走遍全世界38: 美元低迷也有好处

The once all-powerful dollar isn't doing a Titanic¹ against just the pound. It is sitting at a record low against the euro and at a 30-year low against the Canadian dollar. Even the Argentine peso and Brazilian real are thriving against the dollar.

无所不能的美元在兑换英镑时，不再是庞然大物。美元兑换欧元的汇率创下新低，并在与加元的兑换中处于30年来的最低值。就连阿根廷比索和巴西雷亚尔都比美元有活力。

The weak dollar is a source of bumiliation (屈辱), for a nation's sell-esteem rests in part on the strength of its currency. It's also a potential economic problem, since a declining dollar makes imported food more expensive and exerts upward pressure on interest rates. And yet there are substantial sectors² of the vast U.S. economy - from giant companies like Coca-Cola to mom-and-pop restaurant operators in Miami-for which the weak dollar is most excellent news.

疲软的美元带来了屈辱，因为一个国家的尊严部分来源于本国货币的强度。这也是一个潜在的经济问题，因为贬值的美元使得进口食品价格上扬，并施加加息的压力。但对于庞大美国经济中大量的产业部门——从可口可乐这样的大公司到迈阿密的夫妻餐厅经营者——美元疲软的消息对他们来说可是再好不过了。

Many Europeans may view the U.S. as an arrogant³ superpower that has become hostile to foreigners. But nothing makes people think more warmly of the U.S. than a weak dollar. Through April, the total number of visitors from abroad was up 6.8 percent from last year. Should the trend continue, the number of tourists this year will finally top the 2000 peak?

一些欧洲人视美国为一个傲慢的超级大国，并且认为美国对外国人怀有敌意。但当人们想起美国时，没有什么比疲软的美元更带劲的了。整个4月的游客总数比去年同期增加了6.8%。如果这种趋势延续下去，今年游客的人数将最终比2000年的峰值还多。

The money tourists spend helps decrease our chronic⁴ trade deficit⁵. So do exports, which thanks in part to the weak dollar, soared 11 percent between May 2006 and May 2007. For the first five months of 2007, the trade deficit actually fell 7 percent from 2006.

游客的消费帮助减缓了我们长期以来的贸易赤字。出口也是如此，部分由于疲软的美元，2006年5月到2007年5月的出口额飙升了11%。与2006年相比，2007年前5个月的贸易赤字居然下降了7%。

If you own shares in large American corporations, you're a winner in the weak-dollar gamble. Last week Coca-Cola's stick bubbled to a five-year high after it reported a fantastic quarter. Foreign sales accounted for 65 percent of Coke's beverage(饮料) business. Other American companies profiting from this trend include McDonald's and IBM.

如果你持有美国大公司的股票，那么你会是疲软美元投机中的赢家。上周可口可乐发布了令人振奋的一季度数据后，其股价攀升至五年来的新高。海外销售占据可口可乐65%的饮料业务。其他美国企业，包括麦当劳和IBM在这种趋势下也赢得了利润。

英语词汇整理：

1. self-esteem n.自尊；自大；自负

eg: Poor self-esteem is at the centre of many of the difficulties we experience in our relationships.
缺乏自尊心是我们在社交中所经历的许多困难的核心所在。

短语：
self-esteem needs自尊需要

2. substantial adj. 大量的；实质的

eg: The article is devoid⁶ of substantial matter.
这篇文章缺乏实质性的内容。

短语：
substantial evidence 确实证据
substantial shareholder⁷ 大股东；主要股东
substantial connection 密切关系
substantial step 实质措施

3. mom-and-pop adj.小型的

eg: We began selling rice cookers from one small shop in Taipei. At that time, we were strictly⁸ a mom-and-pop operation.
公司最早在台北以贩卖电饭锅起家，当时只是小成本的家庭电器行。

短语：
mom-and-pop-business 小型商店；小型商铺
mom-and-pop grocery 传统杂货店

4. arrogant adj. 傲慢的

eg: One should never be arrogant even when he is at his best.
一个人在最得意时也不应傲慢。

短语：
arrogant toward sb 对(某人)傲慢无礼
arrogant to a person 对人傲慢

5. hostile adj. 敌对的，敌方的；怀敌意的

eg: I don't know why she is hostile to me.
我不知道她为什么对我抱有敌意。

短语：
be hostile to 反对；对......怀有敌意的
go hostile 发怒，生气
hostile takeover 恶性接收；敌意接管
hostile to one's suggestions 反对某人的建议

6. chronic adj. 长期的，慢性的

eg: We finally won in this chronic war.
我们终于打赢了这场长期战争。

短语：
chronic alcoholic⁹ 酒鬼
chronic case 慢性病
chronic unemployment 长期失业

7. fantastic adj.极好的，难以相信的

eg: It is so fantastic that a child of 5 can speak so good English.
真难以置信,一个五岁的孩子英语竟然说得这么好。

短语：
fantastic job 干的太好了；好样的

佳句采摘：
And yet there are substantial sectors of the vast U.S. economy - from giant companies like Coca-Cola to mom-and-pop restaurant operators in Miami-for which the weak dollar is most excellent news.
但对于庞大美国经济中大量的产业部门——从可口可乐这样的大公司到迈阿密的夫妻餐厅经营者——美元疲软的消息对他们来说可是再好不过了。

1 titanic   

adj.巨人的，庞大的，强大的

参考例句：

• We have been making titanic effort to achieve our purpose.我们一直在作极大的努力，以达到我们的目的。
• The island was created by titanic powers and they are still at work today.台湾岛是由一个至今仍然在运作的巨大力量塑造出来的。

2 sectors   

n.部门( sector的名词复数 )；领域；防御地区；扇形

参考例句：

• Berlin was divided into four sectors after the war. 战后柏林分成了4 个区。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Industry and agriculture are the two important sectors of the national economy. 工业和农业是国民经济的两个重要部门。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

3 arrogant   

adj.傲慢的，自大的

参考例句：

• You've got to get rid of your arrogant ways.你这骄傲劲儿得好好改改。
• People are waking up that he is arrogant.人们开始认识到他很傲慢。

4 chronic   

adj.(疾病)长期未愈的，慢性的；极坏的

参考例句：

• Famine differs from chronic malnutrition.饥荒不同于慢性营养不良。
• Chronic poisoning may lead to death from inanition.慢性中毒也可能由虚弱导致死亡。

5 deficit   

n.亏空，亏损；赤字，逆差

参考例句：

• The directors have reported a deficit of 2.5 million dollars.董事们报告赤字为250万美元。
• We have a great deficit this year.我们今年有很大亏损。

6 devoid   

adj.全无的，缺乏的

参考例句：

• He is completely devoid of humour.他十分缺乏幽默。
• The house is totally devoid of furniture.这所房子里什么家具都没有。

7 shareholder   

n.股东，股票持有人

参考例句：

• The account department have prepare a financial statement for the shareholder.财务部为股东准备了一份财务报表。
• A shareholder may transfer his shares in accordance with the law.股东持有的股份可以依法转让。

8 strictly   

adv.严厉地，严格地；严密地

参考例句：

• His doctor is dieting him strictly.他的医生严格规定他的饮食。
• The guests were seated strictly in order of precedence.客人严格按照地位高低就座。

9 alcoholic   

adj.（含）酒精的，由酒精引起的；n.酗酒者

参考例句：

• The alcoholic strength of brandy far exceeds that of wine.白兰地的酒精浓度远远超过葡萄酒。
• Alcoholic drinks act as a poison to a child.酒精饮料对小孩犹如毒药。