VOA常速英语2013--意大利业主惨淡经营，寻求中国买家

 

Struggling Italian Business Owners Seek Chinese Investors¹ 意大利业主惨淡经营，寻求中国买家

The economic crisis in Italy has left many small businesses in dire² straits. Unable to get credit and with little hope of an economic recovery, increasing numbers of entrepreneurs are looking to sell their businesses to Chinese investors.

经济危机使得意大利的很多小生意难以维持，在既得不到贷款，又不能指望经济复苏之际，越来越多的业主正在把生意卖给中国投资者。

Laura Zanardi and Monica Borlini opened a bar-café thirteen years ago in the northern wine region of Franciacorta.

13年前，劳拉?扎纳迪和莫妮卡?博里尼一起，在盛产葡萄酒的北部地区佛朗恰克塔开了这家餐厅。

“It was just an empty rectangular warehouse³. We redid it, building a mezzanine and creating more intimate areas. It was a ton of work, demanding both economically and in terms of hours of work. But it also gave us a lot of satisfaction. It's our baby,” recalled Zanardi.

大堂餐厅的劳拉?扎纳迪说：“原来这里只是一个空荡荡的长方形仓库，我们进行了翻修，建了隔墙，营造一个比较亲密的氛围。工程可大了，花了很多金钱和时间，不过我们也得到了很多满足，这是我们的成果。”

Now, the two partners are ready to sell.

现在，这两个合伙人准备把店卖掉。

They say that the economic crisis has taken a toll⁴ on the customers and on the bar's profits.

他们说，经济危机给顾客和餐厅利润带来很大打击。

“It is much more difficult now, more demanding. It used to be easy, money moved around. Now they are all very careful, you have to stay up until morning and try to give them good fun, a night not to think about their economic problems,” said Borlini.

大堂餐厅合伙人莫妮卡?博里尼说： “现在经营要困难得多，要求更高了。以前很容易，钱周转得很快。现在顾客们花钱都很小心，你不得不营业到清晨，努力让他们玩得开心，让他们一个晚上都不要去想经济问题。”

They are trying to sell their business through a website called “vendereaicinesi.it” - literally⁵ “sell to the Chinese.”

他们在一个叫做“把它卖给中国人”（vendereaicinesi.it）的网站上出售这家餐厅。

Simone Topino is the co-founder of the website that helps translate and distribute ads targeting Chinese buyers.

这个网站帮助翻译和分发针对中国买家的广告，西蒙?托皮诺是这个网站的联合创始人。

“We started this year in mid-February. At the beginning it was just a translator and a web-developer. It was a success right away, and now we have eleven employees, with four translators. There are lots of ads and lots of work for us,” said Topino.

“把它卖给中国人”网站联合创始人西蒙?托皮诺说：“我们是今年2月中创立的，一开始只是翻译和设计网站，网站立刻获得成功。现在我们有11个雇员，包括4名翻译，我们接到很多广告和生意。”

Since Europe’s economic crisis began, pinching business throughout the region, there has been a steady increase in the number of Chinese opening up shop in Italy. A recent study estimates the number of Chinese-backed businesses in Italy has risen by 34 percent in recent years.

自从欧洲经济危机开始以来，整个地区的生意都受到影响，而到意大利来开店的中国人越来越多。一项最新调查估计，近年来，中国人在意大利出资的企业增加了34%。

Angelo Ou, the representative of the Chinese business community in Milan, says Chinese investment in Italy is changing.

安杰洛?欧是米兰中国商界代表，他说，中国人在意大利投资模式正在发生改变。

“There is a change towards the service industry. In the past most businesses were in small manufacturing, so for example in ready to wear, fast fashion manufacturing. But now there is more in the servicing sector⁶. At first the response locally was - and to some extent still is - of rejection⁷. ‘These Chinese buy everything, even the town's bar that has been in the hands of an Italian family for three generations. What do Chinese people know about how to operate a café?’” said Ou.

“中国人改向服务业发展，过去，中国人主要从事制造业，比如加工成衣和低价时装，不过现在更多的中国人进入服务业。一开始，当地人的反应是排斥，到现在在某种程度还是如此，‘这些中国人什么都买，甚至意大利城镇里祖传3代的酒吧都买，中国人知道怎么经营酒吧吗？’

With time, Ou thinks, having more Chinese working in Italy’s service sector will help with integration⁸.

不过，安杰洛?欧说，随着时间推移，越来越多的中国人经营服务业会有助于社会融合。

Zanardi and Borlini’s café is listed for sale for $1.4 million. The Chinese entrepreneurs who have come to see the space so far say it's too big of an investment for them. Nonetheless, the owners remain optimistic that the right buyer will come along eventually.

阁楼餐厅正在以140万美元的价格出售，到目前为止，来看过的中国商人说，这笔投资对他们来说太大了，不过餐厅老板乐观表示，一定会碰到合适的买主。

1 investors   

n.投资者，出资者( investor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• a con man who bilked investors out of millions of dollars 诈取投资者几百万元的骗子
• a cash bonanza for investors 投资者的赚钱机会

2 dire   

adj.可怕的，悲惨的，阴惨的，极端的

参考例句：

• There were dire warnings about the dangers of watching too much TV.曾经有人就看电视太多的危害性提出严重警告。
• We were indeed in dire straits.But we pulled through.那时我们的困难真是大极了，但是我们渡过了困难。

3 warehouse   

n.仓库；vt.存入仓库

参考例句：

• We freighted the goods to the warehouse by truck.我们用卡车把货物运到仓库。
• The manager wants to clear off the old stocks in the warehouse.经理想把仓库里积压的存货处理掉。

4 toll   

n.过路(桥)费；损失，伤亡人数；v.敲(钟)

参考例句：

• The hailstone took a heavy toll of the crops in our village last night.昨晚那场冰雹损坏了我们村的庄稼。
• The war took a heavy toll of human life.这次战争夺去了许多人的生命。

5 literally   

adv.照字面意义，逐字地；确实

参考例句：

• He translated the passage literally.他逐字逐句地翻译这段文字。
• Sometimes she would not sit down till she was literally faint.有时候，她不走到真正要昏厥了，决不肯坐下来。

6 sector   

n.部门，部分；防御地段，防区；扇形

参考例句：

• The export sector will aid the economic recovery. 出口产业将促进经济复苏。
• The enemy have attacked the British sector.敌人已进攻英国防区。

7 rejection   

n.拒绝，被拒，抛弃，被弃

参考例句：

• He decided not to approach her for fear of rejection.他因怕遭拒绝决定不再去找她。
• The rejection plunged her into the dark depths of despair.遭到拒绝使她陷入了绝望的深渊。

8 integration   

n.一体化，联合，结合

参考例句：

• We are working to bring about closer political integration in the EU.我们正在努力实现欧盟內部更加紧密的政治一体化。
• This was the greatest event in the annals of European integration.这是欧洲统一史上最重大的事件。