VOA英语2010年-A Gloomy Christmas for Cameroon Traders

This Christmas is far from merry for some in Cameroon. Traders are grumbling¹ over lagging sales, families say inflation and lagging wages are stifling² their holiday and religious authorities complain the season has become too commercial.

Christmas is one of the most popular holidays in Cameroon. In good times, it accounts for upswings in household spending on clothes, food, toys and electronic appliances.

Not many Cameroonians use the Internet for shopping. So, from the busy shopping districts of the country's hyperactive economic hub, Douala, to the teeming³ hinterland flea⁴ markets, consumers are making last minute purchases in the countdown to Christmas day. Roadside speakers have been blaring from the first week of December, and shop windows, churches and beer parlors⁵ are specially⁶ adorned⁷ for the occasion.

 

Typically, traders begin planning in November, importing supplies for large crowds of buyers.

Shopping generally gets its biggest boost on Christmas Eve. In rural areas, many wait for the last "market day." In urban Cameroon, the trend is similar. The week before Christmas is the peak of holiday spending, with wealthier consumers leading the way.

Over half of Cameroon's close to 20 million inhabitants live in poverty. Many don't shop until they've received their share of the funds from informal savings⁸ groups, or "tontines." But a few wealthy Cameroonians shop well in advance; some even travel abroad to buy Christmas goodies.

But traders are reporting lagging Christmas sales; they complain that singles, childless couples and non-Christians are trimming their budgets.

Nana Alphonse, a Douala-based importer, says he will likely incur¹⁰ losses this year and be stuck with left-over seasonal¹¹ goods for the next 12 months. He says times have changed dramatically. He imported two containers of Christmas goods and is stuck with three-quarters of them.

Economists¹² blame the situation on the failure of wages to keep up with rising inflation and slow growth brought on by the global economic crisis.? As a result, the notion of buying Christmas gifts is losing some of its sparkle as consumers watch their pennies.

Many household breadwinners are feeling the pain. Some say their spouses¹³ are threatening divorce and their children are on the verge¹⁴ of uprising.

Atem Amos is a father of six in the capital, Yaounde. He says:

"Young man, don't disturb me. In fact, I'm hard up; so I cannot even answer you. I don't have money. You know that people had too many problems this time around, so I could not prepare for Christmas. You know we had too many family problems – illnesses, death celebrations and so on. You know Christmas [is a yearly event], so [there is always next year]. "

Most of the Christmas goods for sale are foreign.

Economists predict that once again, Chinese traders will wind up with bigger smiles on their faces than local competitors. Sources at Cameroon's biggest port in Douala say containers from China far surpass those from France and Nigeria. And on streets across the country, hawkers are brandishing¹⁵ mostly Chinese clothing, artificial Christmas trees, electronics and decorations.

Jean Christian⁹ Akam, a journalist specializing in economics, says:

"Of course, we notice that most of these imported products are Chinese. So it's like Cameroon is becoming day by day a hundred percent market for Chinese products. Everybody can see that in the market, we have mostly products that are imported. Perhaps it's because we don't have [a manufacturing sector¹⁶] that can compete with imports."

But not all sectors¹⁷ are suffering from an anemic buying season.

Cameroon's public transport sector is ready to welcome thousands criss-crossing the country for family reunions, weddings and funerals.

Breweries¹⁸ are preparing to receive revelers on drinking sprees at beer parlors, nightclubs and other entertainment venues²⁰. And hospitals and clinics are preparing to receive indulgent drinkers and eaters, and as well as victims of road accidents and robberies.

The religious community is reacting to what it sees as the corruption²¹ of the holiday.

Rev¹⁹. Philemon Nfor of the Cameroon Baptist Convention points the finger at those he says are behind the holiday's creeping consumerism – pagans:

The commercial aspect is so [strong] that there are people who actually get indebted because they are trying to celebrate Christmas. It must be because the world has entered a lot into the church, and also capitalism²².

Nfor says pagans are joining the church and bringing their materialistic²³ influences with them. He says the only answer to that is better preaching. He thinks Cameroonians should focus on the spiritual renewal²⁴ that he says the birth of Jesus implies.

1 grumbling   

adj. 喃喃鸣不平的, 出怨言的

参考例句：

• She's always grumbling to me about how badly she's treated at work. 她总是向我抱怨她在工作中如何受亏待。
• We didn't hear any grumbling about the food. 我们没听到过对食物的抱怨。

2 stifling   

a.令人窒息的

参考例句：

• The weather is stifling. It looks like rain. 今天太闷热，光景是要下雨。
• We were stifling in that hot room with all the windows closed. 我们在那间关着窗户的热屋子里，简直透不过气来。

3 teeming   

adj.丰富的v.充满( teem的现在分词 )；到处都是；（指水、雨等）暴降；倾注

参考例句：

• The rain was teeming down. 大雨倾盆而下。
• the teeming streets of the city 熙熙攘攘的城市街道

4 flea   

n.跳蚤

参考例句：

• I'll put a flea in his ear if he bothers me once more.如果他再来打扰的话，我就要对他不客气了。
• Hunter has an interest in prowling around a flea market.亨特对逛跳蚤市场很感兴趣。

5 parlors   

客厅( parlor的名词复数 )； 起居室； （旅馆中的）休息室； （通常用来构成合成词）店

参考例句：

• It had been a firm specializing in funeral parlors and parking lots. 它曾经是一个专门经营殡仪馆和停车场的公司。
• I walked, my eyes focused into the endless succession of barbershops, beauty parlors, confectioneries. 我走着，眼睛注视着那看不到头的、鳞次栉比的理发店、美容院、糖果店。

6 specially   

adv.特定地；特殊地；明确地

参考例句：

• They are specially packaged so that they stack easily.它们经过特别包装以便于堆放。
• The machine was designed specially for demolishing old buildings.这种机器是专为拆毁旧楼房而设计的。

7 adorned   

[计]被修饰的

参考例句：

• The walls were adorned with paintings. 墙上装饰了绘画。
• And his coat was adorned with a flamboyant bunch of flowers. 他的外套上面装饰着一束艳丽刺目的鲜花。

8 savings   

n.存款，储蓄

参考例句：

• I can't afford the vacation,for it would eat up my savings.我度不起假，那样会把我的积蓄用光的。
• By this time he had used up all his savings.到这时，他的存款已全部用完。

9 Christian   

adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒

参考例句：

• They always addressed each other by their Christian name.他们总是以教名互相称呼。
• His mother is a sincere Christian.他母亲是个虔诚的基督教徒。

10 incur   

vt.招致，蒙受，遭遇

参考例句：

• Any costs that you incur will be reimbursed in full.你的所有花费都将全额付还。
• An enterprise has to incur certain costs and expenses in order to stay in business.一个企业为了维持营业,就不得不承担一定的费用和开支。

11 seasonal   

adj.季节的，季节性的

参考例句：

• The town relies on the seasonal tourist industry for jobs.这个城镇依靠季节性旅游业提供就业机会。
• The hors d'oeuvre is seasonal vegetables.餐前小吃是应时蔬菜。

12 economists   

n.经济学家，经济专家( economist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The sudden rise in share prices has confounded economists. 股价的突然上涨使经济学家大惑不解。
• Foreign bankers and economists cautiously welcomed the minister's initiative. 外国银行家和经济学家对部长的倡议反应谨慎。 来自《简明英汉词典》

13 spouses   

n.配偶，夫或妻( spouse的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Jobs are available for spouses on campus and in the community. 校园里和社区里有配偶可做的工作。 来自辞典例句
• An astonishing number of spouses-most particularly in the upper-income brackets-have no close notion of their husbands'paychecks. 相当大一部分妇女——特别在高收入阶层——并不很了解他们丈夫的薪金。 来自辞典例句

14 verge   

n.边，边缘；v.接近，濒临

参考例句：

• The country's economy is on the verge of collapse.国家的经济已到了崩溃的边缘。
• She was on the verge of bursting into tears.她快要哭出来了。

15 brandishing   

v.挥舞( brandish的现在分词 )；炫耀

参考例句：

• The horseman came up to Robin Hood, brandishing his sword. 那个骑士挥舞着剑，来到罗宾汉面前。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He appeared in the lounge brandishing a knife. 他挥舞着一把小刀，出现在休息室里。 来自辞典例句

16 sector   

n.部门，部分；防御地段，防区；扇形

参考例句：

• The export sector will aid the economic recovery. 出口产业将促进经济复苏。
• The enemy have attacked the British sector.敌人已进攻英国防区。

17 sectors   

n.部门( sector的名词复数 )；领域；防御地区；扇形

参考例句：

• Berlin was divided into four sectors after the war. 战后柏林分成了4 个区。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Industry and agriculture are the two important sectors of the national economy. 工业和农业是国民经济的两个重要部门。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

18 breweries   

酿造厂，啤酒厂( brewery的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• In some cases, this is desirable, but most breweries prefer lighter-type beers. 在一些情况下，这是很理想的，但是大多数啤酒厂更倾向于生产酒度较低的啤酒。
• Currently, there are 58 breweries producing Snow Beeracross the country. 目前，全国共有58个雪花啤酒厂。

19 rev   

v.发动机旋转，加快速度

参考例句：

• It's his job to rev up the audience before the show starts.他要负责在表演开始前鼓动观众的热情。
• Don't rev the engine so hard.别让发动机转得太快。

20 venues   

n.聚集地点( venue的名词复数 )；会场；（尤指）体育比赛场所；犯罪地点

参考例句：

• The band will be playing at 20 different venues on their UK tour. 这个乐队在英国巡回演出期间将在20个不同的地点演出。
• Farmers market corner, 800 meters long, 60 meters wide livestock trading venues. 农牧市场东北角，有长800米，宽60米的牲畜交易场地。 来自互联网

21 corruption   

n.腐败，堕落，贪污

参考例句：

• The people asked the government to hit out against corruption and theft.人民要求政府严惩贪污盗窃。
• The old man reviled against corruption.那老人痛斥了贪污舞弊。

22 capitalism   

n.资本主义

参考例句：

• The essence of his argument is that capitalism cannot succeed.他的论点的核心是资本主义不能成功。
• Capitalism began to develop in Russia in the 19th century.十九世纪资本主义在俄国开始发展。

23 materialistic   

a.唯物主义的，物质享乐主义的

参考例句：

• She made him both soft and materialistic. 她把他变成女性化而又实际化。
• Materialistic dialectics is an important part of constituting Marxism. 唯物辩证法是马克思主义的重要组成部分。

24 renewal   

adj.(契约)延期，续订，更新，复活，重来

参考例句：

• Her contract is coming up for renewal in the autumn.她的合同秋天就应该续签了。
• Easter eggs symbolize the renewal of life.复活蛋象征新生。