口译时事：最新iPhone能否掀起神秘盖头

2013-04-18 00:00:00来源：可可英语

　　What can be said about Apple Inc.'s upcoming iPhones?

　　对苹果(Apple Inc.)即将问世的新iPhone有什么可以说说的？

　　What we do know is that the company's suppliers in Asia are working simultaneously on two models. One is a higher-end design with a metal shell, the other a lower-performance one with non-metal shells in multiple colors, which sounds reminiscent of the route it went with iPods.

　　我们确实知道的是，苹果在亚洲的供应商正在同时开发两种款型的iPhone手机。其中一款较为高端，有金属外壳；而另外一款功能较为简单的手机则没有金属外壳，不过这款手机有多种颜色可供选择。这种高低搭配使人不禁回想起苹果当年在iPod上用过的策略。

　　Launch dates haven't been finalized, but The Wall Street Journal reports it could be possibly summer for the upmarket phone, as people familiar with the situation say production will begin this quarter. The lower-cost one is being developed simultaneously but will likely come to the market later.

　　虽然新款iPhone的推出时间尚未最终确定，但据《华尔街日报》报道，其中的那款高档手机可能在今年夏天面市，因为据知情人士说，这款手机的生产工作将于本季度开始。而那款成本较低的手机也正在开发之中，但面市的时间预计会晚一些。

　　Rumors of a larger-sized iPhone seem unfounded for now, despite ripples that Apple might cave into the trend for big screens (and despite fears that the phones may stretch forever more .) This is not just because of Apple's philosophy that a smartphone should be small enough to control with one hand, but due to economics, too. One person with direct knowledge of the projects explains that the company gains advantages of scale by sticking with the 4-inch screen size of the current iteration, so it has no plans to change phone dimensions this year.

　　尽管据传苹果可能会屈从于大屏幕手机受到消费者欢迎的市场潮流(虽然已经有人担心手机的屏幕可能会变得越来越大)，但到目前为止，有关苹果将推出屏幕较大iPhone的传言似乎还无法得到证实。苹果不推出大屏幕手机不仅是因为它一向秉承智能手机应该小到单手能自如操控的理念，还有经济方面的考虑。一位直接了解iPhone项目的人士解释说，苹果坚持让其手机屏幕保持目前这种4英寸大小获得了规模效益，所以它今年没有改变手机尺寸的计划。

　　One question that remains is how Apple will present the lower-cost iPhone to consumers. While surely aimed at attracting a non-elite clientele, it's unclear whether this is a play to attract straying users in its traditional turf, or to target the vast market of first-time smartphone users in developing economies. Either way, Apple has a balancing act of making its products more affordable, while keeping that exclusive luster that draws consumers to the brand in the first place.

　　一个依然没有答案的问题是，苹果将如何向消费者介绍那款成本较低的新iPhone。虽然这款手机肯定旨在吸引那些非精英阶层消费者，但人们不清楚的是，苹果推出这种新手机究竟是要吸引其传统客户群里那些喜欢不断更新手机的人，还是将目标对准了发展中国家首次购买智能手机的庞大人群。无论怎样，苹果都需要在以下两个方面之间掌握好平衡：它一方面要让消费者能负担得起自己的产品，另一方面又要保持住苹果产品的独特光彩，毕竟消费者首先正是因为这种光彩才喜欢上苹果品牌的。

　　参加口译考试的同学们在平时要积累大量素材，尤其是像上文这样的双语时事内容。帮助同学们练习。

本文关键字: 大屏幕手机