VOA慢速英语:US Brings Case Against Apple and Five Book Publishers Over Electronic Books

The United States says technology company Apple and book publishers illegally fixed prices of electronic books, or e-books. The Department of Justice took legal action on Wednesday in federal court in New York City.
美国政府称，苹果科技公司和出版商非法操纵电子书价格。美国司法部于本周三在纽约市联邦法院对此采取了法律行动。

The same day, Attorney General Eric Holder spoke in Washington about the case against Apple and the book publishers. The publishers are Hachette, HarperCollins, MacMillan, Penguin and Simon & Schuster.
同一天，总检察长Eric Holder在华盛顿发言时谈到了这起针对苹果和图书出版商的诉讼。这些出版社包括阿歇特，哈珀柯林斯，麦克米伦，企鹅，西蒙&舒斯特。

Mr. Holder said e-books are changing the way Americans share information. He said the Department of Justice wants to make sure Americans can buy e-books at a fair price. He said the case was part of that effort.
Holder先生说，电子书正在改变美国人分享信息的方式。他说，司法部要确保美国人能够以公平价格购买电子书。他表示，该案件就是这一努力的一部分。

ERIC HOLDER: “As part of this commitment, the Department has reached a settlement with three of the nation’s largest book publishers – and will continue to litigate against Apple, and two additional leading publishers – for conspiring to increase the prices that consumers pay for e-books.”
ERIC HOLDER：“作为该承诺的一部分，该部门已经与三家美国最大的出版商达成和解，且会将继续对苹果及其它两家主要出版商提起讼诉，因为他们合谋提高消费者需要支付的电子书价格。”

The Justice Department says Apple and the five publishers made an illegal deal to set higher prices for electronic books. It says, because of this, Americans paid millions of dollars more than they should have.
司法部称，苹果和五大出版商达成非法协议，提高电子书价格。它说，正因如此，美国人支付了原本属于他们的数百万美元。

The dispute centers on the influence of Amazon.com. The Internet store had been selling e-books for nine dollars and ninety-nine cents. But the government says Apple made a deal with the publishers two years ago as it prepared to launch the iPad tablet computer. The deal guaranteed Apple thirty percent of the money earned on each e-book sold. It also created a pricing model that required stores to sell at a price set by the publishers and Apple. The price was several dollars higher than the one offered by Amazon.
这起纠纷集中在Amazon.com的影响力。该网络商城曾以9.99美元的价格出售电子书。但美国政府称，苹果两年前准备推出iPad平板电脑时和出版商达成协议，该协议保证苹果获得销售电子书30%的利润，它还建立了一个定价模型，要求商店以苹果和出版商确定的价格出售电子书。该价格比亚马逊提供的价格高出几美元。

Acting Assistant Attorney General Sharis Pozen noted that businesses can set their own prices. But she also said:
署理助理总检察长Sharis Pozen指出，企业可以设定自己的价格。但她同时表示：

SHARIS POZEN: “Let me be clear, when companies get together and conspire to enter into agreements that eliminate price competition, it crosses the line.  This kind of agreement is illegal and anticompetitive.  That’s when the Antitrust Division will take action, and that’s what we’ve done today.”
SHARIS POZEN：“我要明确指出，当几家公司走到一起，合谋订立协议来消除价格竞争，它就越线了。这种协议是非法的和不正当竞争的协议。这时反垄断部门就会采取行动，者就是我们今天所做的。”

Sharis Pozen added that company officials knew what they were doing at the time. That included former Apple chief Steve Jobs.
Sharis Pozen补充说，公司官员都知道他们当时在做什么。这包括苹果前首席执行官史蒂芬•乔布斯。

Antitrust laws aim to halt business methods that crush competition. Hachette, HarperCollins and Simon & Schuster have agreed to a settlement. It says they must repay millions of dollars and stop giving Apple special treatment.
反垄断法旨在制止破坏竞争的商业行为。阿歇特，哈珀柯林斯以及西蒙&舒斯特已经同意和解。它说，他们必须偿还数百万美元，并停止给苹果的特殊待遇。

Sixteen states and Puerto Rico are also bringing their own case. Apple and British publishers McMillan and Penguin have decided to go to court.
美国的16个州和波多黎各也对此提出了自己的诉讼。苹果和英国出版商麦克米兰以及企鹅已经决定应诉。