2018-09-27

A humbled hegemon: Barnes & Noble

① America's largest retail bookseller reports quarterly results today.

② Expect yet another sorry show.

③ Analysts forecast a loss of nine cents per share, compared with 15 cents the same quarter last year, and a drop of 2% in same-store sales.

④ All this comes as independent bookshops are, remarkably, on the up after years of Amazon-induced pain.

⑤ Their number has grown by nearly 40% since 2009, with sales up 5% in the past year.

⑥ But B&N, with its soulless big-box stores, has failed to offer a colourful, curated experience.

⑦ Independent shops brim with tailored advice and community events, making browsing a pleasure.

⑧ Disarray among B&N's top brass has complicated matters.

⑨ In July it fired its CEO—the fourth in five years. (He is suing, accusing its founder of micromanagement.)

⑩ Those whose local indie shop has been killed by Amazon must now, in a twist of fate, pull for the former bricks-and-mortar behemoth to turn things around.

▍生词好句

humble /ˈhʌmbəl/: vt. 击败 adj. 谦逊的

hegemon /ˈhedʒɪmɒn, ˈhedʒɪmɑːn/: n. 最高领袖

· hegemony: n. 霸权；支配权

sorry /ˈsɒri, ˈsɔːri/: adj. 遗憾的

(be) on the up: 持续增长

remarkably /rɪˈmɑːkəbli, rɪˈmɑːrkəbli/: adv. 令人惊奇地；给人留下深刻印象地

induce /ɪnˈdjuːs, ɪnˈduːs/: vt. 导致；劝说

· 近义词 cause/persuade

soulless /ˈsəʊlləs, ˈsəʊllɪs/: adj. 没有生气的；缺乏个性的

curate /kjʊəˈreɪt, ˈkjʊreɪt/: vt. 操持；筹办；组织 n. 助理牧师 (/ˈkjʊrət/)

· select, organize, and present (online content, merchandise, information, etc.), typically using professional or expert knowledge

brim with /brɪm/: 装满；充盈着

· brim: n. 帽檐；(容器的) 边

tailored /ˈteɪləd, ˈteɪlərd/: adj. 量身定制的

· tailor: n. 裁缝 vt. 专门制作；使适应特定需要

browse /braʊz/: vi. 浏览

· browser: n. 浏览器

disarray /ˌdɪsəˈreɪ/: n. 混乱

top brass /brɑːs, bræs/: 顶层；高级领导人员

micromanagement /ˈmaɪkrəʊˌmænɪdʒmənt/: n. 微观管理

indie /ˈɪndi/: adj. 独立的；非主流的

a twist of fate /twɪst/: 命运无常

pull for /pʊl/: 驱使

bricks-and-mortar / brick-and-mortar: adj. 传统行业的

· clicks and mortar: 虚实整合企业 (结合传统零售渠道和在线电子商务的运营方式)

behemoth /bɪˈhiːmɒθ, bɪˈhiːmɑːθ/: n. 巨头企业；巨兽