VOA常速英语2013--美国假日购物季开始（在线收听）

US Holiday Shopping Season Starts Early 美国假日购物季开始

It’s the Thanksgiving Holiday weekend in the United States. For many Americans the holiday means a big dinner, family time and a chance to reflect on the things they  should be thankful for.  But it’s also an important holiday for retailers, because for many, it’s the start of the lucrative holiday shopping season. 

It's a lucky day for at least one turkey.

对于至少一只火鸡而言这是个幸运日。

But as the holiday shopping season begins in the U.S.-retailers are busy making their own luck.

但随着美国假日购物季的开始,零售商们都着手忙碌于制造自己的那份幸运。

For some, that means staying open on Thanksgiving.

对一些人来说,这意味着在感恩节开店营业。

Some shoppers like the convenience-but it's not for everyone.

一些购物者喜欢这种便利,但并不适合所有人。

But with an estimated 140 million Americans expected to hit the stores over the holiday weekend, retailers are doing everything they can to get a bigger slice of the  pie, says the Small Business Majority's John Arensmeyer.

但估计在假日周末购物的美国人将有1.4亿,零售商们竭尽所能希望获得更大的份额,多数小企业的约翰·艾伦斯梅尔说道。

“Well, it's huge," he said.

“嗯,这可是份大蛋糕,”他说道。

"I mean, we're a consumer driven economy.

“我的意思是,我们是消费驱动型的经济。

Many, many businesses-both directly and indirectly depend upon retail sales during the holiday season.”

许多,许多企业—直接或间接依赖节日期间的零售销售。”

Americans spent nearly $60 billion over the same holiday weekend last year.

去年同期美国人的花费近600亿美元。

But with consumer confidence declining in November, businesses are only cautiously optimistic.

但随着11月消费者信心骤降,企业只是谨慎的乐观。

“We've seen the economy moving forward, albeit a little too slowly," he said.

“尽管有点太过缓慢,但我们已经看到了经济的进展,”他说道。

"So we're hopeful that there's going to be significant demand starting on Black Friday and moving through the entire holiday season.”

“所以我们希望黑色星期五开始将有重大需求,进而贯穿整个假期。”

The holiday shopping season traditionally begins the day after Thanksgiving, often called Black Friday because it's the day many retailers finally get out of the “red ” and start making a profit.

假日购物季传统上在感恩节后的第二天开始,它通常被称为“黑色星期五”是因为这一天许多零售商希望最终摆脱赤字从此扭亏为盈 。

Some stores are pre-empting Black Friday - opening their doors before the turkey dinners go cold - with discounts on everything from go karts to flat screen TV's.

有些商店为了黑色星期五提前准备—在火鸡晚餐变冷前提前开业—从小型赛车到平板电视等一切商品均有折扣。

Some consumers camp for days to get the best deals.

而一些消费者为了拿到最好折扣不惜搭建帐篷等上数天。

But for those who don't like to wait, shopping expert Trae Bodge says you can shop online for so called “Cyber Monday” specials-even before the weekend begins.

但是对于那些不喜欢等的人而言,购物专家特雷·博德表示你可以在所谓的“网络星期一”特价时段选择网上购物—甚至在周末之前就已经开始。

“The turf is changing now and retailers are making it much more convenient for the consumer to shop in the way that works best for them,” he said.

“传统观念正在发生改变而现在的零售商使消费者选择最适合自己的购物方式更加方便,”他说道。

The National Retail Federation estimates the average American will spend $738 on gifts this year.

全国零售联合会估计,平均美国人今年将花费738美元用于购买礼物。

Overall holiday sales are expected to top $600 billion-up four percent from last year.

整个假日销售预计将超过6000亿美元—比去年增加百分之四。