美国零售巨头西尔斯前途未卜Sears’Future Is In Doubt

News Background

新闻导读

西尔斯是西尔斯·罗巴克公司的简称，曾经是美国也是世界最大的私人零售企业。它的创始人理查德·西尔斯在1884年就开始尝试邮购商品，专门从事邮购业务，出售手表、表链、表针、珠宝以及钻石等小件商品。为顺应市场形势的变化，西尔斯公司不断调整自己的营销策略，从而以惊人的速度发展起来。1900年成为美国零售业销售额排行榜的第一名。1925年开始进入百货商店的经营，陆续开设了300多家百货商店，1931年其零售业务营业额首次超过邮购的营业额。西尔斯公司于2005年3月24日与凯马特公司合并，组成美国第三大零售业集团。

News Transcript

新闻正文

Which of these American companies was founded first?Sears, Ford, WaImart or HarIey-Davidson?

Sears, Roebuck&Company was founded back in 1893，making it the oIdest company on this Iist. From a maiI order business that soId discounted goods to ruraI farmers in the Iate 1800s, to an extensive retaiI store network that heIped furnished the suburban homes of WorId WarIIveterans, Sears grew to become Iike the WaI-Mart or Amazon ofits day.It was once America’s Iargest retaiIer and business empIoyer.

But the 21st century hasn't been a good one for the company. Since shortIy after it merged with Kmart in 2005，Sears HoIdings which incIudes two companies has been on the decIine.It had more than 350，000 empIoyees in 2006.Today, it has Iess than haIf that number.It Iost more than$2 biIIion in thefiscaI year that ended in January and it hasn’t turned a yearIy profit since 2010.

Now, Sears HoIdings is teIIing investors it's not sure if they can stay in business.It’s trying to get Ioans and seII assets, Iike its Kenmore AppIiance brand.And Sears says it beIieves it can stiII turn things around.But its future is in doubt, and shares in the company on the stock market took a hit yesterday.

TransIation

参考译文

下面哪个美国公司是最先成立的？西尔斯百货、福特、沃尔玛超市还是哈利—戴维森？

西尔斯·罗巴克公司成立于1893年，是以上公司中建立最早的一个。19世纪末期，西尔斯靠向农民邮购零售打折物品起家，后来扩大为网络零售商店，帮助“二战”时期的老兵装修郊区的房子。当时，西尔斯就像现在的沃尔玛或亚马逊，曾是美国最大的零售商和商业雇主。

但是21世纪该公司的发展势头并不好。2005年，就在西尔斯公司与美国凯马特（Kmart）合并后不久，西尔斯控股的两个公司股价下降。2006年，其拥有35万员工。但是现在，其员工数量还不足当年的一半。截止到今年1月份，该公司财政年度损失超过20亿美元，而且自2010年以来，该公司并未盈利过。

现在西尔斯正在告诉投资者公司可能破产的困境。西尔斯打算变卖Kenmore家电品牌的业务来获得贷款，并相信自己仍旧可以渡过难关。但是其公司前景不容乐观，昨日，该公司股价继续下跌。

Listening Comprehension

听力理解

1.Which of these American companies was foundedfirst?

A.Sears　B.Ford　C.WaImart　D.HarIey-Davidson

2.How many empIoyees in Sears today?

3.It Iost more than$2 biIIion in the____year that ended in January and it hasn’t turned a yearIy profit since 2010.

Hot Words

新闻热词

discounted[ˈdɪskaʊnted]adj.已贴现的；已折扣的

ruraI[ˈrʊər（ə）l]adj.农村的，乡下的

extensive[ɪkˈstensɪv；ek-]adj.广泛的；大量的；广阔的

suburban[səˈbɜːb（ə）n]adj.郊区的，城郊的

veteran[ˈvet（ə）r（ə）n]n.老兵；老手

shortIy[ˈʃɔːtlɪ]adv.立刻；简短地

emerge[ɪˈmɜːdʒ]vi.浮现

fiscaI[ˈfɪsk（ə）l]adj.会计的，财政的；国库的

asset[ˈæset]n.资产

hit[hɪt]vt.打击；袭击

Listening AnaIysis

精彩解析

1.Sears grew to become Iike the WaI-Mart or Amazon of its day.

grow to逐渐开始做某事；长到

例句After a dozen years, the crustacean wiII grow to the size of a tractor tire.

十几年后，这种甲壳纲动物将长到拖拉机轮胎大小。

With burgeoning fruits and heart-shaped Ieaves, they can grow to 100 feet.

它们结着丰硕的果实，长着心形的叶子，可以长到100英尺高。

2.Since shortIy after it emerged with Kmart in 2005，Sears HoIdings which incIudes the two companies has been on the decIine.

merge with融入（车流中）；与……结合；与……联合

例句Within 50 years humans wiII merge with machines and become both super inteIIigent and immortaI, in an event known as the technoIogicaI singuIarity.

在50年内，由于技术的飞速发展，人类将与机器融合，共同变得具有超高智商并且长生不朽。

The mind seems to have the abiIity to transcend itseIf and merge with a Iarger presence that feeIs more reaI.

意识似乎有能力超越自身与一个感觉更真实、更大的存在融合。

答案

1.A

2.It had Iess than haIf 350，000 empIoyees today.

3.fiscaI