经济学人326:谷歌公司 无处不在的谷歌

　　Business
商业报道
Google
谷歌公司
The new GE: Google, everywhere
新时代的通用电气：无处不在的谷歌
With a string of deals the internet giant has positioned itself to become a big inventor, and reinventor, of hardware.
经过一系列收购，这家互联网巨头已经使自己站在了超级革新者的位置上，硬件行业的彻底革新者。
AT GOOGLE they call it the toothbrush test.
在谷歌，他们把这叫做牙刷测试。
Shortly after returning to being the firm's chief executive in 2011, Larry Page said he wanted it to develop more services that everyone would use at least twice a day, like a toothbrush.
在2011年重新掌舵公司后不久，Larry Page曾说他希望公司开发更多的服务，这些服务能够让所有用户在一天内至少使用两次，就像牙刷一样。
2_副本.jpgIts search engine and its Android operating system for mobile devices pass that test.
该公司的搜索引擎和安卓手机操作系统就通过了这个测试。
Now, with a string of recent acquisitions, Google seems to be planning to become as big in hardware as it is in software, developing toothbrush products in a variety of areas from robots to cars to domestic-heating controls.
通过近期一系列的并购，如今的谷歌看似正计划着成为硬件行业的微软，准备在从机器人到汽车再到室内加热控制设备等众多领域中开发牙刷级别的产品。
Its latest purchase is Nest Labs, a maker¹ of sophisticated thermostats² and smoke detectors³: on January 13th Google said it would pay 3.2 billion in cash for the firm.
它的最近一次收购是精密恒温控制器和烟雾探测器制造商Nest Labs：1月13号，Google宣布用32亿美元现金将该公司买下。
Google's biggest move into hardware so far is its 12.5 billion bid for Motorola Mobility⁴, a handset-maker, in 2011.
目前为止，谷歌转向硬件行业的最大动作是在2011年以125亿美元收购手机制造商摩托罗拉移动公司。
In recent months it has been mopping up robotics firms, most notably⁵ Boston Dynamics⁶, which makes two- and four-legged machines with names like BigDog and Cheetah⁷ that can walk and run.
近几个月，它则买下了不少机器人公司，其中值得注意的是波士顿动力，一家制作名为大狗或者猎豹的双足和四足机器人的公司，这些机器人能够行走和跑动。
Google's in-house engineers have also been busy working on driverless cars and wearable gadgets⁸ such as Google Glass.
谷歌自己的工程师们也在忙着研发无人驾驶汽车和可穿戴装置比如谷歌眼镜。
Nest takes Google into the home-appliance business, which is how another, much older American conglomerate⁹ got started.
Nest则将谷歌带入了家用装置业务，从这项业务中走出过一家年长得多的美国巨头公司。
General Electric produced its first electric fans in the 1890s and then went on to develop a full line of domestic heating and cooking devices in 1907, before expanding into the industrial and financial behemoth that is still going strong today.
通用电气在19世纪90年代就制造了它的第一批电风扇，接着又在1907年发展出一整套室内加热和烹饪设备生产线，随后逐渐壮大成为了现今仍然迅猛发展着的工业和金融怪兽。
The common factor shared by GE's early products was electricity, something businesses were then just learning to exploit.
通用电气早期产品的所共有的一个元素是电，当时的业界刚刚开始学着利用它。
With Google's collection of hardware businesses, the common factor is data:
而谷歌一系列硬件业务的共有元素则是数据:
gathering¹⁰ and crunching¹¹ them, to make physical devices more intelligent.
收集和分析它们来使物理设备变得更加智能。
Even so, the question is whether Google can knit the diverse businesses it is developing and acquiring into an even more profitable engineering colossus—or whether it is in danger of squandering¹² billions. Concern that the firm could make overpriced acquisitions has grown along with the size of its cash pile, now around 57 billion.
尽管如此，谷歌的问题在于能否有效的整合它发展和探索出的多种业务，使之成为一个甚至能带来更多利润的工程产业，否则它就是浪费了这数十亿美元。
Eyebrows¹³ were raised this week when the price for Nest was revealed.
对于该公司在并购时出价过高及其现金规模的担忧正逐渐增加。
Morgan Stanley, a bank, reckons it represents ten times Nest's estimated annual revenue.
本周，Nest的收购价一经披露就令人大跌眼镜。据摩根斯坦利估算，这是Nest预计年利润的10倍。
Why fork out so much for a startup that makes such banal¹⁴ things as thermostats?
为什么对这家生产恒温控制器这种老掉牙产品的年轻公司出手如此大方？
Paul Saffo of Discern Analytics, a research firm, argues that Google is already adept¹⁵ at profiting from the data people generate in the form of search queries¹⁶, e-mails and other things they enter into computers.
研究公司Discern Analytics的Paul Saffo认为谷歌在通过数据挣钱上已经是熟门熟路，这些数据是在用户们搜索查询、收发邮件以及在电脑上进行其他操作时产生的。
It has been sucking in data from smartphones and tablet computers thanks to the success of Android, and apps such as Google Maps.
安卓系统以及谷歌地图这类应用软件的成功使得谷歌还能从智能手机和平板电脑中汲取数据。
To keep growing, and thus to justify¹⁷ its shares' lofty price-earnings ratio of 33, it must find ever more devices to feed its hunger for data.
为了保证持续增长以及保持高达33的股票市盈率，它甚至还会寻找更多设备来满足其对于数据的渴望。
Packed with sensors¹⁸ and software that can, say, detect that the house is empty and turn down the heating, Nest's connected thermostats generate plenty of data, which the firm captures.
比方说，Nest连接型的恒温控制器利用房子中遍布的传感器和软件探测到房屋是空的，于是调低了加热系统的。
Tony Fadell, Nest's boss, has often talked about how Nest is well-positioned to profit from the internet of things—a world in which all kinds of devices use a combination of software, sensors and wireless¹⁹ connectivity to talk to their owners and one another.
这个过程中就会产生很多的数据，并被谷歌收入囊中。Nest老板Tony Fadell时常提及Nest怎样对自己准确定位来从物联网中获利。在物联网的世界中，各个设备通过软件、传感器以及无线连接的结合来接受用户以及其他设备的信息。
Other big technology firms are also joining the battle to dominate the connected home.
其他大型技术公司也在加入争夺联网家居统治权的战斗。
This month Samsung announced a new smart-home computing²⁰ platform that will let people control washing machines, televisions and other devices it makes from a single app.
这个月，三星宣布了一个新型智能家居处理平台，让人们只用一个应用软件就能控制三星生产的洗衣机、电视和其他设备。
Microsoft, Apple and Amazon were also tipped to take a lead there, but Google was until now seen as something of a laggard²¹.
微软、苹果和亚马逊也跃跃欲试，想引领这一潮流。不过在此之前，谷歌都被视作落后者。
I don't think Google realised how fast the internet of things would develop, says Tim Bajarin of Creative Strategies, a consultancy.
我不认为谷歌意识到了物联网的迅猛发展，咨询公司Creative Strategies的Tim Bajarin这样说道。
Buying Nest will allow it to leapfrog much of the opposition²².
买下Nest使得谷歌一跃超过了很多对手，同时也带来了一些人才。
It also brings Google some stellar talent.Mr Fadell, who led the team that created the iPod while at Apple, has a knack²³ for breathing new life into stale products.
在苹果公司带队开发了iPod的Fadell很擅长给旧产品注入新鲜生命。
His skills and those of fellow Apple alumni at Nest could be helpful in other Google hardware businesses, such as Motorola Mobility.
他和Nest的那些前苹果雇员们的才能对于谷歌的硬件业务很有帮助，比如说摩托罗拉手机。
Google has said little about its plans for its new robotics businesses.
谷歌很少提及它在机器人业务上的计划，
But it is likely to do what it did with driverless cars: take a technology financed by military contracts and adapt it for the consumer market.
但是这很可能会和它的无人驾驶车一样：和军方签订协议，由其提供资助来开发技术，再将这些技术为消费市场进行调整。
In future, personal Googlebots could buzz around the house, talking constantly to a Nest home-automation platform.
在未来，你的家中可能会充斥各种通过Nest家用自动化平台相互沟通的家用谷歌机器人。
The challenge for Mr Page will be to ensure that these new businesses make the most of Google's impressive infrastructure²⁴ without being stifled²⁵ by the bureaucracy of an organisation²⁶ that now has 46,000 employees.
Page先生将面临的一个挑战是，确保这些新业务充分利用谷歌出色的基础设施而不是被这个如今拥有46,000雇员的庞大组织的官僚主义所扼杀。
Google has had to overcome sclerosis before. Soon after returning as boss, Mr Page axed various projects and streamlined the management.
谷歌之前就曾遇上必须克服内部僵化的问题。回归就任老板后不久，Page就砍掉了许多项目并改进了管理体系。
Nest is being allowed to keep its separate identity and offices, with Mr Fadell reporting directly to Mr Page.
Nest被允许保留自己的独立身份和自己的办公室，Fadell也只需直接向Page进行报告。
Google has also protected its in-house hardware projects, such as Google Glass and self-driving cars, from succumbing²⁷ to corporate²⁸ inertia²⁹ by nurturing³⁰ them in its secretive Google X development lab.
谷歌之前就通过在秘密的Google X研发实验室单独运行的方式来保证谷歌眼镜和无人驾驶汽车这类自己的硬件项目免受企业惰性的影响。
It has also given its most important projects high-profile bosses with the clout³¹ to champion them internally.
同时它还会让很有影响力的上层来领导最为重要的项目，以从内部提供足够的支持。
The new head of Google's robotics business is Andy Rubin, who led the successful development of Android.
谷歌机器人项目的负责人是成功领导了安卓系统开发的Andy Rubin。
Such tactics are good ways to avoid the pitfalls³² of conglomeration³³.
这种策略能够避免过度聚集的误区。
But to ensure success, Google will need to avoid another misstep.
但要确保成功，谷歌还需避免犯下另一错误。
Its chequered record on data-privacy issues means that Nest and other divisions will be subject to intense scrutiny³⁴ by privacy activists³⁵ and regulators.
它过去的多次数据隐私问题意味着Nest和其他分公司都会遭到隐私维权人士和立法者的严格监管。
Provided it can retain the confidence of its users on this, Google should be able to find plenty of new opportunities in both software and hardware that pass the toothbrush test and keep a bright smile on its shareholders³⁶' faces.
假如能够保留用户们对此的信心，谷歌就能在软件业和硬件业中都找到足够多能通过牙刷测试的机会，还能让其股票持有人的脸上常驻灿烂笑容。

1 maker   

n.制造者，制造商

参考例句：

• He is a trouble maker，You must be distant with him.他是个捣蛋鬼，你不要跟他在一起。
• A cabinet maker must be a master craftsman.家具木工必须是技艺高超的手艺人。

2 thermostats   

n.恒温（调节）器( thermostat的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• This is the basic operating principle of many thermostats. 这是许多恒温箱的基本工作原理。 来自辞典例句
• Thermostats can be used to regulate the temperature of a room. 恒温器可用来调节室内温度。 来自辞典例句

3 detectors   

探测器( detector的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The report advocated that all buildings be fitted with smoke detectors. 报告主张所有的建筑物都应安装烟火探测器。
• This is heady wine for experimenters using these neutrino detectors. 对于使用中微子探测器的实验工作者，这是令人兴奋的美酒。 来自英汉非文学 - 科技

4 mobility   

n.可动性，变动性，情感不定

参考例句：

• The difference in regional house prices acts as an obstacle to mobility of labour.不同地区房价的差异阻碍了劳动力的流动。
• Mobility is very important in guerrilla warfare.机动性在游击战中至关重要。

5 notably   

adv.值得注意地，显著地，尤其地，特别地

参考例句：

• Many students were absent,notably the monitor.许多学生缺席，特别是连班长也没来。
• A notably short,silver-haired man,he plays basketball with his staff several times a week.他个子明显较为矮小，一头银发，每周都会和他的员工一起打几次篮球。

6 dynamics   

n.力学，动力学，动力，原动力；动态

参考例句：

• In order to succeed,you must master complicated knowledge of dynamics.要取得胜利，你必须掌握很复杂的动力学知识。
• Dynamics is a discipline that cannot be mastered without extensive practice.动力学是一门不做大量习题就不能掌握的学科。

7 cheetah   

n.(动物)猎豹

参考例句：

• The cheetah is generally credited as the world's fastest animal.猎豹被公认是世界上跑得最快的动物。
• The distribution of the cheetah ranges from Africa to Central Asia.印度豹的足迹遍及从非洲到中亚的广大地区。

8 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

9 conglomerate   

n.综合商社，多元化集团公司

参考例句：

• The firm has been taken over by an American conglomerate.该公司已被美国一企业集团接管。
• An American conglomerate holds a major share in the company.一家美国的大联合企业持有该公司的大部分股份。

10 gathering   

n.集会，聚会，聚集

参考例句：

• He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。
• He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。

11 crunching   

v.嘎吱嘎吱地咬嚼( crunch的现在分词 )；嘎吱作响；（快速大量地）处理信息；数字捣弄

参考例句：

• The horses were crunching their straw at their manger. 这些马在嘎吱嘎吱地吃槽里的草。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The dog was crunching a bone. 狗正嘎吱嘎吱地嚼骨头。 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 squandering   

v.（指钱，财产等）浪费，乱花( squander的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• You're faced with ending it all, of squandering what was given. 把到手的东西就这样随随便便弄掉。 来自辞典例句
• I see all this potential And I see squandering. 你们的潜力都被浪费了。 来自互联网

13 eyebrows   

眉毛( eyebrow的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Eyebrows stop sweat from coming down into the eyes. 眉毛挡住汗水使其不能流进眼睛。
• His eyebrows project noticeably. 他的眉毛特别突出。

14 banal   

adj.陈腐的，平庸的

参考例句：

• Making banal remarks was one of his bad habits.他的坏习惯之一就是喜欢说些陈词滥调。
• The allegations ranged from the banal to the bizarre.从平淡无奇到离奇百怪的各种说法都有。

15 adept   

adj.老练的，精通的

参考例句：

• When it comes to photography,I'm not an adept.要说照相，我不是内行。
• He was highly adept at avoiding trouble.他十分善于避开麻烦。

16 queries   

n.问题( query的名词复数 )；疑问；询问；问号v.质疑，对…表示疑问( query的第三人称单数 )；询问

参考例句：

• Our assistants will be happy to answer your queries. 我们的助理很乐意回答诸位的问题。
• Her queries were rhetorical,and best ignored. 她的质问只不过是说说而已，最好不予理睬。 来自《简明英汉词典》

17 justify   

vt.证明…正当(或有理)，为…辩护

参考例句：

• He tried to justify his absence with lame excuses.他想用站不住脚的借口为自己的缺席辩解。
• Can you justify your rude behavior to me?你能向我证明你的粗野行为是有道理的吗？

18 sensors   

n.传感器，灵敏元件( sensor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• There were more than 2000 sensors here. 这里装有两千多个灵敏元件。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Significant changes have been noted where sensors were exposed to trichloride. 当传感器暴露在三氯化物中时，有很大变化。 来自辞典例句

19 wireless   

adj.无线的；n.无线电

参考例句：

• There are a lot of wireless links in a radio.收音机里有许多无线电线路。
• Wireless messages tell us that the ship was sinking.无线电报告知我们那艘船正在下沉。

20 computing   

n.计算

参考例句：

• to work in computing 从事信息处理
• Back in the dark ages of computing, in about 1980, they started a software company. 早在计算机尚未普及的时代（约1980年），他们就创办了软件公司。

21 laggard   

n.落后者；adj.缓慢的，落后的

参考例句：

• In village,the laggard living condition must be improved.在乡村落后的生活条件必须被改善。
• Businesshas to some degree been a laggard in this process.商业在这个进程中已经慢了一拍。

22 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

23 knack   

n.诀窍，做事情的灵巧的，便利的方法

参考例句：

• He has a knack of teaching arithmetic.他教算术有诀窍。
• Making omelettes isn't difficult,but there's a knack to it.做煎蛋饼并不难，但有窍门。

24 infrastructure   

n.下部构造，下部组织，基础结构，基础设施

参考例句：

• We should step up the development of infrastructure for research.加强科学基础设施建设。
• We should strengthen cultural infrastructure and boost various types of popular culture.加强文化基础设施建设，发展各类群众文化。

25 stifled   

（使）窒息， （使）窒闷( stifle的过去式和过去分词 )； 镇压，遏制； 堵

参考例句：

• The gas stifled them. 煤气使他们窒息。
• The rebellion was stifled. 叛乱被镇压了。

26 organisation   

n.组织，安排，团体，有机休

参考例句：

• The method of his organisation work is worth commending.他的组织工作的方法值得称道。
• His application for membership of the organisation was rejected.他想要加入该组织的申请遭到了拒绝。

27 succumbing   

不再抵抗（诱惑、疾病、攻击等）( succumb的现在分词 )； 屈从； 被压垮； 死

参考例句：

• Mrs. Smith washed and ironed clothes for him, succumbing to him. 史密斯太太被他迷住了，愿意为他洗衣烫衣。
• They would not in the end abandon their vital interests by succumbing to Soviet blandishment. 他们最终决不会受苏联人的甜言蜜语的诱惑，从而抛弃自己的切身利益。

28 corporate   

adj.共同的，全体的；公司的，企业的

参考例句：

• This is our corporate responsibility.这是我们共同的责任。
• His corporate's life will be as short as a rabbit's tail.他的公司的寿命是兔子尾巴长不了。

29 inertia   

adj.惰性，惯性，懒惰，迟钝

参考例句：

• We had a feeling of inertia in the afternoon.下午我们感觉很懒。
• Inertia carried the plane onto the ground.飞机靠惯性着陆。

30 nurturing   

养育( nurture的现在分词 )； 培育； 滋长； 助长

参考例句：

• These delicate plants need careful nurturing. 这些幼嫩的植物需要精心培育。
• The modern conservatory is not an environment for nurturing plants. 这个现代化温室的环境不适合培育植物。

31 clout   

n.用手猛击；权力，影响力

参考例句：

• The queen may have privilege but she has no real political clout.女王有特权，但无真正的政治影响力。
• He gave the little boy a clout on the head.他在那小男孩的头部打了一下。

32 pitfalls   

（捕猎野兽用的）陷阱( pitfall的名词复数 )； 意想不到的困难，易犯的错误

参考例句：

• the potential pitfalls of buying a house 购买房屋可能遇到的圈套
• Several pitfalls remain in the way of an agreement. 在达成协议的进程中还有几个隐藏的困难。

33 conglomeration   

n.团块，聚集，混合物

参考例句：

• a conglomeration of buildings of different sizes and styles 大小和风格各异的建筑楼群
• To her it was a wonderful conglomeration of everything great and mighty. 在她看来，那里奇妙地聚集着所有伟大和非凡的事业。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹

34 scrutiny   

n.详细检查，仔细观察

参考例句：

• His work looks all right,but it will not bear scrutiny.他的工作似乎很好，但是经不起仔细检查。
• Few wives in their forties can weather such a scrutiny.很少年过四十的妻子经得起这么仔细的观察。

35 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

36 shareholders   

n.股东( shareholder的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The meeting was attended by 90% of shareholders. 90%的股东出席了会议。
• the company's fiduciary duty to its shareholders 公司对股东负有的受托责任