万花筒2008-02-05:Microsoft pounces on Yahoo

Microsoft makes an unsolicited offer for its competitior, Yahoo, after shares of the company's stock price tanked 50% since October.

I'm Mathew Karnitschnig, the Mergers¹ & Acquisitions reporter for the Wall Street Journal.

This morning, Microsoft unveiled an unsolicited 45-billion-dollar offer to acquire Yahoo. The deal has been rumored² for months. But Yahoo's stock price has fallen about 50 percent since October. And Microsoft has finally decided³ to pounce⁴. About a year ago, Microsoft made an initial approach to Yahoo, and at the time, Yahoo said that it wasn't interested in pursuing a deal. But its own business has hit headwinds as it recently described in its quarterly earnings⁵ report.  

And Microsoft, as well, has been looking over its shoulder at Google. Google controls a large portion of the online advertising⁶ market. And both Yahoo and Microsoft are concerned about Google's dominance in this, in this area. Another concern of Microsoft is that Google is getting into some of its traditional sectors⁷, including word processing and other applications that have really made Microsoft what it is and is putting those online and free to anybody who, who has an Internet connection. So all of these forces together have prompted Microsoft to act today. The question is will Yahoo which has typically taken a rather skeptical⁸ approach towards Microsoft be willing to accept this? The CEO of Yahoo, Jerry Yang has been a long-time enemy of Microsoft and it's unlikely that he's going to want to accept this deal.

This is Mathew Karnitschnig for the Wall Street Journal.

1 mergers   

n.（两个公司的）合并( merger的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Mergers fall into three categories: horizontal, vertical, and conglomerate. 合并分为以下三种：横向合并，纵向合并和混合合并。 来自辞典例句
• Many recent mergers are concentrated within specific industries, particularly in retailing, airlines and communications. 现代许多合并企业集中进行某些特定业务，在零售业、民航和通讯业中更是如此。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件

2 rumored   

adj.传说的，谣传的v.传闻( rumor的过去式和过去分词 )；[古]名誉；咕哝；[古]喧嚷

参考例句：

• It is rumored that he cheats on his wife. 据传他对他老婆不忠。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• It was rumored that the white officer had been a Swede. 传说那个白人军官是个瑞典人。 来自辞典例句

3 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

4 pounce   

n.猛扑；v.猛扑，突然袭击，欣然同意

参考例句：

• Why do you pounce on every single thing I say?干吗我说的每句话你都要找麻烦？
• We saw the tiger about to pounce on the goat.我们看见老虎要向那只山羊扑过去。

5 earnings   

n.工资收人；利润，利益，所得

参考例句：

• That old man lives on the earnings of his daughter.那个老人靠他女儿的收入维持生活。
• Last year there was a 20% decrease in his earnings.去年他的收入减少了20%。

6 advertising   

n.广告业；广告活动 a.广告的；广告业务的

参考例句：

• Can you give me any advice on getting into advertising? 你能指点我如何涉足广告业吗?
• The advertising campaign is aimed primarily at young people. 这个广告宣传运动主要是针对年轻人的。

7 sectors   

n.部门( sector的名词复数 )；领域；防御地区；扇形

参考例句：

• Berlin was divided into four sectors after the war. 战后柏林分成了4 个区。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Industry and agriculture are the two important sectors of the national economy. 工业和农业是国民经济的两个重要部门。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

8 skeptical   

adj.怀疑的，多疑的

参考例句：

• Others here are more skeptical about the chances for justice being done.这里的其他人更为怀疑正义能否得到伸张。
• Her look was skeptical and resigned.她的表情是将信将疑而又无可奈何。