20 億美元合作投資
US video game and software developer and publisher Epic Games recently announced Sony and the LEGO Group have pledged a $2 billion round of funding in an effort to “advance the company’s vision to build the metaverse and support its continued growth.”
美國電玩遊戲、軟體開發商和發行商Epic Games最近宣布，索尼和樂高集團已承諾提供20億美元的融資，以「推動該公司打造元宇宙，並支持其持續成長的願景」。
pledge(v.)(n.)許諾;宣誓;承諾funding(n.)資助;資金提供in an effort to RV 致力於=in a bid to RVadvance(v.)使進步、使發展、促進=promote=further
Sony and Kirkbi, the family-owned holding and investment company behind the LEGO Group, will be sharing the funding by injecting $1 billion each into Epic Games, pushing the company’s current post-money equity valuation to $31.5 billion.
索尼集團和樂高集團背後的家族控股與投資公司Kirkbi將各自向Epic Games注資10億美元，從而將Epic Games目前的投後股票估值推高至315億美元。
inject(v.)注入、挹注(資金)=pourpost-money equity valuation投後股票估值
Kirkbi’s CEO Soren Thorup Sorensen presented his group’s investment as “focused on trends we believe will impact the future world that we and our children will live in.”
Kirkbi的執行長蘇連遜形容集團的投資為「鎖定會影響我們和我們的下一代身處的未來世界的趨勢。」
present(v.)描述=describeimpact(v.)衝擊、徹底改變
Kirkbi’s announcement came less than a week after the two companies agreed to a long-term partnership to shape the Metaverse, a concept that other tech giants such as Facebook and Microsoft have similarly latched onto recently.
在兩家公司同意建立長期合作夥伴關係以塑造元宇宙後不到一周，Kirkbi就宣布了這一消息，而其他科技巨頭，如臉書和微軟最近也如火如荼地發展元宇宙事業。
concept(n.)概念=idea=notionlatch onto 對～産生濃厚的興趣
While the link between the funding and Epic Games’ Metaverse aspirations has been highlighted by numerous media, Sony’s pledge appears to be a more holistic support of the company at large rather than any specific project.
雖然許多媒體都強調索尼挹注資金是為了支持Epic Games發展元宇宙，但索尼的承諾似乎是對整個公司更全面的支持，而不是對任何特定項目的支持。
highlight(v.)突顯;強調holistic(adj.)整體的、全面的=all-inclusive=comprehensivea holistic approach to disease全面性的治療方法
Sony Chairman, President, and CEO Kenichiro Yoshida said that his group was confident that “Epic’s expertise, including their powerful game engine, combined with Sony’s technologies, will accelerate our various efforts such as the development of new digital fan experiences in sports and our virtual production initiatives.”
索尼董事長、總裁兼執行長吉田健一郎表示，他的團隊相信「Epic的專業，包括其強大的遊戲引擎，與索尼的技術相結合，將加速我們的許多事業項目，如開發數位觀看體育賽事的新體驗以及我們的虛擬製作計劃。」
expertise(n.)專門技能(知識);專長combined with…與…結合initiative(n.)倡議、新措施
According to Polygon.com, Sony’s investment triples its stake in Epic Games, adding up to the $250 million it put into Epic in 2020 and a further $200 million a year later, though 40% of the company’s stakes remain in the hands of Chinese technology and entertainment conglomerate Tencent Holdings Ltd.
美國電玩遊戲網站「Polygon.com」指出，索尼的投資使其在Epic Games的股份增加了兩倍，2020年索尼向Epic投入了2.5億美元，一年後又向Epic投入了2億美元，儘管該公司40％的股份仍掌握在中國科技娛樂集團騰訊手中。
stake(n.)股本;股份conglomerate(n.)企業集團a financial conglomerate金融企業集團
The conglomerate acquired 48% of Epic Games’ shares in June 2012, a move that continues to raise concerns in the video game community over the company’s potential indirect link to the Chinese government.
騰訊在2012年6月收購了Epic Games 48％的股權，此舉持續引起電玩界對該公司與中國政府存有間接聯繫的擔憂。
acquire(v.)收購raise concerns引發疑慮
Epic Games stated in a statement that it continues to have only a single class of common stock outstanding and remains controlled by its CEO and founder, Tim Sweeney.
Epic Games在一份聲明中表示，仍只有一類流通在外普通股，執行長兼創辦人斯威尼仍是公司的控股股東。
common stock outstanding流通在外普通股