外刊精读 | Meta裁员，加密货币平台崩溃，富士康也要造电动车啦...

今天是小芳老师陪你精读外刊的第18天

难度指数7级（共8级）

文本长度：459

读前想想，下面内容用英语怎么说？

1.lay off2.share price3.startup4.fuel duty

第一步：泛读原文（盲听1遍，泛读1遍，对照文本听1遍）

Meta laid off 11,000 employees, or 13% of its workforce, amid falling revenues from advertising and e-commerce. The parent company of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp is also considering other cost-cutting measures, and suggested it would close offices. In a separate filing it said it expects losses to grow significantly next year at its Reality Labs division, at a time when investors are already frustrated with Meta’s focus on creating a metaverse at the expense of the rest of the business.

Mark Zuckerberg said he took full responsibility. The company’s market value is now around $270bn, down from $1trn in September 2021. Meta was not the only big tech company to announce job cuts. Stripe, an online payments firm, is letting go of 14% of its workforce, and Lyft, a ride-hailing company, of 13%. Amazon has introduced a freeze on hiring for its corporate jobs. Twitter laid off half its staff following Elon Musk’s takeover, though it has reportedly asked some of them to come back.

More than 12m people signed up to Disney+ in the three months to October 1st, taking the total number of subscribers to 164m. That is a faster rate of growth in users than at Netflix, though Netflix has 223m subscribers. Operating losses at Disney+ have soared, however, causing Disney’s share price to drop by 13%. Following Netflix, it is introducing an ad-supported subscription plan next month to entice consumers and generate new revenue streams.

Advancing its ambitions in the electric-car market, Foxconn said it would invest $170m in Lordstown Motors, a startup that is developing an electric-powered pick-up truck at a factory in Ohio. Renault is rearranging its business around five divisions, including one based on “new mobility, energy and data-based services”. The overhaul accelerates the flotation of its electric-vehicle unit, Ampere, next year. Renault also launched a joint venture with Geely, a Chinese carmaker, to make internal-combustion, hybrid and plug-in hybrid engines.

In Britain speculation mounted that the government will impose a road tax on electric vehicles for the first time when it unveils a budget on November 17th. EVs are currently exempt from the tax, but the government is looking at ways to offset a fall in revenues from fuel duties because of the switch away from petrol to electric.

The global cryptocurrency market was shaken by the looming collapse of FTX, one of the biggest exchanges, after a run of customer withdrawals left it facing a liquidity crunch. FTX turned to Binance, an arch-rival, for help. Binance at first said it would take over FTX, but then pulled out of the deal, citing reports that FTX had “mishandled customer funds” and was being investigated by the authorities. Cryptocurrency prices plunged. Bitcoin fell to around $16,000, its lowest level in two years.

第二步：精读原文（精读1遍，对照文本听1遍，精读1遍）

读原文（精读1遍，对照文本听1遍）

01

Metalaid off11,000 employees, or 13% of itsworkforce, amid fallingrevenuesfrom advertising and e-commerce. The parent company of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp is also considering othercost-cuttingmeasures, and suggested it would close offices. In a separate filing it said it expects losses to grow significantly next year at its Reality Labs division, at a time when investorsare already frustrated withMeta’s focus on creating ametaverseat the expense of the rest of the business.

1. lay off: 解雇 layoff n. 解雇

2. revenue: 收入，e.g. a slump in oil revenues石油收入的下跌

3. cost-cutting: 削减成本, e.g. a cost-cutting exercise 成本削减的实施

4. be frustrated with: 对...感到失望, e.g. Their fans and team-mates might be frustrated with them, but their sponsors would be delighted. 他们的粉丝和队友或许会为此感到沮丧，但他们的赞助商会很开心。

5. metaverser: 元宇宙, 是人类运用数字技术构建的，由现实世界映射或超越现实世界，可与现实世界交互的虚拟世界，具备新型社会体系的数字生活空间。

翻译：在广告活动和电子商务收入下降的情况下，Meta解雇了1.1万名员工，占员工总数的13%。Facebook、Instagram和WhatsApp的母公司Meta也在考虑其他削减成本的措施，并表示将会关闭办公室。在另一份文档中，Meta表示，预计其Reality Labs部门明年的亏损将大幅增长，目前投资者已经对该公司以牺牲其他业务为代价专注于创建元宇宙（metaverse）感到失望。

02

Mark Zuckerberg said he took full responsibility. The company’s market value is now around $270bn, down from $1trn in September 2021. Meta was not the only big tech company to announce job cuts.Stripe, an online payments firm, is letting go of 14% of its workforce, and Lyft, a ride-hailing company, of 13%. Amazon has introduced a freeze onhiring for itscorporate jobs. Twitter laid off half its staff following Elon Musk’stakeover, though it has reportedly asked some of them to come back.

1. Stripe, an online payments firm: 同位语表达，写作中用上会比较高大上，后面Lyft, a ride-hailing company是一样用法。

2. hiring for itscorporate jobs: 招聘公司职位

2. takeover: 收购

翻译：

扎克伯格表示，他将承担全部责任。该公司目前的市值约为2700亿美元，低于2021年9月的1万亿美元。Meta并不是唯一一家宣布裁员的大型科技公司。在线支付公司Stripe将裁员14%，网约车公司Lyft将裁员13%。亚马逊已经冻结了企业职位招聘。推特在被埃隆·马斯克收购后，解雇了一半的员工，尽管有报道称，推特已经邀请一些员工返岗。

03

More than12mpeoplesigned upto Disney+ in the three months to October 1st, taking the total number of subscribers to 164m. That is a faster rate of growth in users than at Netflix, though Netflix has 223m subscribers.Operating lossesat Disney+ have soared, however, causing Disney’sshare pricetodropby 13%. Following Netflix, it is introducing an ad-supported subscription plan next month toenticeconsumers and generate new revenue streams.

1.sign up: 注册, e.g. Within 24 hours an estimated 1,200 students had signed up. 24小时内，估计有1200名学生注册。

2.operating loss: 营业损失

3.soar: 急升 e.g. Unemployment has soared to 18%. 失业率猛升到了 18%。

表示上升表达的词语，可以用在表示趋势，如rise, lift, arise, move up, go up, come up, uprise

4.share price: 股价

5.drop: 下架，表示下降的词语还包括：descend通常指沿斜线或斜坡下降；drop指物体从一定高度落下；fall与drop同义，指突然或猛烈地降落，但fall也可指任何下落，同高度或形式无关；sink指在空气或水中垂直下降、下沉。

6.entice: 引诱, 等于persuade, e.g. The bargain prices are expected to entice customers away from other stores. 低廉的价格意在把顾客从其他商店吸引过来。

翻译：

在截至10月1日的三个月内，超过1200万人注册了迪士尼+，使其用户总数达到1.64亿。尽管网飞拥有2.23亿用户，但迪士尼+比网飞的用户增长速度更快。然而，迪士尼+的运营亏损飙升，导致迪士尼股价下跌13%。继网飞之后，迪士尼为了吸引消费者、产生新的收入来源，将于下个月推出广告支持订阅计划。

04

Advancing its ambitions in the electric-car market,Foxconnsaid it would invest $170m in Lordstown Motors, astartupthat is developing an electric-poweredpick-up truckat a factory in Ohio. Renault isrearrangingits business around five divisions, including one based on “new mobility, energy and data-based services”. Theoverhaulaccelerates theflotationof its electric-vehicle unit, Ampere, next year. Renault alsolaunchedajoint venturewith Geely, a Chinese carmaker, to make internal-combustion, hybrid and plug-in hybrid engines.

1.startup: 新兴公司

2.pick-up truck: a small truck with low sides that can be easily loaded and unloaded. 小皮卡

3.rearrange: re+arrange 再次+整理=重新整理

4.overhaul: 检修, 此处指改革，A radical overhaul of the tax system is necessary. 有必要彻底改革税制。

5.flotation: 发行股份, plans for (a) flotation on the stock exchange 在证券市场上发行股份的计划

6.launchedajoint venture: 成立合资企业

翻译：

富士康为了振兴电动汽车市场的雄心，表示将向初创公司Lordstown Motors投资1.7亿美元。这家初创公司正在俄亥俄州的一家工厂开发一款电动皮卡车。雷诺正在围绕五个部门重整业务，包括一项基于“新移动出行、能源和数据服务”的业务。此次全面改革加速了其电动汽车单元Ampere明年的上市。雷诺还与吉利(中国汽车制造商)成立了一家合资企业，生产内燃机、混合动力和插电式混合动力引擎。

05

In Britainspeculationmounted that the government willimposea road tax on electric vehicles for the first time when itunveils a budget on November 17th. EVs are currentlyexempt from the tax, but the government is looking at ways tooffseta fall in revenues fromfuel dutiesbecause of the switch away from petrol to electric.

1speculation: 推断, e.g. There was widespread speculation that she was going to resign. 人们纷纷推测她将辞职。

2.impose: 强制实行, e.g. A new tax was imposed on fuel. 当局开始对燃油征收一项新税。

3.unveil: un+veil（面纱）直译揭开面纱, e.g. They will be unveiling their new models at the Motor Show. 他们将在汽车大展上首次推出自己的新型汽车。

4.exempt from the tax: 免税

5.offset: 抵销, offset a fall in revenues 抵销税收入下降

6.fuel duty: 燃油税

翻译：

在英国，越来越多的人猜测，政府将在11月17日公布预算时，首次对电动汽车征收道路税。电动汽车目前免税，但为抵消从汽油转向电动而导致的燃油税收入下降，英国政府正在寻找方法。

06

The globalcryptocurrencymarket was shaken by thelooming collapseofFTX, one of the biggest exchanges, aftera run ofcustomerwithdrawalsleft it facing aliquidity crunch. FTX turned toBinance,an arch-rival, for help. Binance at first said it would take over FTX, but then pulled out of the deal, citing reports that FTX had “mishandled customer funds” and was being investigated by the authorities. Cryptocurrency pricesplunged. Bitcoin fell to around $16,000, its lowest level in two years.

1.cryptocurrency: crypto +currency加密货币, crypto=secret, 秘密的, e.g., a crypto-communist　地下共产党员

2.looming collapse: 临近崩溃

3.FTX: FTX是一家数字资产衍生品交易所，现位居全球交易所排名第4位。用户可以在其中安全地交易比特币，以太坊和其他加密货币。

4.a run of: 一连串的, a run of wet weather 阴雨连绵

5.withdrawals: 撤资；退股

6.liquidity crunch: 资金紧缩

7.Binance,an arch-rival: 结构上是同位语，币安网（是FTX的主要竞争对手）

8.plunge:to decrease suddenly and quickly暴跌；骤降, 同义词 plummet, e.g. Stock markets plunged at the news of the coup. 政变的消息一传来，股票市场便暴跌。

表示浸入：

immerse侧重全部被液体所覆盖，也可用于比喻意义。

dip指部分地、暂时地或轻微地放进液体，多暗示一种谨慎或试探性的动作。

duck指把头伸进水中，或指游泳时开玩笑地把一个人的头按入水中。

plunge暗示迅速而有力的动作，但浸入不一定很深。

submerge指长时间的完全浸入、潜入，强调浸入液体深层。

翻译：

全球最大的交易所之一FTX即将崩溃，动摇了全球加密货币市场，此前一系列客户撤资导致该交易所面临资金紧缩。FTX向主要竞争对手Binance寻求帮助。Binance最初表示将收购FTX，但随后退出了这笔交易，理由是有报道称FTX对“客户资金处理不当”，并正在接受相关部门的调查。加密货币价格暴跌。比特币跌至约1.6万美元，为两年来的最低水平。

第三步：回答问题（评论区回答问题）

Reading Questions：

1. How many employees did Meta lay off?

2. What kind firm is Stripe?

3. Who is the major rival of FTX?

滑动查看答案

Q1

11,000 employers.

Q2

Stripe is an online payments firm.

Q3

Binance

今天是小芳老师陪你精读外刊的第18天

检查一下，你学到了吗？

1. lay off: 解雇 2. share price: 股价 3. startup: 新兴公司 4. fuel duty:燃油税

【特别声明】以上内容由小芳老师原创整理，转载请注明来源，本平台采用的音视频资源均出于传递信息和英语学习之目的，并没有任何商业目的。本公号尊重知识产权，如无意中侵犯了您的权益，请及时联系后台，本公号将及时删除。