The battle over the future of TikTok—the fast-growing short-form video app—is continuing this week as ByteDance Ltd., tech giant Microsoft Corp., and the Trump administration discuss outlines of a deal that could hive off TikTok’s U.S. operations.
- short-form video app 短影片應用
- tech giant 科技巨頭
- the outlines of a deal 交易框架; outline: https://bit.ly/39ZT53m
- hive sth off （通常指透過出售）分離（公司的某部分）; https://bit.ly/31sQ33J
圍繞快速增長的短影片應用TikTok將何去何從的爭鬥本周仍在繼續，字節跳動(Bytedance Inc.)、科技巨頭微軟(Microsoft Co., MSFT)和特朗普(Donald Trump)政府正在討論可能剝離TikTok美國業務的交易框架。
《華爾街日報》報導：
WASHINGTON—President Trump said he was ready to approve a purchase of the U.S. operations of the Chinese video-sharing app TikTok, but only if the government receives “a lot of money” in exchange—an assertion of presidential power that appeared to lack precedent.
- video-sharing app 影片分享應用
- an assertion of… 主張…
- presidential power 總統權力
- lack precedent 沒有，未有先例
美國總統特朗普(Donald Trump)表示，他準備批准一項收購中國影片分享應用TikTok美國業務的交易，但前提是美國政府從中獲得「一大筆錢」。這一總統權力主張似乎尚無先例。
Microsoft Corp. said it hopes to acquire TikTok’s business in the U.S. and three other countries. Mr. Trump said he told the company’s chief executive, Satya Nadella, that “a very substantial portion of that price is going to have to come into the Treasury of the United States because we’re making it possible for this deal to happen.”
- chief executive首席執行官
- a very substantial portion 可觀的一部分
- the Treasury of the United States 美國財政部
- make… possible 讓…成為可能
微軟(Microsoft Co., MSFT)此前表示，希望收購TikTok在美國和其他三個國家的業務。特朗普稱，他告訴微軟首席執行官納德拉(Satya Nadella)，收購價格中的很大一部分將必須上繳美國財政部，因為是美國政府讓這筆交易成為可能。
“It is completely unorthodox for a president to propose that the U.S. take a cut of a business deal, especially a deal that he has orchestrated. The idea also is probably illegal and unethical,” said Carl Tobias, a law professor at the University of Richmond.
- unorthodox 非正統的；非傳統的；不正規的
- take a cut of 分一杯羹
- orchestrate (v.) 精心安排；用心策劃
- illegal 非法的
- unethical不道德的
裡士滿大學(University Of Richmond)法學教授Carl Tobias表示：「總統提議讓美國政府從商業交易中分一杯羹完全不合常理，尤其這筆交易是由總統本人精心策劃的。這種想法也可能是非法和不道德的。」
While the U.S. government for decades has analyzed foreign investments in the U.S. to see whether they could create national-security problems, the decisions are usually left to the members of a secretive interagency group called the Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S. Under Mr. Trump, the U.S. has taken a hard line on China through Cfius. Last year, for instance, Cfius ordered a Chinese company to sell gay-dating app Grindr.
- foreign investment 外國投資
- national-security problems 國安問題
- secretive interagency group 秘密跨部門組織
- committee 委員會
- take a hard line on sth/sb 對…非常苛刻; hardline: https://bit.ly/2F0X18V
雖然美國政府幾十年來一直在分析外國在美國的投資，判斷這些投資是否會造成國家安全問題，但決定權通常留給一個名為美國海外投資委員會(Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States，簡稱CFIUS)的秘密跨部門組織成員。特朗普上任以來，美國通過CFIUS對中國採取了強硬立場。去年，CFIUS命令一家中國公司出售同性戀約會應用Grindr，理由是該公司收集的個人數據可能被北京方面利用。
In this case, Microsoft declined to comment beyond its statement released in a blog post Sunday night. In that post, Microsoft said it is “committed to acquiring TikTok subject to a complete security review and providing proper economic benefits to the United States, including the United States Treasury.” It wasn’t clear whether Microsoft was talking about the taxes it would pay or some other arrangement. Though it warned that it would walk away from talks by Sept. 15 if a deal isn’t completed.
- decline to comment 拒絕評論；不予置評
- be committed to 致力於
- security review 安全審查
- proper economic benefits 適當的經濟利益
- arrangement 安排
- walk away from talks 不再進行談判
在這種情況下，除了周日晚間在一篇博文中發布的聲明，微軟不予額外置評。微軟在這份聲明中表示，致力於收購TikTok，但需經過全面的安全審查，並致力於為美國，包括美國財政部，提供適當的經濟利益。目前尚不清楚微軟指的是其將會支付的稅款還是其他一些安排。但微軟警告稱，如果待9月15日不能達成交易，將不再進行談判。
《華爾街日報》完整報導：https://rb.gy/wmwb34
圖片出處： https://rb.gy/45jzpq
華爾街日報訂閱方案: https://bit.ly/39ULVh1
華爾街日報獎助學金計畫 (A20): https://bit.ly/2C2tUAI