2017考研英语拓展阅读：国际反假联盟取消阿里巴巴会员资格

　　An anti-counterfeiting group said Friday it was suspending Alibaba’s membership following an uproar by some companies that view the Chinese e-commerce giant as the world’s largest marketplace for fakes.

　　国际反假联盟于周五宣布他们将暂停阿里巴巴的会员资格。原因是该机构的部分联盟公司认为这个中国的电子商务巨头实质上是全球最大的假货市场，他们对阿里的加盟表示不满。

　　The International Anti-Counterfeiting Coalition told members that it had failed to inform the board of directors about conflicts of interest involving the group’s president, Robert Barchiesi.

　　国际反假联盟表示，理事会未能获悉主席罗伯特·巴切西涉及到的利益冲突。

　　Earlier Friday, The Associated Press reported that Barchiesi had stock in Alibaba, had close ties to an Alibaba executive and had used family members to help run the coalition.

　　周五早些时候，美联社报道巴切西实际上持有阿里巴巴股票，与阿里巴巴总裁关系密切，并曾让家人参与联盟的日常工作。

　　The coalition, in a letter to members sent after the AP report came out, said conflicts weren’t disclosed to the board "because of a weakness in our corporate governance procedures." It said the failure was not because of "inaction on Bob’s part," referring to Barchiesi.

　　继美联社报道之后，国际反假联盟向众位会员公司写信解释之所以没有向理事会透露相关利益冲突是因为公司的管理程序非常薄弱。信中还表示这一切并不是巴切西的责任，与其无关。

　　The coalition said that is hiring an independent firm to review its corporate government policies.

　　联盟表示他们计划租用一个单独的公司，用来审核公司管理的相关政策。

　　In its letter, the board said that as a result of members’ concerns, it was suspending a new class of membership under which Alibaba had recently joined. The move would affect two other companies that signed up under the new rules.

　　理事会们在信中提到，出于部分会员公司的担心，该机构将暂时取消新设立的会员资格，不久前阿里巴巴正是通过这种资格的设立加入了国际反假联盟。此举还可能会影响到其他两家新近加入联盟的公司。

　　Jennifer Kuperman, Alibaba’s head of international corporate affairs, said companies like Alibaba were important for solving the problem of counterfeiting.

　　阿里巴巴集团国际企业事业部主管詹妮弗·库珀曼则表示，类似阿里巴巴这样的公司对处理反假问题实质上起着非常重要的作用。

　　"Whether or not we are a member of the IACC, we will continue our productive and results-oriented relationships with brands, governments and all industry partners," she said.

　　詹妮弗表示：“不管我们是不是国际反假联盟的成员，我们都会一如既往地注重结果，并持续和产品品牌、政府以及其他的行业伙伴保持这种富有成效的关系。”

　　At issue is the independence of a small but influential coalition that lobbies U.S. officials and testifies before Congress.

　　国际反假联盟是一家规模不大，但比较有影响力的机构，经常游说美国政府官员，并在国会作证。

　　Alibaba’s membership could help shape the global fight against counterfeits. Fakes damage companies’ bottom lines, can harm consumers who unknowingly buy such products, and feed a vast underground money-laundering industry that supports criminal syndicates.

　　阿里巴巴加入反假联盟可能会从一定程度上改变全球打假形势。假货会影响公司的利益，会损害在不知情条件下购买这类产品的消费者的权益，同时还会孳生一大批地下洗钱的不法行业，为犯罪组织提供便利。

　　In recent weeks Gucci America, Michael Kors and Tiffany have quit the Washington D.C.-based coalition, which has more than 250 members.

　　最近几周，古驰的美国分公司，迈克尔·科斯以及蒂芙尼等公司已经先后退出了国际反假联盟。该机构有250多名会员公司。

　　The AP found several ties between the group’s president and Alibaba:

　　此外，美联社发现联盟主席巴切西与阿里巴巴还存在以下关系：

　　—Barchiesi has owned Alibaba stock since its 2014 listing in New York. The IACC said in a statement that the holdings represent "a small percentage of his investment portfolio."

　　巴切西自从阿里巴巴2014年在美国上市以来就持有该公司股票。国际反假联盟表示这部分股票只是他个人投资组合中的一小部分。

　　—Matthew Bassiur, who took over as vice president of global intellectual property enforcement at Alibaba in January, hired Barchiesi’s son, Robert Barchiesi II, to work at Apple back in 2011. Alibaba said that hire was made on merit. Apple declined to comment.

　　今年一月刚刚任职阿里巴巴全球知识产权保护副主席的马修·巴希尔曾在2011年雇用巴切西的儿子罗伯特·巴切西二世在苹果公司工作。阿里巴巴则声称公司是任人唯贤，不存在裙带关系。苹果公司则拒绝回应。

　　—Bassiur is a founding board member of the ICE Foundation, which supports U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement employees. Since 2013, the foundation has been run by Barchiesi’s other son, James Barchiesi. That same year, the foundation’s board voted to award a contract for "fiscal and operational management" to a private company, also run by James Barchiesi. The foundation has received grants of $10,000 from the anti-counterfeiting coalition every year since 2012, tax filings show.

　　巴希尔是ICE基金会的创始董事成员之一，该基金会一直向美国移民及海关执法局的员工提供支持。自2013年以来，该基金会就一直由巴切西的另一个儿子詹姆斯·巴切西在运营。同年，ICE基金会进行投票，将财务和运营管理权交给由詹姆斯·巴奇斯运营的一家私营公司。据相关税务文件显示，该基金会自2012年以来每年都会从反假联盟中收到近1万美元的捐款。

　　Kuperman, of Alibaba, said Bassiur’s expertise would help the company "further instill trust in our marketplaces."

　　阿里巴巴公司的库珀曼则声称，巴切西的专业技术将进一步帮助阿里巴巴向市场注入信任。

　　"We are highly confident in his abilities and proud to have him at Alibaba in this critical global role," she said.

　　库珀曼表示：“我们绝对相信巴切西的能力，非常高兴他能够担任这样一个关键职位。”

　　Robert Barchiesi had also come under fire for his stewardship of the coalition and allegations of conflicts of interest on the move to include Alibaba.

　　目前，罗伯特·巴切西因为他在联盟中的管理职位以及涉及到阿里巴巴的相关利益问题而饱受争议和言论攻击。