The first reason that e-shopping is so appealing to students is its relative ease and convenience. Buying online is a much faster way to obtain books and study aids than trawling through crowded bookshops and school supply outlets. For conscientious students with schedules, purchasing items on eBay or taobao.com is an excellent way to free up valuable time for their studies. Products purchased online can also be delivered “straight to your door”, eliminating the burden of carrying heavy or bulky items.
网上购物如此吸引学生的第一个原因就是,它相对容易和方便。网上购物可以更快捷地获得书和学习用品,而不用在拥挤的书店和学习用品批发店里挤来挤去。对于有繁忙时间表的细心同学来讲,在易趣或淘宝网上买东西是一个非常好的方式,可以省下很多宝贵的学习时间。网上购买的物品也可以直接送到自己家门口,省去了搬运笨重物品的麻烦。
The second advantage of online shopping is that it is available 24/7. Being able to shop at any and all hours of the day is not only conducive to the late nights associated with the student lifestyle, but also means that students no longer have to plan their activities around stores' opening hours.
网上购物的第二个好处就是购物没有任何时间限制。在每一天,在一天中的任何时候都可以购物,不但对有晚睡习惯的学生有好处,而且也意味着学生不必按照商店的营业时间来计划自己的活动了。
The third and perhaps biggest draw of e-shopping is that it allows students to find the lowest possible price at the click of a button. Students, who are notoriously strapped for cash, can ease their financial strain by taking advantage of bargains online. The growing number of trustworthy online shopping sites that provide secure transactions, coupled with the fact that scams and fraud once associated with Internet shopping are quickly becoming things of the past, has also made students more willing, and even eager, to shop on the Web.
网上购物的第三个,可能也是最大的诱人之处在于,学生只要点下按钮就可以找到可能的最低售价。学生没钱是出了名的,利用网络购买便宜商品可减轻经济负担。越来越多的可信赖的网购网站可以提供安全交易,加上曾经伴随网上购物而出现的欺诈行为早已成为过去的事了,也使得学生更愿意,甚至渴望在网上购物。
Despite the advantages to students of making purchases online, there are also a few caveats that young people should bear in mind. Firstly, the speed and convenience of e-shopping may encourage frivolous or unnecessary spending by inducing students to buy more than they had initially intended. The temptation to spend hours surfing the Web to find out about the best buys or the latest fashion trends could also cause the studies of young shopaholics to fall by the wayside.
尽管学生在网上购物有很多好处,但年轻人也应该牢记几点忠告。首先,网上购物的快速与方便可能会诱导学生很轻率地购买比预计要多得多的不需要的东西。花几小时在网上冲浪,找到最合算的物品或最新的款式,这种诱惑也可能会使购物成瘾的年轻人的学业半途而废。
Secondly, there is a chance that those students who are already introverted may become even more alienated from the outside world. Indeed, online access to products and services makes it practically unnecessary to leave one's house. If taken to an extreme, online shopping may cause shy or reserved students to live even more reclusive lifestyles, to the detriment of both their social and physical well-being.
第二,那些本就内向的学生甚至可能会变得与外面的世界更加疏远。确实,在线购买商品和服务让我们不需要出家门。更极端地,网上购物也许会让害羞或矜持的学生形成更加封闭的生活方式,这对他们的人际交往与身体健康都有害处。
The biggest advantage of working in a large metropolis is its greater employment opportunities. While fierce job competition has led some urban graduates to seek work in smaller towns, a competitive job market is a necessary part of a vibrant and well-oiled economy. For me, competition is also a motivating force that strengthens my determination to succeed in the business world. In addition, urban areas boast a high degree of global connectivity that rural areas lack. As an aspiring translator, I would certainly expect my professional services to be in greater demand in large cities that are home to many multinational companies.
在大都市工作的最大好处是有更多的就业机会。虽然由于就业竞争激烈,一些城市里的毕业生也不得不去小乡镇找工作,但是若要保持经济活力并使其运转良好,充满竞争的就业市场是必不可少的。对我而言,竞争也会激励我,使我坚定在商界闯出一番天地的信念。另外,城市与世界高度接轨,而这一点是农村地区所缺乏的。作为一名抱负远大的译员,我当然期望许多跨国公司聚集的大城市会更需要我的专业服务。
Another important benefit of working in the large city is the number and diversity of leisure facilities that it offers. Whether in Beijing, Shanghai or Hong Kong, finding a movie theater, karaoke hall or fitness studio is always easy and convenient. Obviously, the same cannot be said for a remote village in Inner Mongolia or sparsely inhabited regions of western Sichuan. During non-working hours, urbanites can shop at a bustling mall, watch a music concert in a modern stadium, or enjoy a cup of cappuccino at a nearby Starbucks—leisure opportunities that are simply unavailable to rural dwellers.
在大城市工作的另一个重要好处在于其提供的花样繁多的娱乐休闲设施。无论在北京、上海还是香港,人们总是能方便容易地找到电影院、卡拉OK厅或健身房。显然,在内蒙古偏远的村庄或四川西部人口稀少的地区,这是无法想象的。在工作之余,都市人或在熙熙攘攘的商场购物,或在现代体育场里听音乐会,或在附近的星巴克享受一杯卡布奇诺——这样的休闲机会是农村居民无法得到的。
If you can do without the few pastoral pleasures of the country, you will find the city can provide you with the best that life can offer. You never have to travel miles to see your friends. They invariably live nearby and are always available for an informal chat or an evening's entertainment. Some of my acquaintances in the country come up to town once or twice a year to visit the theatre as a special enjoyment. For them this is a major operation which involves considerable planning. As the play draws to its close, they wonder whether they will ever catch that last train home. The city dweller never experiences anxieties of this sort. The latest exhibitions, films, or plays are only a short bus ride away.
如果你愿舍弃乡下生活那一点点田园乐趣的话,你会发现城市可以为你提供生活所能给你的最美好的东西。你去看朋友根本不用跋涉好几英里,因为他们都住在附近,你随时可以同他们闲聊或在晚上一起娱乐。我在乡村的一些熟人每年进城来看一两回戏,并将此视为一种特殊的享受。看戏对他们来说是件大事,需要精心计划。当戏快演完时,他们想知道是否能赶上末班火车回家。这种焦虑,城里人是从未体验过的。坐公共汽车几站路,就可以看到最新的展览、电影或戏剧。
Shopping, too, is always a pleasure. There is so much variety that you never have to make do with second best. Country people run wild when they go shopping in the city and stagger home loaded with as many of the exotic items as they can carry. Nor is the city without its moments of beauty. There is something comforting about the warm glow shed by advertisements on cold wet winter nights. Few things could be more impressive than the peace that descends on deserted city streets at weekends when the thousands that travel to work every day are tucked away in their homes in the country. It has always been a mystery to me that city dwellers, who appreciate all these things, obstinately pretend that they would prefer to live in the country.
购物也是一种乐趣。物品种类繁多,从来不必用二等品来凑合。乡里人进城采购欣喜若狂,每次回家时都买足了外来商品,直到拿不动方才罢休,连走路都摇摇晃晃的。城市也并非没有良辰美景。寒冷潮湿的冬夜里,广告灯箱发出的暖光,会给人某种安慰。周末,当成千上万每天进城上班的人回到他们的乡间寓所之后,空旷的街市笼罩着一种宁静的氛围,没有什么能比此时的宁静更令人难忘了。城里人对这一切都很欣赏,却偏要执拗地装出他们更喜欢住在乡村的样子,这对我来说一直是个谜。
Of course, as the old saying goes, “Every coin has two sides.” While the advantages of working in the city are self-evident, the drawbacks are also apparent. For one thing, the cost of living is much higher in cities; everything from food to clothing carries a steeper price tag than that in rural areas. Furthermore, taking up a city job requires the ability to tolerate a variety of urban environmental problems, including traffic congestion, overcrowding, and high levels of air and noise pollution. Fortunately, having grown up in a densely populated city, I am well-accustomed to these and other urban realities.
当然,正如俗语所说:每个硬币都有两面。在城市工作的好处是不言而喻的,但缺点也显而易见。一方面,城市的生活成本更高,从食物到服装,每件东西的价格都比乡村地区高。而且,在城市就业需要具备忍受各种城市环境问题的能力,包括交通堵塞、人口拥挤、严重的空气污染和噪音污染。所幸的是,我自小就在人口密集的城市里长大,早已习惯了这些和其他一些城市现状。
In the organization of industrial life the influence of the factory upon the physiological and mental state of the workers has been completely neglected. Modern industry is based on the conception of the maximum production at the lowest cost, in order that an individual or a group of individuals may earn as much money as possible. It has expanded without any idea of the true nature of the human beings who run the machines, and without giving any consideration to the effects produced on the individuals and on their descendants by the artificial mode of existence imposed by the factory. The great cities have been built with no regard for us. The shape and dimensions of the skyscrapers depend entirely on the necessity of obtaining the maximum income per square foot of ground, and of offering to the tenants offices and apartments that please them. This has caused the construction of gigantic buildings where too large masses of human beings are crowded together. Civilized men like such a way of living. While they enjoy the comfort and banal luxury of their dwelling, they do not realize that they are deprived of the necessities of life. The modern city consists of monstrous edifices and of dark, narrow streets full of petrol fumes, and toxic gases, torn by the noise of the taxi-cabs, lorries and buses, and thronged ceaselessly by great crowds. Obviously, it has not been planned for the good of its inhabitants.
在工业生活的组织中,工厂对工人的生理和精神状态的影响完全被忽视了。现代工业基于以下基本概念:以最低成本获得最大产量,为的是让某个个人或某一部分人尽可能多地赚钱。现代工业发展起来了,却根本没想到操作机器的人的真正本质。工厂把一种人为的生存方式强加给工人,却毫不顾及这种生存方式给工人及其后代带来的影响。大城市的建设毫不关心我们。摩天大楼的形状和规格完全是按这样的需要修建的:每平方英尺地皮取得最大收入和向租房人提供使其满意的办公室和住房。这样就导致了许多摩天大厦拔地而起,大厦内众多的人挤在一起。文明人喜欢这样一种生活方式。他们在享受自己住宅的舒适和庸俗的豪华时,却没有意识到被剥夺了生活所必需的东西。大得吓人的高楼和阴暗狭窄的街道组成了今日现代化的城市。街道上充斥着汽油味和有毒气体,出租车、卡车、公共汽车的噪音刺耳难忍,络绎不绝的人群拥挤不堪。显然,现代化的城市不是为居民的利益而规划的。
The quiet life of the country has never appealed to me. City born and city bred, I have always regarded the country as something you look at through a train window, or something you occasionally visit during the weekend. Most of my friends live in the city, yet they always go into raptures at the mere mention of the country. Though they extol the virtues of the peaceful life, only one of them has gone to live in the country and he was back in town within six months. Even he still lives under the illusion that country life is somehow superior to town life. He is forever talking about the friendly people, the clean atmosphere, the closeness to nature and the gentle pace of living. Nothing can be compared, he maintains, with the first cockcrow, the twittering of birds at dawn, the sight of the rising sun glinting on the trees and pastures.
宁静的乡村生活从来没有吸引过我。我生在城市,长在城市,总认为乡村是透过火车车窗看到的那个样子,或在周末偶尔参观的一个场景。我大多数的朋友都生活在城市,但只要一提起乡村,他们总是马上就会变得欣喜若狂。尽管他们都交口称赞宁静的乡村生活的种种优点,但他们当中只有一个人曾经去农村住过,而且不足6个月就回来了。即使他仍存有幻觉,好像乡村生活就是比城市生活优越。他总是滔滔不绝地大谈友好的农民、清新的空气、贴近大自然的环境和悠闲的生活节奏。他坚持认为,什么也无法与凌晨雄鸡的第一声啼叫、黎明时分小鸟吱喳欢叫、冉冉升起的朝阳染红树木和牧场相比。
This idyllic pastoral scene is only part of the picture. My friend fails to mention the long and friendless winter evenings in front of the TV—virtually the only form of entertainment. He says nothing about the poor selection of goods in the shops, or about those unfortunate people who have to travel from the country to the city every day to get to work. Why people are prepared to tolerate a four-hour journey each day for the dubious privilege of living in the country is beyond me. They could be saved so much misery and expense if they chose to live in the city where they rightly belong.
但这种田园诗般的乡村风光仅仅是一个侧面。我的朋友没有提到在电视机前度过的漫长寂寞的冬夜——事实上电视是唯一的娱乐形式。他也不说商店货物品种单调,以及那些每天不得不从乡下赶到城里工作的不幸的人们。人们为什么情愿忍受每天在路上奔波4个小时去换取值得怀疑的乡间生活的优点,我是无法理解的。要是他们选择住在他们本来就属于那里的城市里,则可以让他们省去诸多苦处与节约大量开支。
It is true that the city can provide much convenience and entertainment, the very reason people can't bear to part with city life. But the cost for the privilege of living in the city is also high. Just think of the places where we live, full of petrol fumes and toxic gases, torn by the roar of buses and lorries day and night, and thronged ceaselessly by great crowds. Besides, as the housing problem in the central city gets more serious, people have to pay high rents for very tiny flats which I would certainly disdain to live in. In contrast, living near the countryside one can enjoy the clean atmosphere, the closeness to nature and the quiet, peaceful surroundings—the essentials of a healthy life. Nothing can be compared, as the pace of modern life is getting quicker, with the first cockcrow, the twittering of birds at dawn, and the sight of the rising sun glinting on the trees and green fields. Although living in the suburbs you may suffer a little discomfort brought about by the necessity of travelling miles to work every day, the situation will change soon as many highways and subways are being constructed.
城市确实能提供许多便利和娱乐,这也正是人们为什么不愿放弃城市生活的原因。但是住在城市里享受优待的代价也很高,请想一想我们居住的地方,到处充斥着汽油黑烟和有毒气体,日夜不停的公共汽车和卡车的轰鸣声,以及川流不息的拥挤人群。除此之外,由于市中心的住房问题变得更加严峻,人们不得不支付很高的房租去住非常小的、我肯定不屑于住的单元房。相反,住在靠近乡下的地方,你可以呼吸清新的空气,感受与大自然的亲近,享受宁静祥和的生活环境,而这一切都是健康生活不可缺少的东西。随着现代生活节奏的加快,什么也比不上听到黎明的第一声鸡啼和清晨的啁啾鸟语,以及看到冉冉升起的太阳照射在森林和绿色原野上的景色。虽然住在市郊你可能要忍受每天必须乘车往返几十英里去上班带给你的一些不便,但随着许多高速公路和地铁正在被建造,这种情况很快将会改变。
Every year people crowd into cities in search of employment, a decent living, and the excitement and stimulation of urban life. According to a recent research, the population in Shanghai alone has increased 26% in the last three years. With rise in urban population, many big cities have met problems of their own.
每年人们涌入城市寻找工作、体面的生活和都市生活的精彩和刺激。根据一项最新的调查,仅上海市的人口在过去三年里就已经增长了26%。随着城市人口的增长,很多大城市遭遇了自身的问题。
One big problem is the ever-increasing pressure produced by over-crowding. As more and more people flood into cities, city services and facilities have been strained to a breaking point. Cities have been exposed not only to the problems of traffic and housing, but to the problems of education, sanitation, employment and so on.
一个大问题是人口过度拥挤产生的日益增长的压力。随着越来越多的人涌入城市,城市的服务和设施的紧张程度已经达到一个临界点。城市不仅面临交通和住房问题,也面临教育、卫生、就业等各种问题。
A second problem is the physical environment. One is the rise in the concentration of high buildings, stripping people of contact with sun and trees and grass—condemning them to a life among stone and concrete, neon lights and endless flow of traffic. Another is the growing number of cars and buses, whose exhaust sends huge quantities of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, making the air of cities unbreathable.
第二个问题是生存环境。一是越来越密集的高楼大厦,剥夺人们接触阳光、树木和草地的权利,使人们陷入石头混凝土、霓虹灯以及无尽的车流包围的生活之中。另一个问题是越来越多的汽车和公交车的尾气释放大量的二氧化碳进入大气之中,使得城市的空气无法呼吸。
But of all problems, the most serious and pressing, the one which threatens to paralyze the city is the widespread crime. Band robberies which were unheard of in the past now occur more frequently. Not a single day passes without the reports of somebody being mugged, being kidnapped or being murdered. Today, even walking in the street in broad daylight will make you nervous, let alone in the late night.
但在所有问题之中,最严重和紧迫并有使城市瘫痪的危险的就是越来越多的犯罪。以前从未听过的团伙抢劫现在经常发生。每天都能听到有人被抢劫、绑架或者谋杀的报道。今天,甚至大白天大走在街上都会使你紧张,更不用说在深夜了。
All these problems make big cities no longer attractive to people as years before. The tendency to move to the edge of the city, the suburban areas reflects this mentality. Unless there is some improvement, more and more people will seek to live in the suburbs.
所有这些问题都使得大城市对人们而言不像以前那么有吸引力。人口向城市边缘的郊区流动的趋势反映了这种心态。除非有所改进,否则越来越多的人会想要住在郊区。
It is obvious that living in the city center is becoming less attractive. For one thing, the soaring prices of housing in the city centers force more and more people to move to the periphery. For another, the city centers—now full of petrol fumes and toxic gases, and torn by the roar of buses and lorries—are increasingly perceived as among the least desirable areas to live in despite the social and cultural advantages city life can offer.
显而易见,住在城市中心正变得越来越缺乏吸引力。一方面,城市中心飙升的房价迫使越来越多的人搬到郊区。其次,尽管城市生活可以提供社会和文化方面的优势,但现在城市中心充满了汽车尾气和有毒气体,以及公交车和卡车的轰鸣声,越来越被认为是最不适宜居住的地区。
On the other hand, the suburbs are no longer suburbs in a traditional sense. These areas have combined advantages of both urban and rural living, and have blurred the dividing line between city and countryside. The obvious advantage is still there: living in the suburban rings one can fulfill the desire to be closer to nature, to enjoy the clean air and a quiet, peaceful life, and to be free of the limitations imposed by overcrowding.
另一方面,郊区不再是传统意义上的郊区。这些地区已经结合了城市和乡村生活的优点,而且模糊了城市和乡村之间的界线。明显的优点依然存在:住在郊区可以满足人们更亲近大自然的渴望,享受清新的空气和宁静平和的生活,同时免于人口过度拥挤造成的各种限制。
And what is significant now is that all these can be enjoyed with no old worries about inconvenience for highways and subways have been constructed to make travel from suburb to city much easier. The provision of social services such as supermarkets and big hospitals has been extended too. The result is that living in a suburb is nearly as convenient as living in a city.
目前重要的是,由于高速公路和地铁已经建好,使得从郊区到城市变得更加容易,人们可以在享受上述优势的同时,不必担心各种不便。诸如超市和大医院等社会服务设施也已延伸到了郊区。其结果就是住在郊区几乎和住在城里一样方便。
In the last century, world population has increased dramatically, doubling in ever shortening cycles. In 1930 world population stood at 2 billion, and by 1978—about 48 years later—it reached over 4 billion. But in 2001, less than half of 48 years later, it increased another 2 billion. Population explosion has become a serious problem.
上个世纪,世界人口已经迅猛增长,以越来越短的周期实现了人口翻番。1930年,世界人口总数为20亿,而截止到大约48年后的1978年,人口达到了40多亿。但在2001年,不到24年之后,人口又增长了20亿。人口爆炸已经成为一个严重问题。
Population growth has put enormous pressure on world food supplies, making it difficult, if not impossible, to avoid hunger and starvation on a massive scale. Despite all the triumphs of agriculture in the last century, population growth goes way ahead of the gains in food production. Hundreds of millions of people still lead lives dominated by hunger and malnutrition.
人口增长已经给世界粮食供应带来了巨大的压力,使得在大范围内避免饥饿和饥荒的问题即使不是不可能,也十分困难。尽管上个世纪在农业方面取得了巨大的成就,但人口增长走在了粮食生产成就的前面。数亿人仍然过着饥饿和营养不良的生活。
In addition to food shortage, the growing population poses a threat to the environment. As population grows, so will the number of automobiles and factories, and the amount of automobile exhaust and industrial pollutants. Destruction of the land has also increased as the growing amount of natural vegetation is removed to make room for more houses, roads and highways.
除了粮食短缺,不断增长的人口对环境也造成了威胁。随着人口的增长,汽车和工厂的数量也会增加,汽车尾气和工业污染物的数量也会增加。随着越来越多的天然植被被清除以便腾出空间来建造更多房屋、道路和高速公路,土地破坏也增加了。
Overpopulation affects the quality of life as well. Obviously the rise in population is accompanied by the desire of more and more people for fewer and fewer job opportunities, and fewer and fewer natural resources to raise their standard of living. The inadequate supply of water and land has already upset their living conditions.
人口过多也影响了生活质量。显而易见,人口增长伴随着越来越多的人对于越来越少的工作机会和自然资源的渴望,以便提高他们的生活水平。水和土地的供应不足也已经影响了人们的生活条件。
To sum up, unchecked population growth is the most serious problem humanity faces today. Food shortage, environmental destruction and the lowering of the quality of life are the certain results if we are not able to solve it.
总之,毫无抑制的人口增长是目前人类面临的最严重的问题。如果我们无法解决,那么粮食短缺、环境破坏和生活质量下降就是必然的结果。
With the rise of budget airlines and cheap package tours, combined with China's opening-up to the outside world, the past few decades have witnessed a surge of foreign tourism in Hong Kong, Taiwan and the Chinese mainland. Every year, millions of tourists make their way to China to experience its rich cultural heritage and exquisite natural scenery. While the growing number of travelers does raise some concerns, I believe that the benefits of foreign tourism in China far outweigh the costs.
随着廉价航班和优惠旅游套餐的增多,以及中国对外开放程度的加深,过去的几十年已经见证了香港、台湾和中国大陆的入境游强劲的发展势头。每年都有数以百万计的游客来中国感受这里丰富的文化遗产和大自然的秀丽风光。尽管越来越多的旅游者也使我们产生了一些担忧,但是我相信中国入境游的收益远远大于成本。
The most obvious benefit of the large and growing number of foreign tourists is the revenue they bring with them. In China, the foreign tourism industry is estimated to be worth at least 20 billion US dollars per year. This money can be reinvested in scientific research and development or used to develop national and local infrastructure, thus helping to promote rapid and sustained economic growth. In addition, tourism can boost the employment rate by creating new jobs in a wide range of sectors, such as the hotel and restaurant industry as well as the car rental business.
外国游客的人数激增产生的最明显的好处是他们带来的收益。据估计,中国入境游产业的收益每年至少有200亿美元。这些资金可以在科学研究与发展领域进行再投资,或用于发展国家和地方的基础设施建设,从而有助于促进快速和持续的经济增长。除此之外,旅游业还可以在诸如住宿和餐饮业以及汽车租赁业等许多行业创造新的岗位,提高就业率。
In addition to serving as an abundant source of income for China, the influx of foreign tourists can also help to promote cultural exchange and awareness. As foreign tourists arrive in Beijing, Shanghai and Qingdao to learn about Chinese culture, the local people can, in turn, become better acquainted with the culture of their visitors. This increased interaction can instill in the Chinese people a strong desire to explore foreign cultures and languages, fostering higher levels of mutual understanding between China and the rest of the world as well as closer relationships between them.
除了为中国带来丰厚的收入之外,国外游客的涌入也有助于促进文化交流,增强文化意识。随着外国游客来到北京、上海和青岛了解中国文化,同样,当地的中国人也可以更好地了解这些游客的异国文化。这种逐渐增多的交流促使中国人民有了强烈的愿望去探索异国的文化和语言,促进中国和世界其他国家更进一步的相互理解以及相互之间更紧密的关系。
While the economic and cultural benefits of foreign tourism are apparent, some people are concerned that the rising volume of travelers arriving on China's shores may have certain negative repercussions as well. With thousands of tourists flocking daily to the Great Wall, Mount Tai and the Jiuzhaigou Valley, there is a risk that these and other historic and natural sites may incur severe, and even irrevocable, damage. However, this scenario can be prevented by charging higher entrance fees to reduce the number of visitors and, if necessary, closing some of the more vulnerable tourist sites for periodic maintenance and restoration.
尽管入境游带来的经济和文化的好处是显而易见的,还是有些人担心来到中国的外国游客不断增加,也可能会产生一定的负面影响。长城、泰山和九寨沟每日涌入成千上万名游客,可能会使这些和其他的历史景点和自然景观遭受严重的甚至是不可挽回的损坏。但是,这种情况可以通过提高门票价格以减少游客数量来避免。如果有必要的话,也可以关闭一些比较容易受损坏的景点以便定期进行维护和重修。
In conclusion, foreign tourism is not only a boon to China's economy, but also can enhance the Chinese people's understanding of cultures beyond their own shores. Having traveled to China many times myself, I am lucky to have had the chance to explore its world-class attractions and breathtaking landscapes. As long as steps are taken to protect the country's cultural and natural heritage, there is ample reason to allow and encourage more foreign tourists to visit China in the years to come.
总而言之,入境游不仅对中国经济有着推动作用,而且也能加深中国人民对异国文化的了解。我也曾多次来中国旅游,有幸目睹了世界级的旅游景点和壮丽的景观。只要能够采取措施保护国家的文化和自然遗产,在未来几年还是有充分的理由允许和鼓励更多的外国游客来中国旅游。
It is true that price promotions can have a dramatic short-term effect on a brand's sales. For example, increases of more than 200% for fruit drinks during the period of price promotions are not uncommon. But a study shows that such promotions have no lasting effect on sales or band loyalty. Once the promotions end, customers go back to the one they normally prefer. Hence it won't contribute much to the increase in market share.
价格促销确实能够对一个品牌的销售额产生巨大的短期影响。例如,不难发现在价格促销时期,果汁饮品的销量会增长200%以上。但是一项研究表明,这种促销对销售额或品牌忠诚度没有持续效应。一旦价格促销结束,顾客们会回归他们平时更喜欢的品牌。因此,价格促销不会对市场份额的增加贡献很大。
What the companies fail to notice is that making a plan centered on discounts and promotions will bring their brands to ruin. Since price is often a signal to consumers of a product's quality, a brand that is always on special offer will lose its appeal. A good case in point is Changhong TV. Frequent promotions caused Changhong to lose its position as a premium TV. In just a few years, Changhong went from RMB 48m in net profits to RMB 50m in losses.
这些公司没能注意到的是,制定一种以主攻折扣和促销为特点的计划将会毁坏公司的品牌。由于对于顾客而言,价格通常是产品质量的符号,因此总是特价促销的品牌会失去其吸引力。一个恰当的例子就是长虹电视。经常促销使得长虹电视失去了其作为优质电视的地位。仅仅几年之后,长虹电视就从净利润4800万元转为亏损5000万元。
Rarely can a rival inflict such severe damage. To advertise a new product and help it to break into a crowded market in China can cost more than RMB 500,000; even then, most fail. At the same time, however, old popular brands tend to be invulnerable. In the category of food blenders, for example, consumers were still ranking General Electric second—20 years after the company had stopped making them.
竞争对手很难造成这样严重的损失。在中国宣传一件新产品并帮助它打入拥挤的市场,会花费人民币50多万元,即使这样,大多数情况仍然会失败。然而同时,传统的流行品牌往往地位稳固。例如,在食品搅拌机领域,在通用电气停产20年后,顾客们仍然将其排在(可供选择的)第二位。