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疫情时代下的大型超市的变化
疫情给我们的生活带来了很大的改变，对经济的影响更是巨大。今天让我们跟随经济学人的报道，来看看疫情时代大型超市的商业巨头沃尔玛和塔吉特超市都发生了哪些变化吧！
Supermarket crash
Walmart went from strength to strength during the covid-19 pandemic. Its years-long investments in online fulfilment finally began to pay off as virus-wary shoppers swapped aisles for apps. As inflation picked up initially, its “everyday low prices” looked even more appealing than usual. And investors appeared to believe that it had the power to make those prices a bit less low, passing its own rising costs without putting off shoppers or sacrificing margins.
On May 17th economic reality finally caught up with America’s supermarket titan. The company reported quarterly earnings that fell short of even the most conservative analysts’ estimates, blaming chiefly supply-chain snags and the rising cost of labour and transport. Its share price fell by 11%, a daily drop second only to the one the firm experienced in the trading session before the Black Monday stock market crash in 1987. A day later it slid by another 7%. The same day Target, another pandemic retail star, reported similarly disappointing results, wiping out 25% of its market value. The two companies shed a combined $65bn in market capitalisation in the space of two days.
Historically, inflation has often benefited big supermarkets. Elevated prices boost the nominal value of sales. As for higher unit costs, these could often be passed on to shoppers, who are likelier to keep needing supermarkets staples and less likely to gripe about higher bills if everything else they buy is also dearer. This time, though, the retailers are finding it harder to offset the steep increase in operating expenses.
Target’s chief executive, Brian Cornell, anticipates an extra $1bn in transport costs this year as soaring energy prices dent profits. It is already raising prices in response—evidently not fast enough.
第一段：Walmart went from strength to strength during the covid-19 pandemic. Its years-long investments in online fulfilment finally began to pay off as virus-wary shoppers swapped aisles for apps. As inflation picked up initially, its “everyday low prices” looked even more appealing than usual. And investors appeared to believe that it had the power to make those prices a bit less low, passing its own rising costs without putting off shoppers or sacrificing margins.
参考翻译：在新冠肺炎大流行期间，沃尔玛不断壮大。随着警惕病毒的购物者将过道换成应用程序，该公司多年来在线上事业的投资终于开始有所回报。随着通货膨胀开始回升，其“每日低价”看起来比平时更具吸引力。投资者似乎相信，该公司有能力降低这些价格，在不影响购物者或牺牲利润的情况下转移自己不断上涨的成本。
知识点解读：
1.Go from strength to strength:不断壮大，常用于描述企业、组织、机构、公司的发展情况。例如，“I was nervous when I initially invested in that company, but it has gone from strength to strength, thank goodness. 当我最初投资那家公司时，我很紧张，但谢天谢地，它已经变得越来越强大了。”
2.pay off：本词组有很多个意思，一是“偿清（债务等）”，例如，“Once there is an agreement we will definitely pay off all our debts. 一旦达成协议，我们肯定会偿还所有债务”。二是“得到回报”，例如， “But what's important is that we're finally beginning to see some of the tough decisions we made pay off. 但重要的是我们已经开始看到我们所做出的艰难的抉择开始有了回报了”，原文中表达的也是这个意思。
3.appealing：主要作两个意思，一则示“上诉的”，例如，“In appealing the case again, you will just be kicking against the pricks. 上诉简直就是自讨苦吃”。二则表示“有魅力的;吸引人的”，这个意思更为常用，例如，“I find this job very appealing. 这份工作非常吸引人”。此时，可以同义替换的词有“attractive”和“catchy”。
Appealing的动词形式为appeal，是一个需要重点把握的单词，其常考意思有两个，一是“上诉”，例如，“She appealed unsuccessfully against her conviction for murder. 她不服被判谋杀罪提出上诉，但失败了”。二是“呼吁”，例如，“We made an appeal to the villagers for money to build the bridge. 为建造这座桥, 我们呼吁村民捐款”。
4.appear to do sth: 似乎……，例如，“It appears to be raining. 似乎在下雨”。Appear还可以引导宾语从句，此时appear that……相当于as if，例如，“It appears that you have made a mistake.似乎你弄错了” 。
第二段：On May 17th economic reality finally caught up with America’s supermarket titan. The company reported quarterly earnings that fell short of even the most conservative analysts’ estimates, blaming chiefly supply-chain snags and the rising cost of labour and transport. Its share price fell by 11%, a daily drop second only to the one the firm experienced in the trading session before the Black Monday stock market crash in 1987. A day later it slid by another 7%. The same day Target, another pandemic retail star, reported similarly disappointing results, wiping out 25% of its market value. The two companies shed a combined $65bn in market capitalisation in the space of two days.
参考翻译：5月17日，经济现状终于赶上了美国超市巨头。该公司公布的季度收益甚至低于最保守的分析师的估计，主要原因是供应链受阻以及劳动力和运输成本上升。其股价下跌了11%，跌幅仅次于该公司在1987年黑色星期一股市崩盘前的交易日跌幅。一天后，该指数又下跌了7%。同一天，另一位流行性零售巨头塔吉特公司也报告了同样令人失望的结果，其市值缩水了25%。这两家公司在两天的时间内，市值合计减少650亿美元。
知识点解读：
1.catch up with:追赶上…...，例如，“She couldn't go to school for a few weeks because of an illness,but she'll be able to catch up with her lessons quickly. 她因病有几周不能上学,但是她很快就能补上落下的课.”
2.Conservative:保守的、守旧的，外刊上常说的“conservative party”就是指“保守党”，例如，“This year the Conservative Party is in. 今年保守党执政” 。
3.Shed：作名词时表示“棚, 库”，指四壁没有完全封闭，供牲畜用或储藏东西、停放车辆等的简易棚屋，例如，“There are a lot of straws in the shed. 棚子里有许多稻草” 。作动词时表示“流泪”；“蜕皮“；和”叶落“，是文学翻译中常考的词汇，例如“ Deciduous trees shed their leaves in autumn. 落叶树木在秋天落叶“；” Snakes shed their antlers each year.蛇每年都蜕角“；“Hear, watching the sky, is due to fear of others know he shed tear. 听说，爱看天空的人，是由于怕别人知道他落泪了”。
第三段：Historically, inflation has often benefited big supermarkets. Elevated prices boost the nominal value of sales. As for higher unit costs, these could often be passed on to shoppers, who are likelier to keep needing supermarkets staples and less likely to gripe about higher bills if everything else they buy is also dearer. This time, though, the retailers are finding it harder to offset the steep increase in operating expenses.
参考翻译：有史以来，通货膨胀往往使大型超市受益。价格上涨提高了销售额的名义价值。至于更高的单位成本，这些往往会转嫁到购物者身上，他们更有可能持续需要超市的主食，如果他们购买的其他东西更贵，他们就不太可能抱怨账单更高。然而，这一次，零售商发现很难抵消运营费用的急剧增长。
知识点解读：
1.Boost: 促进；增加；推动，是外宣翻译中常用的词，原义指从后面或下面推起或提高，现常用于指提高价格、振作精神等抽象概念。例如，“This will be a great boost to the economy. 这对于经济发展将是一个巨大的促进”。其它表示“上升的词有如下：
lift 指用人力或机械力把某物升到较高的位置。
raise 较正式用词，常可与lift换用，但强调把某物举起或抬起到应有的高度，比如说举手和抬头。
hoist 多指用绳索、滑轮等机械把重物升起。
elevate 较正式用词，指位置、高度的升高，多作比喻用，指职位、品德等的提高，elevator指的是电梯。
2.offset：抵消，使平衡，例如，“Sales more than offset production costs. 销售远远抵销了成本费用 ”。
第四段：Target’s chief executive, Brian Cornell, anticipates an extra $1bn in transport costs this year as soaring energy prices dent profits. It is already raising prices in response—evidently not fast enough.
参考翻译：塔吉特公司首席执行官布莱恩·康奈尔（BrianCornell）预计，随着能源价格飙升，利润减少，今年的运输成本将增加10亿美元。公司已经在提价——但显然反应不够快。
知识点解读：
1.soar：高飞、猛增，在经济学领域尤其用来指代价格在短期内飞涨，例如此前经济学人对疫情之下物价飞涨的报道：“Price soared when the epidemic broke out. 疫情爆发时物价飞涨。
http://2.in response：作出回应，尤其是指官方的回复，例如，“In response to the increased attention, the state of Florida dropped the matter and decided to allow Miles to keep his license plate. 鉴于关注的人越来越多，佛罗里达州政府不再提此事，决定允许迈尔斯继续使用他的车牌。
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