VOA标准英语2010年-Chinese Buying More Luxury Goods

Besides overtaking Japan as the world's second largest economy, China's rapid economic growth is changing everything from the global balance of military and financial power to the way cars are designed.  It's also resulted in an increase in the luxury goods market in China, expected to top $14 billion in the next five years.  Mil Arcega has more.

It is a wardrobe closet that would have been unthinkable in Mao's China. But Xie Xiaoya is going to a cocktail¹ party and she says she needs the right shoes and the right handbag to go with her Valentino evening dress.

The Beijing advertising² executive earns about $73,000 a year. She says she spends at least one third of that on luxury goods such as dresses, watches and expensive handbags.

For Xie, it is an important part of her image. "Brands bring to people a kind of self-confidence and social recognition," she said.

While much of the world is mired³ in recession, sales of luxury goods in China have increased 30 percent.

Jean-Michel Dumont, who heads a public relations firm in Asia, says that last year Chinese consumers spent $9.4 billion on luxury goods, surpassing the U.S. to become the second biggest luxury market after Japan. "So, this is really a reflection of society change, the economic trends of China as a whole.  And in fact there is definitely a willingness of the Chinese consumers today to really go to the luxury segment of consumption," he said.

The growing demand for luxury goods is very profitable for stores such as Lenux that offers Prada, Gucci, Fendi and other high end brands. 

Store manager Ge Zing says the company has opened two stores in two years. "You can see that almost all the luxury brands are suffering from a shrinking market in all parts of the world except China, where the market is still growing.  Therefore we are very confident and that's why we decided⁴ to open the store in China," he said.

The confidence is also reflected in a recent survey that shows that Chinese consumers expect to spend nearly 15 billion dollars on luxury items over the next five years.

Economist⁵ David Resler says the trend in Chinese consumerism is one of the bright spots for Western economies. "They're becoming modern economies.  And that means they need to import goods from the developed economies like those in Europe and those in the United States," he said.    

Despite the new-found confidence in a booming China, economists⁶ say the wealth gap between the Chinese elite⁷ and the poor majority is among the most extreme. 

Although China is home to a growing number of millionaires, average per capita income for its 1.3 billion citizens is still among the lowest in the developing world.

 

1 cocktail   

n.鸡尾酒；餐前开胃小吃；混合物

参考例句：

• We invited some foreign friends for a cocktail party.我们邀请了一些外国朋友参加鸡尾酒会。
• At a cocktail party in Hollywood,I was introduced to Charlie Chaplin.在好莱坞的一次鸡尾酒会上，人家把我介绍给查理·卓别林。

2 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。

3 mired   

abbr.microreciprocal degree 迈尔德（色温单位）v.深陷( mire的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The country was mired in recession. 这个国家陷入了经济衰退的困境。
• The most brilliant leadership can be mired in detail. 最有才干的领导也会陷于拘泥琐事的困境中。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

4 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

5 economist   

n.经济学家，经济专家，节俭的人

参考例句：

• He cast a professional economist's eyes on the problem.他以经济学行家的眼光审视这个问题。
• He's an economist who thinks he knows all the answers.他是个经济学家，自以为什么都懂。

6 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》

7 elite   

n.精英阶层；实力集团；adj.杰出的，卓越的

参考例句：

• The power elite inside the government is controlling foreign policy.政府内部的一群握有实权的精英控制着对外政策。
• We have a political elite in this country.我们国家有一群政治精英。