【原版杂志阅读】32期 Day 10：Which Chinese provinces splash their cash part 2

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China | Boosting consumption

Which Chinese provinces splash their cash?

The misers and spendthrifts are surprising 

More pertinent, though, is what happens at the margins: how consumption varies in response to changes in income. Chart 2plots this for the years 2023 to 2024, the latest available data. By this measure, Zhejiang, a coastal province, has been doing the heavy lifting for national consumption: of the 3,200-yuan increase in average income in 2024, it spent 2,900. The cosmopolitan Shanghainese, geographically just above Zhejiang, were relatively stingy. They gained 3,500 yuan in income, but then only consumed 200 yuan more. Guangdong and Shandong, previously the spending leader and laggard respectively, are both close to trend.

What determines this marginal zeal for splashing cash? The data suggest several factors are important. The higher the initial income, the lower the enthusiasm to consume any extra dollops of it. That makes sense—the wealthy Shanghainese already shell out a whopping 53,000 yuan each year on average. It follows that more urban provinces, with cities full of well- heeled types, also seem less inclined to fritter away extra income.

一、词汇部分

1. pertinent  /ˈpɜːrtɪnənt/ adj. 相关的；切题的

英文释义: directly related to the matter being considered

词根词缀: per- 穿过(perfect) + tin- 同tain-拿 + ent 形容词后缀

英文例句: Please ask questions that are pertinent to the discussion. 

2. dollop /ˈdɑːləp/ n. 一团；一大勺（半流体状的东西）

英文释义: a large spoonful or blob of a soft substance

英文例句: He gave the story a dollop of humor.

3. tentative /ˈtentətɪv/ adj. 试探性的；暂时的；不确定的

英文释义: not certain or fixed; done without confidence

词根词缀: tent- 延伸(tend) + ative 形容词后缀

英文例句: We made a tentative plan for next week.

4. stimulus /ˈstɪmjələs/ n.  刺激；刺激物；激励因素

英文释义: something that causes a reaction or response

词根词缀: simul- 刺(sting) + us名词后缀(radius) 

英文例句:The government introduced an economic stimulus package.

5. propensity /prəˈpensəti/ n.  倾向；癖好

英文释义:a natural tendency to behave in a particular way

词根词缀: pro-向前 + pens- 悬挂(expensive) + ity 名词后缀

英文例句: He has a propensity for taking risks.

二、文章讲解(词汇/搭配、语法长难句、篇章段落结构）

1. More pertinent, though, is what happens at the margins: how consumption varies in response to changes in income. Chart 2 plots this for the years 2023 to 2024, the latest available data. By this measure, Zhejiang, a coastal province, has been doing the heavy lifting for national consumption: of the 3,200-yuan increase in average income in 2024, it spent 2,900. The cosmopolitan Shanghainese, geographically just above Zhejiang, were relatively stingy. They gained 3,500 yuan in income, but then only consumed 200 yuan more. Guangdong and Shandong, previously the spending leader and laggard respectively, are both close to trend.

1)  (what happens at the margins) is more pertinent. 

2) Be (highly) pertinent to

e.g. Please keep your comments pertinent to the topic. 

e.g. This question is highly pertinent to investors. 

3) vary in response to 随….而变化

e.g.Prices vary in response to supply shocks. 

4) by this measure 通过这个标准; by this metric, by this standard 

5) do the heavy lifting 承担了主要责任

6) be stingy with ..对..很小气; The company is stingy with bonuses. /He is stingy with compliments. 

2. What determines this marginal zeal for splashing cash? The data suggest several factors are important. The higher the initial income, the lower the enthusiasm to consume any extra dollops of it. That makes sense—the wealthy Shanghainese already shell out a whopping 53,000 yuan each year on average. It follows that more urban provinces, with cities full of well- heeled types, also seem less inclined to fritter away extra income.

1) determine —explain/drive/account for 

2) The + 比较级, the + 比较级

e.g. The higher the price, the lower the demand. 

E.g. The stronger the dollar, the weaker exports become. 

3) shell out 掏钱(略带不情愿) —Firms shelled out billions in fines. 

4) whopping adj. 巨大的—a whopping increase.

e.g. Profits rose by a whopping 40%. 

5) well-heeled 裕富的--type 某一类人; Risk-averse types 

初始收入越高, 新增收入消费热情就越低. —解释.

三、段落翻译

更关键的是边际层面发生了什么：当收入发生变化时，消费如何随之变动。图2展示了2023年至2024年的情况，这是目前最新的数据。按照这一衡量标准，沿海省份浙江在拉动全国消费方面承担了“主力”角色：2024年人均收入增加了3200元，其中有2900元被用于消费。与浙江地理位置相邻、位于其北侧的国际化都市上海，则显得相对“节俭”。上海居民收入增加了3500元，但消费仅增加了200元。此前分别是“消费领先者”和“落后者”的广东与山东，如今都大体回归趋势水平。

是什么决定了这种“边际消费热情”？数据表明有几个因素至关重要。初始收入越高，对新增收入的消费热情就越低。这不难理解——富裕的上海居民每年平均已经消费高达5.3万元。因此，更加城市化的省份，由于拥有大量富裕人群，也似乎更不倾向于把新增收入随意花掉。