原文譯文
*註：本文摘自8月26日BBC
Apple’s Epic dust-up
蘋果的史詩的紛爭
Playing hard ball
強硬手段
The world’s favourite computer game is taking on the world’s biggest technology firm
Epic挑戰蘋果
1. It was a surgical operation worthy of the best 「Fortnite」 players. On August 13th Epic Games goadedApple into booting its hit game from the App Store. Within an hour of Apple’s decision, Epic launched an antitrust lawsuit against the tech giant. Epic’s slick parody of Apple’s famous 「1984」 advert now cast its enemy as the oppressive, grey Big Brother.
這是一次大手術，值得《堡壘之夜》最好的玩家來做。8月13日，Epic Games公司終於使得APPLE在其應用商店禁止了這款熱門遊戲應用。在蘋果公司做出決定後不到一個小時，Epic就對蘋果提起反壟斷訴訟。Epic巧妙地模仿了蘋果公司著名的『1984」廣告，把蘋果塑造成為暴虐的黑道老大哥。
2. Epic’s provocation was to offer users alternative payment methods for ingame goodies. Those who bought 1,000 v-Bucks, the game’s internal currency, via the App Store would cough up $9.99. Buy directly from Epic, which would thus avoid the 30% cut that Apple takes from every in-app transaction, and you pay $7.99. This dodge violates the App Store’s rules, hence the expulsion. The same day 「Fortnite」 was removed from Google’s Play Store, which serves users of Android phones, for the same reason.
Epic的目的是讓用戶能夠使用不同方式支付遊戲內的各種產品。玩家可以通過Apple Store花9.9美元購買1000V幣（一種遊戲幣），而從epic直接購買的話，玩家就不需要支付apple30%的抽成，只需要7.99美元。這種躲閃行為違反了apple store的規定，因此蘋果公司下架了《堡壘之夜》。為Android手機用戶提供服務的谷歌Play Store也下架了《堡壘之夜》。
3. At issue is the tight grip Apple exertsover its devices. The firm tries to ensure that the App Store is the only way for iPhone users to obtain software. This, Apple says, keeps apps kosher and secure. Critics allege that it stiflescompetition and allows Apple to hold app-sellers over a barrel. Unlike owners of Apple phones, Android users can buy software, including 「Fortnite」, from various vendors, limiting Google’s power; in 2018 Epic launched its own web-based store for pc games, where it takes a 12% cut from developers.
爭論的焦點是蘋果對其設備的嚴格控制。蘋果公司試圖確保App Store是iPhone用戶獲取軟體的唯一途徑。蘋果公司表示，這可以保證應用程式的可靠性和安全性。批評人士稱，這扼殺了競爭，使蘋果得以控制應用程式銷售商。與蘋果手機用戶不同，Android用戶可以從不同的供應商購買各種軟體包括《堡壘之夜》，這限制了谷歌對應用供應商的控制。2018年，Epic推出了自己的基於網絡的電腦遊戲商店，從開發者那裡抽取12%的分成。
4. App developers and companies from Airbnb to Match Group have had run-ins with Apple similar to Epic’s. Complaints from Spotify, a music-streaming service, and Kobo, which makes an e-book reader, have led to an eu antitrust probe.
從Airbnb到Match Group，應用開發商和公司都曾與蘋果發生過類似於Epic的衝突。來自音樂流媒體服務商Spotify和電子書閱讀器製造商Kobo對蘋果的投訴導致了歐盟的反壟斷調查。
5. Shortly after Epic launched its lawsuit, Spotify and Match voiced their support for it. Epic claimed that a ban on 「Fortnite」 would threaten dozens of other iPhone games that have licensed its code. On August 17th Apple said the App Store would welcome 「Fortnite」 back if Epic shelvedits payments ploy. Tim Sweeney, Epic’s feisty boss, is unlikely to give up that easily.
Epic發起訴訟後不久，Spotify和Match都表示支持。Epic聲稱，對《堡壘之夜》的禁令將威脅到其他幾十款已經獲得其代碼許可的iPhone遊戲。8月17日，蘋果公司表示，如果Epic擱置支付策略，應用商店將歡迎《堡壘之夜》回歸。Epic的老闆蒂姆 斯威尼爭強好勝，不太可能輕易放棄。
精讀解析
篇章結構
P1：蘋果禁止《堡壘之夜》，Epic起訴蘋果。
P2：禁止源起：Epic允許用戶通過其他渠道付費。
P3：Epic和蘋果的紛爭焦點是：蘋果的壟斷。
P4：蘋果的壟斷在其他公司身上也發生過。
P5：蘋果和Epic的紛爭很難善了。
重點單詞
dust-up/'d st p/ n. 騷動；吵鬧，爭吵
【例句】
The administration is downplaying the diplomatic dustup.
美國政府試圖淡化這一外交騷亂。
hard balln. 硬式棒球（等於baseball）；（為達到某種目的而採取的）強硬手段；刀劍搏殺
play hardball採取強硬態度
【例句】
You wanna play hard ball? I'm in game!
你要玩硬的，我奉陪！
surgical/'s d k( )l/ adj. 外科的；外科手術的；(服裝)治療用的
【例句】
All surgical instruments must be sterilised before use.
所有的外科手術器械在使用之前,必須消毒。
goad/g d/ n. （趕牲口用的）刺棒；刺激；激勵vt. 刺激；激勵；用刺棒驅趕；煽動
【短語】
goad on 煽動
【例句】
They goaded him on to break the window.
他們唆使他打破窗戶。
antitrust/ nt 'tr st/ adj. 反託拉斯的,反壟斷的
【短語】
antitrust law 反壟斷法；反託拉斯法；反獨佔法
antitrust policy 反託拉斯政策
【例句】
The US anti-trust regulators would never approve the deal.
美國反壟斷監管機構從未批准過這項交易。
slick/sl k/ adj. 順利而有效的, 不費力的；圓滑的, 油滑的；光滑的, 滑溜的
【例句】
It's precisely that sort of slick sales-talk that I mistrust.
我不相信的正是那種油腔滑調的推銷宣傳。
parody/'p r d / n. 滑稽的模仿詩文；拙劣的模仿;荒謬的替代物vt. 滑稽地模仿, 拙劣地模仿
【例句】
She has become a grotesque parody of her former elegant self.
她成為了以前那個舉止優雅的自己的怪誕模仿品。
alternative/ l't n t v/ adj. 兩者擇一的, 供替代的；不尋常的, 非傳統性的；非正統的n. 取捨, 抉擇, 可供選擇的事物；選擇的餘地, 可供選擇的機會
【例句】
This kind of newspaper is alternative press.
這種報紙是非正統性報刊。
cough up咳出；勉強說出；被迫付出
cough it up 不情願地付錢；勉強交出
【例句】
With a supreme effort Somervell managed to cough up the obstruction.
薩默維爾費了好大的勁兒才把肉屑咳出來。
dodge/d d / vt. & vi. 閃躲n. 閃躲, 躲避；伎倆, 妙計
【例句】
I dodged herds of joggers and cyclists.
我躲閃著一群群慢跑者和騎自行車的人。
expulsion/ k'sp l ( )n/ n. 噴出, 排出；開除, 驅逐
【例句】
His bad behaviour resulted in his expulsion from school.
他的不良行為導致他被學校開除了。
exert/ g'z t/ vt. 運用，發揮；施以影響
【短語】
exert oneself 努力；盡力
exert an influence on 對……產生影響
【例句】
He never exerts himself to help anyone.
他從未盡力幫助別人。
kosher/'k / adj. 猶太教所規定允許的,合適的vt. 使合適
【例句】
The 4 were killed in anattack on a kosher supermarket.
四人是在猶太超市襲擊中喪生的。
stifle/'sta f( )l/ v. 使窒息；扼殺；藏匿n. （馬等的）後膝關節；（馬等的）後膝關節病
【例句】
The smoke stifled the fireman.
濃煙使消防隊員窒息。
over a barrel受制於人，聽從擺布
【例句】
They need us more than we need them，so we've got them over a barrel.
比起我們需要他們，他們更需要我們，所以我們可以控制他們。
He had me over a barrel because he knew my carefully-guarded secrets.
我受制於他，因為他掌握了我嚴守的秘密。
vendor/'vend / n. 小販；賣主；自動售貨機
【例句】
She looked at the vendor who cheated her the other day with distaste.
她厭惡地望著那個前幾天曾經欺騙過她的小販。
license/ lais ns/ vt. 批准, 許可, 頒發執照 n. 營業執照
【短語】
business license 營業執照；運業執照
license plate 牌照
driver's license 駕駛執照
driving license 駕照
【例句】
She was released after posting $100 cash bond and her driver's license.
交了100元現款保釋金及駕駛執照以後，她獲得保釋了。
shelve/ elv/ vt. 擱置，將某事放到一旁不予考慮
【例句】
Let's shelve the plan for a second.
讓我們先把這個計劃放在一邊。
ploy/pl / n. 策略,手法
【例句】
He may find a last-minute rewinding ploy to keep both sides burbling a bit longer.
也許他還能找到緩兵之計，使兩方繼續談判，但即使再拖下去，兩國制的方針也很難真正實現。
feisty/'fa st / adj. 活躍的；好爭吵的；煩躁不安的
【例句】
Hollywood doesn't have a lot of good feisty roles for girls my age.
好萊塢沒多少適合我這個年齡的女孩子扮演的生氣勃勃的好角色。
- THE END -
堅持就會有收穫！