Hello Kitty 50岁了

11月1日，“凯蒂猫”（Hello Kitty）迎来50岁生日。

今天你练听力了吗？

🤔️小作业：

1. Why did Sanrio's sales experience instability before 2020?

A) The company frequently changed its core brand identity.

B) The popularity of its characters was inconsistent and unsustainable.

C) Sanrio faced competition from more technologically advanced franchises.

D) The company lacked global recognition.

2. The phrase “on a rollercoaster ride” is closest in meaning to:

A) experiencing a continuous upward trend.

B) having unpredictable and extreme fluctuations.

C) maintaining a steady and reliable performance.

D) facing minor setbacks and quick recoveries.

无注释原文：

How Japan's youngest CEO transformed Hello Kitty

From: BBC

Hello Kitty, arguably Japan's best loved creation, is celebrating her 50th anniversary.

But all has not always been well at Sanrio, the Japanese company behind the character. The business has been on a spectacular journey of financial peaks and valleys.

Hello Kitty has been ranked the second-highest grossing media franchise in the world behind Pokémon, and ahead of the likes of Mickey Mouse and Star Wars.

Underscoring her global fame, Britain's King Charles wished her a happy birthday during the state visit to the UK by Japan's Emperor and Empress in June.

In recent years though Sanrio had been struggling to make money, as interest in Hello Kitty waned.

Two previous surges in Sanrio sales, in 1999 and 2014, were both driven by the character's popularity. But these jumps in demand for the firm's products were not sustainable, says Yasuki Yoshioka of investment company SMBC Nikko.

"In the past, its performance had many ups and downs, as if it was on a rollercoaster ride," Mr Yoshioka says.

Then, in 2020, Tomokuni Tsuji inherited the role as Sanrio's boss. He is the grandson of the firm's founder, Shintaro Tsuji, and was just 31 at the time, making him the youngest chief executive of a listed Japanese company. His grandfather then became Sanrio's chairman.

Under the younger Mr Tsuji's leadership, Sanrio changed its marketing strategy of its stable of other characters. "It is not about lowering Hello Kitty's popularity but it is about boosting others' recognition," he says.

This resulted in Hello Kitty losing the position of Sanrio's most popular character.

According to a poll of customers, that spot is now held by Cinnamoroll - a blue-eyed white puppy with pink cheeks, long ears and a tail that looks like a Cinnamon roll.

Sanrio is also no longer just about cute characters.

If Hello Kitty is Japan's ambassador of cute, then angry red panda Aggressive Retsuko - or Aggretsuko - channels the frustrations of an ordinary working woman. The character, which is popular among Gen Zers, first appeared in a cartoon series on Japan's TBS Television before it became a global hit on Netflix.

Another unconventional character is Gudetama, or "lazy egg", who is living with depression and fires out cold one-liners that reflect dark realities of life.

As well as diversifying its characters, Sanrio boosted its overseas marketing and is now tackling counterfeits more rigorously. "We are now using artificial intelligence to detect fake products and to make removal requests," says Mr Tsuji.

For its marketing strategy, collaborations with major brands - including Starbucks, Crocs and the LA Dodgers baseball team - have been key, he added. "In addition to our own promotion, by collaborating with global brands, we are trying to have our characters in the market throughout the year without many breaks."

- ◆ -

注：完整题目见本文开头；中文文本为BBC官方译文，仅供参考

含注释全文：

How Japan's youngest CEO transformed Hello Kitty

From: BBC

Hello Kitty,arguablyJapan's best loved creation, is celebrating her 50th anniversary.

“凯蒂猫”（Hello Kitty，哈啰凯蒂，又称吉蒂猫） ，这个可以说是日本最受喜爱的动物卡通，正在欢庆她的50周年纪念。

arguably

arguably /ˈɑːɡ.ju.ə.bli/ 常用于形容词比较级或最高级前，表示“可论证地，按理；可以说是；大概，可能”，英文解释为“used, often before a comparative or superlative adjective, when you are stating an opinion which you believe you could give reasons to support”举个🌰：They are arguably the most important band since The Rolling Stones. 他们可以说是自滚石以来最重要的乐队。

📺美剧《脱狱之王》（Breakout Kings）中的台词提到：selling what is arguably the finest upright vacuum 推销现在市面上号称口碑最好的直立式吸尘。

But all has not always been well at Sanrio, the Japanese company behind the character. The business has been on aspectacularjourney of financialpeaks and valleys.

然而，“凯蒂猫”背后的公司三丽鸥公司（Sanrio）并非一帆风顺。几十年来，这家日本公司在财务上经历了剧烈的起伏。

spectacular

spectacular /spekˈtæk.jə.lər/ 1）表示“壮观的；精彩的；令人印象深刻的”，英文解释为“very impressive”如：a mountainous area with spectacular scenery 景色壮丽的山区，a spectacular success 辉煌的成就；

2）表示“非常大的，巨大的；惊人的，突如其来的”，英文解释为“very sudden, unexpected, or extreme”举个🌰：The news caused a spectacular fall in the stock market. 这一消息引起了股市的暴跌。

peaks and valleys

“peaks and valleys”用来形容事物经历的高低起伏、不稳定或波动。在商业、经济、个人生活等多个领域中，这个短语常用于描述周期性的成功与挫折、繁荣与衰退。

📍Peaks（高峰）：指事物发展的顶点或最佳状态，象征成功、增长或繁荣。Valleys（低谷）：指事物发展的低点或不佳状态，象征困难、衰退或挫折。 “peaks and valleys” 综合起来，表示事物在一段时间内经历了多次的高峰和低谷，强调其发展的不稳定性和波动性。可以翻译为 “高峰与低谷”、“起伏不定”、“波峰波谷” 或 “高潮与低潮”。

Hello Kitty has been ranked the second-highestgrossingmediafranchisein the world behind Pokémon, and ahead ofthe likes ofMickey Mouse and Star Wars.

“凯蒂猫”被评为全球第二高收入的媒体品牌，仅次于“宝可梦”，超过“米老鼠”和“星际大战”等知名品牌。

grossing

gross /ɡrəʊs/ 可以作名词，也可以作动词，表示“总收入为，总共赚得，获得…毛利”，英文解释为“to earn a particular amount of money before tax is paid or costs are taken away”举个🌰：The film has grossed over $200 million this year. 这部电影今年总收入超过了两亿美元。

🎬电影《皮克斯的故事》（The Pixar Story）中的台词提到：making it the new highest grossing animated film in history. 成为历史上最卖座的动画电影。

franchise

franchise /ˈfræntʃaɪz/ 最常见的意思与“特许经营权”有关，既可以作可数名词，又可以做及物动词。作可数名词时具体表示“（公司授予某人的）特许经营权”，英文解释为“A franchise is an authority that is given by an organization to someone, allowing them to sell its goods or services or to take part in an activity which the organization controls.”比如“建造、运营隧道的特许权”就可以用“the franchise to build and operate the tunnel.”表示。

📍可以理解为「一部电影的所有系列，系列电影」A film series is also called a film “franchise” which consists of a number of films based on the same characters. 或者“franchise”可以指一个商业品牌或者产品系列，它由相同主题或品牌下的多个作品组成，这些作品可以是电影、电视剧、漫画、视频游戏等。

📍作及物动词时具体表示“出售…的特许经营权”，英文解释为“If a company franchises its business, it sells franchises to other companies, allowing them to sell its goods or services.”举个🌰：She has recently franchised her business. 她最近已出售了其公司的特许经营权。

📍它还有另外一个意思，表示“选举权”，用作不可数名词，英文解释为“Franchise is the right to vote in an election.”

📍而在体育运动领域，指的是“球队，职业运动队”（a professional sports team），如在“湖人总冠军！”文中出现过：Second, Pelinka lived up to Bryant's prediction that Pelinka would help turn the franchise around within two to three years after the Lakers hired him in 2017. 第二，佩林卡不负布莱恩特的预言，在2017年湖人队聘请他之后，佩林卡将在两到三年内帮助球队扭转局面。

the likes of

the likes of sb/sth = sb's/sth's like 表示“…之类”，英文解释为“a person, thing, or group similar in character or quality to the one mentioned”举个🌰：They're competing with the likes of Microsoft. 他们在跟微软这样的公司竞争。He was a very great actor - we won't see his like again. 他是个非常了不起的演员——没有人能达到他那样的水平。

📍《经济学人》（The Economist）一篇讲述奢侈品集团思索清空库存方法的文章中提到：Every frock sold by the likes of Gucci or Givenchy is billed as a must-have that season. 古驰或纪梵希之类的品牌把它们的每条裙子都标榜为当季必买。

Underscoringher global fame, Britain's King Charles wished her a happy birthday during the state visit to the UK by Japan's Emperor and Empress in June.

突显其全球知名度的事迹之一是英国国王查尔斯在日本天皇和皇后访英的国事访问期间，还特别祝她生日快乐。

underscore

underscore /ˌʌn.dəˈskɔːr/ 表示“突出显示；强调”，英文解释为“If something such as an action or an event underscores another, it draws attention to the other thing and emphasizes its importance.”举个🌰：The figures underscore the state of the economic recovery.数据突出显示了经济复苏的状态。

🎬电影《笔下求生》（Stranger Than Fiction）中的台词提到：lts desperate attempts to escape... only underscore the hopelessness of its plight. 它绝望的挣扎 只能强调它无望的处境。

In recent years though Sanrio had been struggling to make money, as interest in Hello Kittywaned.

但是，近年来，三丽鸥面临获利困难，因为人们对“哈啰凯蒂”的兴趣减退了。

wane

wane /weɪn/ 作动词，表示“衰减；减弱”，英文解释为“to become weaker in strength or influence”举个🌰：By the late 70s the band's popularity was beginning to wane. 上世纪70年代末，这支乐队的人气开始下滑。

作名词，on the wane 表示“（权力、人气等）衰落，减弱”，英文解释为“becoming less strong, powerful, popular, etc.”举个🌰：There are signs that support for the company is on the wane. 有迹象表明该公司的支持率正日益下降。

Two previoussurgesin Sanrio sales, in 1999 and 2014, were both driven by the character's popularity. But these jumps in demand for the firm's products were notsustainable, says Yasuki Yoshioka of investment company SMBC Nikko.

过去两次的销售激增，发生在1999年和2014年，都反映出凯蒂猫的受欢迎程度。然而，这些对三丽鸥产品需求的渴望却不持久，日本投资公司SMBC（日兴）的吉冈康辉（音译）向BBC说。

surge

surge /sɜːdʒ/ 1）作动词，表示“急剧上升；飞涨；剧增”，英文解释为“If something surges, it increases suddenly and greatly, after being steady or developing only slowly.”举个🌰：The company's profits have surged. 公司的利润激增。

2）表示“涌动，蜂拥向前”，英文解释为“to move quickly and powerfully”举个🌰：An angry crowd surged through the gates of the president's palace. 愤怒的人群涌进了总统府的大门。

3）作名词，表示“剧增”，英文解释为“A surge is a sudden large increase in something that has previously been steady, or has only increased or developed slowly.”举个🌰：An unexpected surge in electrical power caused the computer to crash. 突然出现的电压剧增导致电脑死机。

🎬电影《雷神2：黑暗世界》（Thor: The Dark World）中的台词提到：But she will not survive the amount of energy surging within her. 但她体内涌动的能量太大 她撑不住的。

sustainable

sustainable /səˈsteɪ.nə.bəl/ 1）表示“（对环境没有损害或损害很小因而）可持续的，能长期维持的”，英文解释为“causing little or no damage to the environment and therefore able to continue for a long time”举个🌰：A large international meeting was held with the aim of promoting sustainable development in all countries. 召开了一个旨在推进所有国家可持续发展的大型国际会议。

2）表示“可持续的，能长期保持的”，英文解释为“able to continue over a period of time”举个🌰：That sort of extreme diet is not sustainable over a long period. 那种极端的饮食方式无法长期坚持。

"In the past, its performance had manyups and downs, as if it wason a rollercoaster ride," Mr Yoshioka says.

“过去的表现如同云霄飞车般起伏不定。”吉冈先生说。

ups and downs

ups and downs 字面上是“上上下下”，意思就是“起起伏伏，兴衰，沉浮”，英文解释为“alternating periods of good and bad fortune, high and low spirits, etc”举个🌰：We've had our ups and downs, but life's like that. 我们也经历过沉浮波折，但生活就是如此。

rollercoaster

rollercoaster /ˈrəʊ.ləˌkəʊ.stər/ 表示“过山车，云霄飞车”，英文解释为“an exciting entertainment in an amusement park, like a fast train that goes up and down very steep slopes and around very sudden bends”举个🌰：Children will love the indoor rollercoaster. 孩子们会喜欢室内过山车的。

Then, in 2020, Tomokuni Tsujiinheritedthe role as Sanrio's boss. He is the grandson of the firm's founder, Shintaro Tsuji, and was just 31 at the time, making him the youngest chief executive of alistedJapanese company. His grandfather then became Sanrio's chairman.

2020年，辻朋邦（Tomokuni Tsuji）继承了三丽鸥的社长职位。他是三丽鸥创办人辻信太郎的孙子，接掌公司大位时年仅31岁，成为日本上市公司中最年轻的社长。辻信太郎则成为了三丽鸥的董事长。

inherit

inherit /ɪnˈher.ɪt/ 1）表示“经遗传得到（父母的性格、外貌、品质、特征）”，英文解释为：to have the same character or appearance as your parents，举个🌰：I inherited my mother's curly hair. 我遗传了母亲的鬈发。

2）表示“继承（财产）”，英文解释：If you inherit money or property, you receive it from someone who has died. 举个🌰：He has no son to inherit his land. 他没有儿子来继承他的土地。

listed

list作动词，表示“使（公司）上市；（公司）上市”（If a company is listed, or if it lists, on a stock exchange, it obtains an official quotation for its shares so that people can buy and sell them.）举个🌰：Last month, thirty new companies were listed. 上个月有30家公司上市。

📍relist 重新上市。

📍listing作名词，除了表示“（表册上的）位置，项目”，也有“上市”的含义，英文解释为“a position or an item on a list”举个🌰：The company is seeking a stock exchange listing (= for trading shares). 这家公司正在争取上市。

Under the younger Mr Tsuji's leadership, Sanrio changed its marketing strategy of its stable of other characters. "It is not about lowering Hello Kitty's popularity but it is aboutboostingothers' recognition," he says.

在年轻的辻朋邦的领导下，三丽鸥改变了其他角色的行销策略：“我们不是要降低Hello Kitty的受欢迎程度，而是要提升其他角色的知名度，”他表示。

boost

boost /buːst/ 可以作名词也可以作动词，表示“改善；提高；增强；推动”，英文解释为“to improve or increase something”举个🌰：The theatre managed to boost its audiences by cutting ticket prices. 剧院设法通过降低票价来增加观众数量。

📍“佩洛西有病还是先治病吧”文中提到be boosted，get boosted用来指打了加强针（疫苗），也有说booster shot/booster dose.

This resulted in Hello Kitty losing the position of Sanrio's most popular character.

这也导致“凯蒂猫”在三丽鸥失去了最受欢迎角色的地位。

According to apollof customers, that spot is now held by Cinnamoroll - a blue-eyed white puppy with pink cheeks, long ears and a tail that looks like a Cinnamon roll.

因为，根据日本一项顾客调查，现在该公司最后欢迎的位置由大耳狗（Cinnamoroll，又称玉桂狗）所占据——这是一只拥有蓝眼珠、白色毛发、粉红色脸颊、长耳朵和看起来像肉桂卷的尾巴的狗狗。

poll

poll /pəʊl/ 1）作名词，表示“民意测验；民意调查”，英文解释为“A poll is a survey in which people are asked their opinions about something, usually in order to find out how popular something is or what people intend to do in the future.”复数形式polls可以特指“选举投票；计票”（the process of voting at an election; the process of counting the votes）举个🌰：Polls show that the European treaty has gained support in Denmark. 民意测验显示，欧洲条约已经在丹麦获得支持。

2）作动词，表示“对…进行民意调查”，英文解释为“If you are polled on something, you are asked what you think about it as part of a survey.”举个🌰：More than 2,000 people were polled. 2000多人接受了民意调查。

3）作动词，表示“获得…选票”，英文解释为“If a political party or a candidate polls a particular number or percentage of votes, they get that number or percentage of votes in an election.”举个🌰：The result showed he had polled enough votes to force a second ballot. 结果显示他获得了足够的选票来促使第二轮选举。

Sanrio is also no longer just about cute characters.

此外，三丽鸥也不再仅仅是关于可爱角色。

If Hello Kitty is Japan's ambassador of cute, then angry red panda Aggressive Retsuko - or Aggretsuko - channels thefrustrationsof an ordinary working woman. The character, which is popular among Gen Zers, first appeared in a cartoon series on Japan's TBS Television before it became a global hit on Netflix.

因为，如果“凯蒂猫”是日本可爱文化的代言人，那么愤怒的红熊猫“冲吧烈子”（Aggressive Retsuko，或称Aggretsuko），则表达了日本普通女性上班族的挫折感。这个角色在日本“Z世代”中颇受欢迎，最初出现在日本TBS电视台的卡通系列中，后来在“奈飞”（Netflix）上成为全球热播的作品。

frustration

frustration /frʌsˈtreɪ.ʃən/ 表示“（因不能满足需求而）沮丧；令人沮丧的事物”，英文解释为“the feeling of being annoyed or less confident because you cannot achieve what you want, or something that makes you feel like this”举个🌰：I could sense his frustration at not being able to help. 我可以感觉到他因无力帮忙而心感沮丧。

Anotherunconventionalcharacter is Gudetama, or "lazy egg", who is living with depression and fires out coldone-linersthat reflect dark realities of life.

另一个非传统的角色是“蛋黄哥”（Gudetama），或称“懒蛋蛋”，他活在抑郁中，经常抛出反映生活黑暗现实的冷嘲热讽。

unconventional

unconventional /ˌʌn.kənˈven.ʃən.əl/ 表示“不因循守旧的；不同寻常的”，英文解释为“different from what is usual or from the way most people do things”如：an unconventional childhood/lifestyle/marriage 不一样的童年/生活方式/婚姻。

one-liner

one-liner /ˌwʌnˈlaɪ.nər/ 表示“（单句的）俏皮话，打趣话；小笑话”，英文解释为“a joke or a clever and funny remark or answer that is usually one sentence long”举个🌰：There are some very witty one-liners in the play. 这部电影中有些非常诙谐的俏皮话。

As well asdiversifyingits characters, Sanrio boosted its overseas marketing and is now tacklingcounterfeitsmore rigorously. "We are now using artificial intelligence to detect fake products and to make removal requests," says Mr Tsuji.

除了多样化角色，三丽鸥还加强了海外行销，并开始更严格地打击仿冒品：“我们现在使用人工智慧来检测假货并提出移除请求，”辻朋邦向BBC强调。

diversify

diversify /daɪˈvɜː.sɪ.faɪ/ 作动词，1）表示“多样化；差异化”，英文解释为“to start to include more different types or things”举个🌰：Millions of years ago, changes in the earth's climate caused animal and plant life to diversify. 数百万年前，地球气候的变化导致了动植物的多样化。

2）表示“（使）多元化经营，（使）从事多种经营”，英文解释为“If a business diversifies, it starts making new products or offering new services.”举个🌰：Many wheat farmers have begun to diversify into other forms of agriculture. 很多麦农已经开始采用其他农业种植模式。

counterfeit

counterfeit /ˈkaʊn.tə.fɪt/ 作名词，表示“仿制品；伪造物”，作形容词，表示“伪造的；仿造的；假冒的”，英文解释为“made to look like the original of something, usually for dishonest or illegal purposes”如：counterfeit jewellery/passports/coins 假珠宝/护照/钱币。

For its marketing strategy, collaborations with major brands - including Starbucks, Crocs and the LA Dodgers baseball team - have been key, he added. "In addition to our own promotion, by collaborating with global brands, we are trying to have our characters in the market throughout the year without many breaks."

他又表示，公司在行销策略上，与主要品牌的合作——包括星巴克、Crocs和洛杉矶道奇棒球队等等是关键：“除了我们自己推广，公司通过与全球品牌的合作，希望让我们的角色在市场上全年无休地出现。”

- 词汇盘点 -

arguably、 spectacular、 peaks and valleys、 grossing、 franchise、 the likes of、 underscore、 wane、 surge、 sustainable、 ups and downs、 rollercoaster、 inherit、 listed、 boost、 poll、 frustration、 unconventional、 one-liner、 diversify、 counterfeit

- 词汇助记 By ChatGPT -

Arguably a spectacular franchise, experiencing peaks and valleys in grossing. To boost sustainable growth, they diversified channels and underscored unconventional strategies against counterfeit. Polls showed surges and wanes, a rollercoaster of ups and downs, causing frustration but maintaining listed status.

- END -

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