全球最后一家录像机生产商日本船井电子宣布停产

 　　Japan's Funai Electric, which claims to be the world's last VCR manufacturer, says it will cease production of the machines this month.

　　据悉，世界上最后一家录像机生产商--日本船井电子公司宣布，本月底将停止录像机产品的生产。

　　Funai started manufacturing video-cassette recorders in 1983, and at one point was selling 15 million units a year. Alas¹, the clunky VCR has since been replaced by an array of new technologies: DVDs, Blu-ray, and now, streaming video services.

　　船井电子公司自1983年开始生产盒式录像机，最高峰时一年售出1500万台。然而，随着像DVD、蓝光光碟以及现在的视频流媒体等一系列新科技产品的问世，这种磁带式录像机逐渐淡出了我们的生活。

　　Last year, Funai sold 750,000 units, and found it was getting harder to find the parts to make VCRs. A Funai spokesperson said that customers have been to the company and asking where they can find the last few products.

　　去年，船井电子仅售出75万盒式录像机，主要是因为“难以采购零部件”。船井电子的一位发言人表示，一些客户已经到公司咨询到哪里可以找到配件。

　　全球最后一家录像机生产商日本船井电子宣布停产VCRs for home use were introduced in the 1960s, gaining traction² after Sony brought lower-priced models to market. Other Japanese manufacturers, including Panasonic, RCA, JVC and Toshiba, were also instrumental in developing the VCR. The electromechanical device records, stores, and plays back television programs using a magnetic tape cassette.

　　第一台家用录像机在上世纪60年代发布，在索尼将低价模型引入市场后，盒式录像机开始占据市场。其他的一些日本厂商，如松下电器、RCA、JVC以及东芝电子都为盒式录像机的发展作了一定的贡献。该设备使用盒式磁带记录、存储以及回放电视节目。

　　In 1984, the U.S. Supreme³ Court ruled that home use of VCRs to record television didn't constitute a violation⁴ of copyright law, paving the way for an explosion of the technology in American homes.

　　1984年，美国最高法院裁定，家用录像机录制电视节目不构成侵权，为录像机技术在美国家庭的风靡一时铺平了道路。

　　For a time, a battle ensued between Sony's Betamax and JVC's VHS -- both VCR tape formats⁵ -- but VHS eventually won out.

　　曾有一段时间，围绕录像带的格式，索尼Betamax格式录像带和JVC公司的VHS（家庭录像系统）还经历过一场大战。最终，JVC的VHS胜出。

 

1 alas   

int.唉(表示悲伤、忧愁、恐惧等)

参考例句：

• Alas!The window is broken!哎呀！窗子破了！
• Alas,the truth is less romantic.然而，真理很少带有浪漫色彩。

2 traction   

n.牵引；附着摩擦力

参考例句：

• I'll show you how the traction is applied.我会让你看如何做这种牵引。
• She's injured her back and is in traction for a month.她背部受伤，正在作一个月的牵引治疗。

3 supreme   

adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的

参考例句：

• It was the supreme moment in his life.那是他一生中最重要的时刻。
• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。

4 violation   

n.违反(行为)，违背(行为)，侵犯

参考例句：

• He roared that was a violation of the rules.他大声说，那是违反规则的。
• He was fined 200 dollars for violation of traffic regulation.他因违反交通规则被罚款200美元。

5 formats   

n.（出版物的）版式( format的名词复数 )；[电视]电视节目的总安排（或计划）

参考例句：

• They are producing books in all kinds of different formats. 他们出版各种不同开本的书籍。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• A true GUI includes standard formats for representing text and graphics. 真正的图形用户界面包括表示文字和图形的标准格式。 来自互联网