Cruising for a bruising

Betting big on the theme parks and resorts had paid off-until this year

第一段

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away-February, to be precise-Bob Iger quit as head of a wildly successful company. Disney ruled the box office, with seven of the ten biggest hits of 2019. It had just launched a streaming service, Disney+, to take on Netflix. And it had completed a $69bn debt-fuelled acquisition of 21th Century Fox. In Mr Iger's 14 year in charge, the firm's share price quintupled . On May 5th semi-retirement, to introduce a first-quarter earnings call where Disney suspended its dividend and said covid-19 had caused net profit to fall by 91% from a year ago.

重点词汇

• galaxy

  • 银河系, 银河

    • Y-you're talking about taking over planets and galaxies.《瑞克与莫蒂 第二季（双语）》
    • Our galaxy is but one of them.《BBC纪录片“太阳之谜”》

  • 词源

    希腊神话中，天后赫拉的乳汁具有神奇的力量，吃后可以长生不老。一天，趁赫拉熟睡之际，宙斯将自己和凡人结合所生的赫拉克勒斯抱到赫拉身旁，让他吮吸赫拉的乳汁。没想到赫拉克勒斯吮吸时用力过猛，惊醒了赫拉。赫拉猛地把孩子推开，但一些乳汁飞溅到天上形成了银河。所以银河在希腊语中就被称为 galaxias
    - galaxy （银河）来自希腊语 galaxias

    • 天后赫拉喷洒出的乳汁milky ，乳汁的），是 galaxias kyklos （ milky circle ，乳汁之环）

• precise

  • adj. 精确的；明确的；严格的

    • The rules dictate you must be precise, as the law is a very precise endeavor《诉讼双雄 第1季》
    • Blankets. Extra blankets, to be precise. 《福尔摩斯基本演绎法第二季》
    • Well, presses, to be precise. One old.《福尔摩斯基本演绎法第一季》

  • 词源

    • 词根词缀： pre- 前 + -cis- 切 + -e → 预先裁剪过的 → 精确的

• stream

  • . 溪流；流动；光线；潮流

    • Whisper of running streams, and winter lightning.《四个四重奏》
    • A steady unrelenting unbearable stream of pity. 《老爸老妈的浪漫史视频版（第四季）
    • Glories stream from heaven afar. Heavenly hosts sing alleluia.《Silent Night 》

  • 词源

    • 来源于原始印欧语 sreu- (流 , 流动)。

• acquisition

  • n. 获得物，获得；收购

    • Hey, man, abductions just follows the acquisition order.《瑞克与莫蒂 第一季（双语）》
    • You're head of acquisitions at APMG, correct《福尔摩斯基本演绎法第二季》
    • EBay announced the acquisition of where.com.《科技动态》
    • Business partners. Mergers and acquisitions. I'm kidding. We're gay. 《摩登家庭第一季_Modern Family-Season01》
    • It is Mastercard's biggest acquisition to date.《经济学人（汇总）》It is Mastercard's biggest acquisition to date.

  • 词源

    • 词根词缀： ac- 来 , 临近 + -quis- 寻求 + -ition 名词词尾

• summon

  • 召唤；召集；鼓起；振作

    • Summon the courage not just to hear but to listen.《库克演讲合辑》
    • Harry summoned what remained of his courage.《哈利波特与密室》
    • The ghosts appeared, summoned by their talismans.《美国恐怖故事第一季》
    • Did master summon me? he said, entering.《海底两万里（精选）》

  • 词源

    • sum-, 在下， -mon, 警告，词源同 monitor,admonish. 即给予警告，后引申词义传唤，召唤等。

• suspend

  • 延缓，推迟；使暂停；使悬浮

    • We have a concept called suspending disbelief《科技内幕》
    • What lawmakers did is suspend the limit《CNN 听力 2014年2月合集》

  • 词源

    • 词根词缀： sus- 下 , 低 + -pend- 悬挂

第二段

Covid-19 had infected all big media groups . cinemas are shut; advertising is down; shooting is disrupted and there are no live sports to televise. But few have suffered as badly as Disney . Netflix is thriving as locked-down consumers sign up. AT&T and Comcast are stabilised by their dull yet dependable cable and mobile businesses. Disney had been whacked for the same reason that for years it thrived under Mr Iger, the world's best-known media company grew into far more than a media company . Alas , it diversified into exactly the wrong businesses for a pandemic

重点词汇

• disrupt

  • vt. 使混乱, 扰乱

    • Did he murder guests, or disrupt a sacred ritual?《TED-Ed（视频版）》
    • And it is disrupting obviously day to day life.《BBC 听力 2015年11月合集》

  • 词源

    • dis-, 分开。 -rupt, 断开。

• whacked

  • 重击

    • And sometimes it gets hellaciously whacked.《Crash Course 天文篇》
    • It says here that a Muppet got whacked on Sesame Street last night. 《老友记第三季》
    • Because if you do say anything we're gonna have to have you whacked《绝望的主妇（音频版）第六季》

  • 词源

    • 拟声词。

• thrived

  • 旺盛的；蒸蒸日上的；繁荣的

    • South Korea is a thriving capitalist country.CNN 10 学生英语 2018年2月合集
    • Some travel agents are thriving in spite of the economy.历年英语六级听力真题（含译文）

  • 词源

    • 中古英语 thriven, 繁荣，兴旺，来自 Proto-Germanic * thribana, 抓住，使繁盛，
    • Terpsichore, 古希腊神话中的歌舞女神，字面意思为享受舞蹈者。

第三段

A decade ago Disney's media networks, which include the Disney channel , ESPN sports and A|BC broadcasting , raked in two-thirds of Disney's operating profits from its various businesses. Last year they made up half. With pay-TV in decline, Disney has invested elsewhere. One area is its film studios, where profits have been lift by the acquisition of companies like Lucasfilm (which owns Star Wars) and Fox. That has boosted its consumer-products business, as fans snap up plastic lightsabres and Iron Man toys. But last quarter, with cinemas closed , Disney studios' profits fell by 8% , year on year . With new releases postponed until July , the next quarter looks worse.

重点词汇

• rake

  • 迅速大量取得；大量地敛集（钱财）

    • So does Facebook's ability to rake in money.经济学人（汇总）

  • 词源

    • 来自 Proto-Germanic * rak, 堆集，集中，

• decline

  • 下降，减少，衰退

    • He tried to hire me. I declined.福尔摩斯基本演绎法第一季
    • The decline of his fortunes, then? "福尔摩斯探案之蓝宝石案

  • 词源

    • de-, 向下，离开。 -clin, 弯，转，
    • 即向下转开，引申义婉言拒绝。

• snap

  • 猛咬；突然折断，拉断；啪地关上

    • Well, don't snap at me, Tom. Snap at the rain.《绝望的主妇》第七季
    • Never snap, yell, or be sarcastic with them.广告狂人

  • 词源

    • 荷兰语或低地德语 snappen, 咬，抓住，来自 West-Germanic * snu-, 鼻子发出的呼哧声，用 力抓或咬时的喘气声

• boost

  • 促进；增加；支援

    • Cutting red tape should also boost investment.经济学人-中国 (The Economist)

• profit

  • 利润；利益

    • But we believe he profited from the theft.唐顿庄园视频版（第六季）
    • Unless there was a profit in it.权力的游戏 第1季

  • 词源

    • pro-, 向前， -fit, 做，词源同 benefit,effect. 字母 c 脱落。即做事的收益，引申词义利润，报酬

• postpone

  • 使…延期；把…放在次要地位

    • All lessons were suspended, all examinations postponed.哈利波特与混血王子
    • The Tokyo Olympics has been postponed because of the pandemic.BBC 听力 2020年3月合集
    • So what? We file a motion to postpone?逍遥法外 第三季

  • 词源

    • post- 后 + -pon- 放置 + -e → 把事情向后方

第四段

The Fox deal apart , Disney's biggest expansion under Mr Iger was in theme parks and resorts. Capital spending on these was in theme parks and resorts. Capital spending on these was $4.1bn last year-more than Disney paid for Lucasfilm in 2012. Six parks and four cruise ships(plus a private island in the Bahamas) helped generate a third of Disney's operating profit in 2019, nearly double the share a decade ago. Bob Chapek , who replaced Mr Iger as CEO in February , ran the division . Yet this business is especially vulnerable to social distancing . With parks closed and ships docked , quarterly profits in this segment swooned by 58%.

重点词汇

• resort

  • 凭借，手段；常去之地；度假胜地

    • To a ski resort in the mountains.查莉成长日记 第1季
    • And if you resort to those..福尔摩斯基本演绎法第二季

  • 词源

    • 词根词缀： re- 回 , 向后 + sort 抽签
    • 古法语 resort, 资源，求助，援助，来自 re-, 往回，再， sortir, 出去，起来，来自（缩写自） 拉丁语 surrectus, 起来的
    • 引申 词义度假区，度假胜地。比较 refreshment.

• cruise

  • 巡航，巡游；漫游

    • An icebreaker cruise is another popular attraction环游世界
    • nYou know, cruise by the general vicinity.极品老妈
    • Take a cruise someplace wet and Latin.马男波杰克第一季（双语）

  • 词源

    • 来自 cross, 穿起，穿过

• division

  • 除法；部门；分配；分割；师（军队）；赛区

    • Real leaders don't spread derision and division.CNN 精选 2017年3月合集
    • Grand Supreme Little Darling, New York Division" ?老友记Friends 第十季
    • But the divisions are stark in China经济学人（汇总）

  • 词源

    • 来自 divide, 分开。用作军事编制师。比较 regiment.

• vulnerable

  • 易受伤的, 脆弱的, 敏感的

    • If you're even one percent vulnerable, you're vulnerable.傲骨贤妻 第5季
    • Your divorce left you hurt and vulnerable.《绝望的主妇》第一季

  • 词源

    • 拉丁语 vulnus, 伤口，来自 PIE * wele, 拔，击打，词源同 wool,vulture 。引申义有伤口的，脆弱的。

• dock

  • 船坞；码头；被告席；尾巴的骨肉部分

    • They'll be waiting for me on the docks.权力的游戏（第二季）
    • " Or a deck from a dock, " screamed Stuart.精灵鼠小弟
    • When the ship docks, I'm getting off with you. "VOA Special 2020年9月合集

  • 词源

    • 来自词根 duc, 引导，词源同 duke, conduct. 用于指码头，船坞。

• segment

  • vi. 分割,；部分

    • To divide a computer program into segments.雅思词汇例句
    • But Nigeria also has an upmarket segment.
    • Has anyone ever approached you for a news segment?摩登家庭第六季_Modern Family-Season06

  • 词源

    • 语 secare, 砍，切，来自 PIE * sek, 砍，切，词源同 section,secateurs.-ment, 名词后缀。

• swoon

  • 昏晕；惊讶；着迷

    • Stock markets in Europe and Japan also swooned.经济学人（汇总）
    • A painting before which people had once swooned. A painting both beautiful and repulsive.艺术的力量-雅克-路易·大卫
    • Makes the monkeys sing and the baboon swoon.狮子王2

  • 词源

    • 古英语 swonen, 昏厥，昏倒，来自古英语 swogan, 窒息，闷死，发出嗯嗯声
    • 词源同 sough, 飒飒声响。引申比喻义痴迷，迷得神魂颠倒等

第五段

Disney's Shanghai park , at least , will reopen on May 11th , at below 30% capacity. Visitors are banned from hugging Mickey Mouse and must wear face-masks . The Disney shop sells those in packs of four, featuring Mickey or R2-D2, for $19.99

重点词汇

• capacity

  • 能力；容量；生产力；资格，地位

    • His co-workers admire his capacity for work.新概念英语.词汇随身听.第二册
    • This capacity is closely related to optimism.英语专业四级写作满分模板
    • I have the lung capacity of a 2-year-old.老友记第三季
    • Delhi's current capacity is just nine thousand.BBC世界头条
    • Actually, our friendship group is at capacity.生活大爆炸 第10季

  • 词源

    • capacity 表示人的接受 , 理解等方面的能力 , 还可表示其它无生命事物的承受 , 容纳 , 装载能力
    • -cap- 拿 + -acity 名词词尾
    • ability 指人办事等实际应用上的才能。

• ban

  • 取缔, 查封, 禁止

    • Meanwhile, Colombia banned ransom payments, then unbanned, then banned them again.卫报

  • 词源

    在欧洲的封建社会中，领主在自己的领地上（ manor ）拥有许多经济特权。其中一项特权是，领主可以发布公告，强制要求领地内的所有居民做某事或禁止做某事，如要求居民给领主服兵役、禁止狩猎、捕鱼等，甚至要求居民必须使用领主所提供的公用设施，如水井、磨坊、烤房、桥梁等，并向领主支付相应的使用费。领主所发布的这种公告在拉丁语中称作 bannun ，英语单词 ban （禁令）就来源于此，本来既可是命令做某事或禁止做某事，但后来词义逐渐缩小为“禁止做某事”。同源的还有单词 banns （结婚公告）
    从单词 ban 衍生出形容词 banal ，原意是“与 ban 有关的”，如 banal right 指的就是领主所拥有的发布公告的权利。由于领地内所有人都必须遵守领主的公告，所以 banal 一词逐渐产生“公共的，普遍的”之意，进而产生“司马见惯的，陈腐的”的含义。

    • ban ←古英语 bannan （公告、命令、召集）←原始日耳曼语 bannan （公告、命令、禁止）←原始印欧词根 bha

• pack

  • 包裹；一副；一群；包装；背包

    • The rest of the pack are calling.BBC纪录片《地球脉动》 第一季精选
    • Umm...I guess...i'll just pack up my desk.瑞克与莫蒂 第一季（双语）
    • Call it peer pressure, or call it a pack mentality.时代周刊 (Time)

  • 词源

    • pak, 来自 Proto-Germanic * pakko, 捆，打包，可能来自 PIE * pag, 固定，词源同 page,pact. 引申词义盒子，包裹