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
Abney mounting
adipohaemocyte
air-minded
albuminoid
alcoholimeter
all-item
Alpinia malaccensis
angina nosocomii
antibullying
asarum forbesii maxim.
at very short notice
base-load powerstation
Beloit
Berthelot ralation
BSRAM
cardiovascular center
career opportunities
cheese-room
Christianese
coagulation point
comformity relator
command readout
Comorians
competitive cementation
computer industry association
control valve cap
coventry type die head coventry
daceloes
differential transmitting selsyn
duplicating the cube
electronic logic
electronic pantograph
elementary microfibril
estimated rate distribution
external evidence
Fawcus' brilliant green-bile salt agar
Ferkane
field-induced ionization
florance
franklinism
French toast
fundamental singularity
gauge saw
golden-eyed flies
grammatical attribute
hand shield
hot lunches
hydraulic index
indeliable
joint meniscus
Kugelblitz
laser illuminator
leontopodiums
leukocytopenia
Lie on the oars!
linen spinning set
lipidolysis
Mago-jima
mattituck
mini golf
musculi mylopharyngeus
muttniks
Narran L.
neolallism
non reciprocal preferential treatment
non-commutativity of substitution
noninterpretative
noosers
osteotympanic
over-severe
panax schinsengs
Pierry
Polykastro
pressure drop of separator
printer record
Proper Lookout
psychorhythmia
push button array
pyrargyrites
quick-reaction
radio firing device
rear piglets
refuelling pattern
Reugny
Rocky Pt.
sensing relay
signalcurbing
Soldeu
sole offer
Spirosoma
stock market quotation
Streptogan
subsatellite point
t(organ)
T-junction boxT
the root of the matter
time deposit
to life
Virginian winterberry
white rose of innocence
wienerest
X-ray inspection test