时间:2018-12-16 作者:英语课 分类:VOA标准英语2014年(十一月)


英语课

 


Holiday Shopping Erodes 1 Thanksgiving Tradition, Many Say 很多美国人认为感恩节购物是对传统的侵蚀


Never mind the traditional meal of roast turkey with family and friends on Thursday.  For some, Thanksgiving Day marks the unofficial start to the holiday shopping season.


Although some have called it the decline of an American tradition, consumers looking for the best bargains say they can’t wait to go shopping.


Some people who have to work during the holiday see it as an opportunity to earn extra cash, but many others aren't happy about not being able to observe the occasion with loved ones.  


Kmart employee Donna Fisher was told she has to work or face the consequences — and she says that’s unfair.


“There’s no choice in it whatsoever," she said. "It breaks my heart, it really does — to see this is all about the money, it’s not about Thanksgiving.”


So her daughter Jillian launched an online petition demanding that Kmart allow its employees time off on Thanksgiving day so they can be with their families. Thousands have signed the petition.  


The days ahead of Christmas and Thanksgiving are among the busiest travel days for Americans. While retailers 3 insist the early start to the shopping season will make it more convenient for customers, others argue that the large crowds and the hype are not worth the savings 4.  


The Consumer Federation 5 of America’s Stephen Brobeck believes the holiday marketing 6 onslaught should begin after Thanksgiving.   


“I don’t know whether most Americans are concerned, but I am personally, in part because I don’t feel as if I have an adequate opportunity to count my blessings 7 at Thanksgiving," he said.


Those buying gifts are expected to spend more than $600 billion during the holiday season, or about 4 percent more than they did last year.  Kmart is just one of a long list of stores trying to get a bigger share of consumer dollars.  Macy’s Department Store plans to open Thanksgiving Day, as will retail 2 giant Walmart.



1 erodes
侵蚀,腐蚀( erode的第三人称单数 ); 逐渐毁坏,削弱,损害
  • The sea erodes the rock. 海水侵蚀岩石。
  • The sea erodes the land. 海洋侵蚀陆地。
2 retail
v./n.零售;adv.以零售价格
  • In this shop they retail tobacco and sweets.这家铺子零售香烟和糖果。
  • These shoes retail at 10 yuan a pair.这些鞋子零卖10元一双。
3 retailers
零售商,零售店( retailer的名词复数 )
  • High street retailers reported a marked increase in sales before Christmas. 商业街的零售商报告说圣诞节前销售量显著提高。
  • Retailers have a statutory duty to provide goods suitable for their purpose. 零售商有为他们提供符合要求的货品的法定义务。
4 savings
n.存款,储蓄
  • I can't afford the vacation,for it would eat up my savings.我度不起假,那样会把我的积蓄用光的。
  • By this time he had used up all his savings.到这时,他的存款已全部用完。
5 federation
n.同盟,联邦,联合,联盟,联合会
  • It is a federation of 10 regional unions.它是由十个地方工会结合成的联合会。
  • Mr.Putin was inaugurated as the President of the Russian Federation.普京正式就任俄罗斯联邦总统。
6 marketing
n.行销,在市场的买卖,买东西
  • 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。
7 blessings
n.(上帝的)祝福( blessing的名词复数 );好事;福分;因祸得福
  • Afflictions are sometimes blessings in disguise. 塞翁失马,焉知非福。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • We don't rely on blessings from Heaven. 我们不靠老天保佑。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
学英语单词
altice
an acid freak
Ansedonia
antijam
automatic maintenance of language file
avant gardism
balance on current account and long-term capital
bchs
bear a resemblance to
bear drive
biological structural mechanics
blower tube
Briones Reservoir
brions
C.E.
carborundum paper
charros
chinoy
circular flow
circumcorneal
clean-up reactor
controlee
correction factor
dasyurus viverrinuss
deflecting prism
Denver boots
depacking
desolatingly
diagnosabilities
differential rediscount rate
dissecting knife
dolby
donation land
dovetail key way
ECPERT
enthalpy of saturated liquid
facies anterior medialis (humeri)
family possessions
film-dubbing
first team
four-post hydraulic press
fronts-of-house
grossulariaceous
hack tool
hand stowage
health professions
heat-proof heave tight
hemiseptum
high speed indicator
horseshoe life buoy
horsler
internal wall curettage of periodontal pocket
ioduria
iron core choke coil
Ixiolirion
Japanese Antarctic Research Expeditions
Kapuni
knocking test
large space
legal competence
lens condenser
lithostyle
luters
microxyphil
migration inhibition factor
molestee
monkey's wedding
ngurumanite
non-metric theories
nonsister chromatids
octonarian
Omega fixing
opacitas
pair of pictures
panic-buying
pardoned criminal
phenylborine
polyphase heating r
preposition of place
primary oocytes
proportional samplings
remappers
restabilising
rmr
saint petersburgs
separator trap
silicon iodide trichloride
slinge
socially connected
soderman
Souk el Arbaâ du Rharb
strontium platinocyanide
Sykes
tabletPC
the first option
tin oxide film
tungsten carbide core
twelve-part canon
Vila da Ribeira Brava
voltage below level
vorobyevite (vorobievite)
water jet air pump