经济学人315:圣诞树 喜乐的枝桠

　　Business
商业报道
Christmas trees
圣诞树
Boughs¹ of jolly
喜乐的枝桠
Farmers and vendors² see green in fresh-cut Christmas trees
农户和商贩在新砍的圣诞树上看到希望
FRANOIS, also known as The Tree Man,
弗朗索瓦，也被人叫做圣诞树人。
sets up his stand every year on the corner of 102nd Street and Broadway.
他每年都会在纽约102号大街和百老汇大道的街角摆上自己的摊位。
He and the 500 Christmas trees he brings from Quebec have become a fixture³ in Manhattan's Upper West Side.
他和他从加拿大魁北克市带来的500棵圣诞树已经成为了曼哈顿上西区固定不变的风景线。
For up to five weeks he sells the trees by day for 20 to 300, depending on size and quality, sleeping in his van at night.
在最多五周的时间里，白天他会根据树的大小和质量卖出每棵树20到300美元不等的价格。晚上他就睡在自己的货车里。
2_副本.jpgWhat he earns is, he says, the icing on the cake of his annual income.
他说，他在这段时间所挣的钱，对于他年收入是锦上添花。
The Tree Man is a small branch of a big business.
圣诞树所带来的收入只是这个利润丰厚商业的一小部分。
According to a survey by the National Christmas Tree Association, a trade group, Americans spent more than 1 billion on 25 mtrees in 2012.
据全美圣诞树协会20这个贸易集团的一项调查显示，在2012年，美国人花费了十亿美元购买了2500万棵圣诞树。
The average price they said they paid was 40.
受访的美国人称购买圣诞树的平均价格为40美元。
But not all Christmas trees are alike.
但不是所有的圣诞树都是一样。
People on the East Coast like Fraser firs, with their typical evergreen⁴ fragrance⁵.
美国东海岸的人们喜欢弗雷则杉树，因为其带有典型的常绿植物的芳香。
Oregon's Grand Fir, which has an orange-like scent⁶, is popular in California.
而带有柑橘香味的俄勒冈大杉树则在加利福利亚比较受欢迎。
Many homes can no longer make do with the festive⁷ cheer that only one tree brings.
仅仅靠一棵圣诞树已经不能使很多感受到太多的节日气氛。
Bob Sedlatschek of Home Depot⁸, a chain store which expects to sell 2.8 mtrees this year, notes that some households are buying several.
来自美国家居公司家得宝的Bob Sedlatschek称，一些家庭会购置更多的东西。该家居连锁店今年预计将会售出280万棵圣诞树。
Lou Mignone bought five this year, cutting down the last at Maple⁹ Row Tree Farm in Easton, Connecticut, where mums and dads wearing Santa hats meander¹⁰ round the lush 200 acres looking for the perfect sapling. About a quarter of buyers like to pick their own at tree farms.
Lou Mignone今年购买了五棵圣诞树。他砍掉了位于康乃迪克州伊斯顿市的枫树林场的最后一颗树。在这个农场上的父母们带着圣诞帽在200英亩的旷野上四处漫步，希望找到最佳的圣诞树。大约有四分之一的购买者喜欢在林场里挑选中意的圣诞树。
Scott Edwards, who owns Maple Row, a former dairy farm in his family for 200 years, makes all his sales in the four weeks before Christmas.
Scott Edwards是枫树林农场的所有者。枫树林原先是其家族经营了两百多年的奶产品生产农场。现在的枫树林农场的所有销售额都来自于圣诞节前四个星期的时间。
His is one of 15,000 such farms in America.
在美国还有15000个这样的农场，
Most are small and family-owned.
其中的大多数都是规模较小，家族所有。
Easton, the Christmas-tree capital of Connecticut, is home to half a dozen, all located within a few miles of each other.
伊斯顿市是美国康乃迪克州的圣诞树之都，有六个圣诞树农场位于此地，所有农场距离都不过几英里。
Every second car leaving the area has a tree or two strapped¹¹ to its roof.
每一辆二手车离开该地时都会捆一到两棵树。
Those who find sawing a fir too laborious¹² and choosing one from a tree seller too time-consuming can turn to technology.
有些人觉得自己动手锯倒一棵树太费劲或者觉得从农场主那里挑一棵树太浪费时间，这些人现在可以用高科技方法解决。
Harry¹³ DeLucia and his brother set up a website, nyctrees.com, where New Yorkers can purchase trees grown in New Jersey¹⁴.
Harry DeLucia和他的兄弟建立了一个网站nyctrees.com，在这个网站上纽约人可以买到来自新泽西的杉树。
If that is too much bother an artificial tree might be the answer.
如果觉得买真正的树太麻烦，那么人造树可能是一个方法。
Rick Dungey, of the NCTA, dismisses the artificial sort as plastic tree-shaped decorations.
美国圣诞树协会的Rick Dungey对这种人工的圣诞树非常不屑，认为是树形的塑料装饰。
Americans tend to agree, buying more real trees than fake ones.
美国民众更倾向于买真正的而不是假的树木来做圣诞树。
Of 35m sold every year, 70% sprout¹⁵ from the ground.
每年所售出的3500棵树中，70%的是从土地里生长出来的真树。
Despite a rise in sales a decade ago, fake trees have lost their sparkle since the financial crisis.
尽管十年之前假树的销售有所增加，但是在经济危机以后假树已经失去了市场占有率。
But according to the American Christmas Tree Association, a trade group that claims to represent both types of tree, 83% of homes have a fake shrub¹⁶.
但是美国圣诞树协会称，任何组织都会宣称自己是真树和假树的最佳代表，但是83%的家庭所购买的树都会有假冒的灌木。
They may be less work and serve for many Christmases, but they make greens cringe.
也许这些圣诞树的作用并没有那么大，也只是在圣诞节才有价值，但是他们的作用并不仅仅只有装饰作用。
Once Christmas is over, most real trees are recycled.
圣诞节结束后，许多真正的圣诞树都会回收再利用。
The needles, however, will periodically turn up on the sitting room floor until Easter.
但是直到复活节前，杉树上的针叶偶尔将会在客厅的地板上出现。
1.set up 建立；准备； 安排
Saudi arabia has set up an anti-corruption agency.
沙特已经建立了一个反腐机构。
The students also set up debating teams.
学生们还成立了辩论队。
2.bring from 带来
Uncle Sayid, what did you bring us from australia?
Sayid叔叔你从澳大利亚给我们带了什么礼物?
They bring carpets from cairo, bubble-wrapped fridges from tripoli and bicycles bought with wages earned in algiers.
他们从开罗买来地毯，从的黎波里买来塑料泡沫冷藏箱，在阿尔及尔挣钱买来自行车。
3.depend on 依赖；相信；信赖
Few non-profits pay well and many depend on volunteers.
没有几个非营利机构工资丰厚，很多还要依靠志愿者。
You can depend on this newspaper.
你可以依赖这家报纸。
4.choose from 从…之间选择
There were plenty to choose from.
当时它们有大量的选择空间。
We've compiled a list of beginner's books to choose from.
为了让初学者们有所选择地学习，我们搜集了一些书列在下面。

1 boughs   

大树枝( bough的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The green boughs glittered with all their pearls of dew. 绿枝上闪烁着露珠的光彩。
• A breeze sighed in the higher boughs. 微风在高高的树枝上叹息着。

2 vendors   

n.摊贩( vendor的名词复数 )；小贩；（房屋等的）卖主；卖方

参考例句：

• The vendors were gazundered at the last minute. 卖主在最后一刻被要求降低房价。
• At the same time, interface standards also benefIt'software vendors. 同时，界面标准也有利于软件开发商。 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓

3 fixture   

n.固定设备；预定日期；比赛时间；定期存款

参考例句：

• Lighting fixture must be installed at once.必须立即安装照明设备。
• The cordless kettle may now be a fixture in most kitchens.无绳电热水壶现在可能是多数厨房的固定设备。

4 evergreen   

n.常青树；adj.四季常青的

参考例句：

• Some trees are evergreen;they are called evergreen.有的树是常青的，被叫做常青树。
• There is a small evergreen shrub on the hillside.山腰上有一小块常绿灌木丛。

5 fragrance   

n.芬芳，香味，香气

参考例句：

• The apple blossoms filled the air with their fragrance.苹果花使空气充满香味。
• The fragrance of lavender filled the room.房间里充满了薰衣草的香味。

6 scent   

n.气味，香味，香水，线索，嗅觉；v.嗅，发觉

参考例句：

• The air was filled with the scent of lilac.空气中弥漫着丁香花的芬芳。
• The flowers give off a heady scent at night.这些花晚上散发出醉人的芳香。

7 festive   

adj.欢宴的，节日的

参考例句：

• It was Christmas and everyone was in festive mood.当时是圣诞节，每个人都沉浸在节日的欢乐中。
• We all wore festive costumes to the ball.我们都穿着节日的盛装前去参加舞会。

8 depot   

n.仓库，储藏处；公共汽车站；火车站

参考例句：

• The depot is only a few blocks from here.公共汽车站离这儿只有几个街区。
• They leased the building as a depot.他们租用这栋大楼作仓库。

9 maple   

n.槭树，枫树，槭木

参考例句：

• Maple sugar is made from the sap of maple trees.枫糖是由枫树的树液制成的。
• The maple leaves are tinge with autumn red.枫叶染上了秋天的红色。

10 meander   

n.河流的曲折，漫步，迂回旅行；v.缓慢而弯曲地流动，漫谈

参考例句：

• Visitors and locals alike meander along the sidewalks of the Seine River.游客与当地人沿着塞纳河岸漫步聊天。
• They tumble down mountainsides and meander through flat farmlands.它们滚滚冲下山脊，蜿蜒穿过平坦的农田。

11 strapped   

adj.用皮带捆住的，用皮带装饰的；身无分文的；缺钱；手头紧v.用皮带捆扎(strap的过去式和过去分词)；用皮带抽打；包扎；给…打绷带

参考例句：

• Make sure that the child is strapped tightly into the buggy. 一定要把孩子牢牢地拴在婴儿车上。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The soldiers' great coats were strapped on their packs. 战士们的厚大衣扎捆在背包上。 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 laborious   

adj.吃力的，努力的，不流畅

参考例句：

• They had the laborious task of cutting down the huge tree.他们接受了伐大树的艰苦工作。
• Ants and bees are laborious insects.蚂蚁与蜜蜂是勤劳的昆虫。

13 harry   

vt.掠夺，蹂躏，使苦恼

参考例句：

• Today,people feel more hurried and harried.今天，人们感到更加忙碌和苦恼。
• Obama harried business by Healthcare Reform plan.奥巴马用医改掠夺了商界。

14 jersey   

n.运动衫

参考例句：

• He wears a cotton jersey when he plays football.他穿运动衫踢足球。
• They were dressed alike in blue jersey and knickers.他们穿着一致，都是蓝色的运动衫和灯笼短裤。

15 sprout   

n.芽，萌芽；vt.使发芽，摘去芽；vi.长芽，抽条

参考例句：

• When do deer first sprout horns?鹿在多大的时候开始长出角？
• It takes about a week for the seeds to sprout.这些种子大约要一周后才会发芽。

16 shrub   

n.灌木，灌木丛

参考例句：

• There is a small evergreen shrub on the hillside.山腰上有一小块常绿灌木丛。
• Moving a shrub is best done in early spring.移植灌木最好是在初春的时候。