【科技】Just because you want it,
doesn’t mean you’ll get it
最近鸿蒙操作系统正式发布The Harmony operating system was officially launched. 各大外媒都有报道:Hw has a plan B to help protect its global smartphone business hw有B计划以保住其在全球的智能手机业务;Hw to shift phones to its own Harmony operating system hw将在手机上转为使用自己的鸿蒙操作系统;Hw rolled out its Google Android rival to phones hw发布手机使用的系统,是谷歌安卓系统的竞争对手。
大家都知道 It is known to all that all these technologies come down to one core thing: the chip所有这些科技都归结于一个核心的东西:芯片。今天这段音频截取自《经济学人》The Economist,来听听他们关于芯片以及中美的观点。关于科技,我们来猜个谜语:What do computers eat for a snack? 答案在本节末公布。
Script
America is really the dominant player. In order to build up its domestic industry, China has made semiconductors one of the priority areas in its “Made in China 2025” initiative. America is quite worried by China's attempts to build up the domestic industry.I think it can probably try to slow China down, I'm not sure that it can prevent it entirely. And of course, trying to do that would also do quite a lot of damage, potentially, to a really vital industry that underpins the entire global economy.
Language Notes
1/6
America is really the dominant player. In order to build up its domestic industry,
美国占绝对的主导地位。中国为了发展自身的产业,
Dominant这个词以前出现过,指占主导地位的,比如a dominant position主导地位;the dominant company占主导地位的公司;the dominant mindset主流思维模式。
Player最常见的意思是运动员、比赛选手,根据上下文,也可以表示某个国家、公司等,比如Britain is a key player in Europe. 英国是欧洲的重要国家之一。再来听一句:It’s a major player in the industry. 它是行业中重要的一家公司。
2/6
China has made semiconductors one of the priority areas in its “Made in China 2025” initiative.
将半导体列为“2025中国制造”计划的首要发展领域之一。
Priority首要事项,常用的表达有give priority to… 优先做某事,比如give priority to education着重发展教育;top priority,比如safety is the top priority. 安全是重中之重。
另外一个相关的词形,设定/区分轻重缓急,这个动词是什么呢?来听美剧《傲骨贤妻》The Good Wife中的一句话:It’s too much DNA to collect, so we need to prioritize. 要收集的DNA太多,所以我们要排个序。你听出来了吗,就是prioritize.
Initiative 这个词,没有相对固定的中文翻译,它源自于动词形式initiate发起,因此所有发起的事物都可以叫initiative. Made in China 2025 initiative是中国制造2025规划或者计划,如果说the sustainability initiative 就是指促进可持续发展的项目;an environmental initiative一项环保提议。
3/6
America is quite worried by China's attempts to build up the domestic industry.
美国对中国发展自身产业的努力感到担忧。
Attempt 尝试,both a noun and a verb可以做名词和动词,做名词时,就可以表示努力或者尝试做某事,比如来听美剧《殊途同归》Accused中的一句话:Tony Bains made repeated attempts to phone you, yes? Tony Bains不断给你打电话,是吗?
4/6
I think it can probably try to slow China down, I'm not sure that it can prevent it entirely.
我认为它或许能尽力让中国不发展得那么块,但我不确定它是否能完全阻止中国。
Slow down慢下来,可以说slow sth. down使某物慢下来,也可以直接说slow down减速。
那么,它的相反的意思,加速、提速,你知道是什么吗?来听两个句子:They are simplifying their menu to speed up service. 他们在简化菜单以提升服务速度。He’s calling for greater efforts to accelerate the process. 他呼吁加大力度,加快进程。不知你听出来了吗,第一句说的是speed up,是比较简单的说法,第二句用的是accelerate是比较书面的用法。同样,slow down的书面用语,就是decelerate.
5/6
And of course, trying to do that would also do quite a lot of damage, potentially,
另外可以确定的是,这样做还可能会对这一非常重要的产业造成很大伤害,
Potentially可能地,这个词虽然是比较书面的,但口语中也经常会用,而且通常是像文中这样,相对独立的使用。再来听个例子:I would try to defend myself, potentially, and I’m a law-abiding citizen. 我会努力自我保护,这是可能的,而且我是一个守法的公民。
6/6
to a really vital industry that underpins the entire global economy.
而这是全球经济的支柱性产业。
Underpin是一个比较书面和正式的词,英文释义是to give strength or support to something and to help it succeed为某物提供力量或支持,以帮助它成功。除了underpin the economy, 还可以说underpin a free society支撑一个自由的社会;underpin the future of education支撑教育的未来。
它的反义词也是under开头,你知道是哪个词吗?美国经常说的“危害国家安全”,就是用这个词,来听这句:This would all undermine U.S. national security. 这会损害美国的国家安全。你听出来了吗,就是undermine危害、损伤。
Riddle
What do computers eat for a snack?
电脑吃什么零食?
The answer is: microchip.
前面说过,科技的核心是芯片,所以computers need chips电脑需要芯片,而chip除了表示芯片,在英语中还可以表示吃的薯片,所以如果是零食嘛,就是小一些了,正好又有microchip微芯片这个词,所以就是它啦~
还没有评论,快来发表第一个评论!