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Piracy on the PCs 对等联网，「盗」高一丈？

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繁體中文譯本

A Cutthroat Business

The internet may be yet to live up to the expectations of the legitimate business that have invested billions in its infrastructure, but, for software pirates around the world, it has already far exceeded their wildest dreams.

对已投下巨资于网络基础架构的合法业者而言，因特网可能尚未符合预期，但是，对全世界的软件盗版业者而言，因特网已经远远超乎他们最癫狂的梦想了。

Of the eleven different forms of internet piracy identified by the Business Software Alliance, peer-to-peer technology, or P2P, is currently recognized as the greatest threat. P2P allows thousands of computers to share files directly, without going through a central server—and without paying a fee to copyright holders.

在十一种已由商业软件联盟确认的网络侵权方式中，对等联网（P2P）目前被视为最大的威胁。对等联网可供数千台计算机直接共享档案，不必透过中心服务器──所以也不用付半毛钱给版权所有人。

The erstwhile music file-sharing giant, Napster, employed an early version of P2P technology but differed from true P2P systems because it operated via a central server. Ultimately, this was Napster’s undoing because a centralized network allows the music industry to target the company that owns it. Various music labels sued Napster and the file-sharing company was forced to walk the plank. Numerous decentralized systems, however, have since sprung to take its place.

先前的音乐文件共享巨人Napster即采用对等联网科技的早期版本，但由于它是透过中央服务器运作，因此与真正的对等联网系统有别。这点最后导致Napster的凋零，因为中央化的网络让乐界得以锁定其所属的公司。各家音乐品牌纷纷控告Napster，迫使这家档案共享公司走上绝路。然而，许多「非集中管制」的系统从此萌芽茁壮。

P2P technology can be used to trade any files, from pictures to complete software programs, but the two groups who seem to be most affected are the movie and music industries; both are considering seemingly desperate measures to combat the menace of internet piracy.

对等联网科技可以用来交换任何档案，从图文件到完整的软件程序，但受其影响最巨的两大集团是电影界和音乐界。两者皆正思考着足以对抗网络侵权威胁的非常手段。

Vocabulary

单词发音

piracy [ˋpaɪrəsɪ] n. 剽窃；著作权侵害；盗印

live up to 符合〔标准〕; 履行〔诺言〕

pirate [ˋpaɪrət] n. 剽窃者；侵犯版权者

exceed [ɪkˋsid] v. 超过；胜过[（+in）]

identify [aɪˋdɛntə͵faɪ] v. 确认；识别

alliance [əˋlaɪəns] n. 结盟；联盟

erstwhile [ˋɝst͵hwaɪl] adj. 从前的; 过去的〔指不久以前〕

undoing [ʌnˋduɪŋ] n. 毁灭；垮台

label [ˋleb!] n. 唱片公司

sue [su] v. 控告，对……提起诉讼

walk the plank  被迫辞职；被迫做有损于自己的事; 被海盗逼着走上木板掉海淹死  to be forced to leave your job

plank [plæŋk] n.（厚）木板

decentralize [diˋsɛntrəl͵aɪz] v. 分散﹐下放〔权力〕

spring [sprɪŋ] v. 突然活跃起来; 突然出现

seemingly [ˋsimɪŋlɪ] adv. 看上去﹐ 表面上

desperate [ˋdɛspərɪt] adj. 极端的；险恶的

menace [ˋmɛnɪs] n. 威胁，恐吓

Sentence of the Day

They have no right.

他们没有权利。

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Crossing Swords

The record companies and movie studios are approaching the problem of piracy from a variety of angles, including attempting to persuade manufacturers to build antipiracy safeguards into players and recorders. The focus of their attack, however, is on P2P systems; according to Fritz Attaway of the Motion Picture Association of America, the aim is to make unauthorized file sharing “sufficiently inconvenient or …unsuccessful.”

唱片公司和电影制片厂由种种角度致力于此侵权问题，包括企图说服厂商在播放和录音器材中内建反盗版的保护装置。然而，他们攻击的焦点则是对等联网系统；据美国动画协会的费瑞兹．艾泰伟表示，目的是要让未经授权的档案共享行为「很不方便或……无法成功。」

To do so, copyright holders are looking to technology companies such as Intel, Microsoft, and Dell for help. These companies express a certain amount of sympathy over piracy but warm that they are not about to do anything to undermine file-swapping technology. In a letter addressed to the heads of various Hollywood studios, technology executives wrote that “any solution to the problem of piracy must not compromise the innovation… [P2P technology] has to offer.”

为此，版权所有人正寻求如英特尔、微软和戴尔等科技公司的协助。这些公司对侵害知识产权一事表达相当程度的同情，但表示他们将不会采取任何行动来毁损档案交换的科技。在一封致好莱坞片场各大老板的信中，科技主管们写道，「任何解决侵权问题的方式一定不可连累……〔对等联网科技〕所贡献的新发明。」

The studios and recording companies are now threatening tactics such as bottlenecking major file sharers’ internet connections with barrages of false requests—an illegal move that could backfire. Such saber rattling won’t take the wind out of P2P’s sails, however, and until the companies can find a legitimate way to scupper them, the Internet pirates will continue to ply the information channels with their plundered booty.

这些制片厂和唱片公司威胁要使用一些策略，诸如以一连串的假需求来堵塞主要档案共享的网络联机──此非法行动有可能会招致反效果。尽管如此，这样的武力恫吓是无法抢得上风，让对等联网扬不起帆的；而且，这群网络海盗们势将继续往返信息海峡，坐拥掠夺来的战利品，直到这些公司找出合法的方式来击沉他们为止。

－by Michael Costello

Vocabulary

单词发音

approach [əˋprotʃ] v. 着手处理，开始对付

persuade [pɚˋswed] v. 说服，劝服

safeguard [ˋsef͵gɑrd] n. 保护；防卫；预防措施；保证条款

unauthorized [͵ʌnˋɔθə͵raɪzd] adj. 未经授权[批准]的

look to someone or something:  依靠[指望]（某人或某事）to expect someone or something to supply something

sympathy [ˋsɪmpəθɪ] n. 同情，同情心

undermine [͵ʌndɚˋmaɪn] v. 暗中破坏；逐渐损害

address [əˋdrɛs] v. （给……）写（信）[（+to）]

compromise [ˋkɑmprə͵maɪz] v. 连累，危及

tactic [ˋtæktɪk] n. 手法; 策略

bottleneck [ˋbɑt!͵nɛk] v. 阻碍; 阻塞

barrage [bəˋrɑʒ] n. 齐射式攻击；猛烈的攻击

backfire [ˋbækˋfaɪr] v. 产生和预期情况完全相反的结果；事与愿违；适得其反

saber rattling  炫耀武力，武力恫吓

saber [ˋsebɚ] v. 用马刀砍（或杀）

rattling [ˋrætlɪŋ] adj. 发嘎嘎声的

take the wind out of someone’s sails  抢先占某人上风; 使狼狈, 挫败…

legitimate [lɪˋdʒɪtəmɪt] adj. 合法的

scupper [ˋskʌpɚ] v.【非正式】破坏〔计划﹑机会等〕

ply [plaɪ] v. 定期往返于; 不断使用；不断给；不断问；不断做

plunder [ˋplʌndɚ] v.〔尤指以暴力〕窃取; 侵占; 掠夺﹐抢劫

booty [ˋbutɪ] n.【尤文】赃物; 战利品

Sentence of the Day

They are all at sea.

他们茫然不知所措。

at sea  不知所措, 茫然, 胡涂