雅思阅读精读 | Big tech’s $2trn bull run

今天这篇雅思阅读题源精读，是选自经济学人2020年6月22号期刊封面文章：big tech‘s $2trn bull run.

Big tech’s $2trn bull run

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 Investors think the techlash is over. That judgment is premature

很多人也许会觉得为什么是 bull？

那是因为封面中就很多的公牛；其次，美国的金融街的代表：华尔街的那头铜牛，所以它用bull 代表资本

资本追逐着什么呢？

你可以从封面图中每头公牛脑门上的标志上+big tech，首先是 Microsoft微软的标志；

后面2头公牛分别代表 Apple苹果和 Amazon亚马逊，最后的2头代表Google 和Facebook。

所以：

• big tech 代表的就是美国科技巨头们

• $2trn bull run 代表2万亿资本追逐

词汇：

• Trn=trillion   =万亿

• Techlash     =对科技巨头的批判与抵制

• Techlash     =tech+lash tech是technology的缩写，lash本意鞭打和批评

例句副标题：

Investors think the techlash is over. That judgment is premature

投资者认为对科技巨头的批判和抵制已经结束了。这种论断下的过早。

第一段

【1】In 2018 a new word entered Silicon Valley’s lexicon: the “tech lash”, or the risk of a consumer and regulatory revolt against big tech. 【2】Today that threat seems empty. 【3】Even as regulators discuss new rules and activists fret about the right to privacy, the shares of the five biggest American tech firms have been on a jaw-dropping bull run over the past 12 months, rising by 52%.【4】The increase in the firms’ combined value, of almost $2trn, is hard to get your head round: it is roughly equivalent to Germany’s entire stockmarket.【5】 Four of the five—Alphabet, Amazon,Apple and Microsoft—are each now worth over $1trn. (Facebook is worth a mere $620bn.) 【6】For all the talk of a techlash, fund managers in Boston, London and Singapore have shrugged and moved on. 【7】Their calculus is that nothing can stop these firms, which are destined to earn untold riches.

江鸟大哥分析

第一段总共7句：

【1】In 2018 a new word entered Silicon Valley’s lexicon: the “tech

lash”, or the risk of a consumer and regulatory revolt against

big tech.

第一句：解释了‘techlash’单词的定义 the risk of a consumer and regulatory revolt against big tech 消费者和法规对于科技巨头的抵制与批判

【2】Today that threat seems empty.

第二句：现在来看这个威胁落空了

【3】Even as regulators discuss new rules and activists fret about the right to privacy, the shares of the five biggest American tech firms have been on a jaw-dropping bull run over the past 12 months, rising by 52%.

词汇：

• fret v 焦急，使磨损

• jaw-dropping adj. 令人目瞪口呆的；印象非常深刻的；令人震惊的

[例句] Now playing: the best action in videos, jaw-dropping images and other media.

现在放映：在录像，令人震惊的图像和另外的媒介的最好的行动

【4】The increase in the firms’ combined value, of almost $2trn, is

hard to get your head round: it is roughly equivalent to Ger

many’s entire stockmarket.

词汇： 

• get your head round=be able to understand something 使得你理解某事

中文理解：这些公司的联合市值增加了将近2万亿，你也许对这个数字没有概念：2万亿差不多等于德国整个国家的全部股票市值

【5】 Four of the five—Alphabet, Amazon, Apple and Microsoft—are each now worth over $1trn. (Facebook is worth a mere $620bn.)

看到这一句的时候你也许会感到好奇，封面上不是有google 这一个我们熟知的科技巨头吗？为什么在这里列举出来的5项，并没有Google？

江鸟大哥科普时间：

Alphabet是谷歌重组后的“伞形公司”（Umbrella Company）名字，Alphabet采取控股公司结构，把旗下搜索、YouTube、其它网络子公司与研发投资部门分离开来。

Alphabet将取GOOGLE INC成为上市实体公司，所有谷歌的股票都会自动转换为相同数量的Alphabet股票，并享有同等权利。

【6】For all the talk of a techlash, fund managers in Boston, London and Singapore have shrugged and moved on.

词汇：

• shrug v 耸肩（表示冷淡，怀疑等）

【例句】 he dismissed the event with a most unsympathetic shrug.

他无所谓地耸耸肩就把这件事打发了。

【7】Their calculus is that nothing can stop these firms, which are destined to earn untold riches.

词汇：

• calculus n 微积分。这里their 指的是前一句的主语：fund managers 基金经理，所以这里的calculus 应该理解成 演算

【例句】but the calculus for politicians has suddenly shifted.

但是，政客们的演算突然发生了转变。

• Riches：财富，富有，房地产 （rich 的复数）

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