Bill Gates has spoken candidly about his regrets as the leader of Microsoft, most particularly the company's attempts to build a dominant mobile OS(试图建立一个占主导地位的移动操作系统). As reported by The Verge, during an interview at venture capital firm (风险投资公司) Village Global,
Gates said "the greatest mistake ever is whatever mismanagement I engaged in that caused Microsoft not to be what Android is."(“我最大的错误是，我所从事的管理不善，以至于微软不是安卓系统。”)
When the first Android handset(安卓手机) came along(问世) in 2008, Google's mobile platform became an open alternative(替代品) to the iPhone, which was released in 2007. Microsoft tried, but ultimately failed, to adapt to the competition(竞争).
As Microsoft was the dominant force in desktop software(台式软件的主导力量) at the time, it should have meant that the company would be a big player in mobile(移动领域的大玩家) as well. Microsoft did have a phone platform, Windows Mobile, but it was centered on keyboard and stylus input(键盘和手写笔输入).
By the time the touch-friendly Windows Phone 7 launched(推出) in 2010, it was too late for Microsoft to gain traction(越来越受欢迎). It limped along with low market share for years(多年来，微软处于低市场份额的状态), until Microsoft ended support for the OS in 2017. It will end support for Windows Phone's successor, Windows 10 Mobile, later this year.
"Android is the standard non-Apple phone platform," Gates later noted in the interview (embedded above). "That was a natural thing for Microsoft to win. It really is winner take all.
“安卓是一个标准的非苹果手机平台。”“这对微软来说是很自然的事。真是赢家通吃.”
If you're there with half as many apps or 90 percent as many apps, you're on your way to complete doom. There's room for exactly one."
如果你在系统平台上的App只有一半或是90%，那你就玩完了。
This wasn't Gates' fault personally(个人的错误), as he stepped down from his role as CEO(辞去了CEO的职位) in 2000. He continued as a part-time chairman and chief software architect(首席软件架构师) for over a decade but left these roles to pursue philanthropic work(慈善事业).
The CEO of Microsoft at the time, Steve Ballmer, famously laughed at the iPhone for being too expensive. Many of Microsoft's mobile failings, including its partnership with Nokia, have been pinned on (把……归罪于) him.
Still, it's clear that Gates feels regret over the failure of Microsoft to capture the mobile market. "There's room for exactly one non-Apple operating system," he said, and pointed out that this alternative operating system was worth the equivalent of $400 billion(这个替代操作系统价值4,000亿美元左右).
Notes
dominant mobile OS(占主导地位的移动操作系统)
venture capital firm (风险投资公司)
Android handset(安卓手机)
came along(问世)
alternative(替代品)
competition(竞争)
dominant force in desktop software(台式软件的主导力量)
big player in mobile(移动领域的大玩家)
keyboard and stylus input(键盘和手写笔输入)
launched(推出)
gain traction(越来越受欢迎)
fault personally(个人的错误)
stepped down from his role as CEO(辞去了CEO的职位)
chief software architect(首席软件架构师)
philanthropic work(慈善事业)
pinned on (把……归罪于)
相关外媒词条：
「 卫报」Facebook推出加密货币，试图撼动全球金融
「CNN」TikTok拥有者字节跳动公司 10亿活跃用户
「CNN」比特币价格一年来首次突破1万美元
推荐阅读：
【历年张璐口译】2019总理记者会，张璐翻译的这些话真给力！
公众号后台回复：
"政府工作报告"|"资料"|"外交部金句"|"卢敏".......
更多英汉注释政府报告：
十九大完结
19大词组及句子整理（百度网盘）
2019政府工作报告完结@备考CATTI个人注释
2018政府工作报告完结@备考CATTI个人注释
2017政府工作报告完结@备考CATTI个人注释
【中英对照全文】2019政府工作报告
如果您感觉本文还不错或者对您有帮助，那请分享给您的朋友
网友评论