Pawn Shops Offer Used Goods, Loans to People in Need
當鋪給有需要的人提供舊東西和貸款
http://www.51voa.com/VOA_Special_English/pawn-shops-offer-used-goods-loans-to-people-in-need-81710.html
2019-04-02
——— How pawnshops earn money 當鋪如何賺錢
Sales of used objects bring in money. But pawn shops make most of their profit through loans to people in exchange for something of value. There is interest on the loan that is higher than a bank rate. If the money is repaid within 30 days, then the owner gets their item back. But in other cases, the store keeps it for resale.
賣舊東西能帶來收入。但是當鋪的大部分利潤來自收取貴重抵押物之後放給別人的貸款。此貸款利息比銀行利率要高。如果這筆錢在30日內還清，則當鋪退還抵押物品；若錢沒還，當鋪可將抵押物轉賣。
——— In the past, many Americans thought of pawn shops as seedy places, often connected to dark or disreputable activities. But today, the mostly independently-owned stores are more brightly lit and welcoming.
以前，很多美國人都認為當鋪是烏七八糟的地方，經常跟黑暗的或不光彩的活動有關係。 但是如今，大多獨立經營的當鋪都是比較燈火通明、受人歡迎的。
———— His business has suffered because of sales of used items on the internet. He recognizes that more pawn shops may have to start selling products through the internet. Yet he thinks the physical stores are here to stay.
當鋪的生意因為網上二手物品的銷售而受到了影響。他意識到：越來越多的當鋪可能不得不開始通過互聯網賣東西。然而，他認為：多數人還是喜歡去實體店。
1）You never know what you will find in a pawnshop, stores which sell used goods.
你永遠不會知道你會在當鋪裡找到什麼。
pawnshop： [ˈpɔ:nʃɑ:p] a shop where loans are made with personal property as security 當鋪，拿個人財物當抵押借款的商店。
2）Where else can you find snow removal equipment sitting next to a costly piece of clothing? Or a beautifully designed time-keeping instrument from 19th century France next to a laptop computer?
有哪個地方你能在除雪設備旁邊找到一件昂貴的衣物？或者19世紀法國精美時鐘旁邊有一臺筆記本電腦？
3）Top Dollar owner Michael Cohen has two pawnshops in Maryland, both close to Washington, DC. He buys and sells "anything of value," which includes costly jewelry, musical instruments and power tools.
Top Dollar的所有人Michael Cohen在馬里蘭州有兩家當鋪，都靠近華盛頓特區。他買賣任何貴重的東西，包括昂貴的珠寶、樂器、電動工具。
Maryland：美國馬里蘭州一向是信息技術維護和應用的中心。許多重要的聯邦機構、信息技術企業及教育和研究部門，如聯邦通訊委員會、國家安全局（NSA），以及國家航空航天局（NASA）都在這裡落戶，吸引了大批科學家和工程師在此工作。防禦電子製造業就業排名全國第三，計算機系統設計排名第六，工程服務領域的就業排名第八。 （重要城鎮：巴爾的摩（Baltimore））
power tools (= using electricity) 電動工具
4）His biggest seller is jewelry, he said, as he showed a collection of diamond rings and gold necklaces.
他說：銷量最好的是珠寶，說著就拿出了他收集的鑽石戒指和金項鍊。
How pawnshops earn money 當鋪如何賺錢
5）Sales of used objects bring in money. But pawn shops make most of their profit through loans to people in exchange for something of value. There is interest on the loan that is higher than a bank rate. If the money is repaid within 30 days, then the owner gets their item back. But in other cases, the store keeps it for resale.
賣舊東西能帶來收入。但是當鋪的大部分利潤來自收取貴重抵押物之後放給別人的貸款。此貸款利息比銀行利率要高。如果這筆錢在30日內還清，則當鋪退還抵押物品；若錢沒還，當鋪可將抵押物轉賣。
repay：to pay back the money that you have borrowed from sb歸還；償還；清償
resale: the sale to another person of sth that you have bought 轉賣；轉售
6）The average loan is $150. For people without credit or financing, pawn shops can help them get the money they need. About 85 percent of borrowers pay back their pawn shop loans.
一次抵押平均可貸150美金。沒錢的人，當鋪可以幫他們拿到需要的錢。85%的借款人能還清當鋪的貸款。
7）Top Dollar manager Mike Thomen said a lot of people who visit his store talk to him about their problems and he supports them when "they're down on their luck.”
Top Dollar的經理Mike Thomen說：好多人來到當鋪跟他說自己的窘境、當“他們窮困潦倒”的時候，貸款給他們。
be down on your luck: to have no money because of a period of bad luck
因一時不走運而沒有錢；窮困潦倒
8）”In a lot of cases, people don't have any other outlet to get the money they need to get through the week to ... put gas in the car, or pay the electric bill," he said.
好多時候，人們沒有別的其他渠道弄到所需的錢度過那（艱難的一週）……. 給車加油、或交電費。
outlet: a way of expressing or making good use of strong feelings, ideas or energy（感情、思想、精力發洩的）出路；表現機會
9) In the past, many Americans thought of pawn shops as seedy places, often connected to dark or disreputable activities. But today, the mostly independently-owned stores are more brightly lit and welcoming.
以前，很多美國人都認為當鋪是烏七八糟的地方，經常跟黑暗的或不光彩的活動有關係。 但是如今，大多獨立經營的當鋪都是比較燈火通明、受人歡迎的。
seedy: (seedier, seediest). (disapproving) dirty and unpleasant, possibly connected with immoral or illegal activities 骯髒的；汙七八糟的；烏煙瘴氣的；下流的
disreputable: that people consider to be dishonest and bad
名聲不好的；不名譽的；不光彩的
10）Pawn shops are now more popular with the general public. "We have tons of different stuff like artwork, antiques ... and sports memorabilia.”
當鋪如今很受廣大公眾的歡迎。“我們有數噸不同的東西如藝術品、古董…… 還有體育收藏品。 ”
memorabilia： 英 [ˌmemərəˈbɪliə] 美 [ˌmɛmərəˈbɪliə, -ˈbɪljə] things that people collect because they once belonged to a famous person, or because they are connected with a particular interesting place, event or activity 收藏品；紀念品
11）”Customer service is a huge part of our business ... and hopefully that keeps people wanting to come back to us," said Michael Cohen.
Michael Cohen說：“我們生意裡有很大一部分是給消費者的服務 ……希望能讓顧客想要再次光臨。 ”
Millions of customers every year 每年有數百萬顧客
12）Experts estimate about 30 million people visit the nearly 11,000 pawn shops in the United States every year. Some of those customers find hidden treasures.
專家估計：美國有近1.1萬家當鋪，每年約有3千萬人光顧。有些顧客找到了神秘寶藏。
13）Eric Rizer, owner of three stores in Virginia called Royal Pawn, said his store once held a piece of art from painter Pablo Picasso.
Eric Rizer，美國維吉尼亞州三家皇家當鋪的所有人，說：他的當鋪裡曾經有一件畢加索的作品。
Pablo Picasso巴勃羅·畢加索（1881年10月25日-1973年4月8日）
- 西班牙畫家、雕塑家，法國共產黨黨員。是現代藝術的創始人，西方現代派繪畫的主要代表。
- 畢加索是當代西方最有創造性和影響最深遠的藝術家，是20世紀最偉大的藝術天才。
- 畢加索的藝術生涯幾乎貫穿其一生，作品風格豐富多樣，後人用“畢加索永遠是年輕的”的說法形容畢加索多變的藝術形式。史學上不得不把他浩繁的作品分為不同的時期——早年的“藍色時期”、“粉紅色時期”、盛年的“黑人時期”、“分析和綜合立體主義時期”（又稱“立體主義時期”）、後來的“超現實主義時期”等等。
- 他於1907年創作的《亞威農少女》是第一張被認為有立體主義傾向的作品，是一幅具有里程碑意義的著名傑作。它不僅標誌著畢加索個人藝術歷程中的重大轉折，而且也是西方現代藝術史上的一次革命性突破，引發了立體主義運動的誕生。
- 畢加索是位多產畫家，據統計，他的作品總計近37000件，包括：油畫1885幅，素描7089幅，版畫20000幅，平版畫6121幅。 在1999年12月法國一家報紙進行的一次民意調查中，他以40%的高票當選為20世紀最偉大的十個畫家之首。 ——百度百科
14）”We actually had a bird head that I sold to a man for $500," he added. Later Rizer discovered that kind of bird was last alive more than 100 years ago, and the head was valued at $20,000.
皇家當鋪的店主Eric Rizer說： “我們店裡曾經有一個鳥頭，500塊美金賣了。” 後來發現那種鳥百多年前存世的最後一隻，鳥頭價值兩萬美金。
15） He also noted that used guitars are finding a new market in pawn shops.
他還注意到：當鋪裡的舊吉他 找到了新市場。
16）Cohen said his business has suffered because of sales of used items on the internet. He recognizes that more pawn shops may have to start selling products through the internet. Yet he thinks the physical stores are here to stay.
Michael Cohen 說：當鋪的生意因為網上二手物品的銷售而受到了影響。他意識到：越來越多的當鋪可能不得不開始通過互聯網賣東西。然而，他認為：多數人還是喜歡去實體店。
recognize：to admit or to be aware that sth exists or is true意識到
be here to stay / have come to stay: to be accepted or used by most people and therefore a permanent part of our lives 為多數人所接受；得到普遍認可
17）”There's people who go from pawn shop to pawn shop looking for a good deal," said Cohen. "We definitely have our regulars that like to bargain with us every week.
“有人一家當鋪一家當鋪地去問，尋找滿意的交易。我們的確有老顧客特別喜歡每週跟我們討價還價。”
18）”I want to talk to the people I'm buying products from," customer Keith Winslow said. "I don't want something from online that may not be exactly what I want.”
老顧客Keith Winslow說：“我想要跟賣家直接談，我不想要網上的東西，可能不符合我的要求。”
本材料源自www.51voa.com，經過本人節選、後期翻譯而成，若有翻譯的不妥當的地方，歡迎指正
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