(单词翻译:单击)
听力文本
More Flagship Stores Closing
The idea of a flagship store is more than one hundred years old.
In the past, it was often a company's biggest store — one in their first or most famous location. For example, Macy's and Tiffany's have flagship stores in New York City.
But Americans' shopping customs are changing. As a result, companies are closing more flagship stores in well-known shopping areas in the United States.
For example, Gap, Tommy Hilfiger, Lord & Taylor and Polo Ralph Lauren have recently closed their flagship stores on Manhattan's Fifth Avenue.
The store closures are a result of increasing rent prices and increasing levels of online shopping, experts say.
The latest victim to the changes could be Barneys New York. It opened its 10-story Madison Avenue store in 1993. Barneys became a cultural icon in luxury shopping but now risks closure.
Joseph Aquino runs a real estate services firm. "We are in the phase where a lot of younger shoppers don't want to go to the high street. They sit around and buy online and that's what we are fighting against," he said.
Still, flagship stores are not completely dead. Many companies like Nike and Levi are creating new kinds of stores with fewer items to sell but more high-technology experiences.
For example, Nike opened a store on Fifth Avenue late last year that does not have any cash registers. Instead, shoppers use their cell phones to see details about the items in the store. Shoppers can then have those items delivered to a place where they can try them on or pick them up.
Another example is Levi Strauss & Co.‘s new flagship in Manhattan's Times Square. It has large dressing rooms where shoppers can call workers to fix their jeans so they fit perfectly.
However, in place of large flagship stores, a growing number of retailers are thinking smaller. Hollister, for instance, is developing smaller stores that offer online services and serve both local and tourist customers.
Tommy Hilfiger will also be testing smaller shops with online interaction.
Stacey Widlitz gives companies advice about the shopping business. She says they do not need huge stores anymore. She says, "Shoppers are shopping completely differently." Widlitz adds shoppers do not need to see everything a company is selling. Instead, shoppers need only to get to know the company.
Caroline Nash of Washington, D.C. is 18 years old. She says she finds huge stores overwhelming, especially when she can get the same items online.
She says she links flagship stores to long lines and big crowds. Nash adds: "Unless it is something that offers a different experience, I'm not interested."
I'm John Russell.
重点解析
1.pick up 捡起；获得
Where did you pick up your English?
你在哪儿学的英语？
2.a growing number of 越来越多的
There are a growing number of countries queueing up for membership.
越来越多的国家争相成为其中的一员。
3.high street 商业街
She walked four blocks down High Street.
她沿着商业大街走了4个街区。
4.get to know 了解；认识
It was difficult to get to know her because she always kept everyone at a distance.
要了解她很难，她老是对每个人都保持一段距离。
5.In the past, it was often a company's biggest store — one in their first or most famous location.
In the past 过去
The incidence of this disease has dropped considerably in the past few years.
近几年这种病的发病率大大降低了。
My children have wounded me in the past.
我的孩子们过去曾伤害过我。
6.However, in place of large flagship stores, a growing number of retailers are thinking smaller.
in place of 代替
Fuel cells can BE used in place of virtually any other source of electricity.
燃料电池可以用来取代几乎所有的电力来源。
Cooked kidney beans can be used in place of French beans.
煮熟的红芸豆可以代替四季豆。
参考译文
美国高档区购物旗舰店纷纷关闭
旗舰店的概念已经有一百多年的历史了。
过去，旗舰店通常是一家公司最大的门店——第一家门店或者最知名地段的店面。例如，梅西百货和蒂芙尼在纽约都有旗舰店。
但是美国人的购物习惯正在改变。因此，多家公司正在逐步关闭美国知名购物区的旗舰店。
例如，最近Gap、汤米·希尔费格(Tommy Hilfiger)、Lord & Taylor和Polo Ralph Lauren纷纷关闭了位于曼哈顿第五大道的旗舰店。
专家表示，关闭这些商店是租金上涨和网上购物水平提高导致的。
最新的受害者可能是纽约巴尼百货公司。1993年，该公司在麦迪逊大道开设了10层楼高的门店。巴尼百货成为奢侈品购物领域的文化标志，但如今却面临倒闭的风险。
约瑟夫·阿基诺（Joseph Aquino）经营着一家房地产服务公司。“我们正处在许多年轻消费者不愿逛商业街的阶段。他们悠闲地坐着，在网上购物，而这正是我们所反对的，”他说。
不过，旗舰店并没有完全消亡。耐克和李维斯等许多公司正在创建一种新型商店，虽然出售的商品少了，但引进了更多高科技体验。
例如，去年年底，耐克在第五大道开设了一家没有任何收银机的门店。相反，顾客使用手机查寻店内商品的详细信息。然后，这些商品可以快递到顾客试穿或取货的地方。
另一家是李维斯公司(Levi Strauss & Co.)在曼哈顿时代广场的新旗舰店。店内有很大的试衣间，顾客可以呼叫工作人员来修改牛仔裤，方便顾客穿的合身。
然而，越来越多的零售商正在考虑缩小规模，以取代大型旗舰店。例如，霍利斯特正在开发规模较小的商店，提供在线购物服务，同时为当地人和游客提供服务。
汤米·希尔费格也将测试带有在线互动功能的小型商店。
斯泰西·威德里茨（Stacey Widlitz）为公司提供购物方面的建议。她表示，大型商店已经没有市场需求了。她说：“购物者的购物方式完全改变了。”威德里茨补充说，购物者不需要看浏览一家公司销售的所有商品。相反，购物者只需了解这家公司即可。
华盛顿特区的卡罗琳·纳什今年18岁。她说，她发现大型商店让人应接不暇，尤其是她可以在网上购买同一件商品。
她说，她常把旗舰店与长长的队伍和拥挤的人群联系起来。纳什补充说：“除非店家能提供一种不同的体验，否则我没兴趣逛街。”
约翰·罗塞尔为您播报。
译文为可可英语翻译，未经授权请勿转载！
