备受关注的苹果公司新一代智能手机“iPhone 8”在苹果新总部 Apple Park 之中的“史蒂夫·乔布斯剧院”（Steve Jobs Theater）的发布会上向世界首发。

不过，面对被炒的沸沸扬扬的“iPhone 8”到底卖多少钱这件事上，路透社却把关注点放在了“1000美元的iPhone 8中国人能买得起吗？”

https://v.qq.com/txp/iframe/player.html?vid=c1324je7h0f&width=500&height=375&auto=0

Lucky 8? $1,000 price tag dampens iPhone enthusiasm in China

iPhone 8不见得让苹果“发” 

上千美元定价恐浇熄中国果粉热情

Reuters

路透社

BEIJING (Reuters) - Apple Inc will launch an expected "iPhone 8" on Tuesday, hoping the number's auspicious[1] connotations[2] in China will help turn around fortunes in the world’s biggest smartphone market.

路透北京9月11日 - 苹果将于周二推出备受期待的iPhone 8，希望“8”这个对中国人而言的吉利寓意，能有助于扭转在这个全球最大智能手机市场的销售。

[1]auspicious：suggesting a positive and successful future吉利的，吉祥的

[2]connotation：a feeling or idea that is suggested by a particular word although it need not be a part of the word's meaning, or something suggested by an object or situation内涵意义；隐含意义；联想意义

The latest model is tipped[3] to have a price tag upward of $1,000, compared with less than $800 for the top-end iPhone 7 Plus. That is unlikely to make a major dent[4] in U.S. sales, analysts say, but could have a greater impact in China, where the cost is roughly double the average Chinese monthly salary. 

外界预期新款iPhone定价从1000美元起跳，与上一代最高端的iPhone 7 Plus不到800美元的定价有一段差距。分析师表示，这可能不会对美国销售产生重大影响，不过对中国销售或有较大冲击，因为这样的价格大致是中国民众平均月薪的两倍。

[3]tip: if someone or something is tipped to do something, people think that they are most likely to succeed in doing it 认为…最有可能成功

tip sb/sth to do sth

the man tipped to become the next President

被认为很有可能成为下一任总统的人

tip sb for/as sth

He's tipped as a future world champion. 

他被认为是未来的世界冠军。

widely/strongly/hotly tipped

He had been widely tipped to get the new post of deputy director. 

大家都认为他有望获得副主任的新职。

[4]make/put a dent in sth：to reduce an amount of money支出，花费

The holiday made a big dent in our savings.

度假花去了我们很大一部分的存款。

The success of Apple's next iPhone in China is crucial for the Cupertino[5]-based firm, which has seen its once-coveted phone slip into fifth position in China behind offerings from local rivals Huawei Technologies Co Ltd, Oppo, Vivo and Xiaomi Inc. 

新款iPhone在中国取得成功对苹果至关重要。因为曾经是众人梦寐以求的iPhone，如今在中国的销售量排行榜上，已被华为、 Oppo、Vivo与小米等本地竞争对手挤下，落居第五名。 

[5]Cupertino：库比蒂诺，一座位于美国加利福尼亚州旧金山湾区南部，圣塔克拉拉县西部的城市。

Greater China, which for Apple includes Taiwan and Hong Kong, accounted for roughly 18 percent of iPhone sales in the quarter ended in July, making it the company's top market after the United States and Europe. Yet those sales have been declining steadily and are down 10 percent from a year earlier, in contrast with growth in all other regions.

截至7月的季度中，包含中、港、台三地在内的大中华市场的销售，约占iPhone总销售的18%，仅次于美国与欧洲市场。不过大中华市场的销售一直呈稳步下滑之势，较上年同期下降了10%，相形之下，其他所有地区都是增长的状态。 

And the iPhone's share of China's smartphone shipments fell to 9 percent in January-June, down from 14 percent in 2015, showed data from consultancy Counterpoint Research. 

咨询公司Counterpoint Research的数据显示，今年1-6月iPhone在中国智能手机出货量所占份额降到9%，低于2015年的14%。 

While the iPhone 6 took China by storm in 2014, models since have received a more muted response. 

尽管2014年时iPhone 6横扫中国市场，但此后机种的市场反应却较为平淡。

"I'll wait for a drop in price, it's too expensive," said Angie Chen, 23, a project manager in Nanjing and iPhone 6 owner. 

“我会等到降价，那实在太贵了！”手里已经有一部iPhone 6的南京23岁项目经理Angie Chen表示。 

Chen said she might wait for the new phone's successor, when prices will fall. "It's a nice number to hear, but there's no rush."

Chen表示，她或许会等候新机的后继者发表，届时会降价。“数字听起来很好，但我不急。” 

Eight is the luckiest number in China because it sounds similar to the phrase meaning “to get rich”. 

8在中国是最幸运的数字，因为发音和“发”类似。 

"Apple really needs to launch a very innovative product this time around," said Mo Jia, Shanghai-based analyst at Canalys. However, the rising clout[6] of local rivals would nevertheless make life tough for the U.S. firm, he said. “It has its work cut out.” 

Canalys驻上海的分析师Mo Jia表示，苹果这个时候确实需要推出一款非常有创意的产品；然而中国竞争对手影响力日增，肯定会让苹果的日子不好过。 

[6]clout：power and influence over other people or events权势；影响力

The iPhone 7 suffered from the perception that it was too similar to earlier models. This time, despite talk of wireless charging, advanced touch screen and facial recognition technology, Chinese netizens are yet to replicate the online mania around previous iPhone launches. 

苹果的iPhone 7被认为和之前的机种太过类似。这次尽管盛传新机可无线充电、有先进的触控屏和脸部辨识技术，但中国网民还没有表现出前几次iPhone发布时那样的热情。 

Mentions of "iPhone 8" on popular Chinese social media platform Weibo - an indicator of consumer interest - were running slightly ahead of the similar period before the iPhone 7 launch, but were far more muted than with the iPhone 6. 

相比iPhone 7上市前的类似时期，微博上提到iPhone 8的讨论稍微热络了些，但仍远不如当年iPhone 6盛况。 

Apple declined to comment on the new phone, price or supply.

苹果不愿对该款新机、价格或供应等问题置评。 

In the United States, analysts are less certain that a $1,000 price will have a dramatic effect. Around four out of five of the consumers who in the past bought the top end model would likely be willing to do so again despite the price jump, estimated analyst and veteran Apple watcher Gene Munster of Loup Ventures. 

在美国，1,000美元的标价能否起到吸睛作用，分析师对此较无把握。Loup Ventures的分析师和资深苹果观察家Gene Munster说，虽然价格跳升，但以往买过最顶级机型的消费者当中，约有五分之四或许愿意再次掏钱买。 

Beyond that, Apple is expected to cover other price points by retaining some sort of low-end model similar to the current iPhone SE, which sells for $399. That is likely to ensure iPhone customers stay within the Apple ecosystem even if prices on top-end models rise. 

另外，为了覆盖其它产品价格带，预计苹果将保留一些类似iPhone SE的低端机型，iPhone SE目前售价是399美元。这个做法或可确保即使高端机型涨价，iPhone使用者仍将坚守苹果生态系统。 

"They need to still offer something for each market. They still will have that," Munster said. 

“他们仍得为每个市场提供选择。他们仍将这么做，”Munster说。 

Another factor for U.S. sales will be discounts from carriers, which might opt to use the buzz around the new iPhone launch to lure customers away from their competitors by offering deals that would soften the blow of higher prices. 

美国销量的另一项因素，需要看电信运营商提供的折扣。电信运营商或将趁着iPhone新机话题，提供消费者降低涨价冲击的套餐方案，吸引同业对手的用户投怀送抱。

"The weapons of competition are increased phone subsidies, discounted phone payment plans and device trade-in offers," BTIG analyst Walter Piecyk wrote in a note to clients. "Promotions are already on the rise for the Samsung phones introduced earlier this year."

“竞争的利器有：增加手机补贴、手机套餐折扣优惠、旧机换新机，”BTIG分析师Walter Piecyk的研究报告称。“三星手机今年稍早就已加码促销了。” 

BUY ON CREDIT 

**分期付款** 

In China, one effect of Apple's costliest phone to date will be the rise of sales on credit. 

在中国，这款苹果有史以来最贵手机产品带来的结果之一，就是赊销情况增多。 

Wang Yang, who runs a bricks-and-mortar[7] smartphone store in Beijing's largest tech market, said he expected more purchases online this time, as consumers make payments by instalment[8]. 

在北京规模最大的电子市场经营着一家智能手机实体店的王先生说，他预计这次会有更多人通过分期付款网购iPhone。 

[7]bricks and mortar：property in the form of buildings usually when considered as an investment房产；有形资产；实体的、现实世界存在的;

I was nearly 40 when I finally invested in bricks and mortar.

我快40了才置下一处房产。

[8]instalment：one of several parts into which a story, plan, or amount of money owed has been divided, so that each part happens or is paid at different times until the end or total is reached（小说分期连载的）一节；（分期付款的）一期

We agreed to pay for the car by/in instalments.

我们同意分期付款购买小汽车。

"We will continue to stock the cheaper models or we won't sell much," he said. 

“我们会继续囤一些比较便宜的机型，要不就会卖不出去多少了，”他说。 

Fenqile, a platform backed by Tencent Holdings Ltd allowing users to pay in instalments, said shoppers buying iPhones on the site had increased alongside rising prices - spiking in the second quarter of the year. 

腾讯控股支持的分期消费金融服务平台--分期乐指出，在该网站购买iPhone的消费者数量随着价格上涨而增加，今年第二季更是出现猛增。 

Services backed by Alibaba Group Holdings Ltd and JD.com Inc have also introduced features this year aimed at price-conscious smartphone buyers, including flexible payment services and second-hand smartphone rentals. 

由阿里巴巴支持的网站和京东今年也推出了相关服务，旨在吸引对价格比较敏感的智能手机买家。这些服务包括灵活的支付方式和二手智能手机租赁。 

Apple itself has launched an instalments plan in China supported by three state-linked banks. 

苹果也在中国市场与三家国有银行合作，推出分期付款计划。 

"If it's under $1,100 then I'll buy it," said Liu Song, 29, who works for a fintech startup in Beijing.

“如果价钱不到1,100美元，我就会去买，”今年29岁、在北京一家金融科技初创企业工作的刘先生表示。