VOA慢速英语20061222a

This is the VOA Special English Economics¹ Report.

The winter gift-giving season is responsible for twenty percent of all retail² spending at American businesses.


Millions of Americans are avoiding crowded stores by shopping online

But how and when people buy holiday gifts is changing.

Record numbers of Americans are turning to the Internet. More than one hundred million people are expected to buy something online this holiday season.

Traditionally, the biggest shopping day of the year was in late November on the day after Thanksgiving. People still call it Black Friday. The idea was that it could push businesses into the black -- the traditional color for recording³ profits. Red is for debts.

But now the busiest days are right before Christmas. Many people wait for last-minute price reductions.

With the rise of the Internet, the National Retail Federation⁴ came up with a new term. Cyber Monday is the Monday after Thanksgiving.

The idea is that many people look in stores over the weekend. Then, to save time, they order online using the Internet at their jobs when they return to work.

Cyber Monday is a big day online. But market researchers at comScore Networks reported Wednesday that the biggest day of the holiday season so far was December thirteenth. The company said people spent almost six hundred seventy million dollars at American sites that day. That did not include travel sites.

Online spending during the holiday season was up a reported twenty-five percent over last year. ComScore estimates that online holiday spending will reach almost twenty-five billion dollars.

Online selling makes it easier for businesses to react to changing conditions. It costs less to change the advertising⁵ on a Web site than in stores.

Physical stores remain by far the most popular places to shop. But electronic commerce continues to grow, and not just at Christmastime. In the three-month period ending in September, it made up almost three percent of all retail sales in the United States.

But wherever selling takes place, the holiday season means intense competition. For example, demand for flat-panel televisions has jumped recently. Competition has pushed down prices for these popular thin TVs. The Best Buy Company reported selling some at a loss to avoid losing market share to big competitors like Wal-Mart and Circuit City.

And that's the VOA Special English Economics Report, written by Mario Ritter. You can download MP3 files and transcripts⁶ of our reports at www.unsv.com. I'm Bob Doughty⁷.

1 economics   

n.经济学，经济情况

参考例句：

• He is studying economics,which subject is very important.他正在学习经济学，该学科是很重要的。
• One can't separate politics from economics.不能把政治与经济割裂开来。

2 retail   

v./n.零售；adv.以零售价格

参考例句：

• In this shop they retail tobacco and sweets.这家铺子零售香烟和糖果。
• These shoes retail at 10 yuan a pair.这些鞋子零卖10元一双。

3 recording   

n.录音，记录

参考例句：

• How long will the recording of the song take?录下这首歌得花多少时间？
• I want to play you a recording of the rehearsal.我想给你放一下彩排的录像。

4 federation   

n.同盟，联邦，联合，联盟，联合会

参考例句：

• It is a federation of 10 regional unions.它是由十个地方工会结合成的联合会。
• Mr.Putin was inaugurated as the President of the Russian Federation.普京正式就任俄罗斯联邦总统。

5 advertising   

n.广告业；广告活动 a.广告的；广告业务的

参考例句：

• Can you give me any advice on getting into advertising? 你能指点我如何涉足广告业吗?
• The advertising campaign is aimed primarily at young people. 这个广告宣传运动主要是针对年轻人的。

6 transcripts   

n.抄本（ transcript的名词复数 ）；转写本；文字本；副本

参考例句：

• Like mRNA, both tRNA and rRNA are transcripts of chromosomal DNA. tRNA及rRNA同mRNA一样，都是染色体DNA的转录产物。 来自辞典例句
• You can't take the transfer students'exam without your transcripts. 没有成绩证明书，你就不能参加转学考试。 来自辞典例句

7 doughty   

adj.勇猛的，坚强的

参考例句：

• Most of successful men have the characteristics of contumacy and doughty.绝大多数成功人士都有共同的特质：脾气倔强，性格刚强。
• The doughty old man battled his illness with fierce determination.坚强的老人用巨大毅力与疾病作斗争。