《美英報刊閱讀教程》端木義萬趙虹Lesson12:

ASuddenShiftTowardThriftBackgroundInformationAdditionalNotesPhotos&DiagramsKeystoExercisesStructureAnalysis

AmericanThrift

America’sbest-knownsayingaboutthriftisthat“apennysavedisapennyearned.”

Inthepast20years,Americans’conceptofconsumptionhaschangedagreatdeal.Theyhavestartedsavingthingsratherthanspendinglavishly.BackgroundInformation

InAmerica,therearemanythriftstoreswhichsellusedgoodsandcommodities,fromsmallphotoframes,clothes,kitchenwares,tobigfurniture.

TVIInc.(ThriftVillage)wasthelargestfor-profitchainofthriftstoresintheU.S.in1995.Atthebeginningof1996,TVI,basedinBellevue,Washington,had110“ValueVillage”and“Savers”storesin17statesandeightCanadianprovinces.

TVIwasstartedbyWilliamEllison,whosefather,Benjamin,managedachainofthriftstoresinSacramento,California.Benjaminpersuadedhissontojointhebusinessbyofferingtobankroll(提供資金)astoreinSanFrancisco.Thatwasin1954,whenWilliam,acollegegraduate,wassellingadvertisingforaradiostationinSeattle.Thecompanydoubledinsizeagainbetween1990and1995,openingits100thstoreinMountVernon,Washington,andsolidifyingitsplaceasthethird-largestthrift-storechainintheUnitedStates,behindonlythenonprofitgroupsSalvationArmyandGoodwill.

TVIhadstartedmovingitsstoresoutoflow-incomeneighborhoods(wheresecondhandstoresweretraditionallylocated)intoblue-collarcommunitiesintheearly1980s.Howevermarketresearchshowedthatthestoreswerealsoattractingshoppersfrommoreaffluentneighborhoodslookingforbargains.

“Livewithinyourmeans;wastenot,wantnot;alwaysputsomethingasideforarainyday”—everyoneofacertainageinAmericaknowsofthesewordsaboutthrift.

UnderthetraditionalAmericanvalueofthrift,onewouldearnandsaveand,throughextendedeffort,moveupinone’swork,buildanestegg(為養(yǎng)老、應(yīng)變等用的儲蓄）throughsavingsandwelldesignedinvestments,andendone’sdaysinindependenceandsecurity.

AdditionalNotes:1.Aftersingle-handedlysavingtheUSeconomyfromruininrecentyearsbybingeingoncars,homes,andbig-ticketitemsconsumershavequietlyturnedtheirattentiontosavingmoneyinstead.

(Para.

1)——最近幾年消費者通過瘋狂地購買汽車、住房以及昂貴商品拯救了美國經(jīng)濟，現(xiàn)在他們卻開始悄悄省錢了。single-handedly:independentlybinge:toeatordrinktoomuch,heremeaningtobuytoomanythings

E.g.bingedrinking酗酒bingeshopper購物狂

2.Some,likeSandraSpearsinChicago,arerebuildingtheirsafetynetsbecausetheyhaveto.(Para.4)——有些人，比如芝加哥的SandraSpears，正在重建他們的（經(jīng)濟）安全網(wǎng)，因為他們不得不這樣。

safetynet:anarrangementthathelpstopreventdisaster3.We’rejustcatchingourbreath.

(Para.4)——我們只是在歇口氣（暫時停止購物）。catchone’sbreath:tostopforbreath;rest4.I’mbehindtheball,andIwanttostartputtingsomethingaway.(Para.5)

——我的經(jīng)濟狀況困難，我也想開始存點錢。behindthe(eight)ball:(USslang)inaverybadsituationputsomethingaway:savemoney5.itislikelytomuteanyshort-termrecovery(Para.6)

——它有可能減緩任何短期經(jīng)濟恢復。mute:tomakesth.weaker6.eventhoughtreasurysecuritiesandcashinvestmentssportpaltryyields.(Para.7)——即便國庫券和現(xiàn)金投資明顯收益很少。

sport:toshow

paltry:worthless;ofnoimportanceyield:amountproduced

KeystoExercises1.Itcanbeinferredfromthefifthparagraphthatgenerallyspeakingbabyboomers____

.A.managetheirmoneyinasoundwayB.leadasimplelifeC.haveaspend-it-alllifestyleD.haveahighsenseofresponsibilityAnalysisoftheContent2.FromthearticleweknowthattoenticeconsumersintospendingAmericanbusinessessellingdurablegoodsoffer____.A.no-interestcreditB.lowerpricesC.better-qualitygoodsD.betterafter-saleservice3.Bysaying“I'mbehindtheball,”PaulKayemeansthat“____

.”A.sheisnotgoodatplayingtheballB.shedoesnotlikeballgamesC.sheisinadifficultsituationD.theballrunsfasterthanshedoes4.Theshort-termimpactofAmerican’sshifttothriftisthat____

.A.itislikelytomuteanyshort-termrecoveryB.itwillprovideavitalsourceofinvestmentfundsC.itwillleadtoabusinessdepressionD.itwillresultinapricedrop5.Whichofthefollowingperiodshadthehighestsavingrate?the1970sB.theearly1990sC.2001D.2003QuestionsontheArticle1.

Accordingtotheauthor,howdidAmericanconsumerssavetheUSeconomyfromruininrecentyears?

Accordingtothearticle,AmericanconsumerssavedtheUSeconomyfromruininrecentyearsbybingeingoncars,homesandbig-ticketitems.

2.WhyareAmericansinterestedinsavingnow?

Americansareinterestedinsavingbecausetheyhavesufferedthroughanunprecedentedthreestraightyearsofdecliningnetworth.3.WhyisSandraSpearsputtingoffbuyingamuch-neededsecondcar?SandraSpearsisputtingoffbuyingamuch-neededsecondcarbecauseshehastoreplenishhersavingsandrebuildhersafetynet.4.WhydoesPaulKayewanttostartsaving?PaulKayewantstostartsavingbecausehehasalreadypurchasedjustabouteverythingheneedsandisshiftingtolong-termgoals.5.Whatlong-termimpactwillthenewfoundthrifthaveonAmerica’seconomy?Thenewfoundthriftwillbringlong-termbenefittoAmerica'seconomyforhouseholdsavingscouldserveasavitalsourceofinvestmentfundsincaseforeigninvestorspulloutofUSmarket.6.WhydoAmericanindividualslackthecushionofhugestockmarketgains？Americanindividualslackthecushionofhugestockmarketgainsbecausethebearmarketisenteringitsfourthyear.7.HowmuchdidAmericansaltogethersavein2002?In2002,Americansaltogetherplowedanet＄668billionintofinancialassetssuchasbonds,cashaccountsandstocks.StructureAnalysisI.(1-3)

Americans’shiftinlifestyleII.(4-5)DirectcoursesoftheshiftIII.(6)ImpactsofthenewfoundshiftIV.(7-9)Analysisoftheshift

I.Americans’shiftinlifestyle(1-3)

1.Consumers’quietshiftfromspendingbingeto

moneysaving

2.Displayofthe