英语PK台 第553期:翻译入门(2)(在线收听

   In China, Designer Goods Delivered to Your Doorstep

  世界奢侈品牌进军中国电商,京东推出高端专线派送服务
  Source: The New York Times July 30, 2017
  来源:2017年7月30日,《纽约时报》
  In China, legions of delivery personnel power the world's largest e-commerce boom. Known for their careening three-wheeled carts, they terrorize pedestrians and sometimes dump their packages on doorsteps and desks with the delicacy of a restaurant employee tossing out yesterday's leftovers.
  在中国,快递员大军带动了世界最大的电子商务繁荣。他们以见缝插针的三轮车而出名,令行人心生恐惧。有时,他们会用餐厅员工倾倒前一天的剩饭剩菜那样的随意性,把包裹扔在门口或桌子上。
  Then there is Tang Hongliang, who is part of an ambitious effort to bring some sparkle to the business—and perhaps help revive the fortunes of the world's makers of high-priced handbags and watches.
  唐洪亮(音)不一样。他是一个雄心勃勃的项目的一部分。这个项目意在恢复全球高价手提包和手表制造商的光芒——或许还有财富。'
  Decked out in a black suit, dark gray tie and white gloves, Mr. Tang does not look like a typical Chinese package courier. Instead of piping hot noodle lunches, he delivers a $2,400 designer handbag. Rather than a three-wheeler, he drives an electric car to transport expensive cargo. In the time he makes one or two deliveries, the typical Chinese courier would have made about 150.
  一身黑西装、深灰领带和白手套的打扮,让唐洪亮看上去不像典型的中国快递员。他送的不是热气腾腾的午餐面食,而是一个2400美元(约合1.6万元人民币)的名牌手提包。他用来运输昂贵货物的工具也不是三轮车,而是一辆电动汽车。他用于投递一单或两单货物的时间,中国普通快递员可投递约150单货物。
  "Efficiency is of course important," said Mr. Tang, who works for the online retailer JD.com. "But serving the customer is the most important."
  “效率固然重要,”供职于网络零售商京东的唐洪亮说。“但服务顾客最重要。”
  Mr. Tang, the courier, pulled out of a JD.com warehouse on the outskirts of Beijing with a single delivery box in tow. Three-wheeled delivery carts whizzed past as he drove calmly toward the city's central business district.
  前不久的一个上午,快递员唐洪亮从北京郊区的一个京东仓库出来,他只带了一个快递箱。三轮快递车从他身边呼啸而过,他却从容地开着车前往北京的中央商务区。
  After waiting for the customer for nearly two hours, Mr. Tang stepped out of the car, pulled on his signature gloves and headed out to deliver the package.
  在等了客户近两个小时后,唐洪亮从车里出来,戴上他标志性的白手套,去送快递。
  "Wow, I wasn't expecting this service at all," Yan Luxia, 30, said as she received the box and took out a designer Italian leather handbag.
  “哇,我完全没想到还有这样的服务,”30岁的闫露霞(音)说。她接过箱子,取出一个意大利名牌皮革手袋。
  Ms. Yan, who manages a dating service in Beijing, later said the premium delivery service had been a very "satisfying" experience.
  闫女士是北京一家婚介交友公司的经理,后来她说,高端快递服务的体验令她非常“满意”。
  Facing slowing sales, global luxury brands are angling for a piece of China's e-commerce market. Ultimately, e-commerce giants like Alibaba and JD.com are hoping that the allure of their vast consumer base will be too difficult for luxury brands to resist. Shiny add-on features like the white-glove delivery service may make swallowing the e-commerce pill a little easier for the brands.
  面对销售放缓,全球奢侈品牌正在做出准备,想在中国电商市场分一杯羹。阿里巴巴和京东等电子商务巨头期望自己庞大的消费群体最终会成为令奢侈品牌难以拒绝的诱惑。白手套快递等精致的附加服务也许会让奢侈品牌更容易接受电子商务。
  原文地址:http://www.tingroom.com/lesson/yypkt/447626.html