(单词翻译:单击)
Each Saturday, Farhad Manjoo and Mike Isaac, technology reporters at The New York Times, review the week’s news, offering analysis and maybe a joke or two about the most important developments in the tech industry.
每周六,《纽约时报》科技记者法哈德•曼朱(Farhad Manjoo)和迈克•艾萨克(Mike Isaac)都会回顾一周的新闻,分析最重要的产业动态、或许开一两个玩笑。
Mike is off this week, so Paul Mozur, the Times’s Asia technology correspondent, stepped in.
本周迈克休假,由时报在亚洲的科技记者孟宝勒(Paul Mozur)临时替代。
Farhad: How’s it going, Paul! Mike is blessedly on vacation this week, so I get the pleasure of chatting with you.
法哈德:哈啰,保罗!迈克本周有福去休假了,所以让我得以有与你聊天的快乐。
Thank you for turning what’s normally the worst part of my week into the best.
感谢你把我一周里通常最苦逼的时刻变成最美好的部分。
Paul: Happy to pitch in. Though it’s hard to know what counts as pleasure for a man who I just discovered doesn’t like The Big Lebowski?
孟宝勒:很高兴能帮上忙,不过,我刚发现你不喜欢《谋杀绿脚趾》(The Big Lebowski),对这种男人来说,怎样才算得上快乐,很难说。
Farhad: You know what I’ve been really getting into lately? Keeping Up With the Kardashians. It’s so good! But that’s for another time.
法哈德:你知道我最近迷上什么了吗? 《与卡戴珊一家同行》(Keeping Up With the Kardashians),真的非常棒!不过改天再说这个吧。
So you’re visiting San Francisco this week from Hong Kong, where you cover the tech business across Asia.
你在香港报道整个亚洲地区的高技术行业,本周从香港飞来旧金山一趟。
But before we move to Asian tech, let’s start by talking about things closer at hand.
但在我们谈亚洲技术行业之前,先来说说身边的事情吧。
In other words, Apple.
也就是说苹果的事情。
Reviews of the new iPhone, the 7 and 7 Plus, and the new Apple Watch came out, and they were mostly positive.
新款iPhone,即 7和7 Plus,以及新款苹果手表(Apple Watch)的测评都出来了,大多数都是好评。
My own take: The lack of a headphone jack on the new iPhone isn’t a huge problem, the new wireless headphones are interesting but kind of weird, and the new watch is slightly better than the old one, but nothing most people need just yet.
我自己的看法是:新款iPhone没有耳机插孔不是什么大问题,新的无线耳机很有意思,但是有点怪怪的,新款智能手表比老款稍微好一点,但不是大多数人很快会需要的东西。
But who cares what I think.
但谁在乎我的想法呢。
Increasingly what matters for Apple is what the people in China think of its phones.
对苹果来说,越来越重要的是,中国人对其iPhone手机怎么看。
China had been a huge growth area for Apple, but in the last year things began to slide.
中国曾是苹果一个巨大的增长市场,但在去年开始出现下滑。
Apple has also had more trouble with Chinese regulators as it has become a bigger force in the Chinese tech industry.
而且随着中国监管机构在该国高技术产业中的权力增大,苹果在这方面也遇到了更多麻烦。
What’s going on? Are the Chinese still in love with iPhones?
目前情况怎么样?中国人仍然钟情于iPhone手机吗?
Paul: I do think the Chinese are still in love with the iPhone, but as with any relationship that goes on long enough, some of the thrill has gone.
孟宝勒:我的确认为中国人仍然爱着iPhone,但是就像所有其他的维持了足够长时间的爱情关系一样,有些兴奋感已经消失。
The main problem Apple is facing at the moment is a slew of Chinese competitors that make high-quality phones.
苹果目前面临的主要问题是,一大批制造优质手机的中国本土竞争对手。
Some fans are being led astray, and it’s up to Apple to catch their eye again.
一些粉丝被竞争对手诱入歧途,要看苹果能否再把他们吸引回来。
Given the new version of the iPhone doesn’t boast any conspicuous upgrades, it could be that Apple’s sagging fortunes in China continue in the short term.
考虑到新款iPhone没有任何值得吹嘘的明显升级,短期内,苹果在中国的颓势可能会持续。
Still, that doesn’t mean Apple has lost its hold on the market.
不过,这并不意味着苹果失去了对中国市场的影响力。
In covering Apple’s most recent slowdown in China, I was reminded of a similar piece I wrote in 2012 when Apple was struggling to compete with Samsung’s phones that had larger screens.
报道苹果公司最近在中国市场的下滑时,我想起了2012年时我写的一篇类似的文章,讲的是苹果在与三星的大屏手机竞争上遇到的困难。
Apple has recovered from lulls in China in the past, and could again.
苹果公司过去能从中国市场的挫折中恢复过来,这次也可能做到。
Chinese consumers crave not only what’s new, but also what stands out as new.
中国消费者不仅渴望新东西,而且也希望显眼的新东西。
Apple still very much has a hold on the Chinese consumer, but many may well wait another year to see what Apple does for the 10th anniversary of the iPhone, when there may be more of a wow factor.
苹果对中国消费者仍然很有吸引力,但很多人可能会再等上一年,看看苹果在iPhone 10周年的时候推出什么,那时可能会有更多让人喝彩的成分。
That said, a part of me thinks the new wireless headphones could be a hit in China.
尽管如此,我还是有点觉得,新的无线耳机可能会在中国受到热捧。
More so than a new iPhone, they broadcast that a user is willing to drop a solid chunk of change to keep up on tech trends.
与新款iPhone相比,无线耳机更能展示用户为了跟上技术趋势,愿意出手不菲。
That formula has worked well for Apple in the past in China, though it would have helped if they made the AirPods in gold and rose gold options.
过去,苹果的这种做法在中国一直效果不俗,不过,如果有金色和玫瑰金色版本的AirPods就可能会更好。
Farhad: Oh, I bet rose gold AirPods are coming.
法哈德:哦,我打赌很快会有玫瑰金版本的AirPods。
Put me down for none.
如果没有我会很失望。
Other tech news this week involved cars.
本周技术新闻的另一部分与汽车有关。
Uber began rolling out its self-driving cars in Pittsburgh.
Uber开始在匹兹堡推出自动驾驶汽车。
(Mike got to ride in one!)
(迈克进行了试乘!)
Silicon Valley’s other big car start-up, Tesla, experienced more bad news.
硅谷的另一家汽车初创公司特斯拉遇到了更多的不顺。
Not only did I throw shade on its prospects in my column this week, but another report of a malfunction with its Autopilot driving system came in from China.
不仅我在本周的专栏里对它的前景表示看淡,而且中国也报道了它的一起自动驾驶仪故障。
According to a report from the Chinese government news channel CCTV, the car’s self-driving system failed to stop as the vehicle approached a street sweeper, resulting in the death of the driver.
中国政府新闻频道中央电视台报道说,特斯拉的自动驾驶系统未能在轿车接近一辆道路清扫车时刹车,导致特斯拉的司机死亡。
This got me thinking about the car business in China.
这让我想起了在中国的汽车行业。
Every American tech company sees China as a huge market, but the transportation companies are especially interested.
美国所有的高技术公司都将中国视为一个巨大市场,但从事运输的公司对中国尤其感兴趣。
Uber spent billions trying to break in there before selling its operations to the local competitor, Didi Chuxing, in which Uber will now have a stake.
Uber花费了数以十亿美元的资金,试图打入中国市场,与中国本土公司滴滴出行开展竞争,但最终把业务出售给了对手,现在Uber将拥有滴滴出行的股份。
What else is going on in Chinese transportation business that you think Americans should know about?
中国的运输行业还有什么事情,你认为是美国人应该知道的?
Paul: It’s good to know there’s now a safe way to have Mike behind the wheel.
孟宝勒:知道现在有一种让麦克能安全地坐在方向盘后面的方法,这很好。
The first thing to realize is driving conditions in China are very different from America.
首先要明白的是,在中国开车与在美国开车有很大的不同。
In China, most traffic laws are taken as suggestions (cars blithely reverse down highways when they miss exits and occasionally use sidewalks as an extra lane) and on highways, slow moving, big vehicles like that street sweeper are not uncommon.
在中国,大多数交通法规都被看成是建议(当司机错过了高速公路的出口时,他们会毫无顾忌地倒车,有时还会把人行道当作额外的车道),在高速公路上,像前面提到的道路清扫车那样的行驶缓慢的大型车辆并不少见。
All of that means we will probably see more tech failures as autonomous driving technology starts to be used more frequently on both sides of the Pacific.
所有这一切意味着,当自动驾驶技术在太平洋两岸更加频繁地投入使用时,我们可能会看到更多的技术失败。
In China, Baidu and LeEco are both working on driverless technology.
在中国,百度和乐视正在研发无人驾驶技术。
The companies will probably be helped by the fact that the Chinese government wants to see them succeed and has proved quite proactive in giving them a lift.
中国政府希望它们取得成功,对它们进行了积极扶植,这可能对它们起到推动作用。
Baidu already has regulatory buy-in to try out its technology on bus routes.
百度已经说服监管机构让其在公交线路上进行测试。
I do also think we could see some political issues crop up as the technology is more widely used.
我的确也觉得,当这种技术获得更广泛的应用时,会有一些政治问题冒出来。
The Chinese government will want to give its local companies a leg up and it has also been uncomfortable letting foreign companies collect data within China and beam it elsewhere, so it could be we see some roadblocks go up to foreign autonomous driving technology down the line.
中国政府将希望为本土企业提供帮助;对外国企业在中国境内收集数据、并将数据发送到其他地方的做法,中国政府一直感到不安,因此我们很可能会看到在国外自主驾驶技术的道路上出现一些障碍。
Farhad: Finally, one of the biggest tech stories this week is about the Korean tech giant Samsung, whose Galaxy Note 7 smartphone descended further into infamy when the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission issued a formal recall on Thursday.
法哈德:最后,本周最大的科技新闻之一事关韩国技术巨头三星,在美国消费品安全委员会周四发布正式的召回令后,三星的Galaxy Note 7智能手机进一步陷入声名狼藉的深渊。
The commission said Samsung has received 92 reports of batteries overheating in the United States, among them 26 reports of burns and 55 reports of property damage, including fires in cars and a garage.
该委员会说,三星已经在美国收到了92起手机电池过热的报告,其中有26份烧伤报告,55份财产损失报告,包括在汽车中起火、以及在一座车库里起火的案例。
The formal recall comes a couple weeks after Samsung issued its own recall.
正式召回令发出的几周前,三星已经发布了自己的召回通知。
But the company has been criticized for the way it has bungled the process.
但批评者说,该公司的召回搞得很糟。
The whole incident seems like a terrible blow to its reputation, which had recently been on the upswing after the company released a slate of well-reviewed phones.
整个事件似乎给三星的声誉带来了沉重打击,本来三星在发布了一系列广受好评的手机之后,公司声誉正处在一个上升期。
So, what do you think? How bad is this for Samsung?
所以,你怎么看?这事对三星有多坏?
Paul: It can’t be good when planes across the world are reminding passengers that Samsung’s phones can spontaneously detonate.
孟宝勒:当世界各地的航空公司都在提醒乘客,三星手机可能发生自发爆炸时,这事不可能好。
It’s a major blow, and one that probably hit some of the company’s most loyal customers who would be the first to buy the new phones.
这是一个沉重打击,可能会影响三星的一些死忠用户,他们本来是会率先购买新手机的那种人。
The bungled recall probably hints at a broader issue for Samsung.
搞砸了召回可能暗示着三星面临更广泛的问题。
There’s no real parallel in America that can illustrate just how influential Samsung is in South Korea.
美国没有类似的公司可以展示三星在韩国的影响力如何之大。
It’s responsible for something like 20 percent of the country’s exports, and that has helped it get a pass from both media and regulators in the past.
三星占韩国出口总额的20%,在过去,这种影响力有助于三星在媒体和监管机构那里一路畅通。
The most galling example of this was when the company’s former chairman was pardoned by South Korea’s president in 2009 after he was convicted of tax evasion and embezzlement.
这方面最厚颜无耻的例子是,三星前任董事长2009年因判逃税和贪污被定罪后,获得了韩国总统的赦免。
One has to wonder how much the coddling Samsung gets at home is to blame for the company’s bumbling response to this battery problem.
人们想知道,三星在国内受到的纵容在多大程度上造成了它对电池问题的回应不力。
Our co-worker Brian X.
我们的同事布赖恩•X•陈也发现,当他的三星微波炉坏掉时,该公司也表现得十分无能。
Chen found the company was also pretty incompetent when his Samsung oven broke, sending a technician seven times before ultimately replacing it.
三星派一个技术员去修了七次,最后才换了货。
Samsung is much bigger than the electronics it sells to consumers.
三星的业务远不止向消费者销售电子产品。
It makes microchips, screens, memory and all manner of components.
它还生产芯片、屏幕、内存和各种部件。
It will have little trouble paying the likely $1 billion price tag for the recall.
召回的费用可能在10亿美元左右,这对三星来说是笔小钱。
And its reputation will survive.
三星的声誉也将得到保全。
Given that, the biggest question is does it learn from this?
因此,最大的问题是,它是否能从这件事中汲取教训?
There was an editorial in the Korean newspaper, the Chosun Ilbo, faulting Samsung for the technological mistakes that led to this issue.
韩国报纸《朝鲜日报》(The Chosun Ilbo)发表了一篇社论,批评了三星在导致这个问题上出现的技术失误。
Certainly that matters, but it seems a bit beside the point.
那当然很重要,但似乎没有说在点子上。
With the supply chain as complex as it is, mistakes will occasionally happen.
这么复杂的供应链,偶尔出现错误也是难免的。
The thing that Samsung can control, and should do better at, is communicating with its customers.
三星能够控制、而且应该做得更好的是,与客户进行沟通。
Farhad: Right.
法哈德:对。
I’m curious to see if this incident changes their approach to problems.
我想看看这件事是否会改变他们处理问题的方式。
Also, I’m now very scared that all our phones and laptops are hazards waiting to go off.
另外,我现在也很担心,我们所有的手机和笔记本电脑都有爆炸的危险。
So anyway … have a good flight back!
所以不管怎么说……祝你的返程飞行一路顺风!
Paul: Thanks for playing right into my neuroses about flying.
孟宝勒:谢谢你拿我的飞行紧张症开心。