VOA标准英语2012--After 125 Years, Paper Coupons Thrive Digitally

 

After 125 Years, Paper Coupons² Thrive Digitally

When Laura Harders does her family’s grocery shopping each Friday, she comes armed with a shopping list and coupons.

Harders started using coupons about six years ago, when she was expecting her first baby. She was planning to quit her job and needed to find a way the family could live on one income. 

“So instead of having to go back to work, I was able to stay at home and almost bring an income just by what I’m able to save,” she says.

By using coupons, Harders usually cuts her grocery bill in half. On this day, she saved even more.

“Before the sale price, before coupons, my total went up to $80," she says. "After coupons and the sale items, I brought it down to $20.”

She collects coupons from different places.

“Most of my coupons I get from Sunday newspaper inserts," Harders says. "I also get a lot of coupons online. There are incredible sites such as coupons.com. smartsource.com and others as well as manufacturers' websites.”

But not all shoppers use coupons. Mariam Sindy doesn’t even like the idea. “I really think it’s really time consuming. And a lot of times I find that if I do find a coupon¹, for example if it comes with a cereal box, I leave it there, I forget it and when I remember, it’s expired.”

But clipping coupons doesn’t have to be time consuming, as Harders explains in workshops she leads on coupon shopping.

The first coupons were given out in 1887 in Atlanta, Georgia, by a man who wanted to build excitement about a new beverage³, Coca-Cola.

One hundred-twenty-five years later, that’s still why businesses issue coupons. What has changed is the way they’re issued.

“More young people are actually using coupons because it goes directly to their cell phones," says marketing⁴ consultant⁵ Ferris Kaplan. "Then, when they go to the store of their choice, they walk into the store, they automatically use it while right there, without a printer, without paper, without having to look at a newspaper.”

The website Certifikid creates digital coupons for more than 1,000 businesses, and e-mails them to about 55,000 customers. Certifikid also profiles one of the businesses each day.

“You’re the star of that one day in these people’s e-mails," says founder⁶ Jamie Ratner. "So they’re reading about you, learning about your business, and then having the opportunity to purchase the coupon.”

With more young people going online to find deals and save money in this tough economy, Ratner expects digital coupon services to expand and thrive in the future.

1 coupon   

n.息票，配给票，附单

参考例句：

• The coupon can be used once only.此优惠券只限使用一次。
• I have a coupon for ten pence off a packet of soap.我有一张优惠券买一盒肥皂可以便宜十便士。

2 coupons   

n.礼券( coupon的名词复数 )；优惠券；订货单；参赛表

参考例句：

• The company gives away free coupons for drinks or other items. 公司为饮料或其它项目发放免费赠券。 来自辞典例句
• Do you have any coupons? 你们有优惠卡吗？ 来自英汉 - 翻译样例 - 口语

3 beverage   

n.(水，酒等之外的)饮料

参考例句：

• The beverage is often colored with caramel.这种饮料常用焦糖染色。
• Beer is a beverage of the remotest time.啤酒是一种最古老的饮料。

4 marketing   

n.行销，在市场的买卖，买东西

参考例句：

• They are developing marketing network.他们正在发展销售网络。
• He often goes marketing.他经常去市场做生意。

5 consultant   

n.顾问；会诊医师，专科医生

参考例句：

• He is a consultant on law affairs to the mayor.他是市长的一个法律顾问。
• Originally,Gar had agreed to come up as a consultant.原来，加尔只答应来充当我们的顾问。

6 Founder   

n.创始者，缔造者

参考例句：

• He was extolled as the founder of their Florentine school.他被称颂为佛罗伦萨画派的鼻祖。
• According to the old tradition,Romulus was the founder of Rome.按照古老的传说，罗穆卢斯是古罗马的建国者。