巨型在线零售商亚马逊垄断力量

2014-10-28 17:49:01来源：网络

　　So can we trust Amazon not to abuse that power? The Hachette dispute has settled thatquestion: no, we can’t.

　　那么，我们能信任亚马逊不会滥用这种影响力吗?阿歇特出版社的纠纷已经解答了这个问题：不，我们不能。

　　It’s not just about the money, although that’s important: By putting the squeeze onpublishers, Amazon is ultimately hurting authors and readers. But there’s also the question ofundue influence.

　　并不只是钱的问题，尽管钱是一个重要的问题：通过挤压出版商，亚马逊最终会伤害作者和读者，但还有影响力过度的问题。

　　Specifically, the penalty Amazon is imposing on Hachette books is bad in itself, but there’salso a curious selectivity in the way that penalty has been applied. Last month the Times’sBits blog documented the case of two Hachette books receiving very different treatment. Oneis Daniel Schulman’s “Sons of Wichita,” a profile of the Koch brothers; the other is “The WayForward,” by Paul Ryan, who was Mitt Romney’s running mate and is chairman of the HouseBudget Committee. Both are listed as eligible for Amazon Prime, and for Mr. Ryan’s bookAmazon offers the usual free two-day delivery. What about “Sons of Wichita”? As of Sunday, it“usually ships in 2 to 3 weeks.” Uh-huh.

　　可以明确地说，亚马逊对阿歇特图书施加的惩罚本身就很恶劣，然而执行这种惩罚的方式却有一种有趣的选择性。上个月，《纽约时报》的Bits博客记录了两本阿歇特的书受到不同对待的情形。一本是丹尼尔·舒曼(Daniel Schulman)的《威奇托之子》(Sons of Wichita)，书中讲述了科赫(Koch)兄弟的故事;另一本是保罗·瑞安(Paul Ryan)撰写的《前进之路》(The Way Forward)，瑞安是米特·罗姆尼(Mitt Romney)竞选总统时的搭档，也是众议院预算委员会(House Budget Committee)主席。亚马逊表示，两本书都享受亚马逊Prime服务，瑞安的书可以享受通常的免费两日配送。《威奇托之子》呢?周日时显示“通常需要2至3周送达”。呵呵。

　　Which brings us back to the key question. Don’t tell me that Amazon is giving consumers whatthey want, or that it has earned its position. What matters is whether it has too much power,and is abusing that power. Well, it does, and it is.

　　于是这又把我们带回了关键的问题。别告诉我亚马逊为消费者提供了他们想要的，也别说什么它现在的地位是辛苦赚来的。重点在于，它的力量是不是太强了，它有没有在滥用这种力量。这两个问题的答案都是肯定的。

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