英语视频：澳大利亚纪录短片之外国人眼中的中国富二代

MCDONELL: It’s Friday night in Beijing and the rich young things have come out to play. In the 1970s you could be killed here by a mob for showing outward displays of wealth. Now barely-legal drivers can be seen behind the wheels of $600,000 sports cars.

　　Within ten years half the world’s billionaires will come from China and tonight we go inside their world. While other countries are in panic mode over their stagnant 1 economies, here they’re making money and they’re flaunting 2 it.

　　Wealthy people in China love their private clubs and the young rich are no different. To be a member of this establishment there’s a simple requirement – all you have to do is own a Porsche 911 or something even flashier.

　　This is the Beijing Sports Car Club in Chaoyang’s bar district.

　　The night we visit is a kind of decadent 3 palace theme party. The members are mostly 20-something year old men and the “young maidens” well they just kind of appeared at one stage. Chinese people refer to those moving in these circles as the “fu er dai” – the children of those who got rich when China suddenly opened up in the 1980s. Whether it’s fair or not, they’re seen as the first generation who’ve known nothing but wealth their entire short lives.

　　Across town their parents’ generation are living it up in their own way.

　　RUPERT HOOGEWERF: “The millionaire level, which is say British pound millionaires, we estimate there’s 960,000 of them which has been growing at about 10% or more over the last 4 or 5 years. If you look at the billionaire level, US dollar billionaires, then we estimate there are 600 now”.

　　MCDONELL: Rupert Hoogewerf makes his living by observing China’s mega-wealthy class to produce the Hurun Report rich list. Many Chinese people say their bosses have made it big on the back of corrupt 4 deals following market reforms in the 1980s, but this self-styled wealth tracker says the country has become the number one in terms of what he says are “self-made” billionaires – what’s more they’re getting richer and richer.

　　RUPERT HOOGEWERF: “I was with an entrepreneur last week who was explaining, that if all goes well, within ten years time he’s going to be 10 times the size he is today. Now, of course, there is an element of ‘I want to challenge myself’ as well but certainly these people we need to be aware of them and we need to understand this group”.

　　MCDONELL: According to the Hurun report’s research, the typical Chinese billionaire is a 51 year old man. His child is just out of university. He lives in Beijing.

　　The typical millionaire is only 41 years old, lives in Shanghai, or nearby provinces, and is planning to send his 10 year old child to university in Australia, Canada, Britain or the United States.

　　“These are the people who are going to rule the world aren’t they?”

　　RUPERT HOOGEWERF: “Well they’re very young still and they’re growing very fast and so you look at the Bill Gates of this world who are well into their 60s and the Buffets 5 who are well into their 80s even and these Chinese entrepreneurs are still in their 40s, possibly their 50s, well they’ve got another 30 years to go. Where are they going to end up?”

　　MCDONELL: And according to this rich list the top way for these people to make money is real estate. This hotel has just been built in 14 days – yes you heard it right. Work went on around the clock and the seemingly unthinkable pace of construction was achieved by using pre-made steel frames which were placed in like massive blocks. So now, in the middle of nowhere in Central China’s Hunan Province, they have their own tower.

　　“If I was standing 6 in this exact location just two weeks ago I’d be on the ground surrounded by vegetable gardens. Now I’m on top of a 30 storey hotel and I’ve got to say it’s pretty surreal”.

　　The man behind this project is the rather eccentric and very successful businessman Zhang Yue. With workers still putting the finishing touches on his high speed hotel, he’s already giving potential business partners a tour of the site.

　　ZHANG YUE: “The process is like manufacturing vehicles. For a car, from making the components 8 to assembling it, it will take around two months – but it will only take one day to put it together”.

　　MCDONELL: Zhang Yue is marketing 9 this as a cheap and he says eco friendly alternative to traditional building methods.

　　ZHANG YUE: “When we see a construction site it’s so dirty – but on our site it’s clean. There’s no dust, no waste water, no flames, no welding, no smoke”.

　　MCDONELL: Zhang Yue’s company is called Broad and we’re taken on a tour of the headquarters, known as “Broad Town”. This is not your average factory complex. The grounds include a massive replica 10 of a French Chateau 11 designed by Zhang Yue’s wife and a giant gold pyramid which is apparently 12 going to be used as a museum to introduce visitors to the philosophy of Chairman Zhang Yue.

　　TOUR GUIDE: “He invented all the products at Broad Group. He’s the key engineer for all the designs and he’s an inspirational person. Everyone around him has learnt a lot”.

　　MCDONELL: Zhang Yue’s personal fortune of an estimated $850 million originally came from making diesel 13 and gas powered air conditioners. These days he presents himself as a Buddhist 14 green businessman on a mission. He says he never uses a computer.

　　ZHANG YUE: “Personal wealth means nothing in my life. If it does still have meaning it’s in my work. I can use money to invest in research and development for something that society needs – but for me and my family… really wealth means nothing”.

　　MCDONELL: Money may mean nothing to Zhang Yue but he looks set to make a whole lot more of it. His plan is to roll out building component 7 factories first across China, then other countries, including Australia. And he’s not short of belief in the potential of this technology which he calls ‘civilised construction’.

　　“In the future, if I come back here to see your company, in say ten years time - how big will it be?”

　　ZHANG YUE: “The biggest in the world, I’m sure of this. Take it down. I am sure. Ours will be the biggest in the world”.

　　MCDONELL: China’s mad rush to urbanisation is responsible for producing a fair swag of the country’s wealthy elite 15. Infrastructure 16, iron and steel have been big earners and anyone who makes anything to do with homes and offices remains 17 in the box seat. In the capital Beijing, there’s one company that’s transformed the very appearance of the city.

　　ZHANG XIN: “We’re lucky you know as a developer… we’re talking about Beijing being built, urbanised in 15 years”.

　　MCDONELL: Zhang Xin is the CEO of Soho China. As a teenager she fled the cultural revolution to work in a Hong Kong factory. She studied in Cambridge, became an investment banker and returned to China in the 1990s to try her hand at property developing. She remembers the early discussions with government officials about what Beijing was going to be like.

　　ZHANG XIN: “They were talking about the future, the future of the CBD will be like the Manhattan of Beijing and I remember when I first came back to Beijing hearing people talk about this and thinking, oh these guys have never been to Manhattan, they have no idea about what they’re talking about. But, you know, seriously when you go out today that’s exactly what’s happening and you’re surrounded by these high-rise very dense 18 buildings and it feels a modern version of Manhattan”.

　　MCDONELL: If the Beijing CBD now looks like a modern metropolis 19, that’s in no small part because of Soho’s towers and they’re not finished yet.

　　The ambitions of this company and its boss seem to know no bounds and perhaps this is a good metaphor 20 for this city and even this country. The designs are becoming more striking; the locations more sought after and the buildings, well they’re just getting bigger and bigger.

　　But even being the largest developer in Beijing has not made Zhang Xin completely satisfied with the way things are going in China.

　　ZHANG XIN: “We have moved backward by having more government owned companies taking over and you know that powerful state owned companies are managing many, many industries and so to that extent it’s going backward. But you know if you look at the history, if you look at the historical point of view, none of those would stop the trend of China moving forward to become a more modernised country and to be more integrated with the rest of the world”.

　　MCDONELL: Yet some are hoping that it’s traditional culture which will propel them to international success.

　　ZHANG LAN: “Our staff numbers stand at over 10 thousand. Our business turnover 21 is quite good”.

　　MCDONELL: “So how many restaurants will you have in five or ten years?”

　　ZHANG LAN: “In 2020 we’ll have 500 restaurants around the world”.

　　(to her staff) “We need to be bolder, because this time we sail the ocean, we carry the wind and we break the waves”.

　　MCDONELL: Zhang Lan is to restaurants what Zhang Xin is to property. She owns the “South Beauty” chain of Sichuan eateries and on the opening day of her newest outlet 22, she gives the staff a solid rev-up session.

　　ZHANG LAN: (to staff) “So, young fellows… young and beautiful sisters present the best drinks and the best food to our customers, okay?”

　　MCDONELL: As with other Chinese entrepreneurs, her ultimate goals are certainly not modest.

　　ZHANG LAN: “Like McDonald’s and KFC I believe that in 100 years the South Beauty brand will be known around the world and will rank at number 1!”

　　MCDONELL: Zhang Lan thinks that if junk food can be swept around the world using chain stores, so can her Sichuan style restaurants and she’s starting off by conquering China. What’s more, though her vision is big, she says she’s prepared to take the long view to achieve ultimate success – an attribute lacking in many businesses here.

　　ZHANG LAN: “Everyone wants to earn fast money but no-one pays attention to building a brand. In my lifetime, I may not earn really big money from building a brand – but the next generation will!”

　　MCDONELL: But she can’t be too critical of the fast money crowd as the company also has some very upmarket watering holes, like Beijing’s “Lan Bar” that are specifically designed to lighten the wallets of China’s nouveau riche.

　　This establishment is not for your average Chinese customer. There are drinks here that cost the same as a week’s salary for a factory worker. But these are not the clientele that this place is aimed at and it’s a measure of the affluence 23 in this town that there is no shortage of well-heeled patrons who are more than happy to come along and fill these seats.

　　Many in China believe that their country is arriving at a powerful and privileged place, a place where international designers are flown in to create pleasure palaces like nowhere on earth. There’s not a lot of Communism in any of this. If you’ve got the cash in this country you can pretty much get whatever you want.

　　Well this isn’t bad is it! I’m sitting on a private jet flying in between Beijing and Shanghai. I’ve got my champagne 24 and it’s pretty comfortable. Now I’m sitting her with Jean Michel Jacob from Dassault and it’s his business to sell these jets to Chinese people.

　　“So who are you mainly selling to? What types of people in China?”

　　JEAN MICHEL JACOB: “Our main customers are big corporations or private individuals owning big corporations.... bankers, real estate, mining.... and they buy these aircraft for developing their activity in China, in Asia and throughout the world”.

　　MCDONELL: “And how hard is it to be selling these jets at this moment in China?”

　　JEAN MICHEL JACOB: “It’s not that hard selling these jets today because they need them – the market is booming here, it’s booming elsewhere. They are rich. They can buy the world. They can invest everywhere and they need commodities so it’s rather easier compared to what it is in Europe or America nowadays”.

　　MCDONELL: In China the military controls all air space. Until recently this made it hard for private jets to operate but, as the space has been freed up, the mega rich have lined up to buy. To own one of these particular planes all you need is a spare $53 million. Then there are the running costs of around $2 million a year. The hefty price tag is not dampening sales.

　　JEAN MICHEL JACOB: “Three years ago we sold three aircraft and 2011, we sold 15 aircraft and we expect to sell much more in 2012”.

　　MCDONELL: And these jets might well come in handy for wealthy Chinese because there’s another thing about them. Surveys show that 75% of the country’s super rich have either left in order to get hold of a foreign passport or are seriously considering it. This is seen as an insurance policy in case things go bad in China.

　　Of course, if you don’t have a private jet to get you out of here there’s always the pointy end of any commercial aircraft.

　　And if the wheels fall off China’s great leap into affluence, this will be the first place it hits.

　　In Guangdong, the southern province that sees itself as world’s factory, they produce just about everything, but some see future social, political and even economic turmoil 25 threatening it all.

　　What then for the production lines which were once fields, the farmers who’ve become workers and the taxi drivers who’ve turned into millionaires?

　　YAN ZHIHUI: “I always believed I’d be successful.

　　MCDONELL: “Why?”

　　YAN ZHIHUI: “I was self-confident when I was young. When I was a kid I stood out – I was different from the others. So I believe this success was pre-destined”.

　　MCDONELL: Thirty four year old Yan Zhihui runs Jincheng electronics with his business partner Sun Jinyong. He says he arrived in Shenzhen 13 years ago with around $150, that he drove a taxi for two years, then opened a fast food restaurant and finally got enough money together to jump into manufacturing. Becoming a boss has transformed his life.

　　“I’m not sure this is polite, but can I ask you what your personal wealth is?”

　　YAN ZHIHUI: “Probably a few million yuan”.

　　MCDONELL: “Is this very successful in China?”

　　YAN ZHIHUI: “No, I just stepped into the lower end of the middle class”.

　　MCDONELL: Yan Zhihui may see himself as “middle class” but if your personal wealth is, like his, between 600,000 and a million dollars that goes a long way in southern China. Yet the world is changing and it’s possible that the good times won’t last forever for China’s manufacturers.

　　The towers of Shenzhen literally 26 sprang from nothing in recent decades to create a city which owes its wealth to China’s export boom. But employees here are becoming less and less likely to work for peanuts, meaning that other countries can now undercut China in terms of production costs so what will this mean in the long run for Shenzhen’s businesses?

　　YAN ZHIHUI: “Although both labour and material costs are increasing we can improve our production techniques. To simply keep trying to reduce workers salaries is not the way to go”.

　　MCDONELL: Many Chinese factories have also been hit by a collapse 27 in demand following world financial turmoil. Yet this company sells 80% of its products domestically. More and more Chinese businesses are now pinning their hopes on the huge local market rather than an uncertain global climate. It’s even thought that Chinese consumers will eventually transform the international economy by simply buying things.

　　RUPERT HOOGEWERF: “Well the general consensus 28 is that you’ve got another 15 years of fast growth derived 29 from this urbanisation program and if all goes to plan, at that stage it will then remarkably 30 slow down and, at that point, we’re going to have to look for the so-called middle class who are going to start spending in China and that will be when Chinese brands really come to the front if you like”.

　　MCDONELL: In the meantime it’s luxury European brands that are counting on China’s super rich class to shore up their fortunes. Zhang Zhen is from the east coast city of Qingdao and he’s the founder 31 of the Beijing Sports Car Club. He divides his time between his hometown and the capital – sometimes driving between the two with his mates or family members.

　　“Can you tell us how many sports cars you have?”

　　ZHANG ZHEN: “Sports cars… I am the kind of person who loves them. If I have a bit of spare money I will buy some. I don’t prefer any particular type. I’ve bought most of them – Ferraris, Maseratis, and so on”.

　　MCDONELL: Zhang Zhen is very cagey about where his and his family’s money has come from. He says he’s an investor 32 in the service industry. If so, he’s been very successful because his collection of sports cars is worth a not so small fortune. What’s more, this young man in his 20s says his parents have merely offered him moral support and that he’s been able to earn enough himself to service his ultra expensive pastime.

　　ZHANG ZHEN: “I’ll save some money – if I make a bit of money I’ll use some of it to buy cars”.

　　MCDONELL: Who says America is the land of capitalist dreams? Here you can get rich, show it off and as long as you’re on the right side of powerful people, nobody is going to question how you got to where you are. This may be a country of massive wealth disparity but even the smallest percentage of mega rich individuals becomes in China, a large and extremely powerful group. And, with their tear-away success and big ambitions, it’s a group that is going to go a very long way.

 

 

点击收听单词发音  






1
stagnant

  
 


adj.不流动的，停滞的，不景气的


参考例句：





Due to low investment,industrial output has remained stagnant.由于投资少，工业生产一直停滞不前。
Their national economy is stagnant.他们的国家经济停滞不前。












2
flaunting

  
 


adj.招摇的，扬扬得意的，夸耀的v.炫耀，夸耀( flaunt的现在分词 )；有什么能耐就施展出来


参考例句：





He did not believe in flaunting his wealth. 他不赞成摆阔。
She is fond of flaunting her superiority before her friends and schoolmates. 她好在朋友和同学面前逞强。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》












3
decadent

  
 


adj.颓废的，衰落的，堕落的


参考例句：





Don't let decadent ideas eat into yourselves.别让颓废的思想侵蚀你们。
This song was once banned, because it was regarded as decadent.这首歌曾经被认定为是靡靡之音而被禁止播放。












4
corrupt

  
 


v.贿赂，收买；adj.腐败的，贪污的


参考例句：





The newspaper alleged the mayor's corrupt practices.那家报纸断言市长有舞弊行为。
This judge is corrupt.这个法官贪污。












5
buffets

  
 


（火车站的）饮食柜台( buffet的名词复数 )； （火车的）餐车； 自助餐


参考例句：





All life's buffets should be met with dignity and good sense. 所有人生之打击都应以尊严和理智对付之。
In addition to buffets, American families enjoy picnics and barbeques. 除自助餐外，美国家庭还喜欢野餐和户外烧烤餐。












6
standing

  
 


n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的


参考例句：





After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。












7
component

  
 


n.组成部分，成分，元件；adj.组成的，合成的


参考例句：





Each component is carefully checked before assembly.每个零件在装配前都经过仔细检查。
Blade and handle are the component parts of a knife.刀身和刀柄是一把刀的组成部分。












8
components

  
 


（机器、设备等的）构成要素，零件，成分； 成分( component的名词复数 )； [物理化学]组分； [数学]分量； （混合物的）组成部分


参考例句：





the components of a machine 机器部件
Our chemistry teacher often reduces a compound to its components in lab. 在实验室中化学老师常把化合物分解为各种成分。












9
marketing

  
 


n.行销，在市场的买卖，买东西


参考例句：





They are developing marketing network.他们正在发展销售网络。
He often goes marketing.他经常去市场做生意。












10
replica

  
 


n.复制品


参考例句：





The original conservatory has been rebuilt in replica.温室已按原样重建。
The young artist made a replica of the famous painting.这位年轻的画家临摹了这幅著名的作品。












11
chateau

  
 


n.城堡，别墅


参考例句：





The house was modelled on a French chateau.这房子是模仿一座法国大别墅建造的。
The chateau was left to itself to flame and burn.那府第便径自腾起大火燃烧下去。












12
apparently

  
 


adv.显然地；表面上，似乎


参考例句：





An apparently blind alley leads suddenly into an open space.山穷水尽，豁然开朗。
He was apparently much surprised at the news.他对那个消息显然感到十分惊异。












13
diesel

  
 


n.柴油发动机，内燃机


参考例句：





We experimented with diesel engines to drive the pumps.我们试着用柴油机来带动水泵。
My tractor operates on diesel oil.我的那台拖拉机用柴油开动。












14
Buddhist

  
 


adj./n.佛教的，佛教徒


参考例句：





The old lady fell down in adoration before Buddhist images.那老太太在佛像面前顶礼膜拜。
In the eye of the Buddhist,every worldly affair is vain.在佛教徒的眼里，人世上一切事情都是空的。












15
elite

  
 


n.精英阶层；实力集团；adj.杰出的，卓越的


参考例句：





The power elite inside the government is controlling foreign policy.政府内部的一群握有实权的精英控制着对外政策。
We have a political elite in this country.我们国家有一群政治精英。












16
infrastructure

  
 


n.下部构造，下部组织，基础结构，基础设施


参考例句：





We should step up the development of infrastructure for research.加强科学基础设施建设。
We should strengthen cultural infrastructure and boost various types of popular culture.加强文化基础设施建设，发展各类群众文化。












17
remains

  
 


n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹


参考例句：





He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。












18
dense

  
 


a.密集的，稠密的，浓密的；密度大的


参考例句：





The general ambushed his troops in the dense woods. 将军把部队埋伏在浓密的树林里。
The path was completely covered by the dense foliage. 小路被树叶厚厚地盖了一层。












19
metropolis

  
 


n.首府；大城市


参考例句：





Shanghai is a metropolis in China.上海是中国的大都市。
He was dazzled by the gaiety and splendour of the metropolis.大都市的花花世界使他感到眼花缭乱。












20
metaphor

  
 


n.隐喻，暗喻


参考例句：





Using metaphor,we say that computers have senses and a memory.打个比方，我们可以说计算机有感觉和记忆力。
In poetry the rose is often a metaphor for love.玫瑰在诗中通常作为爱的象征。












21
turnover

  
 


n.人员流动率，人事变动率；营业额，成交量


参考例句：





The store greatly reduced the prices to make a quick turnover.这家商店实行大减价以迅速周转资金。
Our turnover actually increased last year.去年我们的营业额竟然增加了。












22
outlet

  
 


n.出口/路；销路；批发商店；通风口；发泄


参考例句：





The outlet of a water pipe was blocked.水管的出水口堵住了。
Running is a good outlet for his energy.跑步是他发泄过剩精力的好方法。












23
affluence

  
 


n.充裕，富足


参考例句：





Their affluence is more apparent than real.他们的富有是虚有其表。
There is a lot of affluence in this part of the state because it has many businesses.这个州的这一部分相当富有，因为它有很多商行。












24
champagne

  
 


n.香槟酒；微黄色


参考例句：





There were two glasses of champagne on the tray.托盘里有两杯香槟酒。
They sat there swilling champagne.他们坐在那里大喝香槟酒。












25
turmoil

  
 


n.骚乱，混乱，动乱


参考例句：





His mind was in such a turmoil that he couldn't get to sleep.内心的纷扰使他无法入睡。
The robbery put the village in a turmoil.抢劫使全村陷入混乱。












26
literally

  
 


adv.照字面意义，逐字地；确实


参考例句：





He translated the passage literally.他逐字逐句地翻译这段文字。
Sometimes she would not sit down till she was literally faint.有时候，她不走到真正要昏厥了，决不肯坐下来。












27
collapse

  
 


vi.累倒；昏倒；倒塌；塌陷


参考例句：





The country's economy is on the verge of collapse.国家的经济已到了崩溃的边缘。
The engineer made a complete diagnosis of the bridge's collapse.工程师对桥的倒塌做了一次彻底的调查分析。












28
consensus

  
 


n.(意见等的)一致，一致同意，共识


参考例句：





Can we reach a consensus on this issue?我们能在这个问题上取得一致意见吗？
What is the consensus of opinion at the afternoon meeting?下午会议上一致的意见是什么？












29
derived

  
 


vi.起源；由来；衍生；导出v.得到( derive的过去式和过去分词 )；（从…中）得到获得；源于；（从…中）提取


参考例句：





Many English words are derived from Latin and Greek. 英语很多词源出于拉丁文和希腊文。 来自《简明英汉词典》
He derived his enthusiasm for literature from his father. 他对文学的爱好是受他父亲的影响。 来自《简明英汉词典》












30
remarkably

  
 


ad.不同寻常地，相当地


参考例句：





I thought she was remarkably restrained in the circumstances. 我认为她在那种情况下非常克制。
He made a remarkably swift recovery. 他康复得相当快。












31
Founder

  
 


n.创始者，缔造者


参考例句：





He was extolled as the founder of their Florentine school.他被称颂为佛罗伦萨画派的鼻祖。
According to the old tradition,Romulus was the founder of Rome.按照古老的传说，罗穆卢斯是古罗马的建国者。












32
investor

  
 


n.投资者，投资人


参考例句：





My nephew is a cautious investor.我侄子是个小心谨慎的投资者。
The investor believes that his investment will pay off handsomely soon.这个投资者相信他的投资不久会有相当大的收益。