2005年NPR美国国家公共电台九月-Google's New Message Service Includes Voi

From NPR news, this is all things considered. I am Robert Siegel, and I am Melissa Block. We are going to begin today with news about GOOGLE.

The search engine company has launched a new instant messaging and voice communication service. Until now AOL, Microsoft and Yahoo have dominated that part of the computer landscape. We’ll hear about what Google’s move means for the larger world of technology and communications in a few minutes. First here is NPR’s N.L.

If you are one of the 80 million or so Americans who use instant messaging services, you're probably used to electronic pizzicato punctuating¹ your work or play online.

Today a new tone joined the chorus. That’s the sound of Google Talk. Google has now officially joined the ranks of services that allow people to chat on line and speak to each other through their computers with microphones, analyst² Benjamin Schachter says none of this is groundbreaking.

What you see with Google Talk today is essentially³ a "me-too" product , But I think as they’ve done in the past, they sort of launched these beta versions of me-too product may continue to innovate⁴ on top of those. So I think what you're seeing today is really just the first step in what they hope to be a much more innovated⁵ service over time.

Schachter works for UBS investment research which includes Google as a client. George Harlot works for Google. He’s a director of product management and he says for now the company is keeping things simple.

The Interface⁶ is pretty austere⁷ in the typical Google manner so there’s not a lot of clutter⁸ on the page, there's just you see your status you see your friends, you can click to chat with them then click a button to call them, there’s no ads on the interface , there’s nothing, you know, flashes or beams, there isn't anything that would get in the way of what you want to do.

It is in a word discreet⁹, that’s handy for those who "I am at work". But Google talk is aiming for something even handier, interoperability, George Herrick.

Our aim is to make one IM network, and make it like the E-mail system or like the phone system where anyone can call. Some instant messaging systems already allow access to other systems, Michael Oscar runs a market research firm that specializes in technology. He says if he succeeds, Google Talk will create its own momentum¹⁰.

It’s a sense of gravity if you will. The more clients that an IM system has in use, the more likely it is to attract new people, because, simply because of the greater likelihood that the people you want to contact are gonna be on that system. Oscar says the company is taking steps to guarantee users’ privacy and taking chances such as using open source technology, to ingratiate itself both with critics and casual internet users alike.


pizzicato n. 指弹

1 punctuating   

v.（在文字中）加标点符号，加标点( punctuate的现在分词 )；不时打断某事物

参考例句：

• Finally, it all came to a halt, with only Leehom's laboured breathing punctuating the silence. 最后，一切静止，只剩力宏吃力的呼吸，打破寂静。 来自互联网
• Li, punctuating the air with her hands, her fingernails decorated with pink rose decals. 一边说着，一边用手在空中一挥，指甲上还画了粉红玫瑰图案。 来自互联网

2 analyst   

n.分析家，化验员；心理分析学家

参考例句：

• What can you contribute to the position of a market analyst?你有什么技能可有助于市场分析员的职务？
• The analyst is required to interpolate values between standards.分析人员需要在这些标准中插入一些值。

3 essentially   

adv.本质上，实质上，基本上

参考例句：

• Really great men are essentially modest.真正的伟人大都很谦虚。
• She is an essentially selfish person.她本质上是个自私自利的人。

4 innovate   

v.革新，变革，创始

参考例句：

• We must innovate in order to make progress.我们必须改革以便取得进步。
• It is necessary to innovate and develop military theories.创新和发展军事理论是必要的。

5 innovated   

v.改革，创新( innovate的过去式和过去分词 )；引入（新事物、思想或方法），

参考例句：

• He innovated a plan for increased efficiency. 他引进提高效率的（新）方案。 来自辞典例句
• We are using innovated metal detector which is imported from the U.K. 本工厂有先进的生产设备，拥有从英国进口的金属探测机。 来自互联网

6 interface   

n.接合部位，分界面；v.(使)互相联系

参考例句：

• My computer has a network interface,which allows me to get to other computers.我的计算机有网络接口可以与其它计算机连在一起。
• This program has perspicuous interface and extensive application. 该程序界面明了，适用范围广。

7 austere   

adj.艰苦的；朴素的，朴实无华的；严峻的

参考例句：

• His way of life is rather austere.他的生活方式相当简朴。
• The room was furnished in austere style.这间屋子的陈设都很简单朴素。

8 clutter   

n.零乱，杂乱；vt.弄乱，把…弄得杂乱

参考例句：

• The garage is in such a clutter that we can't find anything.车库如此凌乱，我们什么也找不到。
• We'll have to clear up all this clutter.我们得把这一切凌乱的东西整理清楚。

9 discreet   

adj.(言行)谨慎的；慎重的；有判断力的

参考例句：

• He is very discreet in giving his opinions.发表意见他十分慎重。
• It wasn't discreet of you to ring me up at the office.你打电话到我办公室真是太鲁莽了。

10 momentum   

n.动力，冲力，势头；动量

参考例句：

• We exploit the energy and momentum conservation laws in this way.我们就是这样利用能量和动量守恒定律的。
• The law of momentum conservation could supplant Newton's third law.动量守恒定律可以取代牛顿第三定律。