让中国二手市场不“low” 闲置的二手货怎样才不“low”？

让中国二手市场不“low” 闲置的二手货怎样才不“low”？

如今中国的年轻一代正通过网络方式探索着更酷的二手市场。

测试中可能遇到的词汇和知识：

hand-chopping mafia 剁手党（mafia 黑手党；秘密政党）

slang 俚语；行话[slæŋ]

urge to 怂恿；激励

flea market 跳蚤市场；廉价市场

hipsters 赶时髦的人（adj. 低及臀部的）[hɪpstə]

inferior 差的；自卑的[ɪn'fɪərɪə]

hook 钩住；引上钩[hʊk] hi-fi|

high fidelity 高保真度的音响设备

authenticity 确实性；可靠性[ɔːθen'tɪsɪtɪ]

阅读马上开始，建议您计算一下阅读整篇文章所用的时间，对照下方的参考值就可以评估出您的英文阅读水平。

如果您读完全文用时为： 那么，您的阅读速度相当于 每分钟阅读的英文单词数

4分49秒 母语为英语者的朗读速度 140

2分49秒 母语为英语的中学生的阅读速度 250

1分43秒 母语为英语的大学生的阅读速度 350

0分57秒 母语为英语的速读高手 1000

China’s young consumers discover second-hand shopping online（573words）

By Gloria Cheung

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Jane Zhang describes herself as part of China’s “hand-chopping mafia” — a local slang referring to shopaholics who feel the urge to sever their hands in order to stop compulsive online shopping. But recently, the 26-year-old from Tianjin has discovered a remedy for her addiction: second-hand ecommerce. “After seeing a dress I like on Taobao, I will search for the same item on Xianyu. Usually I can find a near-new one with a cheaper price,” she says.

Both sites are owned by Alibaba, the Chinese ecommerce group. Taobao is China’s largest online marketplace, while Xianyu is a digital flea market, a concept new to many Chinese shoppers. Unlike the UK where hipsters crowd into second-hand clothes shops such as those in London’s Brick Lane, in China one man’s trash is rarely regarded as another man’s treasure.

Second-hand goods are traditionally thought of as inferior in Chinese culture, although such perceptions are changing among younger, open-minded consumers in major cities.

“My mother was shocked when I told her I have sold Rmb210,000 ($31,900) worth of used goods online. She cannot imagine buying someone’s unwanted stuff,” says Shen Jiangan, a 39-year-old civil servant in Hangzhou. He uses Xianyu to trade home appliances and electronic devices. Alibaba says office workers and students under 30 are Xianyu's main users. Its transaction volume has expanded 15.6 times since 2014, with 170m items sold. Alibaba this year said that a further $15m would be invested in the platform.

Similar ventures are popping up across China. Zhuan Zhuan, developed by New York-listed 58.com, has acquired 3m users in less than a year. Kong Kong Hu, a second-hand fashion app aimed at women in their twenties, said it had raised $18m last year.

Lu Zhenwang, chief executive of Wanqing Consultancy in Shanghai, which focuses on ecommerce in China, says that Chinese millennials are changing their shopping habits. “They like to buy new things but they get bored easily, so they are constantly getting rid of old products and look for something fresh.”

Chen Weiye is the 34-year-old chief executive of Xianyu. He spent six years as product manager at Taobao and admits to a moment of doubt when the venture started. “Prestige — or the so-called “face” — is a very important factor to the Chinese consumption choices,” he explains.

To encourage users and to build trust, Xianyu came up with the concept of “fish ponds” — thousands of communities based on interest and location. Users talk to one another about hobbies and interests while making purchases.

Mr Shen says Xianyu hooked him because it offers a community that shares his love of expensive hi-fi systems. “I like to use different types of audio equipment, but it is unrealistic to buy a new set all the time.”

Ms Zhang leads a group called Thrifty Bride. Its members are eager to share pictures of their weddings and honeymoons in her “fish pond”.

“Used bridal accessories and wedding-related products sell,” she says, but notes that members still have reservations about used wedding gowns.

Kong Kong Hu has also built communities to boost transactions. Much like browsing Instagram, users are invited to “like” and “comment” on fashion items, and follow one another instead of being rushed to the checkout.

Despite the speed of growth of digital flea markets, however, Mr Lu says “there are still many problems”. Fake goods, for example, are a challenge. “There has to be a better authenticity platform to verify the products.”

请根据你所读到的文章内容，完成以下自测题目：

1. what's the meaning of “hand-chopping mafia” as mentioned?

A. shopaholics

B. party members

C. netizens

D. beautiful women

2. What is China’s largest online marketplace?

A. Alibaba

B. Xianyu

C. Taobao

D. Jingdong

3. Who are Xianyu's main users as Alibaba said?

A. students under 25

B. office workers above 30

C. housewives in major cities

D. people under 30

4. What is the resemblance between Kong Kong Hu and Xianyu as mentioned?

A. fake goods

B. built communities

C. share pictures

D. add friends

[1] 答案 A. shopaholics

解释：shopaholic是购物狂的意思。

[2] 答案 C. Taobao

解释：淘宝和咸鱼都为阿里巴巴集团所有，淘宝是中国最大的线上购物平台。

[3] 答案 D. people under 30

解释：阿里巴巴表示30岁以下的学生和白领是咸鱼的主要用户。

[4] 答案 B. built communities

解释：文章提到这些网站为了促进成交都建立了讨论社区。