Chapter 1 Overview of E-Commerce
Overview of E-Commerce
电子商务概述 第一章
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In this unit, you will learn:
the definition of electronic commerce
the new trend of electronic commerce
the basic technology of E-commerce
basic E-commerce English writingFocus: the identification of electronic commerce Nodus: the evolution of electronic commerce
1.1 Passage A
Identify Electronic Commerce
Electronic commerce refers to the buying and selling of products or services over electronic
systems such as the Internet and other computer networks. The amount of trade conducted electronically has grown extraordinarily since the rapid spread of the Internet. A wide variety of commerce is conducted in this way, which leads to innovations in many aspects such as electronic funds transfer, supply chain management, Internet marketing, online transaction processing, electronic data interchange (EDI) and so on.
Modern electronic commerce typically uses the World Wide Web at least at some point in the transaction’s process, although it can include a wider range of technologies such as e-mail. A large
percentage of electronic commerce is conducted
entirely electronically for virtual items such as access to information you want on a website, but most electronic commerce involves the transportation of
physical items in some way.
Online retailers are sometimes known as e-tailers and online retail is sometimes known as e-tail. Almost all big retailers have electronic commerce presence on the World Wide Web. Electronic commerce that is conducted between businesses is referred to as business-to-business or B2B. B2B can be open to all interested parties in course of trading or limited to specific,
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pre-qualified participants. Electronic commerce that is conducted between businesses and
consumers, on the other hand, is referred to as business-to-consumer or B2C. This is the type of electronic commerce conducted by companies such as Amazon. Electronic commerce is generally considered to be the sales aspect of e-business. It also consists of the exchange of data to facilitate the financing and payment aspects of the business transactions.
Broadly speaking, electronic commerce is the
production, advertising, sale and distribution of products via telecommunications networks. No matter what we call it, it is no doubt that electronic commerce has changed our consuming habit a lot and brought a great deal of benefit and convenience to both businesses and consumers as well. We also believe that the definition of electronic commerce will continue to evolve, expand and vary in different eyes in the future.
electronic commerce 电子商务 conduct /'kndkt/ v. 经营；管理 extraordinarily /k'strdnrl/ adv. 非常；格外地；非凡地 innovation /n'ven/ n. 创新，革新；新方法 transaction /trn'zkn/ n. 交易；事务 interchange /nt'tend/ v. 交换；互换 percentage /p'sentd/ n. 百分比；百分率 virtual item 虚拟物品 involve /n'vlv/ v. 包含；牵涉；陷于 transportation /trnsp'ten/ n. 运输 physical item 真实（有形）物品 retailer /'ritel/ n. 零售商 specific /sp'sfk/ adj. 特殊的，特定的；明确的；详细的 pre-qualified participant 准参与者 facilitate /f'sltet/ v. 促进；帮助；加速
telecommunications /'telkmjun'kenz/ n. 通讯
evolve /'vlv/ v. 发展，进化
1.2 Notes to passage A
1) The amount of trade conducted electronically has grown extraordinarily since the rapid spread of the Internet. 正是由于互联网的快速普及，所以使得电子贸易额增长极为迅猛。
注解：该句的主语是 the amount of trade (贸易额)；conducted electronically 是过去分词短语用作定语，修饰前面的主语；since 是介词，此处表原因。注意：since 既可以作介词表原 因或时间，又可以作连词，连接时间状语从句或原因状语从句。
2) Modern electronic commerce typically uses the World Wide Web at least at some point in the transaction’s process, although it can include a wider range of technologies such as e-mail. 尽管现 代电子商务包含了应用较广的技术，例如电子邮件，但通常情况下，它至少会在交易过程的某 个时刻使用到万维网。
注解：注意介词短语 at some point（在某一时刻；在某些方面）的用法：◆ At some point, each of them decided that she simply could not carry on in the face of an injustice. 她们中的每一个人都在某一时刻决定，她无法继续面对不公正的状况。 ◆ My objection is not to the idea that the web could become of relatively lesser importance at
some point in the future. 我的异议不是针对这样的想法—网页将会在将来的一些方 面变得具有相对较小的重要性。
3) B2B can be open to all interested parties in course of trading or limited to specific, pre-qualified participants. 企业对企业的电子商务既可以对交易过程中的所有相关各方开放，也 可以只限于对那些特殊的、获得准资格的参与者开放。
注解：掌握介词短语 in course of（在……的过程中）的用法。例如：◆ With the development of industrial automatization, many internal factories have realized automatic management in course of production. 随着工业自动化技术的发展，国内不少 工厂实现了生产过程自动化管理。
4) It also consists of the exchange of data to facilitate the financing and payment aspects of the business transactions. 电子商务还包含了促进融资和商务交易支付方面的数据交换。
注解：此句中的不定式短语 to facilitate…是定语，用以修饰其前面的名词。注意 fascinate（促进）的用法：
◆ These firms facilitate the movement of parts and materials from suppliers to manufacturers, and finished products from manufacturers to distributors and retailers. 这些公司促进了零 部件和材料从供应商到制造商的流动，以及成品从制造商向分销商和零售商转移。
1.3 Activities
1.3.1 Critical thinking
1) What is Electronic Commerce in your opinion? 2) What can you do with Electronic Commerce?
3) Electronic commerce has changed our consuming habit a lot, hasn’t it? 4) Is it safe to conduct business on Internet?
5) Have you ever got anything from the Internet? If so, would you like to share your experience with others?
1.3.2 Translation practice
1.3.2.1 Give the Chinese equivalents of the following words or expressions: 1) computer networks __________________________________________________ 2) the amount of trade __________________________________________________ 3) the rapid spread ____________________________________________________ 4) financing ____________________________________________________________ 5) electronic data interchange (EDI) ________________________________________ 6) physical items ________________________________________________________ 7) supply chain management ________________________________________________ 8) all interested parties _____________________________________________________ 9) processing ____________________________________________________________ 10) interaction ___________________________________________________________
1.3.2.2 Give the English equivalents of the following words or expressions:
1) 电子商务 ____________________________________________________________ 2) 在交易过程中 ________________________________________________________ 3) 虚拟产品 ____________________________________________________________ 4) 电子资金转账 _______________________________________________________ 5) 网络市场 ____________________________________________________________ 6) 数据交换 ___________________________________________________________ 7) 创新 _______________________________________________________________ 8) 消费习惯 ____________________________________________________________ 9) 促进 ________________________________________________________________ 10) 配送 _______________________________________________________________
1.3.2.3 Sentence translation from English to Chinese:
1) Electronic commerce refers to the buying and selling of products or services over electronic systems such as the Internet and other computer networks.
2) A large percentage of electronic commerce is conducted entirely electronically for virtual items such as access to information you want on a website.
3) Electronic commerce that is conducted between businesses is referred to as business-to- business or B2B.
4) Broadly speaking, electronic commerce is the production, advertising, sale and distribution of products via telecommunications networks.
5) No matter what we call it, it is no doubt that electronic commerce has changed our consuming habit a lot and brought a great deal of benefit and convenience to both businesses and consumers as well.
1.3.2.4 Sentence translation from Chinese to English:
1) 我希望他们不用说他们的行为是在帮助公司推销产品。(conduct) 2) 不及时回应客户，很容易引起客户的不满。(lead to) 3) 我们班有 30 个男生，20 个女生。(consist of) 4) 不管我们身在何处、在做什么，我们都想要访问到我们的数据。(access to) 5) 毫无疑问，电子商务的发展速度会越来越快。(no doubt)
1.4 Passage B
The Evolution Of Electronic Commerce
As is known to all, people have conducted business with each other for thousands of years. They have adopted new tools and technologies as they have become available. For example, the
advent of sailing ships in ancient times opened new ways of trade
to buyers and sellers. The printing press, the steam engine, and the telephone, each changed the way people conducted commerce activities.
The Internet was opened to commercial use during the early 1990s. That time period also saw the development of Web server and Web browser software. By 1995, the rapid growth of the Internet and the Web had combined with the proliferation of
personal computers in homes and businesses to create a new communications network that could support business transactions as nothing ever had before. These three factors — the
commercialization of the Internet, the invention of the Web, and
the rapid growth of networked PCs — combined to make electronic commerce possible.
The number of Web sites is currently estimated to be well over eight million and the number of Web documents over a billion. Each Web site can have hundreds or even thousands of individual Web pages. As more people obtain access to the Web, commercial interest in using the Web to conduct business will increase and the variety of non-business uses will become even greater.
Although the Web has already grown very rapidly, many experts believe that it will continue to grow at an increasing rate for the
foreseeable future. The emergence of the Internet and the Web as
new data communication tools is just another step in the increasing
efficiency of business processes.
adopt /'dpt/ v. 采取；接受
available /'velbl/ adj. 有效的，可得的；可利用的
advent /'dvnt/ n. 到来；出现 commercial /k'ml/ adj. 商业的 proliferation /prlf'ren/ n. 增殖，扩散 commercialization /kmla'zen/ n. 商品化，商业化 estimate /'estmet/ v. 估计，估量；判断，评价 individual /nd'vdjl/ n. 个人，个体
foreseeable /'fsibl/ adj. 可预知的；能预测的
emergence /'mdns/ n. 出现，浮现；发生
efficiency /'fns/ n. 效率；效能；功效
1.5 Notes to Passage B
1) They have adopted new tools and technologies as they have become available. 正是因为新 型的工具和技术已经变得唾手可得，所以人们采用了它们。
注解：该句是复合句子。要注意的是，句首的 they 是指代上文的 people；而 as 引导的状语从句中的主语 they 则指代上文的 new tools and technologies。
2) That time period also saw the development of Web server and Web browser software. 那个 时代也见证了网络服务器以及网页浏览器软件的发展。
注解：Web server 中文名称叫网页服务器或 web 服务器。Web 服务器也称为 WWW（WORLD WIDE WEB）服务器，主要功能是提供网上信息浏览服务。Web 服务器可以解析 （handles）HTTP 协议。当 Web 服务器接收到一个 HTTP 请求（request），会返回一个 HTTP 响应（response），例如送回一个 HTML 页面。为了处理一个请求，Web 服务器可以响应一个 静态页面或图片，进行页面跳转（redirect），或者把动态响应（dynamic response）的产生委托 （delegate）给一些其他的程序例如 CGI 脚本，JSP（JavaServer Pages）脚本，servlets，ASP （Active Server Pages）脚本，服务器端（server-side）JavaScript，或者一些其他的服务器端技 术。无论它们（译者注：脚本）的目的如何，这些服务器端的程序通常产生一个 HTML 的响 应来让浏览器可以浏览。
3) By 1995, the rapid growth of the Internet and the Web had combined with the proliferation of personal computers in homes and businesses to create a new communications network that could support business transactions as nothing ever had before. 到了 1995 年，快速发展的互联网和网 页，与数目激增的企业和家用的个人电脑一起创造出新型的通信网络，这种网络能支持商务交 易，这种网络交易是前所未有过的。
注解：国际互联网（Internet work，简称 internet），始于 1969 年的美国，又称因特网， 是全球性的网络，是一种公用信息的载体，是大众传媒的一种。具有快捷性、普及性，是现今 最流行、最受欢迎的传媒之一。这种大众传媒比以往的任何一种通讯媒体都要快。互联网是由 一些使用公用语言互相通信的计算机连接而成的网络，即广域网、局域网及单机按照一定的通 讯协议组成的国际计算机网络。
1.6 Activities
1.6.1 Tell whether the following statements are true (T) or false (F) T F 1 The history of E-commerce has more than a thousand years.
2 It was the printing press, the steam engine, and the telephone that changed the way people conducted commerce activities.
3 The commercialization of the Internet, the invention of the Web, and the rapid growth of networked PCs are combined to make electronic commerce possible.
4 The number of Web documents is currently estimated to be well over eight million.
5
Commercial interest in using the Web to conduct business will increase and the variety of non-business uses will become even greater since more people obtain access to the Web.
1.6.2 Match the English on the left with Chinese on the right
1 new avenues of trade A 商务活动
2 commerce activities B 个人电脑的激增
3 Web browser C 商业利益
4 the proliferation of personal computers D 网页浏览器
1.7 Basic E-commerce English Writing
Format of Commerce Letters 商务信函格式
1.7.1 Indented Style 缩进式
1.7.1.1 Features of the indented style include:
Your address is on the right hand side of the page
The date is on the right
The closing, signature, and printed name are all indented to the right half of the page
The greeting is flush left.
The first line of each paragraph is indented, it starts 1 cm from the margin.
A line is not placed between each paragraph1.7.1.2 Here is an example of a letter written in an indented style:
56 Yango Rd BROGALA VIC 3321 20 October 1998 45 Carlton St.
GREENS CAPE VIC 3467
Dear Greg,
We are pleased to introduce Mr. Smith, our import manager of Textiles Department. Mr. Smith is spending three weeks in your city to develop our business with chief manufactures and to make purchases of decorative fabrics for the coming season.
We shall be most grateful if you will introduce him to reliable manufacturers and give him any help or advice he may need.
Yours faithfully, John
Indented style is easier to read, but it is rarely used in business. It is a slightly less formal modification of full-block format. Some people still use it for hand written personal letters.1.7.2 Full-block Style 全齐头式
1.7.2.1 Features of full-block style include:
All text starts at the left margin
No punctuation in the addresses
No punctuation in the greeting
No punctuation in the farewell
Inside address, salutation, closing and signature are all on the left
An empty line separates each paragraph1.7.2.2 Here is an example of a letter written in a full-block style:
The commonest layout for the business letter today is known as full-block style. It is considered the most formal. In this style all new lines of typing are ranged to the left, all text starts at the left margin.Radio Products Ltd. 208 Main Rd COVILLE VIC 3241 16 October 2013
Andrew Smile
General Television Services 333 Grand Ave
MONTPELLIER NSW 2345
Dear Ms Smile
Thank you so much for your inquiry about our radio communications software.
I am enclosing our brochure and price list of our products. Our communications products are widely used and have a proven record of value for money and reliability.
If you have further questions, please contact us.
Yours sincerely Jane Broker
1.7.3 Semi-block Style 混合式/半齐头式
1.7.3.1 Features of a semi-block style include: Your address is on the right hand side of the page There is no punctuation in the addresses
The date is on the right hand side of the page The farewell is on the right hand side of the page An empty line separates each paragraph
Inside address, salutation and body parts all start at the left margin 1.7.3.2 Here is an example of a letter written in a semi-block style:
This format is a combination of indented style and full-block style; all the paragraphs are blocked against the left margin except letter heading, date, complimentary close and signature to the right of the center of the paper.3303 West Valley Cove Round Rock, Texas 78664 August 5, 1990 Personnel Assistant
JD Employee Credit Bank of Texas P.O. Box 32345
Austin, Texas 78745
Dear Personnel Assistant,
I am writing about your newspaper ad in the August 1 Austin-American Statesman concerning your need for an experienced programmer in the database environment. I believe that I have the qualifications and experience that you are looking for.
Enclosed you will find a resume, which will give you additional information on my background and qualifications.
I would welcome a chance to talk further with you about the position you are seeking to fill. I can be reached by phone between 9:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. at (512) 545-0098.
Sincerely, Virginia Rementeria Encl.: resume
1.7.4 Writing Practice
1) Try to answer the following questions:
a) Based on what we have learned, which is the most formal format for a letter? b) If paragraphs are indented, where will the signature be?
c) If the date is flush right, where is the inside address in indented style? 2) Discuss the characteristic of the three letter styles you have learned.
3) Write a letter to Mr. Johnson, invite him to attend the anniversary of your nine years of business enterprise, use a proper format and sign your own name.
1.8 Expanding Reading
The Internet
Today, the Internet is an enormous network of millions of computers allowing constant communication throughout the world. It includes: the World Wide Web, electronic mail (E-mail), File transfer Protocol (FTP), Internet Relay Chat (IRC) and USENET (news service).
The World Wide Web is the part of the Internet that most users see and use and which has made it so popular. The web continues to grow at an absolutely incredible rate. Technology has improved to such an extent that the web is now considered to be indispensable for education, business and entertainment. There are billions of pages on the web and thousands more are added every hour.
Anyone can apply for an E-mail address and send and receive messages from their computer. The main benefit is the almost instantaneous delivery of messages. An E-mail to the other side of the world takes a few seconds. You can also sign up to automatically receive newsletters and other information, delivered directly to your computer.
File Transfer Protocol
Web pages are transferred between computers using the HTTP protocol, with other types of files sent using FTP. Users can share files, such as music and videos between themselves and the rest of the world by uploading them to a server and then allowing others to download them to their own computers.
Internet Relay Chat
IRC is a service allowing you to connect to your chosen channel and talk to others with the same interests. By downloading an appropriate programme, you can start chatting right away.
USENET
USENET (Unix User Network) is a system of bulletin boards whereby messages and points of view can be posted to be read and replied to. Similar to IRC, all sorts of topics are discussed and a wide range of groups take part.
There is no doubt that the Internet will have an increasing influence on the world in future.
1.9 Work online
Visit the following famous websites through the Internet and try to learn more features of e-commerce:
1) http://www.business.beijing.com 2) http://baike.so.com/doc/6835651.html 3) http://www.amazon.com
