365个英语简短小故事-159. Black Friday

The day after Thanksgiving has become America’s wildest shopping day. Closed all day on Thursday, chain stores all across the nation open early on Friday. Some stores open at 12:01 Friday morning, while others open at 4 a.m. Some “sleepyhead” stores, like Target this year, don’t open their doors on Friday until 6 a.m. From Friday to the day before Christmas, this is the season when businesses make as much as 25 percent of their annual¹ revenue². This season puts many businesses “in the black”—that is, into profitability—for the year.

Reporters from local TV stations interview people who camp out in front of stores a day or two before the doors open on Friday. These people patiently wait in line to get products that are discounted 50 percent or more.

“Oh, we have fun,” said one camper. “We bring games to play, we watch TV and order lots of pizza, and we meet interesting people. And, most important of all, we save big bucks³!” The catch, of course, is that only a very small number of products are available at the largest discounts. Regardless⁴, each store has plenty of other items⁵ that are reduced from 10 to 50 percent—saving shoppers from $10 to $400 per item—to entice⁶ Americans to shop.

Not all Americans appreciate this frenzy⁷ of shopping. Reverend William Graham, pastor⁸ of the Church of the Risen Jesus, wants to rename Black Friday. “We want to call it Remember Jesus Friday. People should start the season with the right attitude. Christmastime has become a Season of Shopping. We want to make it a Season of Giving. And we don’t mean giving IPods, DVDs, flat screen TVs, and other crap. We mean giving your back, your mind, and your hands. Help an old lady clean up her house. Teach a kid how to read. Visit sick people in the hospital or in nursing⁹ homes. Pick up the trash in your neighborhood. Give blood to the Red Cross. Do volunteer work for charities¹⁰. Celebrate Christmas by remembering Jesus and forgetting Santa Claus.”

 

1 annual   

adj.每年的；一年的；（植物）一年生的 n.年刊；一年生植物

参考例句：

• It's an annual report.这是年度报告。
• The kind of plant is a hardy annual.这种植物是耐寒的一年生植物。

2 revenue   

n.总收入，财政收入，税收；税务局

参考例句：

• The country diminished the revenue by reducing tax.这个国家通过减税而使税收减少了。
• A government's revenue and expenditure should be balanced.政府的财政收入和支出要平衡。

3 bucks   

n.雄鹿( buck的名词复数 )；钱；（英国十九世纪初的）花花公子；（用于某些表达方式）责任v.（马等）猛然弓背跃起( buck的第三人称单数 )；抵制；猛然震荡；马等尥起后蹄跳跃

参考例句：

• They cost ten bucks. 这些值十元钱。
• They are hunting for bucks. 他们正在猎雄兔。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 regardless   

adj.不留心的，不注意的；不管，不顾；adv.无论如何，不管怎样

参考例句：

• I protested,but she carried on regardless.我极力反对，但她仍一意孤行。
• I shall go regardless of the weather.无论天气好坏我都要去。

5 items   

n.物料项目 （任何一种自制或采购的零部件或组装件，如最终产品、部件、子部件、零件或原材料）；条( item的名词复数 )；一项；一则；一件商品（或物品）

参考例句：

• Bulky items will be collected separately. 大件物品将分开收集。
• Customers with ten items or less can use the express lane. 购买十件商品以内的顾客可使用快速购物通道。

6 entice   

v.诱骗，引诱，怂恿

参考例句：

• Nothing will entice the children from television.没有任何东西能把孩子们从电视机前诱开。
• I don't see why the English should want to entice us away from our native land.我不明白，为什英国人要引诱我们离开自己的国土。

7 frenzy   

n.疯狂，狂热，极度的激动

参考例句：

• He was able to work the young students up into a frenzy.他能激起青年学生的狂热。
• They were singing in a frenzy of joy.他们欣喜若狂地高声歌唱。

8 pastor   

n.牧师，牧人

参考例句：

• He was the son of a poor pastor.他是一个穷牧师的儿子。
• We have no pastor at present:the church is run by five deacons.我们目前没有牧师：教会的事是由五位执事管理的。

9 nursing   

n.看护，养育，授乳

参考例句：

• She takes up nursing as a career.她以看护为职业。
• They trained her for nursing.他们培训她做护理工作。

10 charities   

n.慈爱( charity的名词复数 )；救济金；慈善团体；宽厚

参考例句：

• Many charities sent money to help the victims of the famine. 许多慈善机构捐款赈济饥民。
• Certain charities are exempt from VAT registration. 某些慈善机构无须进行增值税登记。 来自《简明英汉词典》