The new chief executive for China's e-commerce giant Alibaba has an enviable position, but also challenges to face.
中国电子商务巨头阿里巴巴的新任首席执行长(CEO)虽然拥有令人羡慕的地位，但他同样也面临诸多挑战。
Jonathan Lu, who will take over as chief executive from company founder Jack Ma, has a lot in his favor. The company's Taobao platform is dominant in online customer-to-customer sales, and TMall has a leading 44% share of the business-to-customer market, according to research firm Analysys. A platform model that takes a slice of revenue from third-party sellers has freed Alibaba from the price-cutting bloodbath that afflicts its rivals.
陆兆禧(Jonathan Lu)将接替阿里巴巴创始人马云(Jack Ma)成为该公司新任CEO。目前很多条件对他有利。研究机构易观国际(Analysys)的数据显示，该公司的淘宝网平台在顾客对顾客(customer-to-customer)的网络销售市场占据主导地位，而天猫(TMall)在企业对顾客(business-to-customer, 简称B2C)市场占据了44%的领先份额。从第三方卖家的销售收入抽取提成的平台模式让阿里巴巴从折磨其竞争对手的价格大战中解脱出来。
Still, taking over from a long serving company founder is never easy, and Mr. Lu has challenges ahead of him.
不过，从一个长期任职的公司创始人手中接过帅印并不容易，等待陆兆禧的还有很多挑战。
Competitive pressures are bubbling up. Business-to-consumer rival 360buy boosted its market share to 16% in 2012 from 13% in 2011, according to Analysys, and has attracted a new round of funding as it attempts to achieve scale and profitability. Bricks-and-mortar firms moving online and specialist e-commerce sites providing everything from flash sales to high-end underwearthreaten to take bites out of lucrative sections of the market.
竞争压力正在加大。易观国际的数据显示，阿里巴巴在B2C市场的竞争对手京东商城(360buy)的市场份额从2011年的13%上升至2012年的16%。就在其试图扩大规模、提高盈利能力的同时，京东商城也吸引到了新一轮资金。那些开设网店的实体店面以及提供秒杀闪卖到高端内衣等所有商品的专业电子商务网站也可能从这一利润丰厚的市场分得一杯羹。
Improving China's shoddy logistics network is also a challenge. Chen Deming, China's commerce minister, took a moment in his annual news conference last week to swipe at problems of quality and late delivery with goods he bought online. Alibaba's third-party sales and delivery model is more susceptible to problems in these areas. In an effort to improve the system, the company is joining with delivery firms and banks to make investments.
改善中国糟糕的物流网络也是一项挑战。中国商务部部长陈德铭上周在年度新闻发布会上也借机批评了其网购商品的质量和送货延迟问题。阿里巴巴的第三方销售和送货模式更容易受到这些方面问题的影响。为了改进物流体系，阿里巴巴正在同物流公司以及银行合作，共同进行投资。
None of these problems are insoluble, and Mr. Lu starts from a position of strength. But as Alibaba works toward an initial public offering, the pressure to find answers will increase.
这些问题都是可以解决的，陆兆禧接手这份工作的时候也颇具实力。但是随着阿里巴巴朝首次公开募股(IPO)的目标日益迈进，找到解决方法的压力也日渐增大。
TOM ORLIK
- executive [ig´zekjutiv]
a.行政的 n.行政官 (初中英语单词) - platform [´plætfɔ:m] n.(平)台；讲台；站台 (初中英语单词)
- research [ri´sə:tʃ] n.&vi.调查；探究；研究 (初中英语单词)
- achieve [ə´tʃi:v] vt.完成；达到；获得 (初中英语单词)
- threaten [´θretn] v.恐吓；有....的危险 (初中英语单词)
- challenge [´tʃælindʒ] n.&vt.向....挑战；怀疑 (初中英语单词)
- commerce [´kɔmə:s] n.商业；社交；交流 (初中英语单词)
- minister [´ministə] n.部长；大臣 v.伺候 (初中英语单词)
- annual [´ænjuəl] a.每年的 n.年刊 (初中英语单词)
- conference [´kɔnfərəns] n.讨论(会)；会谈 (初中英语单词)
- system [´sistəm] n.系统，体系，制度 (初中英语单词)
- pressure [´preʃə] n.压榨 vt.对...施压力 (初中英语单词)
- founder [´faundə] n.奠基者 v.陷落 (高中英语单词)
- revenue [´revinju:] n.税收；收入 (高中英语单词)
- delivery [di´livəri] n.送交；分娩；交货 (高中英语单词)
- initial [i´niʃəl] a.最初的 n.首字母 (高中英语单词)
- offering [´ɔfəriŋ] n.提供；礼物；捐献 (高中英语单词)
- dominant [´dɔminənt] a.统治的；占优势的 (英语四级单词)
- specialist [´speʃəlist] n.专家 (英语四级单词)
- network [´netwə:k] n.网状物 vt.联播 (英语四级单词)
- taking [´teikiŋ] a.迷人的 n.捕获物 (英语六级单词)
- underwear [´ʌndəweə] n.内衣；衬衣 (英语六级单词)
- susceptible [sə´septəbəl] a.敏感的；易受影响的 (英语六级单词)
京公网安备 11011202003401号
