
“Apple didn’t invent personal computers, it didn’t invent [the] mouse and windows interface³, it didn’t invent digital music players, it didn’t invent the smart phone or the tablet,” he said. 
Ted⁴ Rozolis of IEEE Computer Society said there is one thing Apple can do that other computer companies have not achieved.
“They take a lot of concepts and re-purpose them, repackage them, make them beautiful and everybody wants to have them," said Rozolis. "They always had a way to take technology and make it again affordable⁵ and easy to use and therefore popular.”
IEEE Computer Society President Sorel Reisman said that’s why Apple has succeeded while many other companies have failed.
“It’s just astounding⁶ how many computer companies were in the PC business in the '80s that no longer exist,” Reisman observed.
Reisman also said the Internet has been key to Apple’s growth.
“When you travel, everybody’s got one of these things, an Apple iPad. When I say everybody, I mean little kids, mothers, women who would otherwise be knitting,” Reisman said.
Rumelt wrote a book that examines the strategies of businesses such as Apple. He said Apple leaves features out of its products that it cannot implement⁷ well. Other companies have tried to make products that are similar to Apple’s, but they have not been as successful.
“So we have here a very interesting contrast between the Apple sense of only doing what you can do well, versus⁸ the standard industry approach, which is stick in every possible feature you can, but in the end that’s kludgy [inefficient or clumsy].”
With Steve Jobs’ stepping down as Apple’s CEO, some consumers, like this man from Germany, fear Apple no longer will be the same.
"Definitely on the innovation. I don't think they will continue to be so innovative⁹ as he is the brains behind the ideas," he said.
Many analysts¹⁰ have a different view. IEEE Computer Society President Reisman said, “He’s handpicked his successors. They’ve been trained to be his successors. I think the company is fine. It’ll be fine.”
Still, management professor Rumelt warns that Apple’s managers need to be careful.
“If the people who continue to manage Apple into the future don’t impose that same kind of very demanding standards of design excellence¹¹ on the products they release, then you’ll begin to see a dilution¹² of the company’s brand name," he said.
For the next three to five years, however, Rumelt said Apple already has its product plans in place.

1 Founder   

n.创始者，缔造者

参考例句：

• He was extolled as the founder of their Florentine school.他被称颂为佛罗伦萨画派的鼻祖。
• According to the old tradition,Romulus was the founder of Rome.按照古老的传说，罗穆卢斯是古罗马的建国者。

2 analyst   

n.分析家，化验员；心理分析学家

参考例句：

• What can you contribute to the position of a market analyst?你有什么技能可有助于市场分析员的职务？
• The analyst is required to interpolate values between standards.分析人员需要在这些标准中插入一些值。

3 interface   

n.接合部位，分界面；v.(使)互相联系

参考例句：

• My computer has a network interface,which allows me to get to other computers.我的计算机有网络接口可以与其它计算机连在一起。
• This program has perspicuous interface and extensive application. 该程序界面明了，适用范围广。

4 ted   

vt.翻晒，撒，撒开

参考例句：

• The invaders gut ted the village.侵略者把村中财物洗劫一空。
• She often teds the corn when it's sunny.天好的时候她就翻晒玉米。

5 affordable   

adj.支付得起的，不太昂贵的

参考例句：

• The rent for the four-roomed house is affordable.四居室房屋的房租付得起。
• There are few affordable apartments in big cities.在大城市中没有几所公寓是便宜的。

6 astounding   

adj.使人震惊的vt.使震惊，使大吃一惊astound的现在分词)

参考例句：

• There was an astounding 20% increase in sales. 销售量惊人地增加了20%。
• The Chairman's remarks were so astounding that the audience listened to him with bated breath. 主席说的话令人吃惊，所以听众都屏息听他说。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 implement   

n.(pl.)工具，器具；vt.实行，实施，执行

参考例句：

• Don't undertake a project unless you can implement it.不要承担一项计划，除非你能完成这项计划。
• The best implement for digging a garden is a spade.在花园里挖土的最好工具是铁锹。

8 versus   

prep.以…为对手，对；与…相比之下

参考例句：

• The big match tonight is England versus Spain.今晚的大赛是英格兰对西班牙。
• The most exciting game was Harvard versus Yale.最富紧张刺激的球赛是哈佛队对耶鲁队。

9 innovative   

adj.革新的，新颖的，富有革新精神的

参考例句：

• Discover an innovative way of marketing.发现一个创新的营销方式。
• He was one of the most creative and innovative engineers of his generation.他是他那代人当中最富创造性与革新精神的工程师之一。

10 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。

11 excellence   

n.优秀，杰出，(pl.)优点，美德

参考例句：

• His art has reached a high degree of excellence.他的艺术已达到炉火纯青的地步。
• My performance is far below excellence.我的表演离优秀还差得远呢。

12 dilution   

n.稀释，淡化

参考例句：

• There is no hard and fast rule about dilution.至于稀释程度，没有严格的规定。
• He attributed this to a dilution effect of the herbicide.他把这归因于除草剂的稀释效应。