Going Once, Going Twice …. Sold! eBay 传奇
- 详细资料
- 创建于 2006年10月03日
- 最后更新于 2023年12月18日
- 发布于 2011年11月23日
- 作者：Mike Lee
- 点击数：558
課文朗讀
課文中英文講解
On September 4, 1995, after laboring over a long weekend, 28-year-old Pierre Omidyar launched Auctionweb, a website that would revolutionize online commerce. Two years later, Pierre changed the company’s original name to eBay, after his ___1___ firm Echo Bay Technology Group. Since then, it has expanded to almost two dozen countries and has quickly grown ___2___ a worldwide icon for online auctions.
1995年9月4日，在辛苦工作一整个周末后，28岁的皮耶．欧米迪亚架设了颠覆在线交易模式的拍卖网站。两年后，皮耶以他的顾问公司Echo Bay Technology Group为名，将原本拍卖网站的名称改为eBay。从那时起，eBay已扩展至近24个国家，并迅速成为全球在线拍卖网站的象征。
The reason Pierre created the site was to see what would happen if everyone had equal access to trade venues. Pierre remembers ___3___ the buyer of the first item auctioned on eBay – a broken laser pointer. He wanted to ___4___ the buyer understood that the item was broken. When the man informed Pierre that he collected broken laser pointers, Pierre knew he was on to something big. It seemed there was no limit to ___5___ might be offered and actually sold on his website!
皮耶之所以创设这个网站，是想看看若每个人取得相等的交易平台，情况会是如何？皮耶忆起当初联系eBay首件拍卖物品──坏掉的雷射笔──的买家的情况。他想确保这位买家了解那是件故障品。当这位买主告知皮耶他收集故障雷射笔时，皮耶了解自己面对一个绝佳的成功机会。在eBay这个网站上，等待拍卖及实际卖出的东西似乎完全没有任何限制。
Today, eBay’s one-hundred-million plus users are free to bid on whatever they fancy. From diamonds to planes to oddities like Britney Spears’ chewed gum, nearly everything is just a ___6___ away. Even the town of Bridgeville California, with a population of 25, was sold. The $1.75-millon opening bid included three cows, eight houses, and a post office.
如今，一亿多名eBay使用者可任意竞标他们想要的物品。从钻石、飞机到如小甜甜布兰妮嚼过的口香糖等怪东西。几乎只要单击鼠标便可以得到任何东西。甚至加州 Bridgeville的25人小镇也被拍卖出去。其起标价175万美元包含三头牛、八栋房子及一间邮局。
What’s next for eBay? As a long-time philanthropist, Pierre would like to help people in less developed countries. Out of concern for them he has created the Omidyar Network, which will provide small loans to entrepreneurs in the developing world to help them start business. Most of these loans will ___7___ women. Pierre Omidyar may have big ideas, but he also has a big heart!
eBay的下一步会怎么走？身为一名资深慈善家，皮耶想帮助低度开发国家的人民。出于对他们的关心，他创立了「欧米迪亚网络」，供小额贷款给开发中国家的企业家们，协助其创业。大部分款项将借给妇女。皮耶．欧米迪亚不但具宏观思想，更富有大爱。
−by Matthew Wilson
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1. |
(A) consult |
(B) consulting |
(C) consultant |
(D) consulted |
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2. |
(A) with |
(B) through |
(C) from |
(D) into |
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3. |
(A) contact |
(B) contacted |
(C) contacting |
(D) to contact |
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4. |
(A) ensure |
(B) ensue |
(C) entitle |
(D) endanger |
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5. |
(A) that |
(B) which |
(C) what |
(D) how |
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6. |
(A) breath |
(B) moment |
(C) distance |
(D) click |
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7. |
(A) show off |
(B) go to |
(C) fall behind |
(D) call for |
Vocabulary
icon [ˋaɪkɑn] n. 图标; 象征
auction [ˋɔkʃən] n. 拍卖
bid [bɪd] v. 出价；投标
philanthropist [fɪˋlænθrəpɪst] n. 慈善家
entrepreneur [͵ɑntrəprəˋnɝ] n. 企业家；事业创办者
More Information
labor [ˋlebɚ] v. 艰苦地干活
revolutionize [͵rɛvəˋluʃən͵aɪz] v. 彻底改革
commerce [ˋkɑmɝs] n. 商业，贸易，交易
since then 从那时以来
worldwide [ˋwɝld͵waɪd] adj. 遍及全球的
venue [ˋvɛnju] n.（事件、行动等的）发生地
inform [ɪnˋfɔrm] v. 告知
on [ɑn] adj. 在进行的; 工作着的
fancy [ˋfænsɪ] v. 【口】喜爱，爱好；想要
oddity [ˋɑdətɪ] n. 奇特的东西
concern [kənˋsɝn] n. 关怀
loan [lon] n. 贷款
consult [kənˋsʌltɪŋ] adj. 承接咨询业务的
Answer
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1. ( B ) |
2. ( D ) |
3. ( C ) |
4. ( A ) |
5. ( C ) |
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6. ( D ) |
7. ( B ) |
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