索尼加入电子阅读器价格战 SONY JOINS FRAY IN E-READER PRICE WAR
Sony entered the e-reader price war yesterday by slashing the cost of its digital reading devices in the US just one week after market leader Amazon and book retailer Barnes & Noble cut prices on their e-readers. | 索尼(Sony)昨日加入了电子阅读器的价格大战，大幅下调了其数字阅读设备在美国市 场的售价。而仅仅一周之前，市场领跑者亚马逊(Amazon)和图书零售商Barnes & Noble都下调了其电子阅读器的售价。 |
The pricing moves by the three e-reader pioneers comes as Apple’s iPad tablet computer threatens to eat into the market, which is expected to more than double to 5m units this year from 2.2m last year. | 这三家电子阅读器先驱企业的降价举措，是在苹果(Apple)的iPad平板电脑有可 能蚕食市场之际做出的。预计今年电子阅读器市场的销量将较去年的220万台增加一倍以上，达到500万台。 |
The Japanese electronics company cut the price of its most expensive version of its e-reader, the Daily Edition, to $299.99, down from $349.99. | 索尼下调了其最昂贵的一款电子阅读器Daily Edition的售价，从每台349.99美元降至299.99美元。 |
Without that cut, Sony’s top-end e-reader would have been close in price to Amazon’s most expensive Kindle, the Kindle DX, which came down in price to $379 from $489. | 若不进行降价，索尼此款高端电子阅读器的售价，将接近亚马逊最昂贵的一款Kindle 阅读器——Kindle DX。后者的售价从每台489美元降到了379美元。 |
Amazon has also lowered the price of its cheaper version of the Kindle to $189, while Sony also cut the prices of its Touch Edition to $169.99 from $249.99 and the basic Pocket Edition to $149.99 from $169.99. | 亚马逊还将其较廉价款Kindle的售价下调至每台189美元。索尼也把其Touch Edition的售价从每台249.99美元下调至169.99美元，把基本款Pocket Edition的售价从每台169.99美元下调至149.99美元。 |
Barnes & Noble had kicked off the price cuts last month by lowering the price of its Nook to $199. | 本轮降价由Barnes & Noble发起，上月该公司将其Nook阅读器的售价下调至每台199美元。 |
The price war comes amid concerns in the sector that the iPad, which can also function as an e-reader, will take a significant share of the market, which is dominated by Amazon. | 这轮价格战的背景，是该行业担心iPad将夺走大块市场份额。iPad也具被电子阅读 器功能。目前亚马逊在该市场占据主导地位。 |
Amazon has about 60-65 per cent of the market, with Sony second at 30-35 per cent, Sony said. | 索尼表示，亚马逊占据约60%至65%的市场份额，索尼名列第二，市场份额为30%至 35%。 |
The iPad, which has a starting price of $499, has been a runaway success since its launch. | iPad面市后获得了巨大成功，它的起售价为每台499美元。 |
While the iPad costs more than either the top-end Kindle or Sony’s most expensive e-reader, it has a colour screen and can also play video and browse the web. | 尽管iPad的售价要高于最高端的Kindle和索尼最昂贵的电子阅读器，但它的屏幕 是彩屏，而且可以播放视频和浏览网页。 |
Apple is not the only new operator in the e-reader market. Borders launched its e-book store yesterday. | 苹果并不是电子阅读器市场唯一的新军。Borders昨日也推出了电子书商店。 |
The second-largest US bookstore chain recently started selling Kobo e-readers at $149 and a cheaper version at $119. | 这家美国第二大图书连锁店近期开始销售Kobo阅读器，售价为每台149美元，另一款 较为便宜的售价为119美元。 |
Sony dismissed the idea that it was concerned about competition from Apple’s iPad, saying that lowering the price of any consumer electronics product was normal once the product had been on the market for some time. | 索尼驳斥了关于它对来自苹果iPad的竞争感到担心的说法，称任何一款消费类电子产品 在上市一段时间后降价都很正常。 |
Sony’s latest e-readers were launched in the latter part of last year. | 索尼最新的几款电子阅读器是在去年下半年推出的。 |
Given that the market is still in its early growth years, “we welcome anything that builds this nascent market”, Sony said. | 该公司表示，鉴于电子阅读器市场仍处在成长的初期阶段，“我们欢迎任何有利于这一新兴 市场成长的事物”。 |
译者/汪洋 |
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