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       2020考研学子们，在备考公共课英语科目时，别忘记关注下考研英语经济学人杂志中的文章!因为英语试卷中的阅读理解文章，有些可能会节选自经济学人中的内容。下面，北京文都考研网为帮助考生提升英语水平，整理出英语经济学人:iPhone为什么不那么香了?供考生参考。

2020考研英语经济学人:iPhone为什么不那么香了?

Apple’s product launches are not what they used to be. A decade ago the unveiling of a new iPhone would inspire quasi-religious ecstasy; devotees would camp on pavements outside shops as the release date drew near.

苹果的产品发布已经不同于以往了。十年前，新款iPhone的发布能产生近乎宗教般的狂欢：随着发布日期的临近，果粉们会在苹果手机店外的人行道上扎营露宿。

At the firm’s latest event, on September 10th, the format was the same: Apple’s boss stood on stage, clad in a regulation black jumper, and spoke of the world-changing power of the company’s latest wares.

在今年9月10日苹果最新的发布会上，还是老样子：苹果的老板穿着一件标准的黑色套头衫站在舞台上，演说着苹果最新的产品改变世界的力量。

But the fizz was gone. The iPhone 11 looks like a merely incremental improvement on the models that have gone before it.

但场下的沸腾声已不复存在。iPhone11看上去仅仅只是对前代机型做了些微的改进。

Smartphones have become boring. Consumers around the world are upgrading less frequently. Sales have stagnated. That poses a problem for Apple, which has built its success on charging eye-watering prices for aspirational, frequently replaced devices.

智能手机已经变得无趣了。全球消费者的手机升级换代的频率正在放缓。手机销量停滞不前。这就给苹果公司带来了一个问题，苹果的成功是建立在令人垂涎的、频繁更换的手机设备的高昂定价上。

Its response—to focus more on selling services and less on selling hardware—has been widely trailed. Those services comprise everything from extended warranties to the creation of an Apple-exclusive store for video games, and for streaming video, on which it plans to spend $6bn and which is designed to undercut rivals like Disney and Netflix.

苹果的反应(转向更多地专注于销售服务而非硬件设备)太过迟钝了。其服务项目包罗万象，从延长保修期到为游戏视频和流媒体视频创建苹果独家视频商店(苹果就该项目计划斥资60亿美元，旨在对抗迪士尼和Netflix等竞争对手)。

The iPhone 11’s launch shows what that strategy means for the hardware side. Apple has been raising its prices for years, but that trend has slowed. The cheapest model of the iPhone 11 is the lowest-priced phone the company has launched in two years.

iPhone 11的发布表明了这一策略对硬件设备方面意味着什么。苹果多年来一直在手机的售价，但这一趋势已经放缓。iPhone 11的最低型号是苹果近两年来推出的价格最低的手机。

That makes sense: a service-focused company needs a broad user-base. But it is a delicate balancing act. If prices fall too low, the firm will lose its aspirational glow (the top-of-the-range iPhone 11 Pro Max will cost you $1,449). At the same time, Apple benefits from a captive audience. 这不无道理：一家以服务为核心的公司需要广泛的用户基础。但是，这也是一种微妙的平衡。如果价格跌得过低，苹果将失去其令人向往的光芒(最高型号iPhone 11 Pro Max的售价是1449美元)。同时，苹果也将受益于其忠实用户群。

Users of Google’s rival Android phones have many hardware-sellers to choose from, leading to fierce price competition. Those who prefer Apple’s ecosystem must buy iPhones. That should keep margins plump for the time being.

苹果的竞争对手谷歌的安卓手机用户有多家硬件销售商可供选择，这导致了安卓手机激烈的价格竞争。那些喜欢苹果生态系统的人则必须购买iPhone。这将暂时维持苹果丰厚的利润。

 

【词汇】

ecstasy ['ɛkstəsi] n. 狂喜;入迷;忘形

incremental [ɪnkrə'məntl] adj. (定额)增长的;逐渐的，逐步的;递增的

stagnate [stæɡ'net] vi. 停滞;淤塞;变萧条 vt. 使淤塞;使沉滞;使萧条

aspirational [,æspə'reʃənl] adj. 有雄心壮志的;梦寐以求的 n. 成功指南;处世自助手册

warranty ['wɔrənti] n. 保证;担保;授权;(正当)理由

ecosystem ['ɛko,sɪstəm] n. 生态系统

       以上是北京文都考研网分享的——“2020考研英语经济学人:iPhone为什么不那么香了? ”，希望对2020考研者在复习英语上面有所帮助!祝2020考研凯旋归来!

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