英语博客:Market Madness

So, I have a penguin¹ in my car. It is small, plastic, and makes a very irritating, repetitive noise. Thankfully, it has an on-off switch. But, where on earth did it come from? McDonalds is the answer. I hardly ever go there, but, the other day, my two youngest children begged me to take them there. My son was taking a day off from school because he felt a under the weather, and my daughter didn't have pre-school that day. We needed to get out of the house, but I wanted to take them somewhere warm to play, so that is where we went. It is a very popular place in Wenatchee and all over the U.S. Thanks to its multi-million dollar advertising², it is, quite literally³, everywhere. On the television there are countless⁴ advertisements about McDonalds, and then there are the jingles⁵, the logos, and the toys. It's similar to Disney Land. Infact, until 2007, McDonalds had a contract with Disney to sell Happy Meal toys that were characters in the latest Disney movies. However, Disney has decided⁶ to associate its characters with healthier food. Though fast food here in the U.S. is known to be unhealthy, and leading the country to obesity⁷, the advertising and the convenience of it all keep bringing the crowds back. The focus of McDonalds' advertising is children. If you can attract them, and create a safe and convenient place for them to play and eat, then they will come back, and keep coming back. If there are rewards for eating McDonalds, the children will  be even more tempted⁸, hence the irritating penguins⁹. The company has also changed with the times. They offer salads, fruit, and premium¹⁰ lattes now, as alternatives, and in European countries are even changing their color(ur) scheme to look more sophisticated. So, however good or bad the food may be, the appeal of the plastic penguin still works for 47 million customers each day.

Grammar notes.

Common expressions: to feel under the weather, quite literally, hence, where on earth?

1. I'm feeling under the weather today; I don't think I'll go to work.

2. Pavarotti was, quite literally, the biggest voice in opera in the past 20 years.

3. Each year there have been less and less policemen in our city, hence, the increase in crime.

4. I thought my keys were on the table; where on earth are they?
 

1 penguin   

n.企鹅

参考例句：

• The penguin is a flightless bird.企鹅是一种不会飞的鸟。
• He walked with an awkward gait like a penguin.他走路的步子难看得就像企鹅。

2 advertising   

n.广告业；广告活动 a.广告的；广告业务的

参考例句：

• Can you give me any advice on getting into advertising? 你能指点我如何涉足广告业吗?
• The advertising campaign is aimed primarily at young people. 这个广告宣传运动主要是针对年轻人的。

3 literally   

adv.照字面意义，逐字地；确实

参考例句：

• He translated the passage literally.他逐字逐句地翻译这段文字。
• Sometimes she would not sit down till she was literally faint.有时候，她不走到真正要昏厥了，决不肯坐下来。

4 countless   

adj.无数的，多得不计其数的

参考例句：

• In the war countless innocent people lost their lives.在这场战争中无数无辜的人丧失了性命。
• I've told you countless times.我已经告诉你无数遍了。

5 jingles   

叮当声( jingle的名词复数 )； 节拍十分规则的简单诗歌

参考例句：

• Can I give Del and Mr. Jingles some? 我可以分一点给戴尔和金格先生吗？
• This story jingles bells for many of my clients. 这个故事对我许多客户来说都耳熟能详。

6 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

7 obesity   

n.肥胖，肥大

参考例句：

• One effect of overeating may be obesity.吃得过多能导致肥胖。
• Sugar and fat can more easily lead to obesity than some other foods.糖和脂肪比其他食物更容易导致肥胖。

8 tempted   

v.怂恿（某人）干不正当的事；冒…的险（tempt的过去分词）

参考例句：

• I was sorely tempted to complain, but I didn't. 我极想发牢骚，但还是没开口。
• I was tempted by the dessert menu. 甜食菜单馋得我垂涎欲滴。

9 penguins   

n.企鹅( penguin的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Why can penguins live in cold environment? 为什么企鹅能生活在寒冷的环境中？ 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Whales, seals, penguins, and turtles have flippers. 鲸、海豹，企鹅和海龟均有鳍形肢。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

10 premium   

n.加付款；赠品；adj.高级的；售价高的

参考例句：

• You have to pay a premium for express delivery.寄快递你得付额外费用。
• Fresh water was at a premium after the reservoir was contaminated.在水库被污染之后，清水便因稀而贵了。