乔布斯在苹果独领风骚之际隐退

    This is the VOA Special English Economics Report.
    这里是美国之音慢速英语经济报道。

    The chief executive who presented the latest, and coolest, electronics to the world has stepped down. Steve Jobs announced his resignation as head of Apple in a letter last week.
    为全球提供最新最酷电子产品的苹果CEO史蒂夫·乔布斯(Steve Jobs)已经离任,上周他在一份信件中宣布了辞去苹果负责人的消息。

    He wrote: "I have always said if there ever came a day when I could no longer meet my duties and expectations as Apple's CEO, I would be the first to let you know. Unfortunately, that day has come."
    他写道:“我一直都说,作为苹果首席执行官,如果有一天我不再能够胜任我的职责,也不再能够满足大众的期望,我会第一时间让你们知道。不幸的是,这一天已经来临。”

    Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak started Apple Computer in nineteen seventy-six. The company sold a new kind of electronic device: the personal computer. Apple Computer grew more quickly than anyone could have imagined.
    1976年,乔布斯和沃兹尼亚克(Steve Wozniak)创办了苹果电脑公司。该公司出售一种新型的电子设备:个人电脑。苹果电脑公司发展的速度超出了所有人的想象。

    In nineteen eighty-five, however, Steve Jobs resigned after disputes with managers who had been brought in to direct business operations. He soon started his own software company, NeXT, and bought a computer animation studio. The Pixar movie studio would go on to create movies like Toy Story and Finding Nemo. They are two of the most successful animated films ever made.
    然而,1985年,乔布斯在与公司引入的指导商业运营的经理人发生争议后辞职。他随即开办了自己的软件公司NeXT,并收购了Pixar电脑动画工作室。被收购后Pixar继续创作了《玩具总动员》和《海底总动员》 等影片。这两部影片也成为了动画片中最成功的作品之一。

    Apple struggled during the nineteen nineties. Many products failed. The company began losing money and its stock price sank. In nineteen ninety-seven, Apple bought NeXT and brought back Steve Jobs. Apple used software developed at NeXT to create the Mac OS computer operating system. The next year, Apple became profitable. And a series of highly successful products followed. In two thousand one, Apple released the iPod, a digital music player. The iPhone arrived in two thousand seven.
    90年代期间苹果陷入困境,许多产品宣告失败。公司开始亏损,股价下跌。1997年,苹果公司收购了NeXT公司重新请回了乔布斯,并使用NeXT公司开发的软件打造了Mac OS计算机操作系统。第两年苹果开始盈利,随之又出炉了一系列非常成功的产品。2001年,苹果发布了数码音乐播放器iPod。2007年,iPhone面世。

    Apple has also been a leader in online marketing. The iTunes Music Store sells songs for download. The App Store sells applications for computers and mobile devices.
    苹果同时还是网络市场领导者。iTunes音乐商店出售供用户下载的音乐。苹果应用程序商店出售供电脑和手机设备使用的程序。

    As Steve Jobs has noted, trial and error has always been part of the Apple model.
    就像乔布斯指出的,尝试和错误一直是苹果模式的一部分。(注:乔布斯曾说,不要怕犯错误,只要保证大部分决定是正确的。)

    STEVE JOBS: "We just try to build products we think are really wonderful and that people might want. And, sometimes we are right and sometimes we are wrong."
    乔布斯:“我们一直尽量打造我们认为非常精彩而用户也喜欢的产品。我们有时候是正确的,但有时也是错误的。”

    Steve Jobs is closely linked with the success of Apple. Investors were scared when he announced he had an operation for pancreatic cancer in two thousand four.
    乔布斯和苹果公司的成功紧密联系在一起。2004年,乔布斯宣布他接受胰腺癌手术的时候,投资者就吓了一跳。

    His decision to leave comes as Apple continues to release winning products. Apple sold over four and a half million iPads in the first three months of this year. The company holds the largest share of the growing tablet computer market.
    在苹果不断发布成功产品之际,乔布斯决定离开。今年一季度,苹果公司售出了超过450万台iPad。该公司在日益增长的平板电脑市场中占据最大分额。

    On August ninth, Apple first passed Exxon Mobil Corporation to become the most valuable publicly traded company in the world. Since then the two companies have traded the lead.
    8月9日,苹果公司首次超过埃克森美孚石油公司(Exxon Mobil)成为全球市值最大的公司。自那时候,两家公司市值一直交替领先。

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