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今年双十一，你买买买了吗？

🤔️小作业：

1. How do online retailers attempt to compensate for the lack of physical touch, based on the article?

A) By offering lower prices than physical stores.

B) Through detailed tactile descriptions and visual cues.

C) By providing faster delivery services.

D) Through virtual reality shopping experiences.

2. Calculate the difference in return rates between online and in-store purchases as mentioned in the article.

A) Between 17% and 27%.

B) Between 25% and 35%.

C) Between 32% and 40%.

D) Exactly 8%.

无注释原文：

The Surprising Reason Online Shopping Can Be Less Satisfying

From: Psychology Today

February 18, 2023

How does touch change consumer perception? This question is equally relevant for touching products as it is for touching a person.

The fact that touch can be highly influential in generating both compliance and sales has led researchers to dub the phenomenon the Midas Touch, after King Midas in Greek mythology who was said to turn everything he touched into gold.

While touching a product is clearly not going to make it golden, it can make the person connect so strongly with the item that they take psychological ownership of it. This means that the consumer is much more likely to purchase it as they feel as if it already belongs to them. Partially, this will be triggered by the emotions that they experience when they engage in tactile interaction, as there is a close relationship in our brains between touch and emotions.

Interestingly, shopping environments that facilitate touch—such as Apple stores, where consumers can "play" with almost every item being sold—generate more contented customers. In such situations, they are more likely to report an overall more enjoyable shopping experience and are more likely to come back. Thus, there are clear benefits in encouraging consumers to touch products.

The Lack of Touch in the Online Shopping World

In a world where online shopping is almost unavoidable, and people can’t touch what they buy, it begs the question of how and if touch can somehow be accommodated.

The reality is that many consumers have a high need for touch, and when they can’t touch, they become frustrated and often feel dissatisfied. This will, at least partially, contribute to the high online return rates, as people don’t feel haptically satisfied with the products when they arrive.

Return rates are varied—some predict that they average between 25 and 35 percent, but for clothing items, it can be as high as 40 percent. This is a lot more than the average 8 percent return rate for purchases made in-store. While there is a plethora of reasons why people return items—sizing issues, style issues, etc.—they don’t account for all returns.

Clearly, from a business perspective, return rates should be minimised as it eats into their profit margins. Looking at tactile properties could help with this.

In the last few years, it has become clear that textures can be utilised to communicate touch-related information even in the absence of touch. For example, if the tactile properties are clearly described, it helps the purchaser perceive the product more accurately. However, such descriptions only work if they are specific rather than generic.

Furthermore, using moving imagery, such as a brief film clip of a model moving around in a clothing item, also helps with touch-related visualisation as it becomes a mental simulation of touch. Actual textures of products can also help provide cues for what the products are like.

In one of my own studies, we found that if the surface of a biscuit is altered, it changes a person’s perception of several product attributes, such as healthiness and likelihood of purchase. However, this was only the case when the textures were implicit in nature—i.e. when people were not consciously aware that the textures changed.

In fact, it appears that tactile input is primarily processed subconsciously, meaning that it is not something you can necessarily ask consumers about, as they simply don’t know that it affects them. Thus, the examples mentioned here are the kind of research findings that online retailers should take note of. With some creative input, they can be utilised to create more satisfied customers when touch is absent.

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注：完整题目见本文开头；中文文本为机器翻译并非一一对应，仅供参考

含注释全文：

The Surprising Reason Online Shopping Can Be Less Satisfying

From: Psychology Today

February 18, 2023

How does touch change consumer perception? This question is equally relevant for touching products as it is for touching a person.

触觉如何影响消费者的感知呢？无论是在接触商品时还是触碰他人时，这个问题都同样重要。

1）表示“认识，观念，看法”，英文解释为“a belief or opinion, often held by many people and based on how things seem”举个🌰：These photographs will affect people's perceptions of war. 这些照片会影响人们对战争的看法。

2）表示“知觉；感知”，英文解释为“the way you notice things, especially with the senses”如：visual perception 视觉；

🎬电影《失落的大陆》（Land of the Lost）中的台词提到：he has terrible depth perception 他的深度感知力很差。

The fact that touch can be highly influential in generating both compliance and sales has led researchers to dub the phenomenon the Midas Touch, after King Midas in Greek mythology who was said to turn everything he touched into gold.

触摸对于促进依从性和促进销售均有很大的影响，这一点促使研究者们将这种现象称为“Midas Touch”（迈达斯触摸），源自希腊神话中的迈达斯王，据说拥有点石成金的能力。

表示“服从；遵守；依从”，英文解释为“the act of obeying an order, rule, or request”举个🌰：It is the job of the inspectors to enforce compliance with the regulations. 强制人们遵守法规是督察的责任。

1）表示“把…称为”，英文解释为“If someone or something is dubbed a particular thing, they are given that description or name.”举个🌰：Today's session has been widely dubbed as a "LearnAndRecord"meeting. 今天的会议被大众称为“LearnAndRecord”的会议。

2）表示“为（影片或声道等）配音”，英文解释为“If a film or soundtrack in a foreign language is dubbed, a new soundtrack is added with actors giving a translation.”举个🌰：It was dubbed into Spanish for Mexican audiences. 它已为墨西哥观众配成西班牙语了。

the Midas Touch 指一个人具有将所接触的事物变得更有价值的能力，表示“事事都能赚大钱的本领”，英文解释为“If someone has the Midas touch, that person is financially successful in everything they do.”

From the Greek myth in which King Midas was given the power to turn everything he touched into gold. 源自希腊神话，其中的迈达斯国王他有一双能将所触之物变为黄金的手，具有点石成金的能力。

mythology /mɪˈθɒlədʒɪ/ 表示“神话”，英文解释为“myths in general”举个🌰：She's fascinated by the stories of classical mythology (= ancient Greek and Roman myths). 她被古典神话故事迷住了。

While touching a product is clearly not going to make it golden, it can make the person connect so strongly with the item that they take psychological ownership of it. This means that the consumer is much more likely to purchase it as they feel as if it already belongs to them. Partially, this will be triggered by the emotions that they experience when they engage in tactile interaction, as there is a close relationship in our brains between touch and emotions.

当然，触摸产品并不会真的使其成金，但它能使消费者与产品产生强烈的联系，以至于他们在心理上感觉已经拥有了该产品。这意味着消费者因为觉得产品仿佛已属于他们，而更倾向于购买。这种现象部分源于触觉互动时激发的情感，因为触觉与情感在我们大脑中有着密切联系。

psychological /ˌsaɪ.kəlˈɒdʒ.ɪ.kəl/ 表示“心灵的；心理的；精神上的”，英文解释为“connected with a person's mind and the way in which it works”如：the psychological development of children 儿童的心理发展。

1）作动词，除了表示“发动；引起；触发”，英文解释为“to make sth happen suddenly”举个🌰：Nuts can trigger off a violent allergic reaction. 坚果可以引起严重的过敏反应。

2）作名词，表示“扳机”，英文解释为“The trigger of a gun is a small lever which you pull to fire it.”举个🌰：A man pointed a gun at them and pulled the trigger. 一个男人用枪指着他们，扣动了扳机。

类似的还有：

📍stir表示“激发，激起（强烈的感情）；引起（强烈的反应）”，英文解释为“to make someone have a strong feeling or reaction”，举个🌰：The poem succeeds in stirring the imagination. 这首诗能够激发起想象力。

📍provoke也表示“激起，引起”，英文解释为“to cause a reaction or feeling, especially a sudden one”，如：provoke debate/discussion 激起辩论/讨论。

📍spur 鼓动；激励；鞭策；刺激；鼓舞”，英文解释为“If one thing spurs you to do another, it encourages you to do it.”举个🌰：It's the money that spurs these fishermen to risk a long ocean journey in their flimsy boats. 是金钱驱使这些渔民驾驶单薄的小船冒险出海远航。

🎬电影《龙之心3：巫师的诅咒》（Dragonheart 3: The Sorcerer's Curse）中的台词提到：To spur the clans to war. 激励部族发起战争。

tactile /ˈtæktaɪl/ 表示“触觉的；有触觉的；能触知的”，英文解释为“connected with the sense of touch; using your sense of touch”，如：tactile stimuli 触觉刺激，visual and tactile communication 视觉和触觉交流。

Interestingly, shopping environments that facilitate touch—such as Apple stores, where consumers can "play" with almost every item being sold—generate more contented customers. In such situations, they are more likely to report an overall more enjoyable shopping experience and are more likely to come back. Thus, there are clear benefits in encouraging consumers to touch products.

有趣的是，例如苹果商店这样的购物环境，允许消费者“体验”几乎所有在售商品，这样的环境能够产生更多满意的顾客。在这样的情况下，顾客更有可能享受到更愉悦的购物体验，并更愿意再次光临。因此，鼓励消费者触摸产品显然有其益处。

表示“促进；促使；使便利”，英文解释为“to make something possible or easier”举个🌰：The new ramp will facilitate the entry of wheelchairs. 新坡道将方便轮椅进入。

📍《经济学人》（The Economist）一篇讲述国内电动车行业的文章中提到：The state also facilitates the roll-out of advanced technical features for the benefit of the public at large. 政府也在提供便利来促进企业推出能造福普罗大众的先进技术功能。

contented /kənˈten.tɪd/ 表示“高兴的;满足的”，英文解释为“happy and satisfied”举个🌰：She smiled a contented smile. 她心满意足地微微一笑。

The Lack of Touch in the Online Shopping World 网购世界缺乏触摸体验

In a world where online shopping is almost unavoidable, and people can’t touch what they buy, it begs the question of how and if touch can somehow be accommodated.

在这个几乎无法避免网购的时代，人们无法亲手触摸自己购买的商品，这就引出了一个问题：是否有办法在某种程度上满足触摸需求？

beg the question表示“（说法或情况）使人想要提出问题”，英文解释为“If a statement or situation begs the question, it causes you to ask a particular question.”举个🌰：Spending the summer travelling around India is a great idea, but it does beg the question of how we can afford it. 到印度去旅行过夏天当然是个好主意，但关键问题是我们如何能负担得起。

accommodate /əˈkɒm.ə.deɪt/ 1）表示“为（某人）提供住宿（或膳宿、座位等）”，英文解释为“to provide sb with a room or place to sleep, live or sit”举个🌰：The hotel can accommodate up to 123 guests. 这家旅馆可供123位旅客住宿。

2）表示“容纳；为…提供空间”，英文解释为“to provide enough space for sb/sth”举个🌰：Over 10 minutes of music can be accommodated on one CD. 一张激光唱片可以容纳10多分钟的音乐。

3）表示“为…提供方便；对…予以照顾性考虑”，英文解释为“to give what is needed to someone”举个🌰：We always try to accommodate (= help) our clients with financial assistance if necessary. 必要时，我们总是尽力为客户提供财务上的帮助。

4）表示“考虑到；顾及”，英文解释为“to consider sth, such as sb's opinion or a fact, and be influenced by it when you are deciding what to do or explaining sth”举个🌰：Our proposal tries to accommodate the special needs of minority groups. 我们的提案尽量照顾到少数群体的特殊需要。

5）表示“顺应，适应（新情况）”，英文解释为“to change your behaviour so that you can deal with a new situation better”举个🌰：I needed to accommodate to the new schedule. 我需要适应新的时间表。

The reality is that many consumers have a high need for touch, and when they can’t touch, they become frustrated and often feel dissatisfied. This will, at least partially, contribute to the high online return rates, as people don’t feel haptically satisfied with the products when they arrive.

现实情况是，许多消费者对触摸有强烈需求，无法触摸时他们会感到沮丧和不满。这种情绪至少在一起程度上导致网购退货率居高不下，因为人们在收到商品时并不会在触觉上感到满意。

frustrated /frʌsˈtreɪ.tɪd/ 表示“灰心的，气馁的”，英文解释为“feeling annoyed or less confident because you cannot achieve what you want”举个🌰：Are you feeling frustrated in your present job? 你做现在这份工作感觉气馁吗？

haptically 表示“触觉地，通过触觉感知或与触觉相关的方式”

haptic /ˈhæp.tɪk/ 表示“触（觉）的”，英文解释为“relating to the sense of touch ”举个🌰：Haptic interactive technology lets visitors experience museum exhibits more realistically. 触觉互动技术让访问者更真实地体验博物馆内的展品。

Return rates are varied—some predict that they average between 25 and 35 percent, but for clothing items, it can be as high as 40 percent. This is a lot more than the average 8 percent return rate for purchases made in-store. While there is a plethora of reasons why people return items—sizing issues, style issues, etc.—they don’t account for all returns.

退货率因商品而异——有人预测平均退货率在25%到35%之间，而对于服装类商品则可能高达40%，远高于实体店8%的平均退货率。虽然退货的原因多种多样，如尺码问题、款式问题等，但并非所有退货都能用这些理由解释。

plethora /ˈpleθ.ər.ə/ 表示“过多，过剩，过量”，英文解释为“a very large amount of something, especially a larger amount than you need, want, or can deal with”举个🌰：There's a plethora of books about the royal family. 有关皇室的书非常多。

Clearly, from a business perspective, return rates should be minimised as it eats into their profit margins. Looking at tactile properties could help with this.

显然，从商业角度来看，降低退货率至关重要，因为退货会影响利润。关注产品的触觉属性可能有助于解决这一问题。

表示“（思考问题的）角度，观点，想法”，英文解释为“a particular way of considering something”举个🌰：Her attitude lends a fresh perspective to the subject. 她的态度为这一问题提供了新的视角。

美式 minimize 英式 minimise表示“使降到最低限度；使减到最少”，英文解释为“to reduce something to the least possible level or amount”举个🌰：We must minimize the risk of infection. 我们必须将感染的风险降到最低。

表示“消耗，花掉，耗费（金钱或时间）”，英文解释为“to use or take away a large part of something valuable, such as money or time”举个🌰：The high cost of living in London is eating into my savings. 伦敦生活费用太高了，我的积蓄都花出去不少了。

表示“利润率，利润幅度”，英文解释为“the difference between the total cost of making and selling something and the price it is sold for”举个🌰：Many small companies operate on very narrow profit margins. 许多小公司靠非常微薄的利润率维持经营。

property /ˈprɒp.ə.ti/ 1）表示“所有物；财产；资产”，英文解释为“an object or objects that belong to someone”举个🌰：The club does not accept responsibility for loss of or damage to club members' personal property. 该俱乐部不承担会员个人财产丢失或损坏的责任。

2）表示“属性，性能，特性”，英文解释为“a quality in a substance or material, especially one that means that it can be used in a particular way”举个🌰：One of the properties of copper is that it conducts heat and electricity very well. 铜的特性之一是导热导电能力强。

3）表示“房产，地产，房地产”，英文解释为“a building or area of land, or both together”举个🌰：He owns a number of properties on the south coast. 他在南部海滨拥有几处房产。

In the last few years, it has become clear that textures can be utilised to communicate touch-related information even in the absence of touch. For example, if the tactile properties are clearly described, it helps the purchaser perceive the product more accurately. However, such descriptions only work if they are specific rather than generic.

近年来，即使在无法亲身触摸的情况下，纹理也被证明能有效传递与触摸相关的信息。例如，如果触觉属性描述得清晰具体，将有助于消费者更准确地感知产品。但是，这种描述只有在详细具体而非泛泛之谈的情况下才有效。

texture 1）表示“（摸上去的）质地，质感，纹理”，英文解释为“The texture of something is the way that it feels when you touch it, for example how smooth or rough it is.”如：the soft texture of velvet 天鹅绒柔软的质地。

2）表示“（文章或音乐的）特色，韵味，格调”，英文解释为“the character of a piece of writing or music”举个🌰：The writing has a rich texture. 这篇作品韵味无穷。

英式 utilise 美式 utilize /ˈjuː.təl.aɪz/ 表示“使用;利用;应用”，英文解释为“to use something in an effective way”举个🌰：The vitamins come in a form that is easily utilized by the body. 把维生素制成易被人体吸收的产品。

specific /spəˈsɪf.ɪk/ 1）表示“特定的；特有的”，英文解释为“relating to one thing and not others; particular”举个🌰：The virus attacks specific cells in the brain. 这种病毒专门攻击大脑内特定的细胞。

2）表示“明确的；确切的；具体的”，英文解释为“clear and exact”举个🌰：Can you be more specific about where your back hurts? 你能不能更具体一点说你的背哪里疼？

generic /dʒəˈner.ɪk/ 表示“一般的，普通的，通用的”，英文解释为“shared by, typical of, or relating to a whole group of similar things, rather than to any particular thing”举个🌰：The new range of engines all had a generic problem with their fan blades. 这一新系列的发动机有一个通病，就是风机叶片有问题。

Furthermore, using moving imagery, such as a brief film clip of a model moving around in a clothing item, also helps with touch-related visualisation as it becomes a mental simulation of touch. Actual textures of products can also help provide cues for what the products are like.

另外，运用动态影像，比如展示模特穿着某款服装走动的短片，也有助于触觉相关的视觉呈现，因为这种影像在消费者心中形成了一种触摸体验。产品的真实纹理也能提供关于产品特点的线索。

clip /klɪp/ 表示“（电影或电视节目的）剪辑，片断”，英文解释为“a short part of a film or television programme”举个🌰：I've seen a clip from the movie. 我看过这部电影的一个片断。

英式 visualisation 美式 visualization /ˌvɪʒ.u.əl.aɪˈzeɪ.ʃən/ 表示“视觉化，可视化”，英文解释为“the act of visualizing something or someone (= forming a picture of it in your mind)”

表示“模拟，模仿”，英文解释为“a model of a set of problems or events that can be used to teach someone how to do something, or the process of making such a model”举个🌰：The manager prepared a computer simulation of likely sales performance for the rest of the year. 经理准备对该年度剩余时间内可能的销售业绩进行计算模拟分析。

In one of my own studies, we found that if the surface of a biscuit is altered, it changes a person’s perception of several product attributes, such as healthiness and likelihood of purchase. However, this was only the case when the textures were implicit in nature—i.e. when people were not consciously aware that the textures changed.

在我自己的一项研究中，我们发现，如果改变饼干的表面纹理，就会影响人们对产品多个属性的感知，如健康度和购买意愿。但这种影响仅在纹理变化不被明显察觉时出现，即当人们没有意识到纹理发生变化时。

作名词，表示“特性，特质，属性”，英文解释为“a quality or feature, especially one that is considered to be good or useful”举个🌰：What attributes should a good manager possess? 一名优秀的经理应该具备哪些素质？

作动词，attribute sth to sb/sth 表示“把…归因于…；认为…由…生产；认为…是…所为”，英文解释为“to say or think that something is the result or work of something or someone else”举个🌰：The doctors have attributed the cause of the illness to an unknown virus. 医生们认为这种疾病是由一种未知的病毒引起的。

implicit /ɪmˈplɪs.ɪt/ 1）表示“不明言的，含蓄的”，英文解释为“suggested but not communicated directly”举个🌰：He interpreted her comments as an implicit criticism. 他将她的评论理解为含蓄批评。

2）表示“无疑问的；无保留的”，英文解释为“complete and without any doubts”如：implicit trust 绝对的信任。

In fact, it appears that tactile input is primarily processed subconsciously, meaning that it is not something you can necessarily ask consumers about, as they simply don’t know that it affects them. Thus, the examples mentioned here are the kind of research findings that online retailers should take note of. With some creative input, they can be utilised to create more satisfied customers when touch is absent.

实际上，触觉信息主要在潜意识中处理，这意味着你无法直接向消费者询问这些内容，因为他们通常并不知道触觉会影响他们。因此，这里提到的研究发现是线上零售商应该关注的。通过一些创新手段，即使在缺乏实际触摸的情况下，也可以创造更多满意的顾客体验。

subconsciously /ˌsʌbˈkɒn.ʃəs.li/ 表示“潜意识地，下意识地”，英文解释为“in a way that uses or relates to the subconscious (= the part of your mind that notices and remembers information when you are not actively trying to do so, and influences your behaviour even though you do not realize it)”举个🌰：I think I must have known subconsciously that something was going on between them. 我想我的潜意识里一定知道他们之间发生了什么。

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