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圣诞节送礼的低效性(下)
- Authors
对于零售商来说，圣诞节低效的另一个原因是它一年只有一次。玩具销售商The Entertainer的加里·格兰特开玩笑说，如果全年都能进行节日销售，而不是只有每年最后一个季度，他会很高兴。
双语精读
Another Christmas inefficiency for retailers is the fact that it comes but once a year. Gary Grant of The Entertainer, which sells toys, jokes that he would love it if festive sales were spread throughout the year rather than being crammed into the final quarter.
对于零售商来说，圣诞节低效的另一个原因是它一年只有一次。玩具销售商The Entertainer的加里·格兰特开玩笑说，如果全年都能进行节日销售，而不是只有每年最后一个季度，他会很高兴。
He is understaffed, he says, during the holiday season, when he expands his workforce by 50%, and then overstaffed the rest of the year.
他说，节日假期期间，公司人手不足，于是他又雇佣了50%的员工，然后在一年剩下的时间，公司又出现了人员过剩的情况。
Shipping companies, warehouse operators and sorting centers must also organise themselves to meet peak demand; that can mean unused capacity at quieter times of the year. Data from Metapack, a logistics software company, suggest that in December the volume of posted parcels is more than double the level in September.
航运公司、仓库管理人员和分拣中心也必须组织起来，以满足节日高峰期的服务需求；这可能意味着淡季会出现供给过剩。物流软件公司Metapack的数据显示，12月份邮寄的包裹数量是9月份的两倍多。
Over time, it does seem that consumers are spreading their spending a little more thinly across the year. In 1986 25% of the year's spending on clothing was in November and December. In 2019 the share was 22%.
随着时间的推移，消费者全年支出似乎更分散了。1986年，11月和12月服装消费的支出占一年的25%。2019年，这一比例为22%。
Seasonality in retail spending, which includes restaurants, is also falling. Seasonal employment as a share of the total between October and December has been decreasing since 1997, according to the Office for National Statistics.
包括餐馆在内的季节性零售支出也在下降。根据英国国家统计局的数据，自1997年以来，从事季节性就业的人数占总就业人数的比例一直在下降。
A new study by Mr. Waldfogel found that since 2000 growth in the American economy has been associated with a smaller seasonal bump in December's retail sales.
沃德弗格的一项新研究发现，自2000年以来，与美国经济增长相关的12月份零售额的季节性增长幅度越来越小。
While some dream of white Christmases, others may yearn for mandatory exchanges of cash, or even a mechanism to randomly allocate the celebrations evenly across months of the year.
虽然一些人梦想着白色圣诞节的到来，还有一些人渴望强制交换现金作为礼物，甚至渴望形成一种机制，将庆祝活动随机均匀地分配到一年的各个月份中。
Much would be lost if such a system were adopted, not least the joy that can accompany the exchange of carefully (if badly) chosen presents. But creating a fresh batch of unintended consequences for economists to analyse might yield some happy returns.
如果真的采用这样的制度，我们会失去很多东西，尤其是快乐，它可以伴随我们交换精心挑选礼物的全过程（虽然我们可能品味不好）。但由此创造一批意想不到的新推论供经济学家分析，可能会带来一些令人满意的回报。
词汇预习
economy [高考]
美[ɪˈkɑːnəmi] | 英[ɪˈkɒnəmi]
n. 经济；节约 adj. 经济的；廉价的
peak [高考]
美[piːk] | 英[piːk]
n. 山顶；顶峰；山峰；尖端；帽檐；极值 v. 达到高峰；达到最高值 adj. 最高的；高峰期的；最大值的 【名】（Peak）（英）皮克（人名）
volume [高考]
美[ˈvɑːljəm] | 英[ˈvɒljuːm]
n. 卷；体积；册；音量；容量
employment [高考]
美[ɪmˈplɔɪmənt] | 英[ɪmˈplɔɪmənt]
n. 职业；雇用；使用
capacity [高考]
美[kəˈpæsəti] | 英[kəˈpæsəti]
n. 容量；容积；能力；职位；资格
evenly [高考]
美[ˈiːvnli] | 英[ˈiːvnli]
adv. 平衡地；平坦地；平等地
mechanism [高考]
美[ˈmekənɪzəm] | 英[ˈmekənɪzəm]
n. 机制；原理 n. 结构；机构；机械装置
workforce [高考]
美[ˈwɜːrkfɔːrs] | 英[ˈwɜːkfɔːs]
n. 劳动力；工人总数；职工总数
bump [高考]
美[bʌmp] | 英[bʌmp]
v. 碰撞；颠簸而行；提高 n. 肿块；撞击；表面隆起 adv. 突然的；猛烈的
demand [高考]
美[dɪˈmænd] | 英[dɪˈmɑːnd]
n. 要求；需求 v. 要求；查问；需要
growth [高考]
美[ɡroʊθ] | 英[ɡrəʊθ]
n. 【U】增长；生长；发展；种植 n. 【C】生长物；【医】瘤;赘生物
accompany [高考]
美[əˈkʌmpəni] | 英[əˈkʌmpəni]
vt. 陪伴；伴随...发生；补充；给 ... 伴奏 vi. 伴奏
cash [高考]
美[kæʃ] | 英[kæʃ]
n. 现金 vt. 付现款；兑现 adj. 现金的
software [高考]
美[ˈsɔːftwer] | 英[ˈsɒftweə(r)]
n. 软件
analyse [高考]
美[ˈænəlaɪz] | 英[ˈænəlaɪz]
vt. 分析；细察
allocate [高考]
美[ˈæləkeɪt] | 英[ˈæləkeɪt]
vt. 分派；分配；分配额
organise [高考]
美['ɔ:gənaɪz] | 英['ɔ:gənaɪz]
v. 组织；有机化；安排
warehouse [高考]
美[ˈwerhaʊs] | 英[ˈweəhaʊs]
n. 仓库 vt. 存入仓库
seasonal [高考]
美[ˈsiːzənl] | 英[ˈsiːzənl]
adj. 季节的；依照季节的；周期性的
yield [高考]
美[jiːld] | 英[jiːld]
v. 生产；获利；屈服；弯下去 n. 投资收益；生产量
would [高考]
美[wʊd , wəd] | 英[wʊd , wəd]
aux. 将；可能；大概；总会；愿意；will的过去式
retail [四级]
美[ˈriːteɪl , rɪˈteɪl] | 英[ˈriːteɪl , rɪˈteɪl]
n. 零售 vt. 零售；传述 adv. 以零售形式
randomly [四级]
美['rændəmlɪ] | 英['rændəmlɪ]
adv. 任意地；随便地；胡乱地
unintended [四级]
美[ˌʌnɪnˈtɛndɪd] | 英[ˌʌnɪnˈtendɪd]
adj. 非计划中的；非故意的
batch [四级]
美[bætʃ] | 英[bætʃ]
n. 一批；一炉；一次所制之量 v. 分批处理
yearn [六级]
美[jɜːrn] | 英[jɜːn]
v. 渴望；想念；盼望；同情
inefficiency [专四]
美[ɪnɪˈfɪʃənsi] | 英[ˌɪnɪˈfɪʃənsi]
n. 无效率；无能
according [专四]
美[ə'kɔrdɪŋ] | 英[ə'kɔːdɪŋ]
adj. 相符的；相应的；一致的 v. 给予；符合，一致；正式协议（accord的现在分词）
festive [专八]
美[ˈfɛstɪv] | 英[ˈfestɪv]
adj. 欢乐的；节日的；喜庆的
mandatory [专八]
美[ˈmændətɔːri] | 英[ˈmændətəri]
adj. 法定的；义务的；强制性的；受委托的 n. 受托管理者
thinly [考研]
美[ˈθɪnlɪ] | 英[ˈθɪnli]
adv. 薄薄地；细细地；稀疏地
重点讲解
Another Christmas inefficiency for retailers is the fact that it comes but once a year. Gary Grant of The Entertainer, which sells toys, jokes that he would love it if festive sales were spread throughout the year rather than being crammed into the final quarter.
对于零售商来说，圣诞节低效的另一个原因是它一年只有一次。玩具销售商The Entertainer的加里·格兰特开玩笑说，如果全年都能进行节日销售，而不是只有每年最后一个季度，他会很高兴。
cram v.
1. 挤满，塞满
【例】He crammed eight people into his car.
他往他的车里硬塞进八个人。
【例】A lot of information has been crammed into this book.
这本书包含大量的信息。
2. （为应考）临时死记硬背
【例】He's been cramming for his exams all week.
他整个星期都一直在拼命准备应考。
He is understaffed, he says, during the holiday season, when he expands his workforce by 50%, and then overstaffed the rest of the year.
他说，节日假期期间，公司人手不足，于是他又雇佣了50%的员工，然后在一年剩下的时间，公司又出现了人员过剩的情况。
understaffed a. 人手不足，人手太少
【例】We’re very understaffed at the moment.
我们此刻人手太少。
overstaffed a. 人手过多，人浮于事
【例】Many workers believe the factory is overstaffed.
许多工人相信该工厂人员过剩。
【拓展】 staff n. & v.
1. 作名词：员工，全体职工
【例】The entire staff has done an outstanding job this year.
今年全体员工工作都非常出色。
2. 作动词：任职于…，为…配备职员
【例】The advice centre is staffed entirely by volunteers.
在咨询中心工作的全部是志愿者
Shipping companies, warehouse operators and sorting centers must also organise themselves to meet peak demand; that can mean unused capacity at quieter times of the year. Data from Metapack, a logistics software company, suggest that in December the volume of posted parcels is more than double the level in September.
航运公司、仓库管理人员和分拣中心也必须组织起来，以满足节日高峰期的服务需求；这可能意味着淡季会出现供给过剩。物流软件公司Metapack的数据显示，12月份邮寄的包裹数量是9月份的两倍多。
capacity n.
1. 容量，容纳能力
【例】The theatre has a seating capacity of 2 000.
那座剧院能容纳 2 000 名观众。
2. （理解、办事）能力
【例】a child’s capacity for learning 孩子的学习能力
3. 职位，职责
【例】She was acting in her capacity as manager.
她在行使她作为经理的职责。
logistics n.
1. 物流
【例】A logistics firm was hired for the deliveries.
雇用了一家物流公司进行交货。
2. 后勤，组织工作
【例】the logistics of moving the company to a new building
把公司搬迁到一座新大楼的过程中需要进行的组织工作。
Over time, it does seem that consumers are spreading their spending a little more thinly across the year. In 1986 25% of the year's spending on clothing was in November and December. In 2019 the share was 22%.
随着时间的推移，消费者全年支出似乎更分散了。1986年，11月和12月服装消费的支出占一年的25%。2019年，这一比例为22%。
share v. & n.
1. 作动词
（1）共享，分享
【例】The three of us shared a taxi.
我们三个人合乘一辆计程车。
（2）共同拥有（看法、经历）
【例】They shared a common interest in botany.
他们都对植物学感兴趣。
2. 作名词
（1）股份
【例】a fall in share prices
股票价格的跌落
（2）（某人拥有或应负担的）一份
【例】Everyone must accept their share of the blame.
每个人都必须承担自己的那份责任。
Seasonality in retail spending, which includes restaurants, is also falling. Seasonal employment as a share of the total between October and December has been decreasing since 1997, according to the Office for National Statistics.
包括餐馆在内的季节性零售支出也在下降。根据英国国家统计局的数据，自1997年以来，从事季节性就业的人数占总就业人数的比例一直在下降。
bump v. & n.
1. 作动词
（1）碰，撞
【例】In the dark I bumped into a chair.
我在黑暗中撞上了一把椅子。
（2）掉换，开除出（某群体）
【例】The airline apologized and bumped us to first class.
航空公司道歉后把我们掉换到头等舱。
2. 作名词
（1）碰撞声，撞击声
【例】He fell to the ground with a bump.
他砰的一声摔倒在地上。
（2）隆起，凸起
【例】The car hit a bump on the road.
汽车撞到了路上一块凸起之处。
A new study by Mr. Waldfogel found that since 2000 growth in the American economy has been associated with a smaller seasonal bump in December's retail sales.
沃德弗格的一项新研究发现，自2000年以来，与美国经济增长相关的12月份零售额的季节性增长幅度越来越小。
bump v. & n.
1. 作动词
（1）碰，撞
【例】In the dark I bumped into a chair.
我在黑暗中撞上了一把椅子。
（2）掉换，开除出（某群体）
【例】The airline apologized and bumped us to first class.
航空公司道歉后把我们掉换到头等舱。
2. 作名词
（1）碰撞声，撞击声
【例】He fell to the ground with a bump.
他砰的一声摔倒在地上。
（2）隆起，凸起
【例】The car hit a bump on the road.
汽车撞到了路上一块凸起之处。
While some dream of white Christmases, others may yearn for mandatory exchanges of cash, or even a mechanism to randomly allocate the celebrations evenly across months of the year.
虽然一些人梦想着白色圣诞节的到来，还有一些人渴望强制交换现金作为礼物，甚至渴望形成一种机制，将庆祝活动随机均匀地分配到一年的各个月份中。
yearn v. 渴望，渴求
【例】The people yearned for peace.
人民渴望和平。
【例】She yearned to escape from her office job.
她一心想着躲避办公室里的工作。
【拓展】 long v. 渴望
【例】She longed for him to return.
她盼着他归来。
mandatory a. 强制的，义务的
【例】Murder carries a mandatory life sentence.
谋杀罪依照法律要判无期徒刑。
mechanism n.
1. 机械装置
【例】a clock mechanism 钟表机件
2. 方法，机制
【例】existing mechanisms for decision-making
现行的决策机制
Much would be lost if such a system were adopted, not least the joy that can accompany the exchange of carefully (if badly) chosen presents. But creating a fresh batch of unintended consequences for economists to analyse might yield some happy returns.
如果真的采用这样的制度，我们会失去很多东西，尤其是快乐，它可以伴随我们交换精心挑选礼物的全过程（虽然我们可能品味不好）。但由此创造一批意想不到的新推论供经济学家分析，可能会带来一些令人满意的回报。
not least 特别；尤其
【例】There are obstacles ahead not least convincing a skeptical public.
前面还有障碍，尤其是说服持怀疑态度的公众。
课后练习
For retailers, one of the Christmas inefficiencies is that ____.
A. the holiday season is too short to make great profits
B. the concentration of festivals causes a shortage of staff
C. employees tend to take day offs during the holiday season
D. the cost of wage increases sharply in the holiday season
The data of Metapack shows that ____.
A. the logistics are under great strain in holidays
B. the delivery processes are not well coordinated
C. shipping companies underestimate the peak demand
D. parcels are likely to arrive late in the holiday season
Which of the following is true about consumer spending?
A. The total expenditure is decreasing over the years.
B. Consumers are less interested in holiday sales and promotion.
C. The gap between festive and normal spending is narrowing.
D. Holiday sales contribute more to the national economy.
The author may agree that ____.
A. it is a good idea to replace gifts with cash
B. people should celebrate whenever they want
C. Christmas gift-giving has mixed results
D. economists should propose better solutions