(单词翻译:单击)
听力文本
Software maker Microsoft is buying the video game company Activision Blizzard for nearly $69 billion in one of the biggest technology deals in history.
软件制造商微软将以近690亿美元的价格收购电子游戏公司动视暴雪，这是历史上规模最大的科技交易之一。
Microsoft announced the agreement Tuesday and said it is expected to be completed in 2023.
微软周二宣布了这项协议，并表示预计将在2023年完成。
The deal must be approved by government regulators.
这笔交易必须得到政府监管机构的批准。
Activision Blizzard produces a series of popular and profitable video games including Call of Duty, World of Warcraft and Candy Crush.
动视暴雪制作了一系列广受欢迎且很赚钱的电子游戏，包括《使命召唤》、《魔兽世界》和《糖果粉碎传奇》。
Microsoft is the maker of the Xbox gaming system and is expected to add those games, along with others, to its subscription service.
微软是Xbox游戏系统的制造商，预计将把这些游戏和其他游戏一起添加到其订阅服务中。
If approved, the deal will turn the software maker into one of the world's largest video game companies.
如果这笔交易获得批准，它将使这家软件制造商成为世界上最大的电子游戏公司之一。
It is expected to better position Microsoft to take on other major videogame competitors like China's Tencent and Japan's Sony.
预计这将使微软在与中国的腾讯和日本的索尼等其他主要电子游戏竞争对手的竞争中占据更有利的地位。
The deal is also expected to help Microsoft better compete with technology companies developing equipment and systems for a future "metaverse."
这笔交易也有望帮助微软更好地与那些为未来“元宇宙”开发设备和系统的科技公司竞争。
Metaverse is a term used to describe a non-physical world in which individuals can interact through different kinds of virtual technology.
Metaverse是一个术语，用来描述一个非客观世界，在这个世界里，个人可以通过不同种类的虚拟技术进行互动。
Among the companies that have confirmed the development of metaverse technologies are Microsoft, Facebook's parent Meta, Google and Apple.
已确认开发“元宇宙”技术的公司包括微软、脸书的母公司Meta、谷歌和苹果。
In announcing the agreement, Microsoft Chief Executive Satya Nadella said gaming is expected to play an important part "in the development of metaverse" systems.
微软首席执行官萨蒂亚·纳德拉在宣布这项协议时表示，游戏预计将在“元宇宙”系统的开发中发挥重要作用。
Experts said the deal will turn Microsoft into the third-largest video game company in the world, a position formerly held by Japan's Nintendo.
专家表示，这笔交易将使微软成为世界上第三大电子游戏公司，在此之前，世界上第三大电子游戏公司是日本的任天堂。
Only Sony--maker of the PlayStation gaming system--and Chinese technology leader Tencent are bigger.
只有PlayStation游戏系统的制造商索尼和中国的科技领军企业腾讯的规模更大。
Microsoft's Xbox already develops and produces its own games.
微软的Xbox已经开发并生产了自己的游戏。
But the deal with Activision Blizzard will give the company control of many additional games.
但与动视暴雪的交易将使该公司获得更多游戏的控制权。
This is likely to raise questions about whether Microsoft could shut out competitors by restricting Activision games to its own Xbox system and Windows-powered computers.
这可能会让人质疑，微软是否会将动视暴雪的游戏限制在自己的Xbox系统和Windows系统上，从而将竞争对手拒之门外。
Nadella, however, promised this would not be the case.
然而，纳德拉承诺事实不会如此。
He said the deal would actually help people play games "wherever, whenever and however they want."
他说，这笔交易实际上将会有助于人们“随时随地”玩游戏。
Daniel Ives is an industry expert with Wedbush Securities.
丹尼尔·艾夫斯是韦德布什证券公司的行业专家。
He told The Associated Press that Microsoft "needed to do an aggressive deal" because the company has plans to greatly expand in streaming and metaverse development.
他告诉美联社，微软“需要做一笔激进的交易”，因为该公司计划在流媒体和“元宇宙”开发领域大举扩张。
Ives added that the size of the deal is likely to bring closer attention from regulatory agencies in the United States and Europe.
艾夫斯还说，这笔交易的规模可能会引起美国和欧洲监管机构的更密切关注。
One group, Public Citizen, criticized the proposed agreement.
一个名为“Public Citizen”的组织批评了这项拟议中的协议。
The group's Alex Harman called on the Federal Trade Commission and the U.S. Department of Justice to block the deal.
该组织的亚历克斯·哈曼呼吁美国联邦贸易委员会和美国司法部阻止这笔交易。
"If Microsoft wants to bet on the 'metaverse,' it should invest in new technology, not swallow up a competitor," Harman said.
哈曼说：“如果微软想把赌注押在‘元宇宙’上，它应该投资于新技术，而不是吞并竞争对手”。
The deal came after Activision Blizzard faced months of accusations involving sexual misconduct at the company by several top managers.
在这笔交易之前，动视暴雪数月来面临着指控，包括对数名该公司高管不当性行为的指控。
There were also employee accusations of workplace discrimination and unequal pay.
此外，还有员工指控该公司存在歧视和薪酬不平等问题。
The company has said it is still investigating and dealing with the accusations.
该公司表示，仍在调查和处理这些指控。
On Monday, Activision Blizzard said it had fired or pushed out more than 36 employees for violating company policies and disciplined 40 others since July.
周一，动视暴雪表示，自7月以来，该公司已解雇或开除了36名违反公司政策的员工，并处罚了另外40人。
In a conference call with investors, Nadella did not directly speak about the misconduct issues.
在与投资者的电话会议上，纳德拉没有直接谈到不当行为问题。
But he did talk about the importance of company culture.
但他确实谈到了公司文化的重要性。
"It's critical for Activision Blizzard to drive forward on its renewed cultural commitments," he said, adding, "the success of this deal will depend on it."
“对于动视暴雪来说，推动其更新的文化承诺至关重要，”他说，并补充道，“这笔交易的成功将取决于此。”
I'm Bryan Lynn.
布莱恩·林恩为您播报。
译文为可可英语翻译，未经授权请勿转载！
