Apple launched the Lisa in January 1983--a full year before the Mac was ready 1983年1月,苹果公司发布了丽萨电脑--比Mae早了整整一年,
and Jobs paid his $5,000 wager1 to Couch. 乔布斯在和库奇的这场赌局中输掉了5000美元。
Even though he was not part of the Lisa team, 尽管乔布斯并不是丽萨团队的一员,
Jobs went to New York to do publicity2 for it in his role as Apple's chairman and poster boy. 他还是以董事会主席及形象代言人的身份前往纽约为丽萨作宣传。
He had learned from his public relations consultant3 Regis McKenna how to dole4 out exclusive interviews in a dramatic manner. 乔布斯从自己的公共关系顾问里吉斯·麦肯纳那里学会了如何以戏剧化的方式限量派发独家专访的机会。
Reporters from anointed publications were ushered5 in sequentially for their hour with him in his Carlyle Hotel suite6, 来自指定媒体的记者按次序一个个被带进他在卡莱尔酒店的套房,对他进行采访,
where a Lisa computer was set on a table and surrounded by cut flowers. 房间里的桌子上摆着一台丽萨电脑,周围用切花装饰着。
The publicity plan called for Jobs to focus on the Lisa and not mention the Macintosh, 宣传计划要求乔布斯专注于介绍丽萨,不要谈及麦金塔,
because speculation7 about it could undermine the Lisa. 因为对麦金塔的猜测可能损害丽萨的销售。
But Jobs couldn't help himself. 但乔布斯却没能控制住。
In most of the stories based on his interviews that day 根据那天对他的采访而写成的大多数报道
in Time, Business Week, the Wall Street Journal, and Fortune—the Macintosh was mentioned. 包括刊登在《时代》、《商业周刊》、《华尔街日报》以及《财富》上的,都提到了麦金塔。
"Later this year Apple will introduce a less powerful, less expensive version of Lisa, the Macintosh," Fortune reported. “今年晚些时候,苹果公司将推出一款性能稍弱、售价更低的丽萨版本,即麦金塔电脑。”《财富》报道说,
"Jobs himself has directed that project." “乔布斯亲自领导那个项目。”
Business Week quoted him as saying, "When it comes out, Mac is going to be the most incredible computer in the world." 《商业周刊》引用了乔布斯的话:“Mac问世后,将成为全世界最不可思议的电脑。”
He also admitted that the Mac and the Lisa would not be compatible. 他还坦承Mac和丽萨是无法兼容的。
It was like launching the Lisa with the kiss of death. 这就像是在发布丽萨的同时给它送上了死亡之吻。
The Lisa did indeed die a slow death. 丽萨确实慢慢地消亡了。
Within two years it would be discontinued. 不到两年,它就停产了。
"It was too expensive, and we were trying to sell it to big companies when our expertise8 was selling to consumers," Jobs later said. “它太贵了,我们试图把它卖给大公司,但我们擅长的是出售给个人客户。”乔布斯后来说。
But there was a silver lining9 for Jobs: 不过这让乔布斯看到了一线希望:
Within months of Lisa's launch, it became clear that Apple had to pin its hopes on the Macintosh instead. 丽萨刚刚面世几个月,有一件事情就很明显了,那就是苹果公司必须把希望寄托在麦金塔身上。
1 wager [ˈweɪdʒə(r)] 第10级 | |
n.赌注;vt.押注,打赌 | |
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2 publicity [pʌbˈlɪsəti] 第7级 | |
n.众所周知,闻名;宣传,广告 | |
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3 consultant [kənˈsʌltənt] 第7级 | |
n.顾问;会诊医师,专科医生 | |
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4 dole [dəʊl] 第8级 | |
n.救济,(失业)救济金;vt.(out)发放,发给 | |
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5 ushered [ˈʌʃəd] 第8级 | |
v.引,领,陪同( usher的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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6 suite [swi:t] 第7级 | |
n.一套(家具);套房;随从人员 | |
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7 speculation [ˌspekjuˈleɪʃn] 第7级 | |
n.思索,沉思;猜测;投机 | |
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