陪你一起读经济学人

今天准备开启一个新的栏目，叫做跟我一起学《经济学人》。首先，自己并不是英语专业，但是在上了大学以后，我越来越感觉到英语的重要性。而学习英语是个重在积累的过程，最有效的学习方法又是以教代学。所以，我想把我学经济学人所做的笔记发出来，供各位一起相互学习，一同进步。行百里者半九十。虽然我目前还没有在这个栏目上行走很多，但我希望我能一直坚持下去。与各位共勉。                            2020.2.11 来可追x

Which country spends the most on its pets?

Owners’ willingness to splurge  is a treat for a booming industry

Splurge

v. 乱花钱，挥霍钱

eg: I hadsplurged 2500 pounds on clothes.

AMERICANS ADORE their pets. Roughly two in three households own one, according to the American Pet Products Association, a trade group. Dogs are loved most of all: they outnumber cats by about five tofour, according to GfK, a market-research firm. Nowhere is America’s devotion to dogs more evident than at the Westminster Dog Show, which took place in NewYork City from February 8th to 11th. More than 2,600 dogs were clipped, washedand blow-dried by their doting handlers in the hopes of taking home the coveted  best-in-show title.

Clip v.修剪

Eg：clip a hedge修剪树篱

Clip your horse

Dot

原本意思是点

而变成Doting后，意思为 溺爱的，宠爱的

Handler

n. 驯兽员；搬运工；行李员；顾问

Covet v.觊觎

Coveted adj.梦寐以求的

Cost is no object for these pampered pooches. By one estimate, caring for a top show dog can set you back more than $250,000 a year.

（25万美元≈174万1千人民币  好多啊！）

Pamper

v.细心照顾，精心护理

The pet industry is booming beyond the world of competitions. According to Euromonitor International, a research firm,the pet-care market has grown by over 66% in the last decade, while the globaleconomy has expanded by just 43%. Americans spent more than $52bn on their pets in 2019, up from $34bn in 2009. Most of that went on food, but over $18bn wasspent on pet supplies and accessories.

（52bn的美金相当于什么？相当于3620亿人民币，可见美国人有多喜欢小动物。）

On a per-person basis, no other country comes close to splashing out as much as America on such products. Britain spent $93 per person last year, on average, while France shelled out $87 (see chart).

Splash

v.飞溅

      n.飞溅的水

splash out随意花钱

所以除了刚刚学的splurge以外，我们还可以用splash out来说乱花钱

Shell out付款

What accounts for the sector’s  howling success?

Sector 部门

比如说：manufacturing sector

或者是 service factor

Howl

v.大声叫喊

Howling

adj.狂叫的；极大的

As people grow wealthier, their attitudes to domestic animals tend to change. A poll conducted in 2015 found that 95% of American pet-owners considered their animals part of the family—up from 88% in 2007.

Poll

n.民意调查；投票

carry out/conduct a poll

    v.获得投票

They polled 39% of the vote in the last election

It is little wonder owners are spending money on their furry companions.

Furry adj.覆盖毛皮的，毛茸茸的

And the range of pet products availabletoday extends far beyond food, to exercise wheels for cats and designer clothes for dogs. Barbour, a posh British outdoor-clothing brand, sells a range of fetching jackets and accessories for dogs.

Posh

优雅华丽的

If your pooch likes the finer things inlife, you can treat it to a luxury collar from Louis Vuitton—a steal at just under $400.

Pooch

n.狗

With so much money splashing on pets, youmight suppose that some would trickle down to the prize-winning pooches atcompetitions like Westminster.

Trickle

v.滴

Eg; Tears were trickling down her cheeks. 眼泪顺着她的面颊流了下来。

But no cash is awarded at this week’sevent. In the dog-eat-dog world of competitive canines, you’d think they might throw a dog a bone.

Canine

犬的，似犬的