经济学人:脸书的未来:下一个雅虎？(3)

 Facebook will inevitably¹ roll out ads (which is again the reason why WhatsApp's co-founders left), 脸书不可避免地将推广广告（这也是WhatsApp联合创始人离开的原因），

but it knows that it needs to be cautious about introducing ads in an environment where people go for private communication. 但脸书知道在人人重视隐私的环境中，对引入的广告要非常小心。

This transition away from public consumption of content on social networks to more private interactions is a substantial vulnerability for Facebook's business. 从社交媒体内容到更加私密的互动，公众消费的转变对脸书业务而言是一个实质性的弱势。

Mr Zuckerberg has acknowledged as much, comparing this transition to Facebook's earlier shift from desktop² computers to mobile 扎克伯格也承认这一点，并把这种转变比作脸书从台式机转向手机的早期变化

and predicting that making money from stories and messaging "will take some time, and our revenue growth may be slower". 他还预测要从故事和信息中获取利润“还需要一些时间，我们的收入增长将会放缓”。

It is unproven whether these new products can ever be as lucrative³ as Facebook's core offerings. 新的产品是否会像脸书的核心产品一样盈利还未印证。

Facebook's political controversies⁴ have not yet dented⁵ advertisers' enthusiasm for its platforms but that may also change in the coming year. 脸书的政治争议并未减少广告商对这个平台的热情，但未来或许也会发生变化。

Many advertisers have long felt that Facebook is arrogant⁶. Marketers with massive budgets are told to travel to its headquarters in Menlo Park, 很多广告商长久以来都认为脸书很傲慢。手握大笔预算的市场营销者被告知要去门洛帕克的公司总部拜访

rather than staff volunteering to come to them, as is typical in the ad-sales world. 而不是让员工主动登门拜访他们，就像广告销售界的传统那样。

Such gripes aside, the marketing⁷ industry has two principal complaints. 先不提这类抱怨，市场行业还有两个主要的抱怨。

One is that Facebook is not working as well for them as it used to in terms of users engaging with their ads (even though it is raising its prices). 一个是脸书在用户参与广告互动方面没以前做得那么好了（但收费一直在涨）。

The second is that it misleads its customers. Brian Wieser of Pivotal Research in New York, for example, has pointed⁸ out to the company 第二个是它误导了客户。例如纽约的Pivotal Research的布莱恩·维瑟指出

that it was incorrectly promising⁹ advertisers that it could reach more 18-34-year-olds in America than actually exist there. 公司错误地向广告商承诺，将有多少位18到34岁的美区用户将看到他们的广告，但实际上美国该年龄段没有那么多人。

Facebook has still not removed the claim, despite a class-action lawsuit¹⁰ against the firm for allegedly padding its audience numbers. 脸书仍未删除该承诺，即便脸书因夸大用户人数而遭集体诉讼。

A senior marketer for a large American bank says Facebook has made mistakes on measuring engagement, reach, views and other data for no fewer than 43 products. 一家大型美国银行的高级市场营销人员表示脸书在对不少于43个产品的用户参与、覆盖、观看和其他数据上犯了错误。

All of the mistakes, he notes, worked in the social-networking giant's favour. 他强调所有的错误都对这个社交网络巨头有利。

"If these were true errors, wouldn't you expect at least half to benefit marketers?" he asks. “如果这些错误都是真的，是不是至少有一半都将对市场营销人员有利呢？”他问道。

He expects to reduce how much his firm spends on Facebook and predicts that other marketers will as well next year. 他预计将减少自己的银行对脸书的投入并预测其他的市场营销者明年也将这么做。

At the same time that advertisers' faith in Facebook has been shaken, politicians in Washington are running out of patience with the company. 同时广告商对脸书的信任已经动摇，华盛顿的政治家们对这家公司的耐心将要耗尽。

It seems unlikely that a new law will be introduced that significantly curbs¹¹ Facebook's activities. 似乎不太可能引入一条新的法律限制脸书的行为。

But lawmakers' scrutiny¹² of the firm is causing it to be more cautious about 但立法者对公司的监视让公司在使用数据定位广告

how it uses data for targeting advertisements and about what information it makes available to outsiders. 以及在对外部公司提供信息时更加的谨慎。

That will further diminish its attractiveness in the eyes of marketers. 这将进一步减少其在市场营销者眼中的吸引力。

Mr Zuckerberg and Ms Sandberg are under pressure to prove to users and advertisers that Facebook is not only trustworthy but worthy¹³ of their time and money. 扎克伯格和桑德伯格正处于重压之下，他们要向用户和广告商证明脸书不仅值得他们的信赖，也值得他们时间和金钱的投入。

If they cannot do so, and the company's share price continues its slide, it is possible that Ms Sandberg will be replaced in the next year. 如果他们做不到，公司的股价就会继续下滑，有很能桑德伯格明年将被替换掉。

Mr Zuckerberg controls the majority of voting shares and is unlikely to go. He will doubtless have thoughts about Yahoo's sorry tale. 扎克伯格控制着公司的绝大多数投票权，他不可能离开。毫无疑问，他将想到雅虎抱憾的故事。

The onus¹⁴ is on him to show employees, advertisers and shareholders¹⁵ that Facebook won't repeat it. 他有责任向员工、广告商和股东展示脸书不会重蹈覆辙。

 

1 inevitably   

adv.不可避免地；必然发生地

参考例句：

• In the way you go on,you are inevitably coming apart.照你们这样下去，毫无疑问是会散伙的。
• Technological changes will inevitably lead to unemployment.技术变革必然会导致失业。

2 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？

3 lucrative   

adj.赚钱的，可获利的

参考例句：

• He decided to turn his hobby into a lucrative sideline.他决定把自己的爱好变成赚钱的副业。
• It was not a lucrative profession.那是一个没有多少油水的职业。

4 controversies   

争论

参考例句：

• We offer no comment on these controversies here. 对于这些争议，我们在这里不作任何评论。 来自英汉非文学 - 历史
• The controversies surrounding population growth are unlikely to subside soon. 围绕着人口增长问题的争论看来不会很快平息。 来自辞典例句

5 dented   

v.使产生凹痕( dent的过去式和过去分词 )；损害；伤害；挫伤（信心、名誉等）

参考例句：

• The back of the car was badly dented in the collision. 汽车尾部被撞后严重凹陷。
• I'm afraid I've dented the car. 恐怕我把车子撞瘪了一些。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 arrogant   

adj.傲慢的，自大的

参考例句：

• You've got to get rid of your arrogant ways.你这骄傲劲儿得好好改改。
• People are waking up that he is arrogant.人们开始认识到他很傲慢。

7 marketing   

n.行销，在市场的买卖，买东西

参考例句：

• They are developing marketing network.他们正在发展销售网络。
• He often goes marketing.他经常去市场做生意。

8 pointed   

adj.尖的，直截了当的

参考例句：

• He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
• She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。

9 promising   

adj.有希望的，有前途的

参考例句：

• The results of the experiments are very promising.实验的结果充满了希望。
• We're trying to bring along one or two promising young swimmers.我们正设法培养出一两名有前途的年轻游泳选手。

10 lawsuit   

n.诉讼，控诉

参考例句：

• They threatened him with a lawsuit.他们以诉讼威逼他。
• He was perpetually involving himself in this long lawsuit.他使自己无休止地卷入这场长时间的诉讼。

11 curbs   

v.限制，克制，抑制( curb的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• In executing his functions he is not bound by any legal curbs on his power. 在他履行职务时，他的权力是不受任何法律约束的。 来自辞典例句
• Curbs on air travel were being worked out and would shortly be announced. 限制航空旅行的有关规定正在拟定中，不久即将公布。 来自辞典例句

12 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。

13 worthy   

adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的

参考例句：

• I did not esteem him to be worthy of trust.我认为他不值得信赖。
• There occurred nothing that was worthy to be mentioned.没有值得一提的事发生。

14 onus   

n.负担；责任

参考例句：

• The onus is on government departments to show cause why information cannot bedisclosed.政府部门有责任说明不能把信息公开的理由。
• The onus of proof lies with you.你有责任提供证据。

15 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