2021年经济学人 通胀“恶魔降临”,美国企业发出警报(2)

Their coyness notwithstanding, many of Mr Adamczyk’s and Mr Berkley’s fellow bosses are bracing¹ for a period of higher costs. Some inputs³ remain scarce while clogged⁴ supply chains are being reconfigured for a reopening economy. At the same time, demand is surging from American consumers, who are flush with unspent pandemic-year savings⁵, augmented⁶ by stimulus⁷ cheques from the government. To deal with the resulting price pressures, firms are adapting their corporate⁸ tactics accordingly.

尽管阿达姆奇克和伯克利的许多同行老板们含糊其辞，但他们正准备迎接一段成本上升的时期。堵塞的供应链正在为重开经济进行重组，但一些投入仍然短缺。与此同时，美国消费者未用完的疫情年储蓄充溢，再加上政府的刺激支票，他们的消费需求也在激增。企业为应对由此产生的价格压力，正在相应地调整企业策略。

In the 1970s companies responded to rising input² prices in a number of ways. First, they passed as much of the higher costs as possible on to customers. When that strategy was exhausted⁹, they turned to automating¹⁰ operations or moving them to places with cheaper labour, either elsewhere in America or abroad.

上世纪70年代，企业对投入价格上涨的应对方式多种多样。首先，他们将尽可能多的高成本转嫁给客户。在这一策略用尽后，企业转向自动化操作或转移到劳动力更廉价的地方，无论是在美国其他地方还是国外。

Businesses are now dusting off that old formula, starting with price rises. In April Coca-Cola told analysts¹¹ that its soft drinks are about to become more expensive, and Whirlpool warned that the same was going to happen to its washing machines and other appliances. Procter & Gamble plans to raise the prices of some of its consumer products by “mid to high single digits” in September. On June 8th Chipotle confirmed it had increased menu prices at its Mexican-grill restaurants by as much as 4%. Some companies, such as Royal Canin, which makes pet food, have kept prices steady but cut the size of their portions.

企业如今正重新采用旧的应对模式，从价格上涨开始。可口可乐今年4月向分析师表示，其软饮料价格即将上涨。惠而浦警告称，其洗衣机和其他家电产品也将上调价格。宝洁计划在9月份将部分消费品价格上调“中至高个位数”。6月8日，Chipotle证实其墨西哥卷饼餐厅的菜单价格上涨了4%。部分公司选择保持价格稳定，但减少份量，比如生产宠物食品的皇家（Royal Canin）。

Michael Goldman, who runs Carolina Casting, which makes furniture in North Carolina, has seen the cost of resin¹² shoot up by 75%, of lumber¹³ three- to fourfold, and of a container to ship materials from Asia by $16,000, to $20,000. He has increased his rates for customers twice so far this year. WR Berkley began repricing its premiums¹⁴ upwards¹⁵ last year but has accelerated that in the past couple of months. Insurance brokers¹⁶ who sell the company’s policies have not grumbled¹⁷; they expected as much, says Mr Berkley.

Carolina Casting（家具制造公司，位于北卡罗莱纳州）的负责人迈克尔?戈德曼发现，树脂的成本飙升了75%，木材的成本上涨了3到4倍，从亚洲运送材料的集装箱成本上涨了1.6万至2万美元。今年以来，他已经两次提高了顾客的价格。WR柏克利去年开始重新上调保费价格，但在过去几个月加快了上调步伐。卖公司保单的保险经纪人没有发牢骚；伯克利表示，他们也期望如此。

1 bracing   

adj.令人振奋的

参考例句：

• The country is bracing itself for the threatened enemy invasion. 这个国家正准备奋起抵抗敌人的入侵威胁。
• The atmosphere in the new government was bracing. 新政府的气氛是令人振奋的。

2 input   

n.输入(物)；投入；vt.把(数据等)输入计算机

参考例句：

• I will forever be grateful for his considerable input.我将永远感激他的大量投入。
• All this information had to be input onto the computer.所有这些信息都必须输入计算机。

3 inputs   

n.输入( input的名词复数 )；投入；输入端；输入的数据v.把…输入电脑( input的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• Uncheck the inputs checked for optimization in the previous stage. 不测试那些已经测试过的优化了的以前步骤的inputs.（变量参数）。 来自互联网
• Just in case, save in a file the inputs obtained at the previous stage. 以防万一，保存以前步骤获得的inputs（变量参数值）到一个文件中去。 来自互联网

4 clogged   

（使）阻碍( clog的过去式和过去分词 )； 淤滞

参考例句：

• The narrow streets were clogged with traffic. 狭窄的街道上交通堵塞。
• The intake of gasoline was stopped by a clogged fuel line. 汽油的注入由于管道阻塞而停止了。

5 savings   

n.存款，储蓄

参考例句：

• I can't afford the vacation,for it would eat up my savings.我度不起假，那样会把我的积蓄用光的。
• By this time he had used up all his savings.到这时，他的存款已全部用完。

6 Augmented   

adj.增音的 动词augment的过去式和过去分词形式

参考例句：

• 'scientists won't be replaced," he claims, "but they will be augmented." 他宣称：“科学家不会被取代；相反，他们会被拓展。” 来自英汉非文学 - 科学史
• The impact of the report was augmented by its timing. 由于发表的时间选得好，这篇报导的影响更大了。

7 stimulus   

n.刺激，刺激物，促进因素，引起兴奋的事物

参考例句：

• Regard each failure as a stimulus to further efforts.把每次失利看成对进一步努力的激励。
• Light is a stimulus to growth in plants.光是促进植物生长的一个因素。

8 corporate   

adj.共同的，全体的；公司的，企业的

参考例句：

• This is our corporate responsibility.这是我们共同的责任。
• His corporate's life will be as short as a rabbit's tail.他的公司的寿命是兔子尾巴长不了。

9 exhausted   

adj.极其疲惫的，精疲力尽的

参考例句：

• It was a long haul home and we arrived exhausted.搬运回家的这段路程特别长，到家时我们已筋疲力尽。
• Jenny was exhausted by the hustle of city life.珍妮被城市生活的忙乱弄得筋疲力尽。

10 automating   

（使）自动化( automate的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Have you ever thought about automating any part of your business? 你有没有想过把你公司的某个部门自动化？
• We are in process of automating the production department. 我们正在对生产部门实行自动化。

11 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。

12 resin   

n.树脂，松香，树脂制品；vt.涂树脂

参考例句：

• This allyl type resin is a highly transparent, colourless material.这种烯丙基型的树脂是一种高度透明的、无色材料。
• This is referred to as a thixotropic property of the resin.这种特性叫做树脂的触变性。

13 lumber   

n.木材，木料；v.以破旧东西堆满；伐木；笨重移动

参考例句：

• The truck was sent to carry lumber.卡车被派出去运木材。
• They slapped together a cabin out of old lumber.他们利用旧木料草草地盖起了一间小屋。

14 premiums   

n.费用( premium的名词复数 )；保险费；额外费用；（商品定价、贷款利息等以外的）加价

参考例句：

• He paid premiums on his life insurance last year. 他去年付了人寿保险费。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• Moves are afoot to increase car insurance premiums. 现正在酝酿提高汽车的保险费。 来自《简明英汉词典》

15 upwards   

adv.向上，在更高处...以上

参考例句：

• The trend of prices is still upwards.物价的趋向是仍在上涨。
• The smoke rose straight upwards.烟一直向上升。

16 brokers   

n.（股票、外币等）经纪人( broker的名词复数 )；中间人；代理商；（订合同的）中人v.做掮客（或中人等）( broker的第三人称单数 )；作为权力经纪人进行谈判；以中间人等身份安排…

参考例句：

• The firm in question was Alsbery & Co., whiskey brokers. 那家公司叫阿尔斯伯里公司，经销威士忌。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹
• From time to time a telephone would ring in the brokers' offices. 那两排经纪人房间里不时响着叮令的电话。 来自子夜部分

17 grumbled   

抱怨( grumble的过去式和过去分词 )； 发牢骚； 咕哝； 发哼声

参考例句：

• He grumbled at the low pay offered to him. 他抱怨给他的工资低。
• The heat was sweltering, and the men grumbled fiercely over their work. 天热得让人发昏，水手们边干活边发着牢骚。