2015考研英语阅读英文原刊《经济学人》：美国移动通讯业

　　Wrapped in the flag假爱国真谋私

　　All this explains why AT&T has been doing its best to drape its deal in the Stars andStripes. Among other things, it argues that T-Mobile’s subscribers will be able to benefit fromits investment in a new, fourth-generation (4G) high-speed wireless broadband network, whichwill further the Obama administration’s goal of creating a connected population. (DeutscheTelekom was supposedly unwilling to make a similar investment in its infrastructure.)AT&T also trumpets the fact that its deal would transform T-Mobile from a foreign-ownedoutfit into an American one.

　　上述这一切说明了，AT&T为何一直在千方百计让这笔其实为了它自个的交易，也看似对美国有利。方式包括，它表示正在部署一种新的4G高速无线宽带网，将会促使奥巴马政府打造互联人群的目标更进一步，而T-Mobile的订户亦会从中受益。而据信，Deutsche Telekom并不愿进行同样的基础设施投资。AT&T还大肆鼓吹一个事实，那就是这笔交易可能会让T-Mobile从外企变为美企。

　　But nationalistic considerations should not be allowed to obscure the underlying impact thatthe proposed deal would have on consumers. Indeed, America’s politicians and regulators woulddo well to look at other countries’ experience before reaching a decision on AT&T’s bid.

　　不过，所谓爱国的理由，不应当拿来掩盖交易提案可能对用户造成的潜在冲击。其实，美国的政客及监管机构在决定AT&T的竞购前，应当借鉴他国的经验。

　　Canada provides a cautionary tale. There, three big companies, TELUS, Bell Mobility and RogersCommunications, were together allowed to gain control of almost 95% of the wireless market.Amid complaints about high call rates (among the rich world’s priciest) and a lack ofinnovation, the government used a spectrum auction in 2008 to create a raft of new players.But these have largely struggled against the industry’s behemoths.

　　加拿大的故事可资警醒。该国三大巨头——TELUS, Bell Mobility及Rogers Communications，获准联手掌控了加国95%的无线通讯市场。加拿大话费高昂，全球最贵，且缺乏创新，民众对此抱怨连连，对此，2008年，加政府利用频谱拍卖方式来产生新玩家。不过这些企业应对该国垄断巨头竞争，大多要苦苦挣扎。

　　British regulators are taking steps to avoid a similar fate. On March 22nd the country’stelecoms regulator said it would auction a chunk of radio spectrum next year for 4G services.And it said it wanted to manage the auction so as to ensure the country will have at least fournational mobile-phone operators capable of providing consumers with higher-quality wirelessdata services.

　　英国监管机构正采取措施避免重蹈覆辙。3月22日，该国通讯监管机构称，明年可能拍卖大量无线电频谱用于4G服务，且称要监管此次拍卖，以确保该国至少有四家全国性移动电话运营商，能为用户提供高质量无线数据服务。

　　Thanks to AT&T’s move this week, American regulators will now have to decide how bestto defend the interests of consumers there. Mobile-phone users will be hoping that they dial Cfor choice rather than D for duopoly.

　　幸亏AT&T本周行动了，美国监管机构现在必须决定，如何最大程度捍卫美国用户利益。移动电话用户希望拨“C”自己选择，而非拨“D”，让无线通讯市场两家独大。

　　注1：An audacious merger with a poor reception

　　audacious merger 与poor reception都语带双关。

　　audacious merger的merger表面指AT&T针对T-Mobile的bid，又呼应AT&T and T-Mobileare getting married这句，俏皮地将其比喻为联姻。

　　而audacious则指390亿美元的惊人出价，同时指此次并购faces significant hurdles，并且 has sparkeda good deal of controversy。

　　poor reception一方面指AT&T的并购交易引发各方质疑，不受欢迎，一方面又呼应the patchyquality of AT&T’s mobile-phone network in America这句，暗指AT&T的移动电话网络信号接收不良。

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