2004年 Text 3
①When it comes to the slowing economy, Ellen Spero isn’t biting her nails just yet. ②But the 47-year-old manicurist isn’t cutting, filing or polishing as many nails as she’d like to, either. ③Most of her clients spend $12 to $50 weekly, but last month two longtime customers suddenly stopped showing up.④Spero blames the softening economy. “I’m a good economic indicator,” she says. ⑤“I provide a service that people can do without when they’re concerned about saving some dollars.” ⑥So Spero is downscaling, shopping at middle-brow Dillard’s department store near her suburban Cleveland home, instead of Neiman Marcus. ⑦“I don’t know if other clients are going to abandon me, too,” she says.
①当谈到经济发展减缓时，艾伦·斯珀若还没有处于绝望的状态。②但是，这个47岁的美甲师修剪、锉磨、上油的指甲却没有自己希望的那样多了。③她大多数的客户每周消费十二到五十美元，然而上个月两名老顾客突然不光顾了。④斯珀若将之归结于疲软的经济。“我是一个准确的经济晴雨表”，她说，⑤“我提供的服务在人们考虑省钱时就不需要了。”⑥因此，斯珀若也在削减开支。她改去科利兰德郊区她家附近的迪拉德中档百货商场购物，而不再去奈曼·马克尔斯了。⑦“我不知道其他的客户是否也会弃我而去。”
①Even before Alan Greenspan’s admission that America’s red-hot economy is cooling, lots of working folks had already seen signs of the slowdown themselves. ②From car dealerships to Gap outlets, sales have been lagging for months as shoppers temper their spending. ③For retailers, who last year took in 24 percent of their revenue between Thanksgiving and Christmas, the cautious approach is coming at a crucial time. ④Already, experts say, holiday sales are off 7 percent from last year’s pace. ⑤But don’t sound any alarms just yet. ⑥Consumers seem only mildly concerned, not panicked, and many say they remain optimistic about the economy’s long-term prospects even as they do some modest belt-tightening.
①甚至在艾伦·格林斯潘承认美国过热的经济开始降温之前，众多的上班族自己已经看到了经济减速的迹象。②随着消费者削减开支，从汽车销售商到Gap名牌专卖店，销售量几个月来连续下降。③零售商去年24%的年收入来自感恩节和圣诞节期间的营业，对他们来说，购物者花钱慎重的做法发生在一个紧要的关头。④据专家称，节假日的销售和去年相比已经减少了7%。⑤但是，还不必发出警报，⑥消费者似乎只是适度关注，没有恐慌，很多人说他们对经济的远景也仍是乐观的，即使他们要稍微节省开支。
①Consumers say they’re not in despair because, despite the dreadful headlines, their own fortunes still feel pretty good. ②Home prices are holding steady in most regions.③In Manhattan, “there’s a new gold rush happening in the $4 million to $10 million range, predominantly fed by Wall Street bonuses,” says broker Barbara Corcoran. ④In San Francisco, prices are still rising even as frenzied overbidding quiets. ⑤“Instead of 20 to 30 offers, now maybe you only get two or three,” says
John Tealdi, a Bay Area real-estate broker. ⑥And most folks still feel pretty comfortable about their ability to find and keep a job.
①消费者说，尽管报纸的头条新闻很吓人，他们并不感到绝望，其原因在于他们对自己的财产状况仍然感觉良好。②大部分地区房价保持稳定。③在曼哈顿，“又出现了新一轮的淘金热，总值达到四百万至一千万美元。这笔资金主要是由华尔街股票红利注入。”股票经纪人芭芭拉·可考恩说。④在旧金山，高价抢购现象虽然已经平息，房价却依旧看涨。⑤“以前你能拿到20至30个报价，而现在你也许只能得到两个或三个，”海湾地区房地产经纪人约翰·梯尔迪说道。⑥而且大多数人仍然颇为满足的是，他们有能力找到并且保住一份工作。
①Many folks see silver linings to this slowdown. ②Potential home buyers would cheer for lower interest rates. ③Employers wouldn’t mind a little fewer bubbles in the job market. ④Many consumers seem to have been influenced by stock-market swings, which investors now view as a necessary ingredient to a sustained boom. ⑤Diners might see an upside, too. ⑥Getting a table at Manhattan’s hot new Alain Ducasse restaurant used to be impossible. ⑦Not anymore. ⑧For that, Greenspan & Co. may still be worth toasting.
①许多人看到了经济衰退背后的希望。②潜在的买房人会因低利率而欢呼。③雇主不介意人才市场少些泡沫。④很多消费者似乎已经受到股票市场波动的影响，但现在投资商却把这种波动看作持续繁荣必不可少的一个因素。⑤就餐的人也看到了好处。⑥过去，在曼哈顿新开的火爆的阿兰·杜卡斯餐厅吃上一桌是不可能的， ⑦而现在情形大不相同。⑧就凭这个，也值得格林斯潘公司举杯。
Q115-考研英语阅读-2004 text3 全文翻译
