2006年NPR美国国家公共电台十一月-Marketplace Report: Sun Goes Open-Source

Back now with Day to Day I'm Madeleine Brand

The software company Sun Microsystems announced a new strategy today. After ten years of fiercely guarding its Java technology, Sun now plans to give it away. Marketplace's Amy Scott joins me now.
First of all, Amy, what exactly is Java ?

Well, Java is a programming language that developers use to create software and it also allows that software to run on your computer's desktop¹. Java is also used in other electronics like cell phones and medical devices close to 4 billion computers and gadgets² overall. So the code itself is not something the average person really sees but especially if you've used the Internet there is a good chance you're encountering Java in one way or another.

And why would Sun want to give it away?

Lately Java has been under threat from other so-called open source products which software developers like because they are free and they allow many users to tweak and perfect them. Java supporters have been pressuring the company for years to make it open source. But Sun Microsystems actually makes most of its money selling hardware and other software programs.

Analyst³ Michael Kote with the research firm RedMonk says, by giving Java away Sun hopes to draw more customers to its other products.

Java is something that Sun uses to sort of make its larger ecosystem⁴ thrive and operate effectively so the, the more popular and the more widespread the Java is, theoretically, the more benefit that, that Sun gets.

And Sun will continue to make money on Java. The free license⁵ requires users to share any changes they make to Java with the public. And Kote says developers who don't wanna do that will still be able to buy a commercial license from Sun.

Amy, does Sun's move put any pressure on that other software giant, Microsoft?

Well, it's interesting. You know, Java was created in part to undermine Microsoft's dominance because Java was compatible with other operating systems. And Microsoft eventually paid Sun 2 billion dollars to settle a dispute over Microsoft's efforts to thwart⁶ Java. The two companies have since made their peace. And if anything, Sun's move, if it works, may help the company stay competitive, it’s been undergoing a major turnaround effort with lay-offs and, you know, efforts to create new products. It lost billions of dollars after the dot com bust⁷. And Sun is hoping its tie-up with er... with the growing open source movement will help it make that rebound⁸. And coming up later today on Marketplace we'll find out just how clean those clean diesel⁹ engines are .

Thank you Amy . Amy Scott of Public Video's daily business show, Marketplace, produced by American Public Media.
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bust n.
A raid

1 desktop   

n.桌面管理系统程序；台式

参考例句：

• My computer is a desktop computer of excellent quality.我的计算机是品质卓越的台式计算机。
• Do you know which one is better,a laptop or a desktop?你知道哪一种更好，笔记本还是台式机？

2 gadgets   

n.小机械，小器具（ gadget的名词复数 ）

参考例句：

• Certainly. The idea is not to have a house full of gadgets. 当然。设想是房屋不再充满小配件。 来自超越目标英语 第4册
• This meant more gadgets and more experiments. 这意味着要设计出更多的装置，做更多的实验。 来自英汉非文学 - 科学史

3 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。

4 ecosystem   

n.生态系统

参考例句：

• This destroyed the ecosystem of the island.这样破坏了岛上的生态系统。
• We all have an interest in maintaining the integrity of the ecosystem.维持生态系统的完整是我们共同的利益。

5 license   

n.执照，许可证，特许；v.许可，特许

参考例句：

• The foreign guest has a license on the person.这个外国客人随身携带执照。
• The driver was arrested for having false license plates on his car.司机由于使用假车牌而被捕。

6 thwart   

v.阻挠，妨碍，反对；adj.横(断的)

参考例句：

• We must thwart his malevolent schemes.我们决不能让他的恶毒阴谋得逞。
• I don't think that will thwart our purposes.我认为那不会使我们的目的受到挫折。

7 bust   

vt.打破；vi.爆裂；n.半身像；胸部

参考例句：

• I dropped my camera on the pavement and bust it. 我把照相机掉在人行道上摔坏了。
• She has worked up a lump of clay into a bust.她把一块黏土精心制作成一个半身像。

8 rebound   

v.弹回；n.弹回，跳回

参考例句：

• The vibrations accompanying the rebound are the earth quake.伴随这种回弹的振动就是地震。
• Our evil example will rebound upon ourselves.我们的坏榜样会回到我们自己头上的。

9 diesel   

n.柴油发动机，内燃机

参考例句：

• We experimented with diesel engines to drive the pumps.我们试着用柴油机来带动水泵。
• My tractor operates on diesel oil.我的那台拖拉机用柴油开动。