Words.phrases and ?translation

AMAZON is an extraordinary company. The former bookseller accounts for more than half of every new dollar spent online in America. It is the world’s leading provider of cloud computing. This year Amazon will probably spend twice as much on television as HBO, a cable channel. Its own-brand physical products[實體產(chǎn)品] include batteries, almonds, suits and speakers linked to a virtual voice-activated assistant that can control, among other things, your lamps and sprinkler.

account for

? ? 1.（數(shù)量或比例上）占 *Computers account for 5% of the country's commercial electricity consumption. 計算機占去該國商業(yè)用電的5%。

? ? ? 2.導(dǎo)致；解釋 *Now, the gene they discovered today doesn't account for all those cases. 不過，他們現(xiàn)在發(fā)現(xiàn)的基因無法解釋所有的病例。

? ? ? 3.為…提出理由；對…作出說明 *How do you account for the company's alarmingly high staff turnover?... 你怎么解釋這家公司高得令人憂慮的人員流動率？

? ? ? 4.對（行動、政策等）負有責任 *The President and the President alone must account for his government's reforms. 總統(tǒng)必須為他的政府改革負責，而且是負全責。

? ? ?5.將（錢款）列入預(yù)算 *The really heavy redundancy costs have been accounted for. 非常龐大的裁員開支已被列入預(yù)算。

? ? ?6.殺死；消滅；打敗 *In the first ten days of May our squadron accounted for at least seven enemy aircraft... 5月的頭10天里我們中隊至少報銷了7架敵機。

leading provider 頂尖供應(yīng)商

almond n.1.杏仁 2.扁桃樹

voice-activated adj.聲控的

sprinkler n.（澆花草的）灑水器；噴水滅火裝置

亞馬遜是一家不同尋常的公司。美國在線消費每增加一美元，就有一多半給了這家曾經(jīng)的圖書銷售公司。它是世界領(lǐng)先的云計算供應(yīng)商。今年亞馬遜在電視上的花費可能會是有線電視頻道HBO的兩倍。公司自有品牌的實體產(chǎn)品包括電池、杏仁、西裝以及音箱。這種音箱與虛擬語音助手相連接，可以控制你的臺燈、灑水器等裝置。

Yet Amazon’s shareholders are working on the premise that it is just getting started. Since the beginning of 2015 its share price has jumped by 173%, seven times quicker than in the two previous years (and 12 times faster than the S&P 500 index). With a market capitalisation of some $400bn, it is the fifth- most-valuable firm in the world. Never before has a company been worth so much for so long while making so little money: 92% of its value is due to profits expected after 2020.

句式： on the premise that 以…為前提；基于...前提；假定...

premise n. A premise is something that you suppose is true and that you use as a basis for developing an idea.前提；假定

premises n.（企業(yè)或機構(gòu)使用的）房屋及土地；經(jīng)營場所；辦公場所 *business/commercial/industrial premises 經(jīng)營場所；工業(yè)用房屋場地

jump vi.突升；猛漲；激增=leap jump by；jump(from…) (to…)

a market capitalisation 市值

capitalize v.

1.用大寫字母書寫（或印刷）；把...首字母大寫

2.~sth 變賣資產(chǎn)；變現(xiàn) *Our intention is to capitalize the company by any means we can... 我們的意圖是想方設(shè)法出售這個公司以獲取獎金。

3.~sth 為...提供運營資本（或資金）

capitalize on/upon sth ?If you capitalize on a situation, you use it to gain some advantage for yourself. 利用

復(fù)習：“充分利用”的多樣表達

put sth to good use 有效使用/利用 *She’ll be able to put her languages to good use in her new job.她在新工作中應(yīng)該可以好好運動她會的各種語言。

make use of sth/sb 使用；利用（以謀私利）

take (full) advantage of sb/sth 1.（充分）利用/享用 2.欺騙；占...便宜

make the most of sth/sb/oneself 充分利用；盡情享受 *It’s my first trip abroad so I’m going to make the most of it.這是我第一次出國，我要充分利用這個機會。

some adv.大約，差不多（用于數(shù)詞前，意同approximately）[復(fù)習]

句式：Never before has ?以前從沒有...

never這一否定詞位于句首，引起部分倒裝，適用于此用法的否定詞還有seldom, hardly, little, few等

不過亞馬遜的股東們對其估值的假設(shè)是這家公司才剛剛起步。自2015年初至今，它的股票價格已經(jīng)上漲了173%，比之前兩年快了7倍（比標準普爾500指數(shù)快了12倍）。它的市值約4000億美元，位列全球第五。以前從來沒有哪家公司能維持這么高的市值這么久卻只賺很少的錢：它的市值有92%來自于2020年以后的預(yù)期盈利。

That is because investors anticipate both an extraordinary rise in revenue, from sales of $136bn last year to half a trillion[萬億] over the next decade, and a jump in profits. The hopes invested in it imply that[意味著] it will probably become more profitable than any other firm in America. Ground for scepticism does not come much more fertile than this: Amazon will have to grow faster than almost any big company in modern history to justify its valuation. Can it possibly do so?

anticipate v.

? ? ? 1.期望；期盼 ~(doing) sth|~(sth doing) sth

? ? ? 2.預(yù)料 *as anticipated 正如所料 *I didn't anticipate him doing that 我沒料到他會那樣做。

? ? ? 3.預(yù)見…并作準備 *She anticipates all her mother's needs.她能預(yù)知并滿足母親的所有需求。

4.是…的先驅(qū)；早于…做（或想、說）；先于…行動 *These early sketches anticipate her later work 這些早期的素描是她后來作品的鋪墊。

invest v.invest sth (in sth)|invest sth (in) doing sth 投入（時間、精力等） [熟詞僻義]

長難句分析：

The hopes (invested in it) ?imply that it will probably become more profitable than any other firm in America.

主語The hopes，謂語imply，賓語that 引導(dǎo)的賓語從句，invested in it 主語的后置定語

ground n.ground for sth/for doing sth 充分的理由；根據(jù) *The court overturned that decision on the grounds that the Prosecution had withheld crucial evidence... 法庭以檢控方拒絕出示關(guān)鍵證據(jù)為由撤銷了那項判決。

fertile ground 肥沃的土地，這里的ground一詞多義，也作“根據(jù)”講，這里指“支持懷疑的”充分理由、豐富根據(jù)

come ?v.to become 成為；變成；變得 come+adj.；come to do sth

justify v.

1.證明（決定、行為或想法）正當；表明…必要 *No argument can justify a war... 任何理由都不能為戰(zhàn)爭開脫。justify (sb/sth) doing sth；justify sth

2.~sth/oneself (to sb)|~ (sb/sth) doing sth 對...作出解釋；為…辯解（或辯護）*You don’t need to justify yourself to me.你不必向我解釋你的理由。

3.調(diào)整使全行排滿；使每行排齊；使齊行

這是因為投資人既盼望其收入猛增，銷售額能從去年的1360億美元漲至十年后的5000億美元，也期待著利潤飆升。寄托在它身上的希望暗示著亞馬遜可能會變得比美國任何一家公司都更賺錢。對這些期盼的懷疑最有力的依據(jù)是：為了證明它的市值合理，亞馬遜的增長將必須快過現(xiàn)代歷史上幾乎所有的大公司。它能做到嗎？

It is easy to tick off some of the pitfalls. Rivals will not stand still. Microsoft has cloud-computing[n.(U)云計算] ambitions; Walmart[沃爾瑪] already has revenues nudging $500bn and is beefing up online. If anything happened to Jeff Bezos, Amazon’s founder and boss, the gap would be exceptionally hard to fill. But the striking thing about the company is how much of a chance it has of achieving such unprecedented goals (see pages 17-19).

tick off

? ? ?1.在…上打鉤 *He ticked off my name on a piece of paper... 他在一張紙上我的名字旁打了鉤。 （美國英語通常用 check off）

? ? ? 2.怒斥；責罵 *Abdel felt free to tick him off for smoking too much... 阿卜杜勒動輒責罵他抽煙太兇。

? ? ?3.惹惱；激怒 *I just think it's rude and it's ticking me off...我就是覺得這樣太粗魯，叫我很生氣。

pitfall n.危險；困難；（尤指）陷阱，隱患 *the potential pitfalls of buying a house 購買房屋可能遇到的全套。

stand still 停滯

standstill n.[singular]停止；停滯；停頓=halt *The security alert brought the airport to a standstill.安全警戒使機場陷入停滯狀態(tài)。

rival

? ? ? n.競爭對手 rival to (sb/sth) (for sth) *Our airline is now a serious rival to many of the bigger companies. 我們航空公司現(xiàn)在是許多大公司的強勁對手。 *This latest design has no rivals.這種最新款式獨領(lǐng)風騷。

? ? ? ?v.能與…媲美；與…匹敵；與…不分高低 [經(jīng)濟學人3.11.Oh,Snap] Only John Collison of Stripe, an online payments startup, rivals him for such youthful tycoonery.

nudge v.

? ? ? 1.（使）接近，達到 *...a little-known stage play writer and actress who was nudging 40 and going nowhere... 一個年近四旬、一事無成、寂寂無聞的舞臺劇作者兼演員

? ? ? ?2.輕推，輕碰(以引起注意) *'Stop it,' he said, and nudged the boy lightly with his knee. “別這么干了，”他用膝蓋輕輕碰了碰那個男孩說道。

? ? ? ?3.輕輕地推動（或推向）*The civil servant nudged him forward. 那個文職人員向前推了他一把。

? ? ? ?4.勸說；鼓動 [經(jīng)濟學人2.4.Upstarts on top]Today the firm’s phones are sold at some 200,000 retail outlets across the mainland, which gives its salesmen the chance to coddle customers and nudge them to buy pricier phones.

beef sth<->up 使...更大/更好/更有意思等

exceptionally adv.罕見，特別，非常 2.只有在特殊情況下；例外地

striking

1.引人注目的；異乎尋常的；顯著的 Something that is striking is very noticeable or unusual.*In striking contrast to their brothers, the girls were both intelligent and charming.姑娘們既聰明伶俐。又嫵媚動人。跟她們的兄弟形成鮮明的對照。

2.嫵媚動人的；標致的；俊秀的 Someone who is striking is very attractive, in a noticeable way. *She was a striking woman with long blonde hair. 她是個留著金色長發(fā)的俏女郎。

unprecedented adj.前所未有的；空前的；沒有先例的

precedent n.

1.傳統(tǒng)；常規(guī)；常例=tradition *to break with precedent 打破常規(guī)

2.[C,U]實例；范例 *The trial could set an important precedent for dealing with large numbers of similar cases... 這次審判能為處理大量類似案例開創(chuàng)重要的先例。

3.先例；前例 *historical precedents 歷史前例 *Such protests are without precedent in recent history.這類抗議事件在近代史上沒有發(fā)生過。

chance(s) of sth doing sth ...的可能性

長難句分析：

But the striking thing about the company is how much of a chance it has of achieving such unprecedented goals.

主語 the striking thing 連系動詞 is 表語從句how much of a chance it has of achieving such unprecedented goals

表語從句中，it has 是 a chance 定語從句，先行詞a chance在定語從句中做賓語，省略了關(guān)系代詞which，還原為a chance which it has。

要列出幾個隱患來非常容易。對手不會坐以待斃。微軟在云計算上野心勃勃；沃爾瑪?shù)臓I收已經(jīng)逼近5000億美元，并且正在加強在線業(yè)務(wù)。如果亞馬遜的創(chuàng)始人和老板杰夫·貝索斯（Jeff Bezos）遇到什么不測，要填補這一空缺將格外困難。然而這家公司引人注目的一點就是它有多大可能達成這些前所未有的目標。

A new sort of basket-case

This is largely due to the firm’s unusual approach to two dimensions of corporate life. The first of these is time. In an era when executives routinely whinge about pressure to produce short-term results, Amazon is resolutely focused on the distant horizon. Mr Bezos emphasises continual investment to propel its two principal businesses, e-commerce and Amazon Web Services (AWS), its cloud-computing arm.

basket-case n.1.經(jīng)濟狀況極差的國家/機構(gòu) 2.精神失常的人；無適應(yīng)能力的人

句式：This is largely due to...

句式：In an era when …

whinge about sb/sth to complain in an annoying way 絮絮叨叨地抱怨

resolutely adv.堅決地；果斷地；堅定地

principal adj.最重要的；最主要的 n.大學校長；學院院長 2.本金；資本 3.主要演員；主角 4.（尤指商務(wù)或法律事務(wù)的）當事人，委托人

arm n.~(of sth)分部；職能部門 *the research arm of the company 公司的科研部門 [熟詞僻義]

這主要是因為該公司對企業(yè)生命的兩大方面有著非同尋常的態(tài)度。其一是時間。在這個時代，高管們一貫都會抱怨要創(chuàng)造短期業(yè)績的壓力太大，而亞馬遜卻毅然著眼于長遠的未來。貝索斯重視持續(xù)投資以推動其兩大主要業(yè)務(wù)——電子商務(wù)和它的云計算部門Amazon Web Services（AWS）。

In e-commerce, the more shoppers Amazon lures, the more retailers and manufacturers want to sell their goods on Amazon. That gives Amazon more cash for new services—such as two-hour shipping and streaming video and music—which entice more shoppers. Similarly, the more customers use AWS, the more Amazon can invest in new services, which attract more customers. A third virtuous circle is starting to whirl around Alexa, the firm’s voice-activated assistant: as developers build services for Alexa, it becomes more useful to consumers, giving developers reason to create yet more services.

lure v.引誘；勸誘=entice ~sb +adv./prep. *Young people are lured to the city by the prospect of a job and money.年輕人希望打工賺錢，從而被吸引到城市。

entice v.誘使；引誘=persuade ?~sb/sth +adv./prep.；~sb into doing sth；~sb to do sth

這一段中分別用了lure, entice,attract三個詞來表示“吸引”，可見母語者用詞的豐富多樣。

similarly adv.1.同樣地；也 2.相似地；類似地；差不多的 [寫作]

virtuous adj.

1.有德行的；道德高尚的；正直的 A virtuous person behaves in a moral and correct way. ?*Louis was shown as an intelligent, courageous and virtuous family man. 路易斯在人們眼里是一個智慧、勇敢、品德高尚的顧家男人。

2.自命不凡的；自鳴得意的 If you describe someone as virtuous, you mean that they have done what they ought to do and feel very pleased with themselves, perhaps too pleased. ?*I cleaned the flat, which left me feeling virtuous.我打掃了整個公寓，這讓我覺得自己很了不起。

whirl

v. 1.（使）回旋；（使）旋轉(zhuǎn)=spin ~sb/sth (+adv./prep.) ?2.（頭腦、思想等）混亂不清，激動，恍惚=reel *So many thoughts whirled around in her mind.她思緒萬千，腦子里亂作一團。

n.1.旋轉(zhuǎn)；回旋；急轉(zhuǎn) *Her mind is in a whirl.她腦子亂糟糟的。 *a whirl of dust 塵土飛揚 2.接連不斷的活動；紛至沓來的事件 *In half an hour's whirl of activity she does it all... 經(jīng)過半個小時的忙碌，她全都做完了。 *Your life is such a social whirl. 你總是在不停地參加社交活動。

yet

1.yet another/more | yet again （強調(diào)次數(shù)或數(shù)量的增加）*Prices were cut yet again. 價格再一次降低。*She made yet another excuse. 她又找了個借口。 *yet another diet book又一本關(guān)于節(jié)食的書* snow, snow, and yet more snow雪啊雪，沒完沒了的雪

2.could, might, may, etc. do sth ~ （表示將來可能發(fā)生，盡管現(xiàn)在似乎沒有可能）早晚，總有一天 *We may win yet. 我們遲早會贏的。* She could yet surprise us all. 總有一天，她會讓我們都大吃一驚。 [經(jīng)濟學人3.18.On the rise] ?Populists deserve no credit for the upsurge.But they could yet snuff it out. 民粹主義者對于經(jīng)濟上漲毫無功勞可言，反而可能會扼殺這一切。

3.（用于否定句和疑問句，談?wù)撋形窗l(fā)生但可能發(fā)生的事）*We have yet to decide what action to take. 我們尚未決定采取何種行動。[經(jīng)濟學人3.18.On the rise] And in America, surging business confidence has yet to translate into surging investment.而在美國國內(nèi)，洶涌而來的商業(yè)信心尚未轉(zhuǎn)化為澎湃的投資。

4.（用于否定句）現(xiàn)在；即刻；馬上 *Don't go yet. 先別走。*We don't need to start yet. 我們不必馬上開始。

5.從現(xiàn)在起直至某一時間；還 *He'll be busy for ages yet. 他還要忙很長一段時間。*They won't arrive for at least two hours yet.他們至少要過兩個小時才能到。

6.the best, longest, etc. sth ~ (done) 迄今為止，到當時為止（最好或最長等的）*the most comprehensive study yet of his music 迄今為止對他的音樂最為全面的研究 *It was the highest building yet constructed. 這是到當時為止所建的最高的建筑物。

7.~ worse, more importantly, etc. （強調(diào)程度的增加）更 = even , still *a recent and yet more improbable theory 一個新近提出的但更加不切實際的理論

as yet 直到現(xiàn)在；直至過去某時 *an as yet unpublished report一篇尚未發(fā)表的報告 *As yet little was known of the causes of the disease. 當時人們對這種疾病的起因幾乎一無所知。

yet這一類高頻常見小詞非常重要，很可能被大家囫圇吞棗地，似懂非懂地一筆帶過，其實這些最常見的小詞往往蘊涵千秋。一不留神就會誤讀整個句子，甚至理解成完全相反的意義，定要深入學習，才能見微知著、舉一反三。

在電子商務(wù)方面，亞馬遜吸引的顧客越多，就會有越多的零售商和制造商想在亞馬遜上銷售它們的產(chǎn)品。這給了亞馬遜更多的現(xiàn)金去提供新服務(wù)，例如兩小時送達以及流媒體視頻和音樂，而這又吸引了更多顧客。與此類似，越多客戶使用AWS，亞馬遜就能在新服務(wù)上投入越多，進而吸引更多客戶。第三個良性循環(huán)則是圍繞該公司的語音助手Alexa展開：有了開發(fā)者為Alexa設(shè)計服務(wù)，它對消費者來說就越來越有用，開發(fā)者繼而就有理由去創(chuàng)造更多的服務(wù)。

So long as shareholders retain their faith in this model, Amazon’s heady valuation resembles a self-fulfilling prophecy.The company will be able to keep spending , and its spending will keep making it more powerful. Their faith is sustained by Amazon’s record. It has had its failures—its attempt to make a smartphone was a debacle. But the business is starting to crank out cash. Last year cashflow (before investment) was $16bn, more than quadruple the level five years ago.

so/as long as

? ? ? ?1.only if 只要 *We'll go as long as the weather is good. 只要天氣好我們就去。

? ? ? ?2.since; to the extent that 既然；由于；就…來說 *So long as there is a demand for these drugs, the financial incentive for drug dealers will be there. 只要對這些毒品有需求，就存在著對販毒者的經(jīng)濟誘因。

retain v.

? ? ?1.保持；持有；保留；繼續(xù)擁有=preserve [經(jīng)濟學人1.7.中國專欄 Selection year]The more he breaks with precedent, the longer he will retain power—but the more personalised and therefore more unstable the political system itself may become.

? ? ? 2.保持；繼續(xù)容納 *a soil that retains moisture

? ? ? 3.聘請（律師等）*a retaining fee *retain the services of a lawyer

heady ?adj.（飲料）易使人醉的；（氣氛、經(jīng)歷等）令人興奮的

self-fulfilling adj. （預(yù)言等）自我應(yīng)驗的，自我實現(xiàn)的 *If you expect to fail, you will fail. It's a self-fulfilling prophecy. 你如果預(yù)期失敗，就會失敗。這是一種自我應(yīng)驗的預(yù)測。

prophecy n.[C] 1.預(yù)言*to fulfil a prophecy 實現(xiàn)預(yù)言 2.[U]預(yù)言能力 *She was believed to have the gift of prophecy. 據(jù)信她有預(yù)言的天賦。

a self-fulfilling prophecy ?自我實現(xiàn)預(yù)言，即信念能夠?qū)蜃晕覍崿F(xiàn)，由社會學家羅伯特·默頓（Robert Merton）提出。默頓指出，如果人們相信銀行即將倒閉，紛紛排隊去提款，他們錯誤的直覺便可以創(chuàng)造出事實。如果人們相信股票會上漲，那么它們可能真的會上漲。

教師的期望也會變成自我實現(xiàn)預(yù)言

sustain v. ?[一詞多義]

? ? ? 1.~ sth 支撐；承受住=bear *The ice will not sustain your weight. 這冰承受不了你的體重。

? ? ? ?2.~ sb/sth 維持（生命、生存）

? ? ? ?*Which planets can sustain life? 哪些行星可以維持生命的存在？

? ? ? ?*The love and support of his family sustained him during his time in prison.家人的關(guān)愛和支持幫助他度過了獄中的歲月。

? ? ? ?3.~ sth 使保持；使穩(wěn)定持續(xù) =maintain

? ? ? *a period of sustained economic growth 經(jīng)濟持續(xù)增長的時期

? ? ? *a sustained attack 持續(xù)的攻擊

? ? ? ?4.~ sth 遭受；蒙受；經(jīng)受 = suffer

? ? ? *to sustain damage/an injury/a defeat 遭受損失；受傷；遭到失敗

? ? ? *The company sustained losses of millions of dollars. 公司遭受了數(shù)百萬元計的巨大損失。

? ? ? ?5.~ sth 證明；證實 = uphold

? ? ? ?*The evidence is not detailed enough to sustain his argument. 這一證據(jù)過于籠統(tǒng)，不足以證明他的論點。

? ? ? ? 6.~ sth （法律）認可；確認；準許；支持 = uphold

? ? ? ? *The court sustained his claim that the contract was illegal. 法庭支持他的主張，認定該合同不合法。

? ? ? ? *Objection sustained! 反對有效！

debacle n.[C]徹底的失敗；慘敗；垮臺；災(zāi)禍*After the debacle of the war the world was never the same again... 經(jīng)歷了這場戰(zhàn)爭的慘敗之后，世界再也不是原來的那個樣子了。 *The convention was a debacle. 這次大會開得非常失敗。

crank out 快速大量地制造；（尤指）粗制濫造=turn out ?[經(jīng)濟學人2.4.smartphones in China] DONGGUAN, a southerly Chinese city near Hong Kong, is better known for cranking out cheap trinkets than for producing high-end equipment of any kind.

crank sth<->up 1.使機器運轉(zhuǎn)；使...提高效率 2.（把音樂等的音量）開大，調(diào)高=turn up *Crank up the volume.把音量放大些！

“粗制濫造”的多樣表達：

churn sth <->out （粗制濫造地）大量生產(chǎn)，大量炮制

crank sth<->out 快速大量地制造；（尤指）粗制濫造=turn out

grind sth<->out 大量生產(chǎn)（常指粗制濫造）*She grinds out romantic novels at the rate of five a year.

pump sth <-> out 大量生產(chǎn)（或制造） *Our cars pump out thousands of tonnes of poisonous fumes every year.我們的汽車每年排放出數(shù)千噸的有毒尾氣。

只要股東們對這一模式保持信心，亞馬遜令人興奮的估值就會像一個自我應(yīng)驗的預(yù)言。公司將可以一直花錢，而它的支出也會不斷讓它變得更強大。支撐股東信心的是亞馬遜的業(yè)績。它曾經(jīng)失敗過，制造智能手機的嘗試便是個災(zāi)難。但是公司正開始大量產(chǎn)生現(xiàn)金。去年的現(xiàn)金流（投資前）為160億美元，比五年前的四倍還多。

If Amazon’s approach to time-frames is unusual, so too is the sheer breadth of its activities. The company’s list of current and possible competitors, as described in its annual filings, includes logistics firms, search engines, social networks, food manufacturers and producers of “physical, digital and interactive media of all types”. A wingspan this large is more reminiscent of a conglomerate than a retailer, which makes Amazon’s share price seem even more bloated: stockmarkets typically apply a “conglomerate discount” to reflect their inefficiencies.

time-frame n.時間范圍；時間段；時間框架 *Discussions at the UN could include a time frame for action. 聯(lián)合國進行的討論可能包括采取行動的時間安排。

sheer adj.（用來強調(diào)事物的大小、程度或數(shù)量）[經(jīng)濟學人1.14.The return of the MOOC]The sheer numbers of people flocking to some of the initial courses seemed to suggest that an entirely new model of open-access, free university education was within reach. ?[復(fù)習]

breadth [U,C] 1.廣度；廣泛性 *Older people have a tremendous breadth of experience... 年長者閱歷相當豐富。2.寬度 *The breadth of the whole camp was 400 paces. 整個營地的寬度為400步。

the length and breadth of ...到處；處處；各地 *The group built their reputation by playing across the length and breadth of North America... 這個樂隊通過到北美各地演出打響了知名度。 *She has travelled the length and breadth of Britain. 她游歷了英國各地。

filing n.[C] 1.（法庭）訟案；檔案；存檔 2.（尤指金屬的）銼屑，切末 ?*iron filings 鐵銼屑 *metal filings. 金屬屑末 file v.

logistics ?n.1.[U]物流 2.[U]后勤；組織工作 3.[U]軍事后勤 ?[復(fù)習]

reminiscent 1. ~of sb/sth 使回憶起（人或事）≈remind sb of sth *The way he laughed was strongly reminiscent of his father. 他笑的樣子讓人很容易想起他的父親。2.[only before noun] 回憶過去的；懷舊的；緬懷往事的*a reminiscent smile 追憶往事時露出的微笑

conglomerate n.1.聯(lián)合大公司；企業(yè)集團 2.合成物；組合物；聚合物 [復(fù)習]

bloated adj. 1.膨脹的；腫脹的；臃腫的 2.飲食過度的；胃脹的 bloat v.膨脹；腫脹

apply sth to sth 運用；應(yīng)用 *His project is concerned with applying the technology to practical business problems. 他的項目是將這項技術(shù)應(yīng)用于實際的商務(wù)問題。

apply oneself/sth to sth 勤奮工作；努力學習 *We applied our minds to finding a solution to our problem.我們絞盡腦汁尋求解決問題的辦法。衛(wèi)報：你是視覺型、聽覺型還是感覺型學習者？|第56篇精讀...it can lead to a fixed approach that could impair pupils’ potential to apply or adapt themselves to different ways of learning.[復(fù)習]

如果說亞馬遜對投資時間期限的態(tài)度非同尋常，那么它對公司經(jīng)營的廣度也是如此。如其年報所述，公司目前以及未來可能的競爭對手包括物流公司、搜索引擎、社交網(wǎng)絡(luò)、食品制造商和“各種各樣的實體、數(shù)字和交互式媒體”的制作商。如此之廣的跨度更像是一個企業(yè)集團而不是一個零售商，這愈加讓亞馬遜的股價看起來虛高：股市通常會對股價打一個“企業(yè)集團折扣”來反映它們的低效。

Many of these services support Amazon’s own expansion and that of other companies. The obvious example is AWS, which powers Amazon’s operations as well as those of other firms. But Amazon also rents warehouse[n.倉庫] space to other sellers. It is building a $1.5bn air-freight hub in Kentucky. It is testing technology in stores to let consumers skip the cash register altogether, and experimenting with drone deliveries to the home. Such tools could presumably serve other customers, too. Some think that Amazon could become a new kind of utility: one that provides the infrastructure of commerce, from computing power to payments to logistics.

that of other firms 指 expansion of other firms，those of other companies 指 operations of other companies，注意指代時須加上介詞 of

power v. 1.~ sth 驅(qū)動，推動（機器或車輛）*The aircraft is powered by a jet engine. 這架飛機由噴氣發(fā)動機驅(qū)動。2.（使）迅猛移動，快速前進 ~ (sth) + adv./prep. *He powered through the water. 他在水中迅速游動。She powered her way into the lead. 她迅速用力沖到最前面。[熟詞僻義]

air-freight n.空運

hub n.[singular]（某地或活動的）中心，核心 經(jīng)濟學人將香港定位為一個全球金融中心，這里的中心就用到了hub一詞 It knows that to scrap that promise would be the death knell for Hong Kong as a global financial hub.

presumably adv.大概；很可能；想必是

utility n.1.[C]公用事業(yè) 2.[U]實用；效用；有用=usefulness 3.[C]實用程序；公用程序[經(jīng)濟學人3.18.The World this week Business] EON, a German utility, registered an annual net loss of €16bn ($18bn) …

這些服務(wù)中的很多都有助于亞馬遜自身和其他公司的擴張。一個明顯的例子是AWS，它既為亞馬遜也為其他公司的運營提供動力。不過亞馬遜還向其他賣家出租倉庫。它正在肯塔基州建造一個價值15億美元的空運中心。它正在門店測試新技術(shù)，讓消費者完全跳過到收銀臺結(jié)賬的環(huán)節(jié)，它還在嘗試用無人機送貨到家。這些工具也很可能會服務(wù)于其他客戶。有些人認為亞馬遜也許會成為一種新型的公用事業(yè)，提供從云計算能力、支付到物流的商務(wù)基礎(chǔ)設(shè)施。

A giant cannot hide

And here lies the real problem with the expectations surrounding Amazon. If it gets anywhere close to fulfilling them, it will attract the attention of regulators. For now, Amazon is unlikely to trigger antitrust action. It is not yet the biggest retailer in America, its most mature market. America’s antitrust enforcers look mainly at a firm’s effect on consumers and pricing. Seen through this lens, Amazon appears pristine. Consumers applaud it; it is the most well-regarded company in America, according to a Harris poll. (AWS is a boon to startups, too.)

antitrust adj.（指美國法律）反托拉斯的，反壟斷的 *The jury found that the NFL had violated antitrust laws. 陪審團裁決全國橄欖球聯(lián)盟觸犯了反壟斷法。

pristine 1.未開發(fā)的；處于原始狀態(tài)的=unspoiled *pristine,pollution-free beaches ?2.嶄新的；清新的=immaculate *The car is in pristine condition.這輛車是全新的。

boon n.[C]~(to/for sb)給生活帶來方便的事物；非常有用的東西；益處 *It is for this reason that television proves such a boon to so many people... 就是因為這個原因，電視才會給這么多人帶來如此大的便利。 *This battery booster is a boon for photographers. 這種電池充電器是攝影工作者的好幫手。

對于圍繞著亞馬遜的期望而言，真正的問題如下。一旦真的接近這些目標，它就會招來監(jiān)管部門的注意。目前來看它還不大可能會觸發(fā)反壟斷行動。在其最成熟的市場美國，亞馬遜還不是最大的零售商。美國的反壟斷執(zhí)法機構(gòu)考量的主要是一家公司對消費者的影響力及其定價。從這一角度來看，亞馬遜還很質(zhì)樸。消費者為它拍手叫好；Harris的一項調(diào)查顯示，它是美國聲譽最好的公司（AWS對于創(chuàng)業(yè)公司來說也是一大福音）。

But as it grows, so will concerns about its power. Even on standard antitrust grounds, that may pose a problem: if it makes as much money as investors hope, a rough calculation suggests its earnings could be worth the equivalent of 25% of the combined profits of listed Western retail and media firms. But regulators are also changing the way they think about technology. In Europe, Google stands accused of using its clout as a search engine to extend its power to adjacent businesses. The comparative immunity from legal liability of digital platforms—for the posting of inflammatory content on Facebook, say, or the vetting of drivers on Uber—is being chipped away.

長難句分析：But as it grows, so will concerns about its power.

so 前置，引起了倒裝。在用so, nor, neither表示“也/不……”這一類結(jié)構(gòu)里倒裝的公式是:

肯定：so+be/have/助動詞/情態(tài)動詞＋主語

否定： Neither(nor)+be/have/助動詞/情態(tài)動詞＋主語。如：

—He has been to Beijing.他去過北京。 —So have I.我也去過。

—They can’t answer the question.他們不會回答這個問題。—Neither than I.我也不會。

ground n.ground for sth/for doing sth 充分的理由；根據(jù) *The court overturned that decision on the grounds that the Prosecution had withheld crucial evidence... 法庭以檢控方拒絕出示關(guān)鍵證據(jù)為由撤銷了那項判決。

on the ground that… 以…為依據(jù)；建立在...基礎(chǔ)上 *Owen was against it, on the grounds of expense.歐文因費用問題對此表示反對。

stand accused of 被指控...

clout

1.[U]影響力；勢力*political/financial clout政治/經(jīng)濟勢力

2.[C,sing.]擊，打

v.（尤指用手）猛擊，重打

adjacent adj.（地區(qū)、建筑、房間等）鄰近的；與...毗連的 adjacent to sth *Our farm land was adjacent to the river.我們的農(nóng)田在河邊。

comparative adj.

1.比較而言的；相對的= relative *Then he was living in comparative comfort. 他那時生活比較舒適。

2.比較的；相比的 *a comparative study of the educational systems of two countries 兩國教育制度的比較研究

3.（語法）（形容詞或副詞）比較級的 superlative adj.最高級的

comparatively adv.比較地；相對地 =relatively

*Comparatively speaking, the peasants don’t care much about the election.相對而言，農(nóng)民不大關(guān)心選舉。[寫作]

[經(jīng)濟學人1.28.International divorce] Britain is comparatively generous to foreign parents who seek a child’s return: it provides help with legal advice and translation.[復(fù)習]

immunity

1.[U]免疫力 *natural/acquired immunity 自然/獲得性免疫力 *to develop (an) immunity to sth 對某疾病產(chǎn)生免疫力 ~to/against sth

2.[U]豁免 *tax/legal immunity 稅收/法律上的豁免

3. [C,U]豁免權(quán) *diplomatic/parliamentary immunity 外交/議會豁免權(quán) *to be given or granted immunity from prosecution 獲得豁免權(quán)

4.[U]不受影響 *immunity to criticism 對批評的無動于衷

liability

1.[U]責任 *to deny liability for sth 不承認對…負有責任 *the liability for tax or paying tax 納稅的義務(wù)

2.[U]不利條件 *the house has become a liability for them 這套房子成了他們的累贅 *the goalkeeper is a real liability to his team! 這名守門員完全是球隊的拖累！

3.[C]liabilities 負債 *to meet one's liabilities 償付債務(wù)

inflammatory adj.1.煽動性的；使人發(fā)怒的 2.炎性的；發(fā)炎的

say v.比方說；假設(shè) ~sth/sb *You could learn the basics in, let's say, three months.比方說，三個月你就可以掌握基本知識。*Let's take any writer, say (= for example) Dickens…我們隨便舉一個作家為例，比如說狄更斯…

~ (that)…*Say you lose your job: what would you do then? 假設(shè)你把工作丟了，那你怎么辦呢 [熟詞僻義]

vet v.~sb 審查（某人過去的生活和職業(yè)）=screen 2.~sth仔細檢查，審查（內(nèi)容、質(zhì)量）=screen [熟詞僻義]

positive vetting n.[C,U]道德審查（對申請從事保密工作者的背景和品行進行檢查）

chip away (at) sth 1. 逐漸削弱 *The company’s dominance of the market is gradually being chipped away. 2.不停地鑿/削 *He was chipping away at the stone.他不停地鑿那塊石頭。

但隨著亞馬遜的發(fā)展，對它影響力的擔憂也在增長。即便是從通常的反壟斷角度來看，這也會是一個問題：如果它像投資人所希望的那樣賺得盆滿缽滿，粗略算下來，它的盈利將相當于西方所有上市零售公司和媒體公司總盈利的25%。但監(jiān)管機構(gòu)同時還在改變它們對科技的看法。在歐洲，谷歌遭到指控，有人認為它利用自己作為搜索引擎的影響力來擴展其他業(yè)務(wù)。數(shù)字平臺原本相對而言享有更多的法律責任豁免——比如在Facebook上發(fā)布煽動性內(nèi)容或是審核優(yōu)步司機這類事件上，但這種特權(quán)如今也在逐漸削弱。

Amazon’s business model will also encourage regulators to think differently. Investors value Amazon’s growth over profits; that makes predatory pricing more tempting. In future, firms could increasingly depend on tools provided by their biggest rival. If Amazon does become a utility for commerce, the calls will grow for it to be regulated as one. Shareholders are right to believe in Amazon’s potential. But success will bring it into conflict with an even stronger beast: government.

predatory adj.1.（人）（在金錢或性關(guān)系上的）欺負弱小的，壓榨他人的 2.（動物）捕食性的 [經(jīng)濟學人2017.1.14.Set them free]This is on top of the challenges that affect all Egyptian firms, such as rising prices and predatory officials. [復(fù)習]

tempting adj.誘人的;吸引人的 If something is tempting, it makes you want to do it or have it. *It was an attempting offer.這是個誘人的提議。 *The cakes looks very tempting.那蛋糕的樣子讓人嘴饞。

beast n.

1.獸；野獸

2.獸性的人；畜生；禽獸 If you refer to a man as a beast, you mean that his behaviour, especially his sexual behaviour, is very violent and uncontrolled. ?*...a sex beast who subjected two sisters to a terrifying ordeal. 使兩姐妹遭受恐怖摧殘的色魔

3.討厭鬼；王八蛋 If you call someone a beast, you think that they are behaving in a selfish, unkind, or unpleasant way. ?*Bully! Hooligan! Beast! Let me go, let go! 混蛋！流氓！王八蛋！放開我，放開！

4.（含詼諧意）有特定性質(zhì)的事物，性格特別的人 You can use beast to refer to something or someone in a light-hearted way, and to mention that they have a particular quality. ?*...that rare beast, a sports movie that isn't boring. 這場體育電影還挺有意思，真難得。

亞馬遜的商業(yè)模式也會促使監(jiān)管機構(gòu)轉(zhuǎn)換思路。投資者看重亞馬遜的增長更甚于盈利，這讓掠奪性定價愈發(fā)具有誘惑力。在未來，企業(yè)可能會越來越依賴其最大競爭對手所提供的工具。如果亞馬遜真的成為一個商務(wù)公用事業(yè)，將其作為這樣一種事物來進行監(jiān)管的呼聲就會加強。股東相信亞馬遜的潛力，這一點沒錯。但成功會把它推向與另一頭更強大的猛獸對抗：政府。 ?