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GAP是如何迷失自己的(下)
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一个不断出现的问题是，Gap缺乏明确的个性，这是任何服装品牌获取长期成功的关键因素。
双语精读
Still, for all the TikTokers buying logo hoodies and Ye fans snapping up Yeezy Gap, the retail experts I spoke with were not optimistic about the brand's future.
但是，尽管TikTok用户购买带logo的卫衣，Ye的粉丝抢购Yeezy Gap，但我交谈过的零售专家对Gap的未来并不持乐观态度。
One problem that kept coming up was Gap's lack of any clear identity, a crucial factor in the long-term success of any clothing brand.
一个不断出现的问题是，Gap缺乏明确的个性，这是任何服装品牌获取长期成功的关键因素。
"I think for years, the challenge has been that there has been no clear point of difference for Gap," said Allen Adamson, a co-founder of the retail consultancy Metaforce.
零售业咨询公司Metaforce的联合创始人艾伦·亚当森说："我认为，多年来，Gap面临的挑战是没有明显的特别之处。"
Gap's squishy new tagline, Modern American Optimism, doesn't offer much help. (Nor do vague words of encouragement feel especially meaningful at this less-than-sunny moment in US history.)
Gap含糊其辞的新口号----现代美式乐观主义----并没有多大用处。(在美国历史上这个完全说不上阳光灿烂的时刻，含糊的鼓励之词也没有什么特别的意义。)
These identity questions remained hazy even after I received an emailed statement from Gap laying out its intention to both "provide something for everyone at every stage of their life", and to focus on capturing millennial and gen Z customers.
即使在我收到Gap的一份电子邮件声明后，这些个性问题仍然模糊不清，该声明清楚表示，Gap意在"为每个人在生活的每个阶段提供某些东西"，并专注于吸引千禧一代和Z世代消费者。
When it first hit the scene in the late 60s, Gap was speaking to a generation of young people. Today, the brand faces the challenge of clarifying a message that has grown blurry.
当Gap在60年代末首次出现时，Gap在与年轻一代人对话。如今，该品牌面临的挑战是要澄清一个已经变得模糊的信息。
As people who spend too much time on social media know, gen Z likes to make fun of boomers, but it has that generation to thank for Gap's ascendance.
经常泡在社交媒体上的人都知道，Z世代喜欢调侃婴儿潮一代，但Gap的崛起要归功于这一代人。
The first Gap store opened in 1969 in San Francisco, the hotbed of the hippy movement, and it sold records, and blue jeans made by Levi Strauss, a company based in the same city that had been producing denim since 1853.
Gap的第一家店于1969年在旧金山开业，旧金山是嬉皮士运动的温床，当时店里出售唱片和Levi Strauss生产的蓝色牛仔裤。Levi Strauss是一家总部同样设在旧金山的公司，自1853年以来一直生产牛仔服饰。
The story goes that Gap's founder, a then-41-year-old real-estate businessman named Donald Fisher, accidentally ordered a pair of Levi's in the wrong size and couldn't find a local store where he could exchange them for the right one, so he decided to open a store that carried the brand in a suitably large range of sizes.
据说Gap的创始人当时41岁，是一位名叫唐纳德·费舍尔的房地产商人，他不小心订购了一条尺码不合适的李维斯牛仔裤，但在当地找不到一家商店可以把裤子换成合适的，于是他决定开一家店，销售李维斯品牌的各个尺码的商品。
While the idea for the store catered to Fisher's own needs, it spoke directly to the generation that followed his: baby boomers, who were in their early 20s when "The Gap"--so named for the generation gap between that cohort and their parents--opened its doors.
虽然这家店的理念满足了费舍尔自己的需求，但它也直接面向了他之后的那一代人：婴儿潮一代，The Gap（因这一群体和他们父母之间的代沟而得名）开始营业时他们正20岁出头。
Baby boomers were eager adopters of blue jeans as everyday clothes, and Gap had blue jeans to spare.
婴儿潮一代热衷于将蓝色牛仔裤作为日常服装，而Gap有卖不完的蓝色牛仔裤。
词汇预习
founder [高考]
美[ˈfaʊndɚ] | 英[ˈfaʊndə(r)]
n. 创立者 v. 摔倒；失败；沉没；弄跛
accidentally [高考]
美[ˌæksəˈdɛntəli] | 英[ˌæksɪˈdɛntəli]
adv. 偶然地；意外地；附带地
logo [高考]
美[ˈloʊɡoʊ] | 英[ˈləʊɡəʊ]
n. 商标；标识；图形
estate [高考]
美[ɪˈsteɪt] | 英[ɪˈsteɪt]
n. 财产；遗产；房地产；状态；庄园
lack [高考]
美[læk] | 英[læk]
n. 缺乏；无 v. 缺乏；不足
media [高考]
美[ˈmiːdiə] | 英[ˈmiːdiə]
n. 传播媒介；(medium的复数)媒体；新闻媒介
range [高考]
美[reɪndʒ] | 英[reɪndʒ]
n.范围; 射程; 类别; （山脉，房屋等的）排列 vi.搜索; 变化; 延伸; 漫游 vt.排列; （按一定位置或顺序）排序; 把…分类; 徘徊 adj.牧场的，放牧区的
generation [高考]
美[ˌdʒenəˈreɪʃn] | 英[ˌdʒenəˈreɪʃn]
n. 一代（人）；一代人的时间；（产品发展的）代；产生
identity [高考]
美[aɪˈdentəti] | 英[aɪˈdentəti]
n. 一致；身份；特征
eager [高考]
美[ˈiːɡər] | 英[ˈiːɡə(r)]
adj. 热切的；渴望的
brand [高考]
美[brænd] | 英[brænd]
n. 烙印；商标；牌子；标记 vt. 加污名于；铭记；打烙印
intention [高考]
美[ɪnˈtenʃn] | 英[ɪnˈtenʃn]
n. 意图；目的；意向；打算
encouragement [高考]
美[ɪnˈkɜːrɪdʒmənt] | 英[ɪnˈkʌrɪdʒmənt]
n. 鼓励；激励
vague [高考]
美[veɪɡ] | 英[veɪɡ]
adj. 不明确的；模糊的；茫然的；犹豫不决的
lack of [高考]
美[læk ʌv] | 英[læk ɔv]
缺乏
gap [高考]
美[ɡæp] | 英[ɡæp]
n. 缺口；裂缝；差距；空白
crucial [高考]
美[ˈkruːʃl] | 英[ˈkruːʃl]
adj. 决定性的；关键的
where [高考]
美[wer] | 英[weə(r)]
adv. 在哪里；在那个地方 conj. 在 ... 地方
long-term [四级]
美[ˌlɔːŋ ˈtɜːrm] | 英[ˌlɒŋ ˈtɜːm]
adj. 长期的
retail [四级]
美[ˈriːteɪl , rɪˈteɪl] | 英[ˈriːteɪl , rɪˈteɪl]
n. 零售 vt. 零售；传述 adv. 以零售形式
hazy [四级]
美[ˈhezi] | 英[ˈheɪzi]
adj. 朦胧的；模糊的
generation gap [六级]
美[ˌdʒenəˈreɪʃn ɡæp] | 英[ˌdʒenəˈreɪʃn ɡæp]
n.代沟
decided [专四]
美[dɪˈsaɪdɪd] | 英[dɪˈsaɪdɪd]
adj. 确定的；坚决的
grown [专八]
美[groʊn] | 英[grəʊn]
adj. 长大的；成年的；长满某物的
suitably [考研]
美[ˈsutəblɪ] | 英[ˈsu:təbli]
adv. 适当地；(与期望)相符地
重点讲解
Still, for all the TikTokers buying logo hoodies and Ye fans snapping up Yeezy Gap, the retail experts I spoke with were not optimistic about the brand's future.
但是，尽管TikTok用户购买带logo的卫衣，Ye的粉丝抢购Yeezy Gap，但我交谈过的零售专家对Gap的未来并不持乐观态度。
for all 尽管；虽然
【例】For all its clarity of style, the book is not easy reading.
这本书虽然文体清晰，但读起来并不容易。
【近义词】despite
snap up 抢购；抢先弄到手
（英文释义：to buy or obtain sth quickly because it is cheap or you want it very much）
【例】All the train tickets were snapped up within minutes.
所有火车票几分钟之内就被抢购一空了。
One problem that kept coming up was Gap's lack of any clear identity, a crucial factor in the long-term success of any clothing brand.
一个不断出现的问题是，Gap缺乏明确的个性，这是任何服装品牌获取长期成功的关键因素。
identity n. 个性；特性
【例】The planners decided to enlarge the four villages and preserve their distinct identities.
设计者们决定扩大这4个村庄并保留它们各自的特色。
"I think for years, the challenge has been that there has been no clear point of difference for Gap," said Allen Adamson, a co-founder of the retail consultancy Metaforce.
零售业咨询公司Metaforce的联合创始人艾伦·亚当森说："我认为，多年来，Gap面临的挑战是没有明显的特别之处。"
identity n. 个性；特性
【例】The planners decided to enlarge the four villages and preserve their distinct identities.
设计者们决定扩大这4个村庄并保留它们各自的特色。
Gap's squishy new tagline, Modern American Optimism, doesn't offer much help. (Nor do vague words of encouragement feel especially meaningful at this less-than-sunny moment in US history.)
Gap含糊其辞的新口号----现代美式乐观主义----并没有多大用处。(在美国历史上这个完全说不上阳光灿烂的时刻，含糊的鼓励之词也没有什么特别的意义。)
less than + adj. 完全不……
【例】Her greeting was less than enthusiastic.
她打了个招呼，一点都不热情。
These identity questions remained hazy even after I received an emailed statement from Gap laying out its intention to both "provide something for everyone at every stage of their life", and to focus on capturing millennial and gen Z customers.
即使在我收到Gap的一份电子邮件声明后，这些个性问题仍然模糊不清，该声明清楚表示，Gap意在"为每个人在生活的每个阶段提供某些东西"，并专注于吸引千禧一代和Z世代消费者。
hazy adj.
1. 朦胧的
【例】The mountains were hazy in the distance.
远处的山峦若隐若现。
2. 模糊的；不明确的
【例】a hazy memory/notion 模糊不清的记忆/概念
【拓展】haze n. 烟雾；雾霭
lay out
1. 铺开；展开
【例】He laid the map out on the table.
他把地图在桌子上展开。
2. 布置；安排；设计
【例】a well-laid-out magazine 设计精美的杂志
【拓展】layout n. 排版；布局
3. 清晰谨慎地提出（计划、论点等）
【例】The president laid out his views in a speech this week.
总统在本星期的一次演讲中阐明了自己的观点。
When it first hit the scene in the late 60s, Gap was speaking to a generation of young people. Today, the brand faces the challenge of clarifying a message that has grown blurry.
当Gap在60年代末首次出现时，Gap在与年轻一代人对话。如今，该品牌面临的挑战是要澄清一个已经变得模糊的信息。
hit v. 到达（某地）；达到（某水平）
【例】I hit the city at two-thirty.
我在2点半到了城里。
The euro hit a record low in trading today.
今天欧元的兑换价降到了历史最低水平。
blurry adj. 模糊不清的
【例】a blurry photo 模糊的照片
【近义词】squishy/vague/hazy/unclear
【拓展】blur n./v. 模糊的东西；（使）变得模糊
【例】Everything is a blur when I take my glasses off.
我摘掉眼镜什么都变得模糊不清。
Tears blurred her eyes.
泪水模糊了她的视线。
As people who spend too much time on social media know, gen Z likes to make fun of boomers, but it has that generation to thank for Gap's ascendance.
经常泡在社交媒体上的人都知道，Z世代喜欢调侃婴儿潮一代，但Gap的崛起要归功于这一代人。
ascendance n. 支配地位；优势
【例】The opposition party was in the ascendance.
反对党已渐占优势。
【拓展】ascend v.上升；升高 ascendant adj. 上升的；支配的
hotbed n. （坏事的）温床
【例】The area was a hotbed of crime.
这个地区是犯罪活动的温床。
The first Gap store opened in 1969 in San Francisco, the hotbed of the hippy movement, and it sold records, and blue jeans made by Levi Strauss, a company based in the same city that had been producing denim since 1853.
Gap的第一家店于1969年在旧金山开业，旧金山是嬉皮士运动的温床，当时店里出售唱片和Levi Strauss生产的蓝色牛仔裤。Levi Strauss是一家总部同样设在旧金山的公司，自1853年以来一直生产牛仔服饰。
ascendance n. 支配地位；优势
【例】The opposition party was in the ascendance.
反对党已渐占优势。
【拓展】ascend v.上升；升高 ascendant adj. 上升的；支配的
hotbed n. （坏事的）温床
【例】The area was a hotbed of crime.
这个地区是犯罪活动的温床。
The story goes that Gap's founder, a then-41-year-old real-estate businessman named Donald Fisher, accidentally ordered a pair of Levi's in the wrong size and couldn't find a local store where he could exchange them for the right one, so he decided to open a store that carried the brand in a suitably large range of sizes.
据说Gap的创始人当时41岁，是一位名叫唐纳德·费舍尔的房地产商人，他不小心订购了一条尺码不合适的李维斯牛仔裤，但在当地找不到一家商店可以把裤子换成合适的，于是他决定开一家店，销售李维斯品牌的各个尺码的商品。
carry v. 销售
【例】We carry a range of educational software.
我们出售各种教育软件。
a large range of 一系列的；各种各样的
【例】There is a full/large/wide range of activities for children.
这里有给孩子们提供的各种活动。
While the idea for the store catered to Fisher's own needs, it spoke directly to the generation that followed his: baby boomers, who were in their early 20s when "The Gap"--so named for the generation gap between that cohort and their parents--opened its doors.
虽然这家店的理念满足了费舍尔自己的需求，但它也直接面向了他之后的那一代人：婴儿潮一代，The Gap（因这一群体和他们父母之间的代沟而得名）开始营业时他们正20岁出头。
cater to/for 满足需要；迎合
【例】 The class caters to all ability ranges.
这个班对各种不同水平的人都适合。
cohort n. （有共同特点或举止类同的）一群人
【例】the 1999 birth cohort 于1999年出生的同龄人口
to spare 多余；富余
【例】We arrived at the airport with five minutes to spare.
我们赶到机场时飞机还剩五分钟就起飞了。
Baby boomers were eager adopters of blue jeans as everyday clothes, and Gap had blue jeans to spare.
婴儿潮一代热衷于将蓝色牛仔裤作为日常服装，而Gap有卖不完的蓝色牛仔裤。
cater to/for 满足需要；迎合
【例】 The class caters to all ability ranges.
这个班对各种不同水平的人都适合。
cohort n. （有共同特点或举止类同的）一群人
【例】the 1999 birth cohort 于1999年出生的同龄人口
to spare 多余；富余
【例】We arrived at the airport with five minutes to spare.
我们赶到机场时飞机还剩五分钟就起飞了。
课后练习
The retail experts held that the problem of Gap was ____.
A. weak customer base
B. unsustainable business model
C. vague brand identity
D. short-sighted market strategy
According to the text, the challenge faced by Gap is ____.
A. to build an uplifting image in hard times
B. to foster trust and loyalty of customers
C. to stand out above other fashion brands
D. to convey a clear message to young generation
Which of the following is true about the first Gap store?
A. It was inspired by the hippy movement.
B. It was a collaboration with Levi Strauss.
C. It featured blue jeans in all sizes.
D. It attracted customers with good service.
The idea of the first Gap store ____.
A. was oriented to the young adults
B. tried to bridge the generation gap
C. encouraged the popularity of jeans
D. influenced people’s dress style