Twitter, which has been the subject of takeover rumours¹ before, is getting closer to a sale, according to the US business news channel CNBC.

据美国商业新闻频道CNBC报道，一直深陷收购谣言的推特现在真的要被收购了。

Potential suitors include Google and Salesforce.com, the report said.

据该报道称，潜在的买家包括谷歌和Salesforce。

Last month Twitter shares jumped after comments from co-founder² Ev Williams.

上个月，在联合创始人埃文·威廉姆斯发表讲话之后，推特的股票大涨。

When asked on Bloomberg TV whether the company could remain independent he replied: "We're in a strong position now, and as a board member we have to consider the right options."

当时他在彭博电视节目中被问到该公司是否能够保持独立，他回答说：“我们现在正处于一个强有力的位置上，而身为董事会成员，我们必须要考虑正确的选择。”

The $26bn purchase of the social network LinkedIn by Microsoft has helped to stoke speculation³ about the future of Twitter.

微软以260亿美元的价格收购了社交网络LinkedIn，这一事件助长了对推特未来的猜测。

Co-founder Jack⁴ Dorsey took over as chief executive in July of last year after the previous boss, Dick Costolo stepped down.

在上任老板迪克·科斯特罗下台之后，联合创始人杰克·多西在去年7月份接任了首席执行官的职位。

Mr Costolo, who had been chief executive from 2010, was under pressure from investors⁵ unhappy with the firm's performance.

迪克·科斯特罗从2010年起担任该公司CEO，一直承受着来自对公司业绩不满的投资者的压力。

In May Mr Dorsey told the BBC that "we're making progress" but "things take time to change."

今年5月份，杰克·多西在接受BBC采访时表示：“我们正在取得进展，但是需要时间来进行改变”。

But analysts⁷ wonder if Mr Dorsey is distracted by his payment firm, Square.

但是，分析人士质疑杰克·多西是否被其支付公司Square分心。

"With ex-CEO Dick Costolo lacking ideas and founder Jack Dorsey split between Twitter and his other company Square, the social network has lost its way," said Jasper Lawler, an analyst⁶ at CMC Markets.

CMC Markets分析人士贾斯珀·劳勒表示说：“前任CEO迪克·科斯特罗脑子不灵光，而现任CEO杰克·多西又在推特和他自己的公司Square之间分身乏术，推特前途暗淡啊。”

"The hope for investors would be that under the wing of a big company, it could expand its user base and better monetise those users," he added.

他补充说道：“投资者们的希望是，在一家大公司的羽翼庇护之下，推特可以扩大其用户群，并且更好地把这些用户变成货币。”