中国年轻人热衷于购买黄金丨经济学人精读丨财经
黄金曾经是“土”的代名词，受众群体以年长女性为主，如今却令年轻人十分“上头”，金首饰、小金豆都是年轻人追捧的对象。来看看《经济学人》的报道：
01
原文
China’s gold market, which accounts for about a fifth of global sales, used to attract an older crowd. Many buyers were middle-aged women looking to add to their nest-eggs or buy chunky bracelets. But these days Chinese gold shops regularly serve customers in their 20s. Xiaohongshu, a social-media site favoured by “Generation z” (those born between 1997 and 2012), is buzzing with talk of the precious metal.
Young people don’t have much spare cash. The youth-unemployment rate in cities is about 15%. Many companies are cutting salaries. So youngsters are hoping to make the most of what little savings they have. But traditional investments aren’t doing well. The stockmarket is slumping and house prices have fallen for ten months in a row.
The international price of gold, though, is soaring. It stood at $2,320 per ounce on April 24th, up 12% since the start of the year. Customers elsewhere are buying because of inflation fears (China doesn’t have this problem) and geopolitical concerns. Another big reason for increased demand is China’s central bank. It has been purchasing gold to diversify its holdings away from dollars amid tensions with America.
02
精读
①China’s gold market, which accounts for about a fifth of global sales, used toattract an older crowd. ②Many buyers were middle-aged women looking to add to their nest-eggs or buy chunky bracelets. ③But these days Chinese gold shops regularly serve customers in their 20s. ④Xiaohongshu, a social-media site favoured by “Generation z” (those born between 1997 and 2012), is buzzing with talk of the precious metal.
中国黄金市场占全球销量的五分之一，曾经吸引的是年级较大的人群。很多买家是中年女性，她们希望增加家庭储蓄或者购买沉甸甸的手镯。但如今，中国的金店经常为20多岁的顾客提供服务。小红书，一个受到“Z世代”（1997年至2012年出生的人）青睐的社交媒体网站，充满了对这种贵金属的讨论。
这段话沿着时间轴，将过去和现在进行对比，体现出购买黄金群体的变化：从中年女性到年轻人。其中①句讲了过去黄金受到中年女性的青睐。②句对①句展开，解释了中年女性为什么要购买黄金。③句时间发生转折，讲了现在黄金受到年轻人的青睐。④句对③句进行展开，体现出黄金在年轻人中的热度。
①句主干是“China’s gold market used to attract an older crowd”，“which accounts for about a fifth of global sales”是定语从句，修饰前面的 China’s gold market.
used to do 表示过去的时间点，③句的 these days 形成时间上的转折。
account for 表示“占…比例”，可以用 make up、represent、constitute 等词替换。
attract 是个很简单的词，主要积累一些它的同义替换：
1）draw
The movie is drawing large audiences.
这部影片吸引了大批观众。
2）entice
The bargain prices are expected to entice customers away from other stores.
低廉的价格意在把顾客从其他商店吸引过来。
3）pull in
a publicity stunt to pull in the crowds
一个吸引人群的宣传噱头
4）captivate
The children were captivated by her stories.
孩子们被她的故事迷住了。
5）lure
Young people are lured to the city by the prospect of a job and money.
年轻人希望打工赚钱，从而被吸引到城市。
an older crowd 指“年纪较大的群体”，我们在《关于“submission”“sound”以及与“老年人”有关的一切表达》文章中补充了 40 多种关于“老年人”的说法，“老龄化”写作中可以灵活替换。
再看第二句：Many buyers were middle-aged women looking to add to their nest-eggs or buy chunky bracelets.
“looking to add to their nest-eggs or buy chunky bracelets”是分词形式的后置定语，修饰前面的 middle-aged women. 我们可以还原成定语从句的形式：
Many buyers were middle-aged women who looked to add to their nest-eggs or buy chunky bracelets.
look to 相当于 expect 或 hope，表示“期待、指望”，可以用 seek 替换，看个例句：
We are looking to you for help.
我们指望得到你的帮助。
nest-egg 是一个比喻用法，巢里的蛋，比喻 money set aside as a reserve “储蓄、存款”，可以用 savings、deposit、funds 等词替换。文中 add to their nest-eggs 就是“增加储蓄”的意思，也可以说 boost their savings, augment their reserves 或 enhance their funds 等。
《经济学人》中有篇文章也出现了这个表达：
During middle age, people tend to acquire assets, such as shares and second homes, as a future nest-egg.
人到中年，倾向于购买资产，比如股票和第二套住房等，以作为未来的储蓄。
再看一个美剧里的例句：
chunky bracelets 指沉甸甸的金手镯，chunky 的意思是 thick and heavy，如：
a chunky sweater
厚实的套头毛衣
chunky jewellery
沉甸甸的首饰
bracelet 指“手镯、手链”，这个单词的后缀是“-let”，名词后缀，表示 small; not very important “小的、不很重要的”，如：
booklet 小册子
piglet 猪崽
starlet 尚未成名的年轻女演员
再看第四句话：Xiaohongshu, a social-media site favoured by “Generation z” (those born between 1997 and 2012), is buzzing with talk of the precious metal.
这句话的主干是“Xiaohongshu is buzzing with talk of the precious metal”。
“a social-media site”是主语 Xiaohongshu 的同位语，意思是：小红书是一个社交媒体。
“favoured by ‘Generation z’ (those born between 1997 and 2012)”是 a social-media site 的后置定语，进行修饰。
Generation z 大致相当于我们说的“零零后”。
be favoured by 意思是“受到…的青睐、受到…的欢迎”，也可以用 be popular among、be preferred by、be liked by 替换。
buzz with 是个固定搭配，表示 be full of “充满”，后面可以加人、情绪、想法等，看几个例句：
The place was buzzing with journalists.
那个地方被记者搞得闹哄哄的。
a classroom buzzing with activity
一个闹哄哄的教室
My mind was buzzing with new ideas.
我满脑子都是新的主意。
《哈利波特与魔法石》中也出现过这个表达：
Harry went to bed with his head buzzing with the same question.
哈利上了床，满脑子都是同样的问题。
文中 Xiaohongshu is buzzing with talk of the precious metal 意思是：小红书上充满了关于黄金的讨论。
Young people don’t have much spare cash. The youth-unemployment rate in cities is about 15%. Many companies are cutting salaries. So youngsters are hoping to make the most of what little savings they have. But traditional investments aren’t doing well. The stockmarket is slumping and house prices have fallen for ten months in a row.
年轻人手头并不宽裕。城镇青年失业率约为15％。许多公司正在降薪。因此，年轻人希望尽可能充分利用自己所拥有的少量储蓄。但传统投资表现不佳。股市持续下跌，房价已连续十个月下降。
后面两段我们简单看一下。
这段话分析了年轻人购买黄金的原因：经济不好，年轻人想投资升值，而股市和房产表现差，所以买黄金。
spare 这里指“多余的”，比如 spare time 空闲时间，spare money 多余的钱、闲钱。
cut salaries 指“减薪”，再记一个名词说法：pay cuts，看个例句：
Many workers opted to leave their jobs rather than take a pay cut.
许多工人宁肯下岗也不接受减薪。
for ten months in a row 指“连续10个月”，in a row 意思是“连续的”，此外也可以说：
for ten consecutive months
for ten successive months
for ten months running
for ten months on end
The international price of gold, though, is soaring. It stood at $2,320 per ounce on April 24th, up 12% since the start of the year. Customers elsewhere are buying because of inflation fears (China doesn’t have this problem) and geopolitical concerns. Another big reason for increased demand is China’s central bank. It has been purchasing gold to diversify its holdings away from dollars amid tensions with America.
然而，国际金价却飙升。截至4月24日，金价达到2320美元/盎司，自年初以来上涨了12％。其他地区的购买者出于通货膨胀担忧（中国并未面临这个问题）和地缘政治担忧而购买。需求增加的另一个重要原因是中国央行。中美关系紧张，中国央行一直在购买黄金，使资产多样化，减少对美元的依赖。
这段话分析了黄金上涨的原因：地缘政治紧张、通货膨胀、中国央行大量购买黄金。其实还有一个原因文中没提，就是美联储（美国央行）的降息预期。
stand at 指“达特定水平(或数量、高度等)”，后面加数字。我们在表示“某一数字达到多少”时，最先想到的是用be动词，比如：
It was $2,320 per ounce on April 24th.
词汇量大一点的同学会想到用 reach 或 hit，如：
It reached / hit $2,320 per ounce on April 24th.
而外刊中还会用 stand at 一词：
It stood at $2,320 per ounce on April 24th.
diversify its holdings，holding 指“持有的资产”，包括股票、土地、房产、藏品等，比如：
companies with large property holdings
拥有大量不动产的公司
away from dollars 指“除了美元、在美元之外”。
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