A humbled hegemon: Barnes & Noble
① America's largest retail bookseller reports quarterly results today.
② Expect yet another sorry show.
③ Analysts forecast a loss of nine cents per share, compared with 15 cents the same quarter last year, and a drop of 2% in same-store sales.
④ All this comes as independent bookshops are, remarkably, on the up after years of Amazon-induced pain.
⑤ Their number has grown by nearly 40% since 2009, with sales up 5% in the past year.
⑥ But B&N, with its soulless big-box stores, has failed to offer a colourful, curated experience.
⑦ Independent shops brim with tailored advice and community events, making browsing a pleasure.
⑧ Disarray among B&N's top brass has complicated matters.
⑨ In July it fired its CEO—the fourth in five years. (He is suing, accusing its founder of micromanagement.)
⑩ Those whose local indie shop has been killed by Amazon must now, in a twist of fate, pull for the former bricks-and-mortar behemoth to turn things around.
▍生词好句
humble /ˈhʌmbəl/: vt. 击败 adj. 谦逊的
hegemon /ˈhedʒɪmɒn, ˈhedʒɪmɑːn/: n. 最高领袖
· hegemony: n. 霸权；支配权
sorry /ˈsɒri, ˈsɔːri/: adj. 遗憾的
(be) on the up: 持续增长
remarkably /rɪˈmɑːkəbli, rɪˈmɑːrkəbli/: adv. 令人惊奇地；给人留下深刻印象地
induce /ɪnˈdjuːs, ɪnˈduːs/: vt. 导致；劝说
· 近义词 cause/persuade
soulless /ˈsəʊlləs, ˈsəʊllɪs/: adj. 没有生气的；缺乏个性的
curate /kjʊəˈreɪt, ˈkjʊreɪt/: vt. 操持；筹办；组织 n. 助理牧师 (/ˈkjʊrət/)
· select, organize, and present (online content, merchandise, information, etc.), typically using professional or expert knowledge
brim with /brɪm/: 装满；充盈着
· brim: n. 帽檐；(容器的) 边
tailored /ˈteɪləd, ˈteɪlərd/: adj. 量身定制的
· tailor: n. 裁缝 vt. 专门制作；使适应特定需要
browse /braʊz/: vi. 浏览
· browser: n. 浏览器
disarray /ˌdɪsəˈreɪ/: n. 混乱
top brass /brɑːs, bræs/: 顶层；高级领导人员
micromanagement /ˈmaɪkrəʊˌmænɪdʒmənt/: n. 微观管理
indie /ˈɪndi/: adj. 独立的；非主流的
a twist of fate /twɪst/: 命运无常
pull for /pʊl/: 驱使
bricks-and-mortar / brick-and-mortar: adj. 传统行业的
· clicks and mortar: 虚实整合企业 (结合传统零售渠道和在线电子商务的运营方式)
behemoth /bɪˈhiːmɒθ, bɪˈhiːmɑːθ/: n. 巨头企业；巨兽