Amazon's empire
1. HBO : Home Box Office, is an American premium cable and satellite television network that is owned by Time Warner through its respective flagship company Home Box office,Inc, which is the oldest and longest continuously operating pay television service (basic or premium) in the United States, having been in operation since November 8, 1972
Link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HBO
2. almond : Noun, the flat pale sweet nut of the almond tree used in cooking and to make almond oil 杏仁
E.g. Almonds are pale oval nuts. They are often used in cooking.
3.....and speakers linked to a virtual voice-activated assistand that can control, among other things, your lamps and sprinkler.
virtual: |ˈvɜ:tʃuəl; 美 ˈvɜ:rtʃ-| adj :
** made to appear to exist by the use of computer software, for example on the Internet 虚拟的，模拟的 E.g. New technology has enabled development of an online ‘virtual library ’. 新技术已经使在线“虚拟图书馆”的发展成为可能。
**almost or very nearly the thing described, so that any slight difference is not important 实际的，实质上的 E.g. The company has a virtual monopoly in this area of trade.这家公司实质上已经垄断了这种贸易
Voice-activated: 声控的E.g.voice activated intercom 语音对讲机
sprinkler：Noun, is a device used to spray water. Sprinklers are used to water plants or grass, or to put out fires in buildings.(浇花草的)洒水器;喷水灭火装置
4. premise: noun, a statement or an idea that forms the basis for a reasonable line of argument 前提；假定 E.g. His reasoning is based on the premise that all people are equally capable of good and evil. 他的推理是以人可以为善亦可以为恶为前提的
5.capitalisation : noun. an estimation of the value of a business .
E.g. a market capitalication 市场资本.
Now they are ranked first, second and third worldwide in terms of market capitalisation. 现在按市值计算,这些银行已经占据了全球前三位
6. that is because investors anticipate both an extraordinary rise in revenue. .......
anticipate: 预期;预料;预计 If you anticipate an event, you realize in advance that it may happen and you are prepared for it.
E.g.They anticipate moving to bigger premises by the end of the year.
revenue: noun.the money that a government receives from taxes or that an organization, etc. receives from its business 财政收入，税收收入，收益
E.g. a slump in oil revenues 石油收入的下跌
The company's annual revenues rose by 30%公司的年收入增加了30%
7. Ground for scepticism does not come much more fertile than this .....
怀疑的理由 ？
8. it is easy to tick off some of the pitfalls. Rivals will not stand still. 这样很容易埋下一些隐患，对手不会停滞不前。
tick off : If you tick off items on a list, you write a tick or other mark next to them, in order to show that they have been dealt with 在此译为打勾，勾勒 ？
pitfalls : a danger or difficulty, especially one that is hidden or not obvious at first 危险；困难；（尤指）陷阱，隐患
9.exceptionally : used before an adjective or adverb to emphasize how strong or unusual the quality is（用于形容词和副词之前表示强调）罕见，特别，非常
10 striking : interesting and unusual enough to attract attention 引人注目的；异乎寻常的；显著的 Synonymy : marked . E.g.She bears a striking resemblance to her older sister她酷似她姐姐
11. unprecedented goals : 前所未有的目标
unprecedented : adj. that has never happened, been done or been known before前所未有的；空前的；没有先例的
E.g. The situation is unprecedented in modern times.这种情况在现代还没有出现过
12. a new sort of basket-case :
basket case : a person or a thing regarded as useless or unable to cope.
另一种解释：[idiomatic,slang, potentially offensive) one made powerless or ineffective,as by nerves,panic,stress or exhaustion. ( synonyms : emotional cripple )
E.g. She was a complete basket case the morning of her wedding.
延伸：emotional cripple: someone who finds it difficult to have or express feelings.
13. In an era when executives routinely whinge about pressure to produce short-term results, Amazon is resolutely focused on the distant horizon.....
executives: a person who has an important job as a manager of a company or an organization （公司或机构的）经理，主管领导，管理人员 ,在此统称高管
whinge ： ~ (about sb/sth) to complain in an annoying way 絮絮叨叨地抱怨
E.g.She's always whingeing about how unfair everything is.她总是嘟囔着说一切都太不公平了
resolutely : having or showing great determination to do sth.坚决地，毅然地
synonyms: determinedly
E.g.He resolutely refused to speak English unless forced to除非迫不得已，否则他坚决不说英语
14. propel: verb. to move, drive or push sth forward or in a particular direction 推动；驱动；推进
15.lure: (disapproving) to persuade or trick sb to go somewhere or to do sth by promising them a reward 劝诱；引诱；诱惑 synonyms : entice
E.g. Young people are lured to the city by the prospect of a job and money年轻人希望打工赚钱，从而被诱惑到城市
延伸：
entice: ~ sb (into doing sth) to persuade sb/sth to go somewhere or to do sth, usually by offering them sth 诱使；引诱
16.streaming video and music 视频音乐流量 ？
17. A thrid virtuous circle is starting to whirl around Alexa, the firm's voice-activated assistant...
virtuous circle ： (formal) a series of events in which each one seems to increase the good effects of the previous one 良性循环
virtuous:(disapproving,or humorous) claiming to behave better or have higher moral standards than other people 自命不凡的；自命清高的,自以为了不起
E.g.He was feeling virtuous because he had finished and they hadn't. 因为他完成了而他们没有，他自以为了不起
whirl:give sth a whirl, (informal) to try sth to see if you like it or can do it 试一试
18. ...Amazon's heady valuation resembles a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Heady: adj . having a strong effect on your senses; making you feel excited and confident 强烈作用于感官的；使兴奋的；使有信心的 Synonyms : intoxicating
E.g. the heady days of youth 令人陶醉的年轻时代
a heady mixture of desire and fear 既期待又害怕的复杂心情
resembles: verb. (not used in the progressive tenses 不用于进行时) to look like or be similar to another person or thing 看起来像；显得像；像 E.g. So many hotels resemble each other.许多酒店看上去都差不多
self-fulfilling prophecy : a self-fulfilling prophecy is one that becomes true because people expect it to be true and behave in a way that will make it happen （预言等）自我应验的，自我实现的 E.g. If you expect to fail, you will fail. It's a self-fulfilling prophecy.你如果预期失败，就会失败。这是一种自我应验的预测
19. sustain : If something sustains you, it supports you by giving you help, strength, or encouragement 支持，支撑 E.g.I am sustained by letters of support and what people say to me in ordinary daily life...这些支持的信件和人们每天对我的鼓励一直支撑着我
20. debacle : noun. an event or a situation that is a complete failure and causes embarrassment 大败；崩溃；垮台；灾祸 E.g. Many men were shot or captured in the debacle. 败军在溃逃时有很多人被击毙或俘虏.
21.crank out :(informal) to produce a lot of sth quickly, especially things of low quality 大量地快速制造；（尤指）粗制滥造 synonyms: turn out
E.g.We have to crank out publications in order to receive funding
22. quadruple: verb. to become four times bigger; to make sth four times bigger （使）变为四倍
E.g.Sales have quadrupled in the last five years. 过去五年中，销售额已增长至以前的四倍
23. the sheer breadth : scope or range, especially of knowledge or skill; the breadth of something is its quality of consisting of or involving many different things. 此处理解为纯粹的广度？
24.wingspan : noun. the distance between the end of one wing and the end of the other when the wings are fully stretched 翼展；翼幅
25. reminiscent : adj. ~ of sb/sth reminding you of sb/sth 使回忆起（人或事）E.g.The way he laughed was strongly reminiscent of his father他笑的样子让人很容易想起他的父亲
26. conglomerate : noun . a large company formed by joining together different firms 联合大公司；企业集团 E.g. a media conglomerate 大众传媒联合体
27.bloated:adj. full of liquid or gas and therefore bigger than normal, in a way that is unpleasant 膨胀的；肿胀的；臃肿的
28. conglomerate discount: 多元化集团折扣
29.air-freight hub : 航空运输枢纽
30. It is testing technology in stores to let consumers skip the cash register altogether, and experimenting with drone deliveries to the home. 它正在商店测试一种技术，让消费者完全跳过收银机，并尝试无人机送货到家
skip:
** skip it (informal) used to tell sb rudely that you do not want to talk about sth or repeat what you have said （粗暴地表示不想谈论或重复说）别提这事儿，不说这个了 E.g. What were you saying? Oh, skip it! 你刚才说什么来着? 噢，不提了
No, thanks. We'll skip aperiti. 不, 谢谢, 饭前酒免了吧!
** skip off/out E.g. to leave secretly or suddenly 溜走；突然离去
**skip out on sb (North Amercian English) to leave sb, especially when they need you （尤指不顾某人而）离开，溜走
drone: an aircraft without a pilot, controlled from the ground 无人驾驶飞机
31. presumably: used to say that you think that sth is probably true 很可能；大概；想必是
E.g. Presumably this is where the accident happened.这大概就是事故现场
32....become a new kind of utility: one that provides the infrastructure of commerce, from computing power to payments to logistics.
utility: |ju:ˈtɪləti|
** noun: a service provided for the public, for example an electricity, water or gas supply 公用事业; (formal) the quality of being useful 实用；效用；有用 synonyms: usefulness.
** adj: `that can be used for several different purposes 多用途的；多效用的；多功能的 E.g.an all-round utility player全面型选手
infrastructure: the basic systems and services that are necessary for a country or an organization to run smoothly, for example buildings, transport and water and power supplies （国家或机构的）基础设施，基础建设
【派生词】infrastructural adj |ˌɪnfrəˈstrʌktʃərəl| E.g. infrastructural development 基础设施的发展
33 . fulfilling:
adj. causing sb to feel satisfied and useful 让人感觉有意义的；令人满足的 E.g. a fulfilling experience.有成就感的经历。
verb. 1. If something fulfils you, or if you fulfil yourself, you feel happy and satisfied with what you are doing or with what you have achieved. 满足，使满意
2. To fulfil a task, role, or requirement means to do or be what is required, necessary, or expected. 实行，执行。
3.If you fulfil something such as a promise, dream, or hope, you do what you said or hoped you would do. 履行;实现;使应验
34....it will attract the attention of regulators...
regulators： a person or an organization that officially controls an area of business or industry and makes sure that it is operating fairly （某行业等的）监管者，监管机构
35. For now, Amazon is unlikely to trigger antitrust action....
unlikely : ~ (to do sth) | ~ (that…) not likely to happen; not probable 不大可能发生的
If you say that something is unlikely to happen or unlikely to be true, you believe that it will not happen or that it is not true, although you are not completely sure.
E.g. The project seemed unlikely to succeed 这个项目似乎难以成功
trigger: verb.[动词 + 名词短语] ~ sth (off) to make sth happen suddenly 发动；引起；触发
synonyms: set off. E.g.Nuts can trigger off a violent allergic reaction 坚果可以引起严重的过敏反应
antitrust : adj. preventing companies or groups of companies from controlling prices unfairly 反托拉斯的；反垄断的 E.g.Our antitrust laws have been too severe 我们的反垄断法太严格了
延伸： antitrust enforce 反垄断执法（下文中出现）
antitrust grounds 反垄断理由
36. Seen through this lens, Amazon apprears pristine.透过这个角度来看，亚马逊看起来还是一片净土。
pristine： not developed or changed in any way; left in its original condition 未开发的；处于原始状态的，纯朴的
37. Harris Poll: 哈里斯民意调查The Harris Poll has been running since 1963 and covers a broad variety of topics.[14]In 1997, Harris Interactive began developing an on-line version of The Harris Poll. It has also developed several Internet-based polls in conjunction with other companies.
38. adjacent: adj next to or near sth 与…毗连的；邻近的 E.g. The planes landed on adjacent runways 这些飞机在毗连的跑道上降落
39. The comparative immunity from legal liability of digital platforms-for the posting of inflammatory content on Facebook, say, or the vetting of drivers on Uber-is being chipped away.
comparative: measured or judged by how similar or different it is to sth else 比较而言的；相对 的 Synonyms: relative. E.g. Then he was living in comparative comfort (= compared with others or with his own life at a previous time) .他那时生活比较舒适
immunity: noun. ~ (from sth) the state of being protected from sth 受保护；豁免；免除 E.g.The spies were all granted immunity from prosecution
inflammatory: adj. disapproving) intended to cause very strong feelings of anger 煽动性的；使 人发怒的 E.g. inflammatory remarks 煽动的言语
vetting: verb. （尤指对将要从事涉及军事或政治机密工作人员的）调查，审查，考查 If someone is vetted, they are investigated fully before being given a particular job, role, or position, especially one which involves military or political secrets.
chipped away : to keep breaking small pieces off sth 不停地削（或凿） E.g.(figurative)They chipped away at the power of the government (= gradually made it weaker) .他们不断削弱政府的权力
40. predatory pricing : the fact of a business company selling its goods at such a low price that other companies can no longer compete and have to stop selling similar goods 掠夺性定价；为挤垮对手的大削价
predatory : using weaker people for their own financial or sexual advantage （在金钱或性关系上）欺负弱小的，压榨他人的 E.g. People who run small businesses are frightened by the predatory behaviour of the banks 小公司经营者被银行的掠夺行为吓坏了
41 But success will bring it into conflice with an even stronger beast: government . Beast :noun. ** a living organism characterized by voluntary movement
Synonyms:animal, animate being, brute, creature, fauna
** a cruelly rapacious person
Synonyms: brute, savage, wildcat, wolf
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