Some Russian Businesses Thrive in Poor Economy VOA News Last updated on: December 12, 2014 12:23 PM (source)
Daniel Schearf December 12, 2014 12:23 PM MOSCOW— Capital flight, the fall in oil prices and Western sanctions are pushing Russia's staggering economy into recession. But not all business in the country is suffering. The Russian ruble's sharp drop in value benefits exporters by lowering costs at home. Those who import, like Swedish retail giant IKEA, are suffering higher costs. IKEA imports about 40 percent of what it sells in Russia and is considering raising prices to make up for the loss.
資金外流(capital flight)、 油價下跌,加上西方國家經濟制裁 (sanctions),使俄羅斯蹣跚的(staggering)經 濟進入蕭條(recession)。 但並非俄羅斯全部的商業活動皆被波及。
俄羅斯貨幣盧布急遽的貶值(sharp drop in value)嘉惠了國 內的(at home)出口商,使其成本降低。但從事進口者,如瑞典的大型零售商IKEA,則苦於成本增加。IKEA在俄羅斯販賣的產品有 40%須進口,現正考慮要調漲售價來彌 補(make up for . . .)這波損失。
But businesses that focus on frugal customers, like High Level Hostel, are doing well. As part owner Roman Drozdenko said, "It is only natural that businesspeople now, when businesses are trying to cut expenses, are moving on to hostels." Drozdenko said the hostel’s unlikely location — on the 43rd floor of the Moscow International Business Center, known as "Moscow City" — was only possible because of the lack of interested tenants. " 'Moscow City' is only 30 percent full. There are a lot of empty spaces here. So, I think that is what ... allowed us to come here."
主業是服務花錢小心、節省的(frugal)客人的 公司,像是旅社這一類,生意倒是還不錯。High Level Hostel旅社的合夥人(part owner)表 示,「很多公司都在設法減少支出 (cut expenses),商務人士很自然會轉向到旅社來。」
High Level Hostel旅社的所在地是別稱「莫斯科城市大樓」的莫斯科國際商業中心的第43樓。旅社能開在這令人意想不到的(unlikely)的 位置,實是因為大樓招不到承租人 (tenant)。
High Level Hostel負責人表示,「莫斯柯城市大樓只住滿30%,還有很多空著的空間。我想,這是我們得以進來這營業的原因。」
Despite investment fleeing Russia, and a glut of office space, construction of new skyscrapers continues. Russian authorities are putting their best spin on the economic tumble, saying sanctions, including their own ban on Western food imports, will spur domestic industries. The economic gloom did not stop the opening of the world's largest artificial ice-skating rink last month in Moscow.
雖然投資從俄羅斯大舉出走(flee),商用的 辦公空間也呈現過剩狀態 (glut),新的摩天大樓仍持續興建。
俄羅斯政府仍試圖對現況做出有利的解釋(put a spin on . . .)。俄羅斯政府的說法是,經濟制裁將會刺激(spur)國內產業,而 俄羅斯自己對西方國家的食物進口禁 令(ban on . . .)也是對產業有利。
世界上最大的人造溜冰場(rink)上個月在莫 斯科開幕了,並沒被這層經濟的陰影 (gloom)所影響。
"In fact, a lot of Muscovites will not travel abroad during the coming New Year holidays, and some will visit the skating rink. That means the Russian money will remain in Russia," said Irina Gordina-Nevzhmetskaya, deputy general director of the All-Russia Exhibition Center. The sinking ruble means international travel is more expensive for Russians. Now that a recession is expected, many are beginning to worry about the economy and just how much further it will slide.
Language Notes
capital (n) 資本,資金 *當「資本、資金」解時為不可數名詞;本字另外兩常見的意思是「首都」和「大寫字母」 sanctions (n) 國際制裁 *做此義時,恆用複數 stagger (v) 走路搖搖晃晃的,步伐蹣跚的前進 *新聞中 staggering economy指的是搖搖 晃晃的、不穩定的經濟狀態,而 staggering當 形容詞用時,常見的意思是「驚人的、令人難以置信的」,也就是驚人的程度會「使人走不穩」,例如辭條: a staggering rise in crime (犯罪率上升驚人) make up for (v phr) 補償 frugal (a) 儉樸的,節約的 tenant (n) 房客 put a spin on . . . (v phr) (不惜扭曲事實)對. . .做出對己有利的解釋 tumble (n) 墜落;混亂 glut (n) 過多,供過於求 *跟 glut有 字源關係的是 gluttony (暴食,吃過多了);基督教裡要信徒小心並遠離的「 七 宗罪」( seven deadly sins)中的「暴食」,其英文字即是用 gluttony, 形容詞為 gluttonous rink (n) 溜冰場 gloom (n) 陰暗;昏暗 slide (v) 下滑;滑動
Check your vocabulary!
Fill in the blanks with a word or phrase from the list above. Make necessary changes. After you finish, select the text above to reveal the hidden answers. 1. The corporation has enough capital to build another factory. 2. Do you own the house or are you a tenant? 3. I don't eat breakfast but I make up for it at lunch. 4. As children we were taught to be frugal and hard-working. 5. Stock prices took a tumble in the afternoon.
編譯:簡嘉呈
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