Newsworthy Clips: From virtual to real rocker 从虚拟转成真正的摇滚乐手
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- 创建于 2010年5月17日
- 最后更新于 2024年5月25日
- 发布于 2012年4月30日
- 作者：Mike Lee
- 点击数：323
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From virtual to real rocker 从虚拟转成真正的摇滚乐手
Each time video games jam with the hit game Rock Band, they use a mock Fender Stratocaster guitar to control the play. The Strat is the model immortalized by rock stars Jimi Hendrix and Eric Clapton.
每次电玩玩家用受欢迎的电玩游戏《摇滚乐团》即兴弹奏，他们会使用模拟的芬德史特拉卡斯特吉他来操控游戏。摇滚巨星吉米．汉卓克斯和艾瑞克．克莱普顿的使用，让这款吉他成为不朽名琴。
Now, Fender is aiming for even stronger ties to the young musical video-game crowd and a chance to convert gamers to real guitar players. The Rock Band association helped keep awareness high for the Fender brand in tough economic times, says Richard McDonald, a Fender senior vice president. But the popularity of Rock Band wasn’t enough to keep Fender from feeling the impact of the recession.
如今芬德公司企图和年轻的音乐电玩玩家有更强的连结，希望有机会把电玩玩家转变成真正的吉他手。芬德资深副总裁李察．麦克唐纳表示，该公司吉他和《摇滚乐团》之间的关连，的确有助于在景气低迷期间，提高芬德品牌的知名度，但光是《摇滚乐团》受欢迎，仍不足以让芬德得以不感受到经济衰退的冲击。
Sales for the No. 1 guitar manufacture were flat last year, McDonald says. “We’re grateful to be holding steady in a challenging environment.”
据麦克唐纳指出，芬德这家全球第一的吉他制造商去年销售持平，「对于在充满挑战的大环境中能保持稳定，我们已经很感谢了。」
Although the Fender tie-in to the Rock Band craze hasn’t resulted in a huge sales bump for guitars among the musical video-gaming set, Fender sees promise.
虽然芬德和《摇滚乐团》搭配结合并没有为在这套电玩游戏中亮相的吉他款式带来巨额销售量，但该公司仍然看到了成功的契机。
“They’re holding the guitar and understanding music phrasing and how music is organized, and that’s one of the first steps,” McDonald says. “The next thing is to get them interested in playing some chords. You’ll see the games evolve to actual playing, not just pushing buttons.”
「玩家拿着吉他，懂得音乐分句法，也知道音乐组成的方式，而这就是踏出的第一步，」麦克唐纳表示，「下一步就是让他们对弹奏一些和弦感兴趣。你会看到玩电玩游戏会逐渐演变成真正的弹乐器，而不只是按下按钮而已。」
Fender has several ideas in development to let gamers perform actual songs – hitting faux notes and chords – while playing. “We’re headed in that direction,” McDonald says.
芬德公司对于研发出让电玩玩家能弹出真正的曲子，已经想出了好几个点子，好让他们在玩的时候，可以敲击假音符及和弦。「我们目前正朝这个方向努力，」麦克唐纳表示。
You Rock Guitar, a $179.99 digital guitar, was released this year. It can be used as a controller for Guitar Hero or Rock Band, but it also has digital strings and a fretboard. Non-musicians can play it via color-coded instructional tools. Those who know their way around the guitar can play it like a real instrument, and plug it into a computer for playing and recording through popular music programs such as Apple’s GarageBand and Logic Studio.
「你摇滚吉他」这款一百七十九点九九美元的数字吉他，在今年推出问世，不但可以用来当作《吉他英雄》或《摇滚乐团》的控制器，还拥有数字琴弦以及指板。即使不会弹乐器的人，也能透过以不同颜色作标记的指令工具来弹奏，至于本来就会弹吉他的人，就能把它当成真的乐器一样来弹，可以把它插进电脑里，就能透过如苹果的 GarageBand 和 Logic Studio 等受欢迎的音乐程序来弹奏及录音。
−by Jefferson Graham
单词发音
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mock [mɑk] adj. 假的；假装的；模拟的
immortalize [ɪˋmɔrt!͵aɪz] v. 使…千古留名; 使永恒；使不灭；使不朽
recession [rɪˋsɛʃən] n.（经济的）衰退；衰退期
flat [flæt] adj. (贸易或商业)停滞的，不景气的
tie-in [ˈtaɪˌɪn] n.【美】搭卖；搭配
bump [bʌmp] n. 提高; 凸起 a rise or increase, as in prices or enrollment
music phrasing [ˋfrezɪŋ] n. 【音】分节法 the way in which a musician divides a tune into separate parts
chord [kɔrd] n.【音】和弦，和音
faux [fo] adj.【法】假的；人造的
fretboard [ˈfrɛtbord] n. 指板 a long, thin strip of wood that is glued to the neck of an instrument and above which the strings run across slightly raised, evenly spaced metal bars
know one’s way around 熟悉某处(或某事、手续等); 有阅历; 了解情形
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Microsoft settles case with European Union 微软与欧盟达成和解
An agreement between Microsoft and the EU settled complaints that the company had exploited the dominance of its Windows operation system to gain users for its web browser, Internet Explorer, a practice that competitions said was unfair.
微软的竞争对手抱怨，微软利用独霸市场的窗口操作系统来让用户使用其网络浏览器Internet Explorer，称这种做法并不公平，而微软和欧盟已针对此案达成和解。
The European Commission, the antitrust regulator for the European Union, approved the five-year agreement after Microsoft said it would provide a ballot-box screen from which Windows users can choose among a variety of web browsers.
在微软表示将提供选单屏幕，让窗口用户能从各种不同的网络浏览器中自行选择之后，欧盟旗下的反垄断主管当局欧洲委员会已核可此项五年协议。
The browser market has shifted in the two years since the EU launched this particular investigation, and Microsoft no longer rules the browser market as it once did. The European Union has also moved on to investigating cases involving other U.S. tech companies, such as Google’s book project.
自欧盟展开这项特殊调查行动之后，浏览器市场这两年已经有所转变，而微软也不再像过去一样独占浏览器市场。欧盟已经开始转移注意力，开始调查如Google（谷歌）图书计划等其他美国科技公司的案子。
The commission began its investigation in the Microsoft/EU case after browser developer Opera complained in late 2007 that Microsoft had designed the dominant Windows operating system in a way that gave its Internet Explorer an unfair advantage over rival browsers.
浏览器研发商Opera于二００七年底提出诉愿，称微软把其占有优势的窗口操作系统刻意设计成让其Internet Explorer比其他对手公司的浏览器更有不公平的优势，之后欧洲委员会便针对此微软／欧盟案子展开调查。
“It is as if you went to the supermarket and they only offered you one brand of shampoo on the shelf, and all the other choices are hidden,” said European Commission for Competition Neelie Kroes.
「这就像是你去到超市，然后发现他们货架上只供应一种品牌的洗发精，而所有其他选择都被隐藏起来了，」欧洲委员会竞争委员尼力．克罗斯表示。
Though this investigation began in 2008, antitrust concerns in Europe involving Windows date back to 1998, when Sun Microsystems complained about Microsoft practices. That complaint sparked several investigations over Microsoft’s building of media player and server software with Windows.
虽然这项调查是在二００八年展开的，但其实欧洲各界对于窗口有关的反垄断疑虑却可以回溯到一九九八年，当时升阳公司就曾抱怨微软的做法，并引发针对微软把媒体播放器及服务器软件和窗口绑售的数起调查。
Microsoft and the commission negotiated and tested the ballot screen over the past year. The ballot will allow users in Europe to choose from the 12 most widely used browsers on the market
微软和欧洲委员会经过商议后，在去年测试选单屏幕。选单能让欧洲用户从市场上十二种使用率最高的浏览器中自行选择。
Based on feedback from competitors, Microsoft agreed to list the browsers in random order. The company must give a progress report to the commission within six months of implementing the changes, then annually.
基于来自对手厂商的回馈意见，微软同意随机排列浏览器的名称。微软必须在六个月内针对执行改变的执行情况做出进度报告，并交付欧洲委员会，之后则是每年进行一次。
−by Sharon Pian Chan
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antitrust [͵æntɪˋtrʌst] adj. 反托辣斯的，反垄断的 referring to laws that prevent companies from unfairly controlling prices
regulator [ˋrɛgjə͵letɚ] n. 监管者; 监管机构
ballot [ˋbælət] n.（尤指无记名的）投票
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Chinese electric car this year? 中国电力车今年问世？
For the second year, Chinese company BYD promised that it will bring a plug-in, all electric sedan to the U.S. market.
中国的比亚迪公司连续第二年承诺，将把插电的纯电力四门房车引进美国市场。
BYD, which stands for Build Your Dreams, announced that it plans to have its e6 sedan on sale in the U.S. in 2010. Skeptics still have doubts and point out, for example, that BYD still doesn’t have a distribution chain in place, which take time to set up.
代表建构你的梦想的比亚迪公司宣布，计划在二０一０年在美国销售e6四门房车。但抱持怀疑态度的人士对此仍有疑虑，并指出比亚迪还没有建立配销网络，而建立这样的网络需要花点时间。
But BYD has a credibility asset other companies hoping to crack the U.S. market don’t have: Warren Buffett as one of its lead investors. MidAmerican Energy Holdings, the utility arm of Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway, holds nearly 10 percent of BYD.
但比亚迪拥有其他也想进入美国市场的厂商所没有的一大信用资产：那就是巴菲特是其龙头投资者。巴菲特的柏克夏公司的公共事业部门：中美能源控股公司，持有比亚迪近百分之十的股权。
BYD’s dreams go well beyond the e6. Fred Ni, a general manager, says the company hopes to expand its U.S. lineup. And it is working to increase its sales of 450,000 vehicles in China last year to 800,000 this year.
比亚迪的梦想还不止于e6而已。总经理佛莱德．倪（音译）表示，公司希望能扩增美国线的车种阵容。此外，也积极想把去年在中国的四十五万辆汽车销售量，增加为今年八十万辆。
The e6 runs on BYD’s Fe battery, which it claims offers an unusually long range of 205 miles per charge and a modest 0-60 mph time of less than 14 seconds. Ni gave no price but said it will be “very affordable” and comparable to similarly sized gasoline-engine cars.
这款e6车使用比亚迪的铁电池，声称充电一次所跑的里程出奇地长，达两百零五哩，并有能在不到十四秒内从零加速到每小时六十哩的中等表现。佛莱德．倪并未说明售价，但表示「大家都能负担得起」，和类似大小的汽油引擎汽车差不多。
Jim Lentz, president of Toyota’s U.S. marketing arm, saying BYD has much to do before it can fulfill its U.S. promise. “It’s one thing to want to sell in the U.S. It’s another to set up a dealer network.” With marketing and other expenses, launching a nameplate can cost $100 million, he says.
丰田美国营销事业部总裁吉姆．兰兹表示，比亚迪在达成对美国市场的许诺之前，还有很长的路要走。「想要在美国销售是一回事，但真正建立配销网络又是另一回事。」他指出，加上营销和其他费用后，推出一个品牌可能要耗资一亿美元。
John Mendel, Honda Motor’s vice president, isn’t so skeptical, noting that the auto industry has often unwisely discounted foreign entrants. He says carmakers such as BYD and India’s Tata and Mahindra could revolutionize the distribution chain in unexpected ways, such as selling cars at Costco, or letting customers order online.
本田汽车副总裁约翰．孟戴尔却不表怀疑，他指出，汽车界往往对外国来的新成员做出不智的低估。他表示，如比亚迪、印度的塔塔和Mahindra等车厂，可能透过出乎意料的方式彻底改变配销网络，像是在好市多销售车子，或是让顾客可以在网络订购等。
Says Mendel, “We discount no one.”
但孟戴尔表示，「我们公司可不会对任何人打折扣。」
−by Sharon Silke Carty
单词发音
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plug-in 只要插进插座就可运用的; 插上插头以接通电源的 designed to be connected to an electrical power source
sedan [sɪˋdæn] n.【美】轿车
in place 准备就绪 in the appropriate or usual position or order
lineup [ˋlaɪn͵ʌp] n. 阵容, 阵形, 布阵
on [ɑn] prep. 靠……；使用……
discount [dɪsˋkaʊnt] v. 漠视；低估，贬损
单词发音
Vocabulary Focus
jam [dʒæm] v. 即兴演奏 to play popular music informally with other people
association [ə͵sosɪˋeʃən] n. 关联，结合 a connection with something or someone
hold steady 保持稳定；能保持稳定 to remain stable, with no sudden changes; continuing in the same condition
color-coded [ˋkʌlɚ͵kodɪd] adj. 采用色标的，采用色码的 labeled in different colors so that people can recognize different things easily
exploit [ɪkˋsplɔɪt] v. 利用；利用……而自肥 to use something unfairly for your own advantage
spark [spɑrk] v. 发动；点燃 to cause something to start happening, especially something controversial
implement [ˋɪmpləmənt] v. 履行；实施；执行 to put a plan or system into operation
skeptic [ˋskɛptɪk] n. 怀疑者, 怀疑论者 a person who doubts the truth or value of an idea or belief
arm [ɑrm] n. 部门 a part of an organization that is responsible for a particular activity or place
nameplate [ˋnem͵plet] n. 名牌, 标示牌 a flat sheet of metal outside of the motor describing the motor, voltage, efficiency, design and other features of the car.
revolutionize [͵rɛvəˋluʃən͵aɪz] v. 彻底改革，在……方面实现突破性大变革 to produce a very great or complete change in something
Eric Clapton/Tears in heaven
Rock Band - Welcome to the jungle
Guitar Hero
GarageBand from my ipad 2