That's Rich, China

That's rich, China 中國很有錢

Feb 7, 2010 10:36 AM | By Michael Sheridan 作者：邁克爾-謝麗丹
The world's priciest brands have a golden future in the east, writes Michael Sheridan. For one Chinese businesswoman, the trophy was a pure-bred Tibetan mastiff bought for £36000 and escorted to her home in the city of Xi'an by a convoy of 30 Mercedes-Benz limousines.

世界最奢侈的品牌在東方前途無量，邁克爾-謝麗丹寫道。一個中國女商人的血拼戰利品是一隻花費3.6萬英鎊購買的純種藏獒，並由30量奔馳豪車車隊護送回到西安的家中。

While for men, mistresses and concubines are the key element of luxury spending, according to a new report from economists at HSBC that predicts a golden future for the world's priciest brands in China.

滙豐銀行經濟研究人員的一項最新報告預測，中國將成為世界奢侈品消費的未來，而對於男人來說，情婦和二奶才是奢侈品消費的關鍵因素。

British-made Vertu phones have become the badge of the seriously well-off in Guangzhou, where import duty can push their price above £70000. The southern metropolis is also home to a Louis Vuitton shop that has a waiting list of VIPs eager to pay more than £100000 for a Birkin handbag - twice the price on eBay.

在廣州，英國出品的奢華手機Vertu已成為有錢人的標識。加上，進口關稅，一部Vertu手機的售價可高達7萬英鎊。中國南方的這座大都市也是奢侈品牌LV的福地。當地一家LV零售店有一個長長的等候名單，名單上的VIP顧客都急等著購買一款售價超過10萬英鎊的佰金包，而這個價格是eBay上售價的兩倍。

The Yangcheng Evening News reports that a Piaget exhibition sold out of timepieces costing around £80000 and also sold one model for more than £900000. And the hottest cultural show in Beijing last season was Cartier's display of 350 precious objects titled King of Jewellers, Jeweller to Kings - in the Forbidden City, no less.

據《羊城晚報》報導，一個伯爵表的展會上價值約8萬英鎊的鐘錶全部售罄，還售出了一件售價90萬英鎊以上的單品。在北京，上一季最熱的文化展是在奢侈珠寶製造商卡地亞珠寶在故宮舉行的主題為“珠寶商之王與王室珠寶商”的珠寶展。展會上展出了至少350件珠寶精品。

But nothing is forbidden when it comes to a tiny minority of super-rich flaunting their wealth. In a country that endured decades of grey austerity, luxury goods have become not merely the accessories of success but its defining feature. State television reported recently that affluent Chinese tourists were the number one spenders in Paris, ahead of Russians and Americans.

但是，說到愛曬財富的一小群巨富，那就真是“百無禁忌”了。在這個堅持了數十年緊縮的國家（what's grey austetity?)，奢侈品已不僅僅是成功的附屬品，而是成功的必備特徵。國家電視臺最近報導，富足的中國遊客已超過俄羅斯和美國遊客，成為巴黎最大的消費群體。

There are daunting questions over the direction of the economy, including trade wars, bank credit, asset bubbles and inequality. But the fruits of China's long boom are being enjoyed as never before by the privileged class that emerged from the "reform" decade of the '90s. It is an affirmation of prosperity that has led analysts at HSBC to conclude that China may account for more than a third of the global growth in luxury goods this year.

中國經濟發展方向面臨著嚴峻的問題，包括貿易戰、銀行信貸、資產泡沫和不平等（inequality of what?）。然而，中國的特權階層正以一種前所未有的方式享用著中國長期繁榮的成果；而這一特權階層集中出現於上世紀90年代改革的十年。正是這種對繁榮的斷言使滙豐銀行的分析師得出結論，今年中國可能會占全球奢侈品增長的三分之一以上。

Those Louis Vuitton handbags could be taken as a proxy for the sector, they say, citing an analysis of the company's sales by nationality which shows Chinese customers could represent a "staggering" 30% of its worldwide sales in just five years' time.

LV公司的按顧客國籍分類的銷售記錄顯示，僅在過去的五年中，中國消費者就為他們的全球銷售額貢獻了令人吃驚的30%。就此，滙豐銀行的分析師說，那些LV的手袋可以看成是奢侈品產業的代表。

Apart from the handful of politically connected tycoons whose propensity to spend has emptied the showrooms of Rolls-Royces, there are an estimated 825000 people in China worth more than £1-million. Their average age is 43, according to the Hurun Report, a list of the wealthy.

除了那一小批愛購奢侈品愛到能把勞斯萊斯展示廳一掃而空、有政治關聯的大企業家以外，胡潤百富榜顯示，中國身價超過百萬英鎊的富豪人數約82.5萬人，平均年齡43歲。

A recent survey of Chinese youth found that a typical city teenager's bag contains between three and seven designer pieces, such as a Gucci wallet or a Louis Vuitton key-chain holder. Yet "brand penetration" remains limited while a host of unique cultural and social factors make the Chinese avid consumers of luxury.

近期的一項針對中國青年人的調查發現，一個典型城市青少年的包裡有三至七件設計師作品，比如古奇錢包或者LV鑰匙扣。然而，儘管大量的中國獨有的文化和社會因素使中國人成為熱情的奢侈品消費者，但品牌滲透在中國仍受到限制。

The survey defines China as "a local luxury goods market that is probably the only male-driven one on the planet". It adds: "Also a reality is the fact that having mistresses or concubines is institutionalised, thus feeding luxury consumption."

這項調查將中國稱為“可能是世界上唯一一個由男性驅動的奢侈品市場”，該調查還指出，擁有情人和二奶成為普遍現象，從而推動了奢侈品消費。

But among the hundreds of millions left behind by the boom, class hatred is reawakening the slogans of Maoism. "Even foreigners are open-mouthed at the luxurious consumption of our rich men," complained a blogger called Ma Zhe, "but the masses despise them." - ©The Sunday Times, London

然而，在沒跟上繁榮的腳步的數億人之中，階級仇恨正再度喚醒毛澤東思想的口號。一位名叫馬哲（音，Ma Zhe）的博主寫道：儘管外國人對這些富人的奢華消費目瞪口呆，但老百姓鄙視他們。


來源：《星期日泰晤士報》
原文鏈接：
http://www.timeslive.co.za/lifestyle/fashion/article290702.ece