商业周刊:网络防火墙背后的故事(4)

Then in 2016 it launched a shortvideo app in China called Douyin that allowed users to add music and animations¹.

2016年，字节跳动在中国推出了一款名为抖音的短视频应用，允许用户添加音乐和动画。

The following year, it created an international version, TikTok.

第二年，公司开发出抖音国际版TikTok。

Users who open TikTok are confronted with an endless feed of short, full-screen videos, generally set to music.

用户打开TikTok后，将看到不计其数的全屏短视频，这些视频通常都配有音乐。

Tapping on a magnifying glass icon² reveals TikTok's "Discover" page, which displays a carousel³ of videos under "trending hashtags."

点击应用中的放大镜图标，可以看到TikTok的“发现”页面，该页面在“趋势标签”下会显示视频转轮。

These are internet memes such as #potatoportrait, where users apply makeup⁴ to potatoes, or #simbachallenge, which asks them to reenact an iconic Lion King scene.

这些是#potatoportrait等互联网模因，用户向#potatoportrait或者#simbachallenge注册化妆，他们需要再现狮子王电影中的一个标志性场景。

Although these features make TikTok feel similar to Facebook, Instagram, and Snap, the app doesn't rely on social connections to figure out what to show you when you open it.

尽管这些功能让TikTok感觉起来很像脸书、Ins和Snap，但该应用并不依赖社交网络来确定，你在打开它时会显示的内容。

Instead, TikTok decides what videos to show by tapping into data, starting with your location.

相反，TikTok利用数据来决定要显示什么视频，从你所在的位置开始。

Then, as you start watching, it analyzes⁵ the faces, voices, music, or objects in videos you watch the longest.

等你开始观看时，它会分析你观看时间最长的视频中所包含的面孔、声音、音乐或物体。

Liking⁶, sharing, or commenting improves TikTok's algorithm further.

点赞、分享或评论会进一步提高TikTok的算法。

Within a day, the app can get to know you so well it feels like it's reading your mind.

一天之内，这个应用就会对你非常了解，就好像它会读心术一样。

That's why Jade⁷, the Oklahoma teen, mostly sees videos of people dancing, while her mom regularly gets clips of dog tricks.

这就是俄克拉荷马州的年轻人杰德主要观看人们跳舞的视频，而她妈妈则常收到狗狗恶作剧推荐视频的原因。

Another way TikTok differs from big American social media apps, which largely grew through word of mouth, is that its expansion didn't happen entirely⁸ through the magic of viral marketing⁹.

TikTok与美国大型社交媒体应用的不同之处还在于，它主要是靠口碑传播，并不是完全借助网络营销的魔力。

Although the app initially¹⁰ took off in India and Southeast Asia, it struggled to attract users in the U.S. and Europe.

这款应用虽然最初在印度和东南亚地区很火爆，但它很难吸引美国和欧洲的用户。

In November 2017, Bytedance paid about $800 million for Musical.ly, a music video app that had more than 100 million users.

2017年11月，字节跳动花费约8亿美元收购了Music.ly，这是一款拥有1亿多用户的音乐视频应用。

A few months later, those users would find the old Musical.ly app replaced with one bearing TikTok's neon logo instead.

几个月后，这些用户会发现原来的Musical.ly应用，被一个带有TikTok霓虹灯标志的应用所取代。

The app suddenly had a substantial footprint in the U.S.

该应用突然在美国占据了一席之地。

"Musical.ly believed in organic growth, and that worked great with early adopters," says GGV Capital's Tung, who also invested in Musical.ly.

投资于Musical.ly的纪源资本执行合伙人童士豪表示，“Musical.ly认同有机增长，这对早期使用者很有利。”

"TikTok is more based on algorithm recommendations and paid growth," meaning ads on Facebook and elsewhere.

“TikTok更多地基于算法推荐和付费增长，”这意味着在脸书和其他网站上打广告。

1 animations   

n.生气( animation的名词复数 )；兴奋；动画片；（指电影、录像、电脑游戏的）动画制作

参考例句：

• You'll see your team cheerleaders and mascot performing new animations as well. 你会看到啦啦队队长跟吉祥物也都会有全新的动作。 来自互联网
• Ability to create simple movie and animations using graphic & multimedia software. 能够用平面和多媒体软件制作简单的电影及动画。 来自互联网

2 icon   

n.偶像，崇拜的对象，画像

参考例句：

• They found an icon in the monastery.他们在修道院中发现了一个圣像。
• Click on this icon to align or justify text.点击这个图标使文本排齐。

3 carousel   

n.旋转式行李输送带

参考例句：

• Riding on a carousel makes you feel dizzy.乘旋转木马使你头晕。
• We looked like a bunch of awkward kids riding a slow-moving carousel.我们看起来就像一群骑在旋转木马上的笨拙的孩子。

4 makeup   

n.组织；性格；化装品

参考例句：

• Those who failed the exam take a makeup exam.这次考试不及格的人必须参加补考。
• Do you think her beauty could makeup for her stupidity?你认为她的美丽能弥补她的愚蠢吗？

5 analyzes   

v.分析( analyze的第三人称单数 )；分解；解释；对…进行心理分析

参考例句：

• This approach analyzes management by studying experience usually through cases. 这个学派通常从实例获得经验，用以分析管理。 来自辞典例句
• The econometrician analyzes statistical data. 经济计量学者要分析统计材料。 来自辞典例句

6 liking   

n.爱好；嗜好；喜欢

参考例句：

• The word palate also means taste or liking.Palate这个词也有“口味”或“嗜好”的意思。
• I must admit I have no liking for exaggeration.我必须承认我不喜欢夸大其词。

7 jade   

n.玉石；碧玉；翡翠

参考例句：

• The statue was carved out of jade.这座塑像是玉雕的。
• He presented us with a couple of jade lions.他送给我们一对玉狮子。

8 entirely   

ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The fire was entirely caused by their neglect of duty. 那场火灾完全是由于他们失职而引起的。
• His life was entirely given up to the educational work. 他的一生统统献给了教育工作。

9 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。

10 initially   

adv.最初，开始

参考例句：

• The ban was initially opposed by the US.这一禁令首先遭到美国的反对。
• Feathers initially developed from insect scales.羽毛最初由昆虫的翅瓣演化而来。