2020年经济学人 疫情之下，英国娱乐的回归(1)

Britain

来自《英国》版块。

First orders

第一批订单

The return of fun

享乐的回归

Non-essential businesses are making plans to reassure¹ customers

非必要企业正制定计划以安抚消费者

Streaming services have replaced the cinema. Online shopping is standing² in for the high street. Restaurant food is being home-delivered. And the ol’ Horse and Groom³ has become the Horse and Zoom⁴, as people take to video-chatting with friends while sipping⁵ from a can of lager. It is, pubgoers have discovered, a poor substitute for the real thing. As Nick Mackenzie of Greene King, which runs 2,700 pubs, puts it: “The point of the pub is to socialise.”

流媒体服务取代了电影院。线上购物正在取代商业街。餐馆的食物正在送货上门。而且Horse and Groom旅店已经变成了the Horse and Zoom，因为人们一边小口抿着啤酒，一边和朋友视频聊天。酒吧客们发现它很难取代真实的事情。正如经营2700家Greene King酒吧的尼克·麦肯齐所言：“酒吧的意义在于社交。”

The boozer was among the first casualties of Britain’s lockdown, with pubs ordered to close three days before the rest of the country. Along with other non-essential leisure venues⁶, they will probably be the last to reopen, too. Evidence from countries now opening up suggests that such businesses will have to wait a few weeks longer than everyone else. Those in Britain are using the extra time to plan how to operate when they are allowed to welcome customers once more.

酒吧是英国首批封锁的受害者，要求酒吧要比其他地方提早三天关闭。与其他非必要的休闲场所一样，它们可能也是最后一个重新开放的场所。参照解禁国家的证据表明这类企业需要比其他企业多等待几周再开始复工。那些英国的企业正在利用额外的时间来计划，当他们被允许再次接待顾客时，该如何进行运营。

The task is particularly tricky⁷ for publicans. The very social distancing measures that save lives also kill the vibe: nobody wants to go to an empty pub. Larger pubs are planning to space out tables, reduce the number of occupants and offer takeaway pints⁸ and roasts. Independent pubs can start selling other things, such as groceries. One, the Red Lion in Ealing, is already offering Italian cheese, olives and ham, as well as sourdough breads. Those of all sizes will have to make a show of good hygiene⁹. Expect regular table-wiping and digital ordering to replace germy paper menus.

不论规模大小都必须展现出良好的卫生习惯。这项任务对酒吧老板来说特别棘手。社交距离措施拯救生命，也在扼杀氛围：没人想去空荡荡的酒吧。大型酒吧正计划把餐桌分隔开，减少上座数量，提供啤酒和烤肉的外卖。独立的酒吧开始销售其他东西，比如杂货。比如，伊令的Red Lion准备提供意大利奶酪、橄榄和火腿，以及发酵面包。希望定期擦桌子，以及用数字点单来代替很多细菌的纸质菜单。

Consumers are likely to hit the high street before the pub. Primark, a big clothes retailer¹⁰ with no online shop, is installing hand-sanitiser stations and Perspex screens to separate staff from customers at the tills.

消费者很可能会涌向酒吧前的商业街。Primark是一家大型服装零售商，没有线上店铺。它正在安装洗手台和有机玻璃屏幕，以便能在收银台处将顾客和员工分开。

1 reassure   

v.使放心，使消除疑虑

参考例句：

• This seemed to reassure him and he continued more confidently.这似乎使他放心一点，于是他更有信心地继续说了下去。
• The airline tried to reassure the customers that the planes were safe.航空公司尽力让乘客相信飞机是安全的。

2 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

3 groom   

vt.给（马、狗等）梳毛，照料，使...整洁

参考例句：

• His father was a groom.他父亲曾是个马夫。
• George was already being groomed for the top job.为承担这份高级工作，乔治已在接受专门的培训。

4 zoom   

n.急速上升；v.突然扩大，急速上升

参考例句：

• The airplane's zoom carried it above the clouds.飞机的陡直上升使它飞到云层之上。
• I live near an airport and the zoom of passing planes can be heard night and day.我住在一个飞机场附近，昼夜都能听到飞机飞过的嗡嗡声。

5 sipping   

v.小口喝，呷，抿( sip的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• She sat in the sun, idly sipping a cool drink. 她坐在阳光下懒洋洋地抿着冷饮。
• She sat there, sipping at her tea. 她坐在那儿抿着茶。

6 venues   

n.聚集地点( venue的名词复数 )；会场；（尤指）体育比赛场所；犯罪地点

参考例句：

• The band will be playing at 20 different venues on their UK tour. 这个乐队在英国巡回演出期间将在20个不同的地点演出。
• Farmers market corner, 800 meters long, 60 meters wide livestock trading venues. 农牧市场东北角，有长800米，宽60米的牲畜交易场地。 来自互联网

7 tricky   

adj.狡猾的，奸诈的；(工作等)棘手的，微妙的

参考例句：

• I'm in a rather tricky position.Can you help me out?我的处境很棘手，你能帮我吗？
• He avoided this tricky question and talked in generalities.他回避了这个非常微妙的问题，只做了个笼统的表述。

8 pints   

n.品脱( pint的名词复数 )；一品脱啤酒

参考例句：

• I drew off three pints of beer from the barrel. 我从酒桶里抽出三品脱啤酒。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Two pints today, please. 今天请来两品脱。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 hygiene   

n.健康法，卫生学 （a.hygienic）

参考例句：

• Their course of study includes elementary hygiene and medical theory.他们的课程包括基础卫生学和医疗知识。
• He's going to give us a lecture on public hygiene.他要给我们作关于公共卫生方面的报告。

10 retailer   

n.零售商(人)

参考例句：

• What are the retailer requirements?零售商会有哪些要求呢？
• The retailer has assembled a team in Shanghai to examine the question.这家零售商在上海组建了一支团队研究这个问题。