iPhone和無人駕駛汽車 誰能在中國交好運

Each Saturday, Farhad Manjoo and Mike Isaac, technology reporters at The New York Times, review the week’s news, offering analysis and maybe a joke or two about the most important developments in the tech industry.

每週六，《紐約時報》科技記者法哈德•曼朱(Farhad Manjoo)和邁克•艾薩克(Mike Isaac)都會回顧一週的新聞，分析最重要的產業動態、或許開一兩個玩笑。

Mike is off this week, so Paul Mozur, the Times’s Asia technology correspondent, stepped in.

本週邁克休假，由時報在亞洲的科技記者孟寶勒(Paul Mozur)臨時替代。

Farhad: How’s it going, Paul! Mike is blessedly on vacation this week, so I get the pleasure of chatting with you.

法哈德：哈囉，保羅！邁克本週有福去休假了，所以讓我得以有與你聊天的快樂。

Thank you for turning what’s normally the worst part of my week into the best.

感謝你把我一週裏通常最苦逼的時刻變成最美好的部分。

Paul: Happy to pitch in. Though it’s hard to know what counts as pleasure for a man who I just discovered doesn’t like The Big Lebowski?

孟寶勒：很高興能幫上忙，不過，我剛發現你不喜歡《謀殺綠腳趾》(The Big Lebowski)，對這種男人來說，怎樣纔算得上快樂，很難說。

Farhad: You know what I’ve been really getting into lately? Keeping Up With the Kardashians. It’s so good! But that’s for another time.

法哈德：你知道我最近迷上什麼了嗎？ 《與卡戴珊一家同行》(Keeping Up With the Kardashians)，真的非常棒！不過改天再說這個吧。

So you’re visiting San Francisco this week from Hong Kong, where you cover the tech business across Asia.

你在香港報道整個亞洲地區的高技術行業，本週從香港飛來舊金山一趟。

But before we move to Asian tech, let’s start by talking about things closer at hand.

但在我們談亞洲技術行業之前，先來說說身邊的事情吧。

In other words, Apple.

也就是說蘋果的事情。

Reviews of the new iPhone, the 7 and 7 Plus, and the new Apple Watch came out, and they were mostly positive.

新款iPhone，即 7和7 Plus，以及新款蘋果手錶(Apple Watch)的測評都出來了，大多數都是好評。

My own take: The lack of a headphone jack on the new iPhone isn’t a huge problem, the new wireless headphones are interesting but kind of weird, and the new watch is slightly better than the old one, but nothing most people need just yet.

我自己的看法是：新款iPhone沒有耳機插孔不是什麼大問題，新的無線耳機很有意思，但是有點怪怪的，新款智能手錶比老款稍微好一點，但不是大多數人很快會需要的東西。

But who cares what I think.

但誰在乎我的想法呢。

Increasingly what matters for Apple is what the people in China think of its phones.

對蘋果來說，越來越重要的是，中國人對其iPhone手機怎麼看。

China had been a huge growth area for Apple, but in the last year things began to slide.

中國曾是蘋果一個巨大的增長市場，但在去年開始出現下滑。

Apple has also had more trouble with Chinese regulators as it has become a bigger force in the Chinese tech industry.

而且隨着中國監管機構在該國高技術產業中的權力增大，蘋果在這方面也遇到了更多麻煩。

What’s going on? Are the Chinese still in love with iPhones?

目前情況怎麼樣？中國人仍然鍾情於iPhone手機嗎？

Paul: I do think the Chinese are still in love with the iPhone, but as with any relationship that goes on long enough, some of the thrill has gone.

孟寶勒：我的確認爲中國人仍然愛着iPhone，但是就像所有其他的維持了足夠長時間的愛情關係一樣，有些興奮感已經消失。

The main problem Apple is facing at the moment is a slew of Chinese competitors that make high-quality phones.

蘋果目前面臨的主要問題是，一大批製造優質手機的中國本土競爭對手。

Some fans are being led astray, and it’s up to Apple to catch their eye again.

一些粉絲被競爭對手誘入歧途，要看蘋果能否再把他們吸引回來。

Given the new version of the iPhone doesn’t boast any conspicuous upgrades, it could be that Apple’s sagging fortunes in China continue in the short term.

考慮到新款iPhone沒有任何值得吹噓的明顯升級，短期內，蘋果在中國的頹勢可能會持續。

Still, that doesn’t mean Apple has lost its hold on the market.

不過，這並不意味着蘋果失去了對中國市場的影響力。

In covering Apple’s most recent slowdown in China, I was reminded of a similar piece I wrote in 2012 when Apple was struggling to compete with Samsung’s phones that had larger screens.

報道蘋果公司最近在中國市場的下滑時，我想起了2012年時我寫的一篇類似的文章，講的是蘋果在與三星的大屏手機競爭上遇到的困難。

Apple has recovered from lulls in China in the past, and could again.

蘋果公司過去能從中國市場的挫折中恢復過來，這次也可能做到。

Chinese consumers crave not only what’s new, but also what stands out as new.

中國消費者不僅渴望新東西，而且也希望顯眼的新東西。

Apple still very much has a hold on the Chinese consumer, but many may well wait another year to see what Apple does for the 10th anniversary of the iPhone, when there may be more of a wow factor.

蘋果對中國消費者仍然很有吸引力，但很多人可能會再等上一年，看看蘋果在iPhone 10週年的時候推出什麼，那時可能會有更多讓人喝彩的成分。

That said, a part of me thinks the new wireless headphones could be a hit in China.

儘管如此，我還是有點覺得，新的無線耳機可能會在中國受到熱捧。

More so than a new iPhone, they broadcast that a user is willing to drop a solid chunk of change to keep up on tech trends.

與新款iPhone相比，無線耳機更能展示用戶爲了跟上技術趨勢，願意出手不菲。

That formula has worked well for Apple in the past in China, though it would have helped if they made the AirPods in gold and rose gold options.

過去，蘋果的這種做法在中國一直效果不俗，不過，如果有金色和玫瑰金色版本的AirPods就可能會更好。

Farhad: Oh, I bet rose gold AirPods are coming.

法哈德：哦，我打賭很快會有玫瑰金版本的AirPods。

Put me down for none.

如果沒有我會很失望。

Other tech news this week involved cars.

本週技術新聞的另一部分與汽車有關。

Uber began rolling out its self-driving cars in Pittsburgh.

Uber開始在匹茲堡推出自動駕駛汽車。

(Mike got to ride in one!)

（邁克進行了試乘！）

Silicon Valley’s other big car start-up, Tesla, experienced more bad news.

硅谷的另一家汽車初創公司特斯拉遇到了更多的不順。

Not only did I throw shade on its prospects in my column this week, but another report of a malfunction with its Autopilot driving system came in from China.

不僅我在本週的專欄裏對它的前景表示看淡，而且中國也報道了它的一起自動駕駛儀故障。

According to a report from the Chinese government news channel CCTV, the car’s self-driving system failed to stop as the vehicle approached a street sweeper, resulting in the death of the driver.

中國政府新聞頻道中央電視臺報道說，特斯拉的自動駕駛系統未能在轎車接近一輛道路清掃車時剎車，導致特斯拉的司機死亡。

This got me thinking about the car business in China.

這讓我想起了在中國的汽車行業。

Every American tech company sees China as a huge market, but the transportation companies are especially interested.

美國所有的高技術公司都將中國視爲一個巨大市場，但從事運輸的公司對中國尤其感興趣。

Uber spent billions trying to break in there before selling its operations to the local competitor, Didi Chuxing, in which Uber will now have a stake.

Uber花費了數以十億美元的資金，試圖打入中國市場，與中國本土公司滴滴出行開展競爭，但最終把業務出售給了對手，現在Uber將擁有滴滴出行的股份。

What else is going on in Chinese transportation business that you think Americans should know about?

中國的運輸行業還有什麼事情，你認爲是美國人應該知道的？

Paul: It’s good to know there’s now a safe way to have Mike behind the wheel.

孟寶勒：知道現在有一種讓麥克能安全地坐在方向盤後面的方法，這很好。

The first thing to realize is driving conditions in China are very different from America.

首先要明白的是，在中國開車與在美國開車有很大的不同。

In China, most traffic laws are taken as suggestions (cars blithely reverse down highways when they miss exits and occasionally use sidewalks as an extra lane) and on highways, slow moving, big vehicles like that street sweeper are not uncommon.

在中國，大多數交通法規都被看成是建議（當司機錯過了高速公路的出口時，他們會毫無顧忌地倒車，有時還會把人行道當作額外的車道），在高速公路上，像前面提到的道路清掃車那樣的行駛緩慢的大型車輛並不少見。

All of that means we will probably see more tech failures as autonomous driving technology starts to be used more frequently on both sides of the Pacific.

所有這一切意味着，當自動駕駛技術在太平洋兩岸更加頻繁地投入使用時，我們可能會看到更多的技術失敗。

In China, Baidu and LeEco are both working on driverless technology.

在中國，百度和樂視正在研發無人駕駛技術。

The companies will probably be helped by the fact that the Chinese government wants to see them succeed and has proved quite proactive in giving them a lift.

中國政府希望它們取得成功，對它們進行了積極扶植，這可能對它們起到推動作用。

Baidu already has regulatory buy-in to try out its technology on bus routes.

百度已經說服監管機構讓其在公交線路上進行測試。

I do also think we could see some political issues crop up as the technology is more widely used.

我的確也覺得，當這種技術獲得更廣泛的應用時，會有一些政治問題冒出來。

The Chinese government will want to give its local companies a leg up and it has also been uncomfortable letting foreign companies collect data within China and beam it elsewhere, so it could be we see some roadblocks go up to foreign autonomous driving technology down the line.

中國政府將希望爲本土企業提供幫助；對外國企業在中國境內收集數據、並將數據發送到其他地方的做法，中國政府一直感到不安，因此我們很可能會看到在國外自主駕駛技術的道路上出現一些障礙。

Farhad: Finally, one of the biggest tech stories this week is about the Korean tech giant Samsung, whose Galaxy Note 7 smartphone descended further into infamy when the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission issued a formal recall on Thursday.

法哈德：最後，本週最大的科技新聞之一事關韓國技術巨頭三星，在美國消費品安全委員會週四發佈正式的召回令後，三星的Galaxy Note 7智能手機進一步陷入聲名狼藉的深淵。

The commission said Samsung has received 92 reports of batteries overheating in the United States, among them 26 reports of burns and 55 reports of property damage, including fires in cars and a garage.

該委員會說，三星已經在美國收到了92起手機電池過熱的報告，其中有26份燒傷報告，55份財產損失報告，包括在汽車中起火、以及在一座車庫裏起火的案例。

The formal recall comes a couple weeks after Samsung issued its own recall.

正式召回令發出的幾周前，三星已經發布了自己的召回通知。

But the company has been criticized for the way it has bungled the process.

但批評者說，該公司的召回搞得很糟。

The whole incident seems like a terrible blow to its reputation, which had recently been on the upswing after the company released a slate of well-reviewed phones.

整個事件似乎給三星的聲譽帶來了沉重打擊，本來三星在發佈了一系列廣受好評的手機之後，公司聲譽正處在一個上升期。

So, what do you think? How bad is this for Samsung?

所以，你怎麼看？這事對三星有多壞？

Paul: It can’t be good when planes across the world are reminding passengers that Samsung’s phones can spontaneously detonate.

孟寶勒：當世界各地的航空公司都在提醒乘客，三星手機可能發生自發爆炸時，這事不可能好。

It’s a major blow, and one that probably hit some of the company’s most loyal customers who would be the first to buy the new phones.

這是一個沉重打擊，可能會影響三星的一些死忠用戶，他們本來是會率先購買新手機的那種人。

The bungled recall probably hints at a broader issue for Samsung.

搞砸了召回可能暗示着三星面臨更廣泛的問題。

There’s no real parallel in America that can illustrate just how influential Samsung is in South Korea.

美國沒有類似的公司可以展示三星在韓國的影響力如何之大。

It’s responsible for something like 20 percent of the country’s exports, and that has helped it get a pass from both media and regulators in the past.

三星佔韓國出口總額的20%，在過去，這種影響力有助於三星在媒體和監管機構那裏一路暢通。

The most galling example of this was when the company’s former chairman was pardoned by South Korea’s president in 2009 after he was convicted of tax evasion and embezzlement.

這方面最厚顏無恥的例子是，三星前任董事長2009年因判逃稅和貪污被定罪後，獲得了韓國總統的赦免。

One has to wonder how much the coddling Samsung gets at home is to blame for the company’s bumbling response to this battery problem.

人們想知道，三星在國內受到的縱容在多大程度上造成了它對電池問題的迴應不力。

Our co-worker Brian X.

我們的同事布賴恩•X•陳也發現，當他的三星微波爐壞掉時，該公司也表現得十分無能。

Chen found the company was also pretty incompetent when his Samsung oven broke, sending a technician seven times before ultimately replacing it.

三星派一個技術員去修了七次，最後才換了貨。

Samsung is much bigger than the electronics it sells to consumers.

三星的業務遠不止向消費者銷售電子產品。

It makes microchips, screens, memory and all manner of components.

它還生產芯片、屏幕、內存和各種部件。

It will have little trouble paying the likely $1 billion price tag for the recall.

召回的費用可能在10億美元左右，這對三星來說是筆小錢。

And its reputation will survive.

三星的聲譽也將得到保全。

Given that, the biggest question is does it learn from this?

因此，最大的問題是，它是否能從這件事中汲取教訓？

There was an editorial in the Korean newspaper, the Chosun Ilbo, faulting Samsung for the technological mistakes that led to this issue.

韓國報紙《朝鮮日報》(The Chosun Ilbo)發表了一篇社論，批評了三星在導致這個問題上出現的技術失誤。

Certainly that matters, but it seems a bit beside the point.

那當然很重要，但似乎沒有說在點子上。

With the supply chain as complex as it is, mistakes will occasionally happen.

這麼複雜的供應鏈，偶爾出現錯誤也是難免的。

The thing that Samsung can control, and should do better at, is communicating with its customers.

三星能夠控制、而且應該做得更好的是，與客戶進行溝通。

Farhad: Right.

法哈德：對。

I’m curious to see if this incident changes their approach to problems.

我想看看這件事是否會改變他們處理問題的方式。

Also, I’m now very scared that all our phones and laptops are hazards waiting to go off.

另外，我現在也很擔心，我們所有的手機和筆記本電腦都有爆炸的危險。

So anyway … have a good flight back!

所以不管怎麼說……祝你的返程飛行一路順風！

Paul: Thanks for playing right into my neuroses about flying.

孟寶勒：謝謝你拿我的飛行緊張症開心。