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)都会总结一周的新闻,分析最重要的产业动态、也许进一两个笑话。Mike is off this week, so Paul Mozur, the Times’s Asia technology correspondent, stepped in.本周迈克请假,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!迈克本周有福去请假了,所以让我以求有与你聊天的幸福。Thank you for turning what’s normally the worst part of my week into the best.感激你把我一周里一般来说最苦逼的时刻变为最幸福的部分。
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:很高兴能老大上整天,不过,我刚刚找到你不讨厌《杀害蓝脚趾》(The Big Lebowski),对这种男人来说,怎样才算得上幸福,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:你告诉我最近爱好者上什么了吗? 《与卡戴珊一家同行》(Keeping Up With the Kardashians),知道十分棒!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. 你在香港报导整个亚洲地区的高技术行业,本周从香港飞到旧金山一趟。But before we move to Asian tech, let’s start by talking about things closer at hand. 但在我们讲亚洲技术行业之前,再行来说说道身边的事情吧。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)的项目管理都出来了,大多数都是赞誉。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.我自己的观点是:新款iPhone没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略为好一点,但不是大多数人迅速不会必须的东西。But who cares what I think. 但谁介意我的点子呢。
Increasingly what matters for Apple is what the people in China think of its phones. 对苹果来说,更加最重要的是,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. 中国曾是苹果一个极大的快速增长市场,但在去年开始经常出现下降。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减小,苹果在这方面也遇上了更好困难。
What’s going on? Are the Chinese still in love with iPhones?目前情况怎么样?中国人依然钟情于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:我的确指出中国人依然爱人着iPhone,但是就像所有其他的保持了充足长时间的爱情关系一样,有些激动感觉早已消失。The main problem Apple is facing at the moment is a slew of Chinese competitors that make high-quality phones. 苹果目前面对的主要问题是,一大批生产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,要看苹果能否再行把他们更有回去。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没任何有一点撒谎的显著升级,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,这并不意味著苹果丧失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. 报导苹果公司最近在中国市场的下降时,我回想了2012年时我写出的一篇类似于的文章,谈的是苹果在与三星的大屏手机竞争上遇上的艰难。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完全恢复,这次也有可能做。Chinese consumers crave not only what’s new, but also what stands out as new. 中国消费者不仅渴求新的东西,而且也期望醒目的新东西。
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.苹果对中国消费者依然很有吸引力,但很多人可能会再行等上一年,想到苹果在iPhone 10周年的时候发售什么,那时可能会有更好让人掌声的成分。That said, a part of me thinks the new wireless headphones could be a hit in China. 尽管如此,我还是有点实在,新的无线耳机可能会在中国受到冷玉女。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比起,无线耳机更加能展出用户为了跟上技术趋势,不愿使出高昂。
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,苹果的这种作法在中国仍然效果不错,不过,如果有金色和玫瑰金色版本的AirPods就可能会更佳。Farhad: Oh, I bet rose gold AirPods are coming. 法哈德:哦,我开玩笑迅速不会有玫瑰金版本的AirPods。Put me down for none.如果没我会很沮丧。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开始在匹兹堡发售自动驾驶汽车。(Mike got to ride in one!)(迈克展开了预约!)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上了更加多的不如意。
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回应看好,而且中国也报导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导说道,特斯拉的自动驾驶系统没能在轿车相似一辆道路清扫车时刹车,造成特斯拉的司机丧生。
This got me thinking about the car business in China. 这让我回想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作一个极大市场,但专门从事运输的公司对中国特别是在感兴趣。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,企图打进中国市场,与中国本土公司滴滴上下班积极开展竞争,但最后把业务出售给了输掉,现在Uber将享有滴滴上下班的股份。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,你指出是美国人应当告诉的?Paul: It’s good to know there’s now a safe way to have Mike behind the wheel. 孟宝勒:告诉现在有一种让麦克能安全性地躺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,在中国驾车与在美国驾车有相当大的有所不同。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作是建议(当司机错失了高速公路的出口时,他们不会毫无顾忌地方向灯,有时还不会把人行道当成额外的车道),在高速公路上,像前面提及的道路清扫车那样的行经较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. 所有这一切意味著,当自动驾驶技术在太平洋两岸更为频密地投入使用时,我们可能会看见更好的技术告终。
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. 中国政府期望它们取得成功,对它们展开了大力扶持,这有可能对它们起着推展起到。Baidu already has regulatory buy-in to try out its technology on bus routes.百度早已劝说监管机构让其在公交线路上展开测试。I do also think we could see some political issues crop up as the technology is more widely used. 我的确也实在,当这种技术取得更加普遍的应用于时,不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.中国政府将期望为本土企业获取协助;对外国企业在中国境内搜集数据、并将数据发送到其他地方的作法,中国政府仍然深感忧虑,因此我们很可能会看见在国外自律驾驶员技术的道路上经常出现一些障碍。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,本周仅次于的科技新闻之一事关韩国技术巨头三星,在美国消费品安全性委员会周四公布月的解任令其后,三星的Galaxy Note 7智能手机更进一步陷于声名狼藉的深渊。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.该委员会说道,三星早已在美国接到了92起手机电池短路的报告,其中有26份灼伤报告,55份财产损失报告,还包括在汽车中发生爆炸、以及在一座车库里发生爆炸的案例。The formal recall comes a couple weeks after Samsung issued its own recall. 月解任令其收到的几周前,三星早已公布了自己的解任通报。
But the company has been criticized for the way it has bungled the process. 但批评者说道,该公司的解任搞得很糟。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.整个事件或许给三星的声誉带给了沉重打击,本来三星在公布了一系列甚广不受赞誉的手机之后,公司声誉于是以处在一个上升期。
So, what do you think? How bad is this for Samsung?所以,你怎么看?这事对三星有多怕?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警告乘客,三星手机有可能再次发生自发性发生爆炸时,这事不有可能好。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忠实用户,他们本来是不会首度出售新手机的那种人。The bungled recall probably hints at a broader issue for Samsung. 搞砸了解任有可能暗示着三星面对更加普遍的问题。There’s no real parallel in America that can illustrate just how influential Samsung is in South Korea. 美国没类似于的公司可以展出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. 三星占到韩国出口总额的20%,在过去,这种影响力有助三星在媒体和监管机构那里一路通畅。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年因被判洗钱和贪腐被定罪后,取得了韩国总统的特赦。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. 人们想要告诉,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对此不力。
Our co-worker Brian X. 我们的同事布赖恩X陈也找到,当他的三星微波炉丢弃时,该公司也展现出得十分懦弱。Chen found the company was also pretty incompetent when his Samsung oven broke, sending a technician seven times before ultimately replacing it.三星为首一个技术员去建了七次,最后才换回了货。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. 解任的费用有可能在10亿美元左右,这对三星来说是笔小钱。And its reputation will survive. 三星的声誉也将获得挽救。
Given that, the biggest question is does it learn from this?因此,仅次于的问题是,它否能从这件事中吸取教训?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)公开发表了一篇社论,抨击了三星在造成这个问题上经常出现的技术犯规。Certainly that matters, but it seems a bit beside the point. 那当然很最重要,但或许没说道在点子上。With the supply chain as complex as it is, mistakes will occasionally happen. 这么简单的供应链,有时候经常出现错误也是不免的。
The thing that Samsung can control, and should do better at, is communicating with its customers.三星需要掌控、而且应当做到得更佳的是,与客户展开交流。Farhad: Right. 法哈德:对。I’m curious to see if this incident changes their approach to problems. 我想要想到这件事否不会转变他们处置问题的方式。Also, I’m now very scared that all our phones and laptops are hazards waiting to go off.另外,我现在也很担忧,我们所有的手机和笔记本电脑都有发生爆炸的危险性。
So anyway … have a good flight back!所以不管怎么说道……千秋你的返程飞行中一路顺风!Paul: Thanks for playing right into my neuroses about flying.孟宝勒:谢谢你拿我的飞行中紧张症快乐。
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