2018年自学考试《商务英语阅读》试题及答案Baidu plans to launch a service offering free legal music downloads this month, a step set to raise hopes among music labels that China is starting to crack down(严厉镇压) further on copyright infringements(违反侵害).中国最大的在线搜索引擎百度(Baidu)计划在本月启动一项合法的免费音乐下载服务，这一举动将使各音乐厂牌燃起对中国进一步打击侵犯版权行为的希望。
China’s largest online search engine has started testing Baidu Ting, the new service, among a limited number of users before opening it to all later this month, the company said.百度透露，该公司已经开始在数量有限的用户当中测试新服务百度ting!，并将在本月晚些时候向所有用户开放。
The move comes amid(在…之中) a crackdown on violations [ˌvaiəˈleiʃən] (侵害)of intellectual property rights(知识产权) which the government started last October and which has led to the shutdown of many websites that offer pirated ['paiərit] (盗版,剽窃)music and films via streaming and downloads.百度采取这一动作之前，中国政府曾从去年10月开始打击侵犯知识产权的行为，导致许多提供盗版音乐和电影的流媒体播放和下载的网站被关闭。
The US government, in its annual report on intellectual property rights protection worldwide, kept China on its special watchlist(监控人员名单)but expressed cautious optimism over the country’s recentmeasures. Beijing’s special campaign against piracy ['paiərəsi] might lead to “lasting improvements”in IPR protection, the report said. Last month, the US Trade Representative had included Baidu on a list of “notorious[nəu'tɔ:riəs] (adj.臭名昭著的)markets”for pirated goods.美国政府在其发布的全球知识产权保护年度报告里，将中国保留在特别观察名单中，但对中国最近采取的措施表达了审慎的乐观。
该报告称，北京打击盗版的专项整治运动，或许能导致知识产权保护方面的“持续改善”。
上个月，美国贸易代表(US Trade Representative)曾把百度列入盗版产品的“恶名市场”(notorious market)名单。
Many foreign rights holders continue to doubt Beijing’s resolve in the long term. But they see the move by Baidu, which holds a virtual stranglehold(压制自由) over China’s online search market since Google partly retreated last year, as an encouraging sign [sain].许多外国权利人仍然怀疑北京的决心能否长期持续。
不过他们认为百度的举动是一个鼓舞人心的迹象，自从谷歌(Google)去年部分撤出中国市场以后，百度几乎完全控制了中国的在线搜索市场。
“When Baidu starts to move it means that things might really be changing,”said a foreign entertainment industry executive who declined(下降、拒绝)to be named.一位不愿署名的外国娱乐产业高管说：“如果百度开始采取行动，那就意味着事情可能真的在变化。
”Baidu continues to operate Baidu MP3, a site that helps internet users find, stream and download unlicensed music for free. The companyrefused to comment on when Ting would completely replace that service, but executives have said they are planning to gradually change the model.百度仍在继续经营百度MP3，该网站帮助互联网用户免费查找、流媒体播放并下载未经授权的音乐。
该公司拒绝评论百度ting!何时会彻底取代百度MP3服务，但高管已表示他们计划逐步改变模式。
Barrick Gold, the world’s biggest gold producer, has made an agreed C$7.3bn ($7.6bn) offer for Equinox ['i:kwinɔks] Minerals, the Australian-Canadian copper miner that has been the target of a hostile bid from China’s Minmetals Resources.全球最大黄金生产商巴里克黄金公司(Barrick Gold)，已与澳加铜矿商Equinox Minerals达成73亿加元(合76亿美元)的收购协议。
此前，中国五矿资源也试图敌意收购Equinox Minerals。
The bid is another sign of the scramble (争夺)for raw materials(原材料)and signals an expansion of Barrick’s ambitions in the global mining industry.这一出价再次彰显出各方对原材料的争夺，并表明巴里克在全球采矿业的扩张雄心。
The Toronto-based [tə'rɔntəu] Barrick has offered C$8.15 a share for Equinox, compared with Minmetals’C$7 per share offer. Craig Williams, Equinox’s chief executive, said Barrick’s offer “is superior [su:'piəriə] to the public proposal made by Minmetals in terms of (在…方面而言)certainty and value”.总部位于多伦多的巴里克对Equinox的报价为每股8.15加元，高于五矿每股7加元的报价。
Equinox首席执行官克雷格•威廉姆斯(Craig Williams)表示，巴里克的报价“在确定性和数额方面都优于五矿的公开报价”。
Minmetals declined to comment on Monday. It ranks among China’s largest metals traders and has so far been one of the bolder Chinese miners in terms of overseas deals.五矿周一拒绝置评。
该公司是中国最大的金属交易商之一，也是迄今在海外交易方面较大胆的中国矿商之一。
However, Peter Munk, Barrick’s chairman, told the Financial Times that Minmetals has a “much better chance to expand their access to minerals by co-operating with companies like us”. He added: “Having an auction is not in the interests of anybody.”不过，巴里克董事长彼得•蒙克(Peter Munk)告诉英国《金融时报》，五矿“通过与我们这样的企业合作来扩大对矿产的获取，成功机会要大得多”。
他补充道：“进行拍卖不符合任何人的利益。
”Barrick’s shares fell more than 5 per cent in morning trading on Monday to C$50.27 on fears that it is paying too much.周一早盘，由于投资者担心出价过高，巴里克股价下跌逾5%，至50.27加元。
However, Mr Munk dismissed(不再考虑;解雇)such concerns, noting that the acquisition of Equinox would immediately contribute to Barrick’s earnings. Mr Munk said: “With copper, you’re opening up(开辟) a whole new door where you can provide really meaningful growth while retaining your exposure [iks'pəuʒə] to gold.”不过，蒙克对这些担忧不以为然。