NBC晚间新闻 黑色星期五不如往年火爆?

Black friday rushed in early across the country, from California to chilly¹ New York. I’m wearing everything in three layers. At minnesota’s Mall of America, 3,000 shoppers bundled up to kick off the holiday shopping season. But it's basically like 40 or 50% off. All good deals. I really like them this year. I have saved more than what i expected. But experts and shoppers say on the ground, black friday felt quieter this year. I thought it would be packed, lines everywhere, it’s not. But thanks to soaring consumer confidence, this black friday is still on track to be one of the strongest in years.

On thanksgiving day alone, consumers spend an estimated $3.7 billion, rising a staggering 28% over last year. Retailers³ are offering great deals not just in the stores but also online. So for people who want to stay home, they can stil get those black friday deals. And bargain hunters overwhelm some major retail² websites, bringing down LOWE'S and J. CREW. The best black friday discount are still happening right now. Tablets slashed⁴ 33%. Tvs down 22%. Computers cut by 16%. And you can expect more bargains tomorrow on small business saturday, and cyber monday is right around the corner. Shopping experts say if you missed a good deal today chances are it will resurface next week.

从加利福尼亚州到寒冷的纽约，全国的人们提前进入了黑色星期五（美国商场的圣诞促销）。我今天全身上下都穿了三层衣服。在明尼苏达州的美国购物中心，3000个购物者包裹严实，开启了假日购物季。这儿的东西基本上都是五六折，都是很不错的折扣，今年我是真的很享受这些促销。我省的钱比我预计的要更多。但是经历了今年圣诞促销的专家和购物者们说道，今年的圣诞促销不如往年热闹。我之前以为商场会挤满了人，到处都在排队，但是这种情况没有发生。但由于高涨的消费者信心，今年的圣诞促销正在朝着近些年来最火爆的圣诞促销之一发展。据估计，仅在感恩节这一天，消费者成交额就达到37亿美元，相比去年增长了惊人的28%。零售商在实体店或网店都带来了大力促销，所以待在家的人们也能享受活动的折扣优惠。淘便宜货的人大量浏览一些主要的零售网站，致使LOWE'S和J.CREW网站瘫痪。最棒的圣诞促销现在还在继续。平板电脑价格猛跌33%，电视价格下降22%，电脑价格降低16%。并且，你还可以在星期六小商家促销中购得更多便宜的商品，网购星期一促销也即将到来。专家认为，如果你今天错过好的折扣商品，下周你也有很大机会可以参与促销活动。

1 chilly   

adj.凉快的，寒冷的

参考例句：

• I feel chilly without a coat.我由于没有穿大衣而感到凉飕飕的。
• I grew chilly when the fire went out.炉火熄灭后，寒气逼人。

2 retail   

v./n.零售；adv.以零售价格

参考例句：

• 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 )

参考例句：

• 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 slashed   

v.挥砍( slash的过去式和过去分词 )；鞭打；割破；削减

参考例句：

• Someone had slashed the tyres on my car. 有人把我的汽车轮胎割破了。
• He slashed the bark off the tree with his knife. 他用刀把树皮从树上砍下。 来自《简明英汉词典》