2015考研英语阅读英文原刊《经济学人》健身产业 降低成本运

　　2015考研英语复习正是强化复习阶段，考研英语阅读在考研英语中占了40分，所以考研英语阅读是英语科目中重要的一项。新东方名师范猛老师曾建议过考研生需要坚持每天泛读10-15分钟的英文原刊。强烈推荐了杂志《经济学人》杂志中的文章也是考研英语的主要材料来源.希望考研考生认真阅读，快速提高考研英语阅读水平。

　　The fitness industry

　　健身产业

　　It works out cheaper

　　降低成本运作

　　Cut-price gyms are seizing a growing share of astagnant market

　　减价的健身房在萧条的市场中的份额日益增加

　　Bulk discount

　　批量折扣

　　GETTING out of a pricey monthly gym membership has traditionally been as hard as squeezinginto lycra after the Christmas break.

　　摆脱昂贵的月制健身房会员身份从传统意义上来说就如圣诞节假期后挤入莱卡那样难

　　But at Fitness4Less, a low-cost gym in east London, membership is more flexible. Customerspay 15.99a month and can leave at any point. Like cut-price airlines and supermarkets, budgetgyms are muscling in on the market.

　　但是在伦敦东部的一个低成本健身房Fitness4Less里，会员制度更为灵活。客户只需每月缴纳15.99英镑，并且可以在任何时候终止会员关系。就像廉价航空和打折超市那样，廉价健身房也打算在市场中分得一杯羹。

　　Their rise reflects the recent shakiness of Britain’s economy. Although budget chainsconstitute only 8% of the revenue, they now account for 21% of all fitness-club members.Low-cost gyms boast around 5,000 members per club compared with an industry average ofabout 1,900, according to Mintel, a consultancy. Such high numbers help keep membershipcheap. Many accommodate such large numbers by opening 24 hours a day. That is appealingto the growing numbers of Britons doing shift work.

　　廉价健身房的崛起反应了英国经济近期的局势动荡。虽然廉价连锁店的收入只占了8%，但是它们占到健身俱乐部会员人数的21%。与咨询公司Mintel作出1900名会员的平均水平相比，低成本的健身房宣称其每间俱乐部都有大约5000名会员。如此高的数字有助于会员制价格保持低廉。如此庞大的会员量要依靠24小时营业来分流。这也就吸引越来越多的英国人来做轮班。

　　Membership turnover is high, too, but two-thirds of those who leave Fitness4Less come back,says Emma Edwards, one of its owners. Budget gyms are growing faster than any other part ofthe sector; roughly 200% since 2011. Pure Gym, a low-cost chain, has opened 75 clubs since2009. Fitness First, a mid-range chain where monthly membership can cost 70, only has 75clubs now, down from 150 in 2007.

　　会员制下的人员流动率也很高，但是有三分之二的顾客在离开Fitness4Less之后，都会再次回归它的怀抱，健身房老板之一艾玛·爱德华兹如是说。廉价健身房的数量的增长速度要完爆业界其他部分好几条大街：自2011年以来，差不多增长了200%。Pure Gym，一个低成本的连锁健身房，自2009年以来已经开了75家。而会员费为70英镑的Fitness First，一家中等规模的连锁健身房，从2007年的150家连锁跌至目前仅剩的75家。

　　Budget-gym bunnies scan their fingerprints or use personal ID numbers to gain access. Thatcuts spending on costly membership cards and receptionists. There are few frills, such assaunas and cafes. Up to 70% of the machines at The Gym, another fast-growing chain, use noelectricity, reducing overheads. No contracts mean no salaries or commissions for salespeople.

　　廉价健身房的会员通过扫描指纹或者使用个人ID号进入健身房。此举削减了昂贵的会员卡与接待员开支，例如桑拿浴室和咖啡厅等多余装饰，在健身房内很少见到。健身房内70%的空间都是健身的机器。而另一项急速增长的产业链就是不使用电能，这样可以减少开支。没有合同就意味着没有付给销售人员的佣金或者工资。

　　Other cheap ways to keep fit are thriving too, from online classes to low-cost mobile fitnessapps. Fancy gyms—where single classes can cost more than a monthly budget gymmembership–are also flourishing. It is just the flabby middle that is being squeezed.

　　从网上课程到低成本的移动健身应用程序，使用其他廉价方式来保持身材的方法现在也十分流行。花哨的健身房-----在那里一个单独的课程的花费可以超过廉价健身房每月的会员费---生意也同样蒸蒸日上。这种单独课程的花费只不过是健身零碎花费的集中体现。翻译 周晓婷 校对 崔梦雪

文章来源：经济学人

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