经济学人339:马戏团商业

　　Business
商业报道
The circus business
马戏团商业
Sunstroke
日射热
Cirque du Soleil may be struggling, but the cluster around it is thriving
太阳马戏团或许正处于苦斗之中，但围绕其四周的星团正熠熠发光。
No lions, no bearded ladies
没有狮子，没有胡子的女士
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IN THE deconsecrated church of Saint-Esprit, jugglers toss fluorescent¹ orange clubs in front of the former altar, trapeze artists soar under the gaze of stone saints and wobbly unicyclists use two lines of repurposed pews as handrails.
在蓬圣埃斯普里神圣的教堂里，杂耍艺人们在从前的祭坛前抛掷橙色荧光棒，高空表演者在石像圣人的凝视下飞来飞去，摇摆的骑独轮自行车表演者用两条赋予了新用途的教堂长凳作为扶手。
Declared surplus to requirements after Quebeckers deserted² Catholicism in droves, the church is now the ecole de Cirque de Quebec, through which 20,000 aspiring³ entertainers pass each year.
在魁比克人成群结队地公然宣布放弃天主教后，教堂被余下来，通过每年录取20000多个有抱负的艺人，成为了现在的魁比克马戏团学校。
The school's director, Yves Neveu, says only half-jokingly, Someone said the archbishop should be jealous because I'm filling my church.
学校的主任，伊夫?奈芙，半开玩笑地表示，有人说大主教应该嫉妒，因为我正填满我的教会。
Nearby Montreal boasts an even bigger school for circus performers.
而在不远的蒙特利尔，还有一间更大的杂技表演学校。
Although only a handful of students go on to a career in the circus, the popularity of the programmes offered to would-be acrobats⁴,
尽管仅有少数学生会继续在马戏团的职业生涯，但为想要成为杂技演员的人提供了普及课程，
local children and even tourists off cruise ships is the visible manifestation⁵ of the circus craze that has gripped Quebec.
当地的孩子，甚至游轮中游客的狂热程度都明显表示马戏团的热潮已经席卷整个魁北克。
At its heart is the privately⁶ owned Cirque du Soleil, started in 1984 by a troupe⁷ of stilt-walkers from nearby Baie-Saint-Paul.
浪潮的核心正是由圣保罗湾附近的一个踩高跷戏班子1984年开创的太阳马戏团。
It is now one of Canada's most important cultural exports, employing 5,000 people at eight permanent shows in Las Vegas and at 12 others that tour the world.
现在，太阳马戏团是加拿大最重要的文化输出产业之一，员工达5000人，有八场在拉斯维加斯的固定演出和十二场世界巡演。
In 2012 its turnover⁸ was about C1 billion—it does not reveal its profits.
2012年其营业额约1000000000加元-其利润并未透露。
In 2005 this newspaper asked whether Guy Laliberte, majority owner of the circus, could keep it flying.
2005年杂志向马戏团创始人盖?拉利伯特问道，能否保持马戏团风光下去。
That question was raised again early last year when the company laid off 400 employees, mainly at its head office in Montreal.
去年年初，蒙特利尔公司总部裁员400人时，这个问题再次被提出。
The company has blamed the strong Canadian dollar and the after-effects of the global recession, which hit sponsorship income.
太阳剧团将此归咎于加币走强和全球经济衰退的后续效应，削弱了赞助收入。
It has launched a cost-cutting drive but insists it is not in crisis
虽然剧团开始削减成本，但坚称并未面临危机。.
However, the company that reinvented the circus by eschewing⁹ traditional acts such as lion tamers and bearded ladies, and by targeting adults rather than children, is certainly finding it tougher going these days.
然而，避开马戏团的狮子驯兽师、大胡子女士们等传统表演方式，将目标人群定位在成年人而非儿童，重新改造了的马戏团，现在的处境一定是艰难的。
It enjoyed early and rapid success because it had created an uncontested blue ocean in which to swim, according to two management strategists from INSEAD business school in France.
两位法国INSEAD商学院的战略管理专家表示，剧团能够享受到早期快速的成功，是因为其建立了一个没有竞争的蓝海。
That ocean is now full of sharks, says Gilles Ste-Croix, one of the original stilt-walkers, who is now the company's artistic¹⁰ guide.
现如今那片海满是鲨鱼。最初的高跷步行者之一,现公司年代艺术指导，吉尔斯圣克鲁瓦如是说。
Competition comes not just from older circuses that have updated their acts, such as Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey, but also from a trend in the arts to merge¹¹ various disciplines, for instance by bringing acrobats into operas.
剧团的竞争压力不仅来源于更新表演内容的旧有马戏团,如林林兄弟巴纳姆贝利马戏团,而且也来自于在多种学科融合的一个艺术趋势，比如让杂技走进歌剧。
Smaller rivals have also emerged from the large shadow Cirque du Soleil casts in Quebec.
小型竞争竞争者也在太阳马戏团投射在魁北克巨大的阴影下崛起。
A troupe called Les 7 doigts de la main set a box-office record at the Broadway theatre where they performed a show called Pippin.
剧团七指马戏团在百老汇剧院表演彼平正传，创造了票房纪录。
Flip¹² FabriQue, formed by a group of friends just two years ago, is now travelling the world.
由一群朋友就在两年前创立的FabriQue也开始世界巡回。
And Cirque Alfonse toured Europe, Asia and America in 2013 with a truly Canadian spectacle called Timber!, which features chainsaw-juggling lumberjacks.
阿尔冯斯马戏团2013年带着真正的加拿大表演伐木乐园游历了欧洲、亚洲和美国，该剧充分展现电锯杂耍伐木工人的特点。
These newer outfits¹³ are both a source of competition and collaboration¹⁴ for Cirque du Soleil, with performers moving back and forth¹⁵.
表演者来来去去，这些新的组织既是太阳马戏团的竞争者也是合作对象。
It also collaborates¹⁶ with notable local talents, such as Robert LePage, a director, playwright¹⁷ and actor whose company Ex Machina is based in Quebec City.
此外，马戏团与当地的知名人才合作，如罗伯特-勒帕热，一位公司总部位于魁北克市的导演，演员和剧作家。
This has reinforced what has become a Quebec entertainment cluster.
强化魁北克的娱乐产业。
Mr Neveu, a Cirque du Soleil alumnus, thinks that rather than serving a spell with his former employer, many of the students at his school will go straight to work in one of the many smaller troupes¹⁸, which he sees as a healthy trend.
太阳马戏团的校友奈芙先生认为，学校的很多学生将直接在新的小团中工作而不是为其前雇主轮流演出，他也相信这是一个好的趋势。
Even so, Cirque du Soleil remains¹⁹ the sun around which all the others are orbiting.
即便如此，太阳马戏团仍是其他团体围绕旋转的太阳。.
1.go on to 进入；持续
Around half of german high-school students go on to dual²⁰ training in one of 344 trades, from tanner to dental technician.
在344个行业中，从鞣革工人到牙科技师，几乎一半的高中生都会去参加双规培训。
Xiao says teaching methods heavily influence the subjects students go on to select.
肖宇说教学方法很大程度上影响到学生继续选择的一些学科。
2.offer to 提供
President ali abdullah saleh's offer to form a unity²¹ government failed to quell²² the unrest.
总统阿里阿卜杜拉萨利赫提出建立联合政府的方案并没有平静动荡的局势。
If you offer to help people you'll eventually be rewarded.
如果你主动帮助别人，你最终会得到回报。
3.such as 例如；譬如；诸如
What about future steps such as euro bonds?
诸如欧元联盟之类的未来计划怎样？
Imaginary problems such as these are usually hiding real ones.
像这样的臆想的问题通常隐藏真实性的。
4.according to 根据，按照
Again this is according to recently declassified²³ information.
这也还是根据最近解密的信息得知的。
It did not go according to plan.
这个妥协方案并没有按计划执行。

1 fluorescent   

adj.荧光的，发出荧光的

参考例句：

• They observed the deflections of the particles by allowing them to fall on a fluorescent screen.他们让粒子落在荧光屏上以观察他们的偏移。
• This fluorescent lighting certainly gives the food a peculiar color.这萤光灯当然增添了食物特别的色彩。

2 deserted   

adj.荒芜的，荒废的，无人的，被遗弃的

参考例句：

• The deserted village was filled with a deathly silence.这个荒废的村庄死一般的寂静。
• The enemy chieftain was opposed and deserted by his followers.敌人头目众叛亲离。

3 aspiring   

adj.有志气的；有抱负的；高耸的v.渴望；追求

参考例句：

• Aspiring musicians need hours of practice every day. 想当音乐家就要每天练许多小时。
• He came from an aspiring working-class background. 他出身于有抱负的工人阶级家庭。 来自辞典例句

4 acrobats   

n.杂技演员( acrobat的名词复数 )；立场观点善变的人，主张、政见等变化无常的人

参考例句：

• I was always fascinated by the acrobats at the circus. 我总是着迷于马戏团里的杂技演员。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The acrobats' performance drew forth applause from the audience. 杂技演员的表演博得了观众的掌声。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 manifestation   

n.表现形式；表明；现象

参考例句：

• Her smile is a manifestation of joy.她的微笑是她快乐的表现。
• What we call mass is only another manifestation of energy.我们称之为质量的东西只是能量的另一种表现形态。

6 privately   

adv.以私人的身份，悄悄地，私下地

参考例句：

• Some ministers admit privately that unemployment could continue to rise.一些部长私下承认失业率可能继续升高。
• The man privately admits that his motive is profits.那人私下承认他的动机是为了牟利。

7 troupe   

n.剧团，戏班；杂技团；马戏团

参考例句：

• The art troupe is always on the move in frontier guards.文工团常年在边防部队流动。
• The troupe produced a new play last night.剧团昨晚上演了一部新剧。

8 turnover   

n.人员流动率，人事变动率；营业额，成交量

参考例句：

• The store greatly reduced the prices to make a quick turnover.这家商店实行大减价以迅速周转资金。
• Our turnover actually increased last year.去年我们的营业额竟然增加了。

9 eschewing   

v.（尤指为道德或实际理由而）习惯性避开，回避( eschew的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• The company sells direct to customers, eschewing distributors, re-sellers, and dealers. 公司直接向客户销售，避开批发商、分销商和经销商。 来自互联网
• That suggests the Taliban forces are eschewing firefights in favour of terrorist-style attacks. 这表明塔利班武装力量正偏向采用恐怖袭击方式以避免交火。 来自互联网

10 artistic   

adj.艺术(家)的，美术(家)的；善于艺术创作的

参考例句：

• The picture on this screen is a good artistic work.这屏风上的画是件很好的艺术品。
• These artistic handicrafts are very popular with foreign friends.外国朋友很喜欢这些美术工艺品。

11 merge   

v.(使)结合，(使)合并，(使)合为一体

参考例句：

• I can merge my two small businesses into a large one.我可以将我的两家小商店合并为一家大商行。
• The directors have decided to merge the two small firms together.董事们已决定把这两家小商号归并起来。

12 flip   

vt.快速翻动；轻抛；轻拍；n.轻抛；adj.轻浮的

参考例句：

• I had a quick flip through the book and it looked very interesting.我很快翻阅了一下那本书，看来似乎很有趣。
• Let's flip a coin to see who pays the bill.咱们来抛硬币决定谁付钱。

13 outfits   

n.全套装备( outfit的名词复数 )；一套服装；集体；组织v.装备，配置设备，供给服装( outfit的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• He jobbed out the contract to a number of small outfits. 他把承包工程分包给许多小单位。 来自辞典例句
• Some cyclists carry repair outfits because they may have a puncture. 有些骑自行车的人带修理工具，因为他们车胎可能小孔。 来自辞典例句

14 collaboration   

n.合作，协作；勾结

参考例句：

• The two companies are working in close collaboration each other.这两家公司密切合作。
• He was shot for collaboration with the enemy.他因通敌而被枪毙了。

15 forth   

adv.向前；向外，往外

参考例句：

• The wind moved the trees gently back and forth.风吹得树轻轻地来回摇晃。
• He gave forth a series of works in rapid succession.他很快连续发表了一系列的作品。

16 collaborates   

合作( collaborate的第三人称单数 )； 勾结叛国

参考例句：

• Third, main economy Central Bank collaborates to cut the interest rate. 第三，主要经济体央行联手降低利率。
• Any one who collaborates should be shot. 与敌人勾结者一律枪决。

17 playwright   

n.剧作家，编写剧本的人

参考例句：

• Gwyn Thomas was a famous playwright.格温·托马斯是著名的剧作家。
• The playwright was slaughtered by the press.这位剧作家受到新闻界的无情批判。

18 troupes   

n. （演出的）一团, 一班 vi. 巡回演出

参考例句：

• There are six Kunqu opera troupes left in the country. 整个国家现在只剩下六个昆剧剧团。
• Note: Art performance troupes include within and outside of the system. 注：艺术表演团体统计口径调整为含系统内、系统外两部分。

19 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

20 dual   

adj.双的；二重的，二元的

参考例句：

• The people's Republic of China does not recognize dual nationality for any Chinese national.中华人民共和国不承认中国公民具有双重国籍。
• He has dual role as composer and conductor.他兼作曲家及指挥的双重身分。

21 unity   

n.团结，联合，统一；和睦，协调

参考例句：

• When we speak of unity,we do not mean unprincipled peace.所谓团结，并非一团和气。
• We must strengthen our unity in the face of powerful enemies.大敌当前，我们必须加强团结。

22 quell   

v.压制，平息，减轻

参考例句：

• Soldiers were sent in to quell the riots.士兵们被派去平息骚乱。
• The armed force had to be called out to quell violence.不得不出动军队来镇压暴力行动。

23 declassified   

adj.解密的v.对（机密文件等）销密( declassify的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Thousands of classified documents have now been declassified. 数以千计的保密文件现在被解密了。
• The software used for Siemens S7-300 encryption logic block declassified. 此软件用于对西门子S7-300加密逻辑块解密。