VOA常速英语2018--立陶宛抵制共享拼车APP

Gunaras Riabokas says driving his taxi along the streets of Vilnius every day has made him Lithuanian unofficial pollster of public opinion.

Gunaras Riabokas表示，开出租车环行维尔纽斯大街小巷的他，每天都是如此。这使他不是民意调查员，却胜似民意调查员。

Here a lot of customers, a lot of stories, a lot of something cabinet every day, you know. I knew more than anybody, you know. That includes what Lithuanians look for when they look for a ride. They want a ride…cheap… iphone. It’s everything against price.

开出租能遇到很多顾客，听到很多故事，甚至是有关内阁的故事，天天如此。我比任何人知道的都多，你懂的。这其中就包括立陶宛人在想要搭乘时看重的点。他们想用iphone打便宜的车，总之就是想省钱。

The idea is at the heart of competition among a crowded field of taxi ride share services that include the US-based UBER, Lithuania’s own Taxify and Russia’s Yandex Taxi already dominant¹ in Russia. Yandex launched its taxi sharing app in the Baltic countries in the summer of 2018 to a receptive market, but growing success has also caught the eye of Lithuania’s Ministry² of Defense³ which has raised concerns about illicit⁴ data gathering⁵ to the apps access to user contacts, microphone and camera. Our national cybersecurity center did the first examination on where exactly data is being sent and what we found out that the data was a direction.

这种思维是竞争的核心，毕竟共享出租的市场火爆，里面有美国的优步，有立陶宛自己的Taxify，也有俄罗斯已经占据半壁江山的Yandex Taxi。Yandex于2018年夏天在波罗的海国家推出了共享出租的应用程序，以迎合市场需求。

But Edvinas says that may violate European Union law that has banned use of the app by government officials, and issued warnings to the public pending⁶ an investigation⁷.

但Edvinas表示，这可能会违反欧盟法律，因为欧盟法律禁止政府官员使用应用程序，并向公众发布了警告，等候进行调查。

Back in Moscow, Yandex Taxi calls the charges unfounded. Access to smart phone function simply improves service, they say, and all user information is stored within EU data centers. If someone has some suspicions, especially the Baltic States government officials, we are open…we are ready to do all the necessary checks. Let them come and we are ready for discussion. The charges have dragged the app into a wider Russia West standoff over issues that include Ukraine and alleged⁸ election interference. So is Yandex Taxi. The latest tool in Kremlin hybrid⁹ tactics or just a company malign¹⁰ for simply being Russian.

莫斯科方面，Yandex Taxi高呼指控无中生有。他们认为，接入智能手机的功能完全是提升了服务，而且所有用户信息都储存在了欧盟数据中心里。如果任何人有嫌疑，尤其是波罗的海的各政府官员，那我们也愿意公开接受所有必要的审查。我们来者不拒，我们愿意讨论这件事。这些指控将拼车的应用程序拖进了一个俄罗斯西部更广泛的僵局之中，涉及到了乌克兰和干涉选举的问题。Yandex出租车也被卷入其中。这不是俄罗斯政府最新想出的组合拳，就是给所有无辜的俄罗斯公司贴上罪恶的标签。

On the streets of the capital Vilnius, views break down along cultural lines mindful of Lithuanians passed under Russian Soviet¹¹ rule. What kind of secret information could I have is because Yandex is Russian that they’re finding fault with it. It’s Russia-phobia… There’s nothing else to say... It’s just politics and the reason why... because I think that’s... Well, I think there is still some like a stigma¹² between the fan and Russia, but in an era when data protection from all tech companies Western included are under the microscope.

首都维尔纽斯的大街小巷上，人们在文化角度上对苏联曾经统治过立陶宛的事情已经不再介意。我只能将想法埋在心底，因为我觉得Yandex是俄罗斯公司，这就是Yandex的原罪。这是仇视俄罗斯的心理，仅此而已。这只是政治原因，因为……因为我觉得……狂热者和俄罗斯之间横摆着一道耻辱，而且我们恰好处于当今这个时代——包括西方在内的所有科技公司对数据的保护都被人密切关注着。

Some Lithuanians are opting¹³ out in other ways. I can go and on foot also...I don’t take taxi. Walking, if only there was an app for that.

一些立陶宛人以其他方式脱离了这个问题的烦恼。我可以步行，我不用非得打车。走路，总不用应用程序吧。

1 dominant   

adj.支配的，统治的；占优势的；显性的；n.主因，要素，主要的人(或物)；显性基因

参考例句：

• The British were formerly dominant in India.英国人从前统治印度。
• She was a dominant figure in the French film industry.她在法国电影界是个举足轻重的人物。

2 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

3 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

4 illicit   

adj.非法的，禁止的，不正当的

参考例句：

• He had an illicit association with Jane.他和简曾有过不正当关系。
• Seizures of illicit drugs have increased by 30% this year.今年违禁药品的扣押增长了30%。

5 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。

6 pending   

prep.直到，等待…期间；adj.待定的；迫近的

参考例句：

• The lawsuit is still pending in the state court.这案子仍在州法庭等待定夺。
• He knew my examination was pending.他知道我就要考试了。

7 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

8 alleged   

a.被指控的，嫌疑的

参考例句：

• It was alleged that he had taken bribes while in office. 他被指称在任时收受贿赂。
• alleged irregularities in the election campaign 被指称竞选运动中的不正当行为

9 hybrid   

n.(动，植）杂种，混合物

参考例句：

• That is a hybrid perpetual rose.那是一株杂交的四季开花的蔷薇。
• The hybrid was tall,handsome,and intelligent.那混血儿高大、英俊、又聪明。

10 malign   

adj.有害的；恶性的；恶意的；v.诽谤，诬蔑

参考例句：

• It was easy to see why the cartoonists regularly portrayed him as a malign cherub.难怪漫画家总是把他画成一个邪恶的小天使。
• She likes to malign innocent persons.她爱诋毁那些清白的人。

11 Soviet   

adj.苏联的，苏维埃的；n.苏维埃

参考例句：

• Zhukov was a marshal of the former Soviet Union.朱可夫是前苏联的一位元帅。
• Germany began to attack the Soviet Union in 1941.德国在1941年开始进攻苏联。

12 stigma   

n.耻辱，污名；(花的)柱头

参考例句：

• Being an unmarried mother used to carry a social stigma.做未婚母亲在社会上曾是不光彩的事。
• The stigma of losing weighed heavily on the team.失败的耻辱让整个队伍压力沉重。

13 opting   

v.选择，挑选( opt的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• What courses are most students opting for? 多数学生选什么课程？ 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Wells doesn't rule out opting out and then re-signing with Houston. 威尔斯没有排除跳出合同再与火箭重签的可能。 来自互联网