翻译对比
1. The former bookseller accounts for more than half of every new dollar spent online in U.S.
曾经的图书销售商占据了美国一半以上的线上销售额。
美国新增线上交易中，书商起家的亚马逊占到一半以上份额。
2. Since the beginning of 2015, its share price has jumped by 173%, seven times quicker than in the two previous years. (and 12 times faster than the S&P 500 Index)
自2015年初，它的股价已暴涨了173个百分点，比前两年的增速快7倍。（比标准普尔指数增速快12倍）
自2015年初起，亚马逊公司股价飙升173%，增速是前两年的七倍。（为标准普尔500指数的12倍）
倍数翻译的不准确，是...的七倍 VS. 比...快七倍
3. With a market capitalization of some 400bn, it is the fifth most valuable firm in the world.
全球市值排名第五的公司的市值大概有4000亿美元。
亚马逊以约4000亿美元的市值排名全球第五。
句子成分的主次颠倒，没有突出主要内容（市值排名全球第五）
4. Never before has a company been worth so much for so long while making so little money: 92% of its value is due to its profits expected after 2020.
此前从未有一个公司（像亚马逊一样）这么长时间盈利这么少却价值这么高：那是因为它百分之九十二的价值来源于2020年以后所预估的收益。
从未有过一家公司能在盈利如此有限的情况下，长久维持如此之高的估值：其中92%来自2020年以后的盈利预期。
之前纠结于making so little money该怎么表达，翻译成盈利这么少不符合事实情况，自己又找不到更好的译法。“有限”这个表达恰到好处。
5. Walmart already has revenues nudging 500bn and is beefing up online.
沃尔玛的营业额已高达5000亿，而且线上发展的势头十分强劲。
沃尔玛的营收已接近5000亿，并且还在增强线上业务。
6. Last year the cash-flow (before investment) was $16bn, more than quadruple the level five years ago.
去年的现金流量（投资前）达到了160亿美元，是五年前的四倍。
去年现金流（投资之前）为160亿美元，是五年前的四倍。
7. If it makes as much money as investors hope, a rough calculation suggests its earnings could be worth the equivalent of 25% of the combined profits of listed Western retail and media firms.
如果它的营业额达到投资商的预期，那么粗略的估计它所获得的利润可能相当于西方上市的零售与传媒公司的利润总和的百分之二十五。
如果该公司实际业绩与投资者预期一致，据初步统计，其利润等同于所有西方零售和媒体上市公司利润总和的25%。
rough calculation 翻译腔严重
8. Grounds for skepticism does not come more fertile than this: Amazon will have to grow faster than almost any big company in modern history to justify its valuation.
最充分的质疑的理由莫过于亚马逊不得不拼命的发展，超过现代史上几乎所有的大公司的发展速度，以此来为它的价值正言。
最强有力的质疑根据是：亚马逊的增长速度必须超过近代史上几乎任意一家大公司才能支撑其估值。
9. In an era when executives routinely whinge about pressure to produce short-term results, Amazon is resolutely focused on the distant horizon.
在这个管理者们千篇一律地抱怨着为了创造短期效益而带来的压力的时代，亚马逊坚定不移地将眼光放在长远利益上。
当今时代，主管们常常抱怨实现短期目标压力太大，而亚马逊则坚定不移的聚焦长远目标。
翻译的一个长句都把自己绕进去了，拆分成小句，短小精悍。
10. Mr. Bezos emphasizes continual investment to propel its principal businesses.
贝佐斯重点强调利用持续投资来推动亚马逊的两个主要业务的发展。
贝索斯先生重视两大核心业务的持续投资以促进发展。
11. A third virtuous circle is starting to whirl around Alexa, the firm's voice-activated assistant.
第三个良性循环是关于Alexa, 亚马逊公司推出的语音助手。
第三个良性循环是围绕Alexa的，即该公司声控助手。
12. So long as shareholders retain their faith in this model, Amazon's heady valuation resembles a self-fulfilling prophecy.
只要股东们对这种运营模式有信心，那么亚马逊目前激动人心的市值就会成为自我应验的预言。
只要股东们对这一模式保持信念，那么亚马逊的超高估值就类似于自我实现预言。
扩展积累
1. 表示上升的动词：jump; increase; go up; rise; soar; mount
表示下降的动词：plummet; diminish; decrease; decline
表示消除的动词：eliminate; eradicate
2. revenue: 收入，营业额，营收
profit= earning 利润 earnings per share 每股收益；export earnings 出口利润
3. quadruple (triple; double)
adj. Last year cash-flow was $16bn, more than quadruple the level five years ago.
v. Sales have quadrupled in the last five years.
4. justify
to give or to be a good reason for “证明正确”
I can't really justify taking another day off work.
Are you sure that these measures are justified?
Her success has justified the faith her teacher had put in her.
They have been asked to justify the decision to Parliament.
How can they justify paying such huge salaries?
* justify yourself
If you justify yourself, you give a good reason for what you have done
It was the only thing that I could do-- I don't have justify myself to anyone.
5. 吸引: lure; entice; attract
In e-commerce, the more shoppers Amazon lures, the more retailers and manufacturers want to sell their goods on Amazon.
That gives Amazon more cash for new services- such as two-hour shipping and streaming video and music-- which entice more shoppers.
Similarly, the more customers use AWS, the more Amazon can invest in new services, which attract more customers.
6. 比喻句
Seen through this lens, Amazon appears pristine.
透过棱镜，好似洁白无瑕。（从这方面来看，似乎亚马逊并无过失。）
Ground for skepticism does not come much more fertile than this.
ground衍生为“根据，理由”，土壤很肥沃，很有底气
7. Most well-regarded company/ Most admired company/ Most highly-regarded company/ Best Perceived Brand
8. get anywhere close to 几乎实现
If it gets anywhere close to fulfilling them, it will attract the attention of regulators.
9. As..., so... 随着... 也就...
10. Value A over B 更看重A而非B
Choose A over B 选择A而非B
心得小结
以前对亚马逊的了解仅限于书商，后来使用kindle，也还是了解它的图书经营领域。读完此篇文章对亚马逊公司了解得更多了些。
我对文中提到的self-fulfilling prophecy感触很大，自己现在正在准备复习考研，给自己设定了目标。对自己有着高期待，也希望能如愿以偿。
