2015考研必看《經(jīng)濟(jì)學(xué)人》節(jié)選：健身產(chǎn)業(yè)

　　The fitness industry

　　健身產(chǎn)業(yè)

　　It works out cheaper

　　降低成本運(yùn)作

　　Cut-price gyms are seizing a growing share of a stagnant market

　　減價(jià)的健身房在蕭條的市場(chǎng)中的份額日益增加

　　Bulk discount

　　批量折扣

　　GETTING out of a pricey monthly gym membership has traditionally been as hard as squeezing into lycra after the Christmas break.

　　擺脫昂貴的月制健身房會(huì)員身份從傳統(tǒng)意義上來(lái)說(shuō)就如圣誕節(jié)假期后擠入萊卡那樣難

　　But at Fitness4Less, a low-cost gym in east London, membership is more flexible. Customers pay 15.99a month and can leave at any point. Like cut-price airlines and supermarkets, budget gyms are muscling in on the market.

　　但是在倫敦東部的一個(gè)低成本健身房Fitness4Less 里，會(huì)員制度更為靈活?？蛻?hù)只需每月繳納15.99 英鎊，并且可以在任何時(shí)候終止會(huì)員關(guān)系。就像廉價(jià)航空和打折超市那樣，廉價(jià)健身房也打算在市場(chǎng)中分得一杯羹。

　　Their rise reflects the recent shakiness of Britain’s economy. Although budget chains constitute only 8% of the revenue, they now account for 21% of all fitness-club members. Low-cost gyms boast around 5,000 members per club compared with an industry average of about 1,900, according to Mintel, a consultancy. Such high numbers help keep membership cheap. Many accommodate such large numbers by opening 24 hours a day. That is appealing to the growing numbers of Britons doing shift work.

　　廉價(jià)健身房的崛起反應(yīng)了英國(guó)經(jīng)濟(jì)近期的局勢(shì)動(dòng)蕩。雖然廉價(jià)連鎖店的收入只占了8%，但是它們占到健身俱樂(lè)部會(huì)員人數(shù)的21%。與咨詢(xún)公司Mintel 作出1900 名會(huì)員的平均水平相比，低成本的健身房宣稱(chēng)其每間俱樂(lè)部都有大約5000 名會(huì)員。如此高的數(shù)字有助于會(huì)員制價(jià)格保持低廉。如此龐大的會(huì)員量要依靠24 小時(shí)營(yíng)業(yè)來(lái)分流。這也就吸引越來(lái)越多的英國(guó)人來(lái)做輪班。

　　Membership turnover is high, too, but two-thirds of those who leave Fitness4Less come back, says Emma Edwards, one of its owners. Budget gyms are growing faster than any other part of the sector; roughly 200% since 2011. Pure Gym, a low-cost chain, has opened 75 clubs since 2009.Fitness First, a mid-range chain where monthly membership can cost 70, only has 75 clubs now,down from 150 in 2007.

　　會(huì)員制下的人員流動(dòng)率也很高，但是有三分之二的顧客在離開(kāi)Fitness4Less 之后，都會(huì)再次回歸它的懷抱，健身房老板之一艾瑪·愛(ài)德華茲如是說(shuō)。廉價(jià)健身房的數(shù)量的增長(zhǎng)速度要完爆業(yè)界其他部分好幾條大街：自2011 年以來(lái)，差不多增長(zhǎng)了200%。Pure Gym，一個(gè)低成本的連鎖健身房，自2009 年以來(lái)已經(jīng)開(kāi)了75 家。而會(huì)員費(fèi)為70 英鎊的Fitness First，一家中等規(guī)模的連鎖健身房，從2007 年的150 家連鎖跌至目前僅剩的75 家。

　　Budget-gym bunnies scan their fingerprints or use personal ID numbers to gain access. That cuts spending on costly membership cards and receptionists. There are few frills, such as saunas and cafes. Up to 70% of the machines at The Gym, another fast-growing chain, use no electricity,reducing overheads. No contracts mean no salaries or commissions for salespeople.

　　廉價(jià)健身房的會(huì)員通過(guò)掃描指紋或者使用個(gè)人ID 號(hào)進(jìn)入健身房。此舉削減了昂貴的會(huì)員卡與接待員開(kāi)支，例如桑拿浴室和咖啡廳等多余裝飾，在健身房?jī)?nèi)很少見(jiàn)到。健身房?jī)?nèi)70%的空間都是健身的機(jī)器。而另一項(xiàng)急速增長(zhǎng)的產(chǎn)業(yè)鏈就是不使用電能，這樣可以減少開(kāi)支。沒(méi)有合同就意味著沒(méi)有付給銷(xiāo)售人員的傭金或者工資。

　　Other cheap ways to keep fit are thriving too, from online classes to low-cost mobile fitness apps. Fancy gyms—where single classes can cost more than a monthly budget gym membership–are also flourishing. It is just the flabby middle that is being squeezed.

　　從網(wǎng)上課程到低成本的移動(dòng)健身應(yīng)用程序，使用其他廉價(jià)方式來(lái)保持身材的方法現(xiàn)在也十分流行?；ㄉ诘慕∩矸?----在那里一個(gè)單獨(dú)的課程的花費(fèi)可以超過(guò)廉價(jià)健身房每月的會(huì)員費(fèi)---生意也同樣蒸蒸日上。這種單獨(dú)課程的花費(fèi)只不過(guò)是健身零碎花費(fèi)的集中體現(xiàn)。

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