【英语时差8,16】传统玩具圣诞节赚疯

Six-year-old Lucas has a "Power Rangers¹" video game, a few robots and lots of teddy bears. But the toy he likes best is a wooden train set made by Brio, a 123-year-old manufacturer based in Sweden.

"I like to see the train go round and round the tracks that I have made. You can't transform robots into anything else. But with the train it's different every time," says Lucas, who lives in Denmark.

The recall of millions of hazardous² toys made in China has alarmed parents across the world. But it has also highlighted an ongoing³ shift by affluent⁴ European consumers towards more traditional playthings made with natural products.

As a result, manufacturers and retailers⁵ of old-fashioned train sets and dollhouses are rubbing their hands in anticipation⁶ ahead of Christmas.

"We are very optimistic," says Graziano Grazini, the managing director of Citta del Sole (Sun City), an Italian franchise⁷ that specializes in traditional, environmentally friendly toys.

China still makes an estimated 80 percent of the world's toys, and its share of the global market is not expected to drop significantly.

In the end, experts say that the world market is large enough to accommodate both the increasingly popular flashy electronic toys made in China and traditional wooden toys from Europe.

Just as in that famous 1995 film, "Toy Story," Woody and Buzz Lightyear can remain the best of friends.

 

1 rangers   

护林者( ranger的名词复数 )； 突击队员

参考例句：

• Do you know where the Rangers Stadium is? 你知道Rangers体育场在哪吗？ 来自超越目标英语 第3册
• Now I'm a Rangers' fan, so I like to be near the stadium. 现在我是Rangers的爱好者，所以我想离体育场近一点。 来自超越目标英语 第3册

2 hazardous   

adj.(有)危险的，冒险的；碰运气的

参考例句：

• These conditions are very hazardous for shipping.这些情况对航海非常不利。
• Everybody said that it was a hazardous investment.大家都说那是一次危险的投资。

3 ongoing   

adj.进行中的，前进的

参考例句：

• The problem is ongoing.这个问题尚未解决。
• The issues raised in the report relate directly to Age Concern's ongoing work in this area.报告中提出的问题与“关心老人”组织在这方面正在做的工作有直接的关系。

4 affluent   

adj.富裕的，富有的，丰富的，富饶的

参考例句：

• He hails from an affluent background.他出身于一个富有的家庭。
• His parents were very affluent.他的父母很富裕。

5 retailers   

零售商，零售店( retailer的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• High street retailers reported a marked increase in sales before Christmas. 商业街的零售商报告说圣诞节前销售量显著提高。
• Retailers have a statutory duty to provide goods suitable for their purpose. 零售商有为他们提供符合要求的货品的法定义务。

6 anticipation   

n.预期，预料，期望

参考例句：

• We waited at the station in anticipation of her arrival.我们在车站等着，期待她的到来。
• The animals grew restless as if in anticipation of an earthquake.各种动物都变得焦躁不安，像是感到了地震即将发生。

7 franchise   

n.特许，特权，专营权，特许权

参考例句：

• Catering in the schools is run on a franchise basis.学校餐饮服务以特许权经营。
• The United States granted the franchise to women in 1920.美国于1920年给妇女以参政权。