中文导读 二手衣服越来越受欢迎,靠卖捐赠衣物筹款的英国慈善商店却越赚越少,这是为什么?文章先用乐施会和英国心脏基金会的利润数字说明现象,再指出看似矛盾的一点:二手服装消费在增长,但增长大多转到了线上平台。接着讲捐赠衣物质量下降给商店带来的额外成本,然后呈现慈善零售协会负责人的不同解释,最后以乐施会的应对和商店的社区作用收尾。阅读时可留意 yet、however、as a result、even when 等词如何表示转折与因果,以及 according to、said、in his view 如何区分事实来源与个人观点。
正文 Buying used clothes has never been more popular in the UK . Yet many charity shops , which have sold donated clothes for decades , are now earning less money . According to The Guardian , profits at some of the country’s best-known charity shops have fallen sharply , and some charities are closing stores .
本段译文 在英国,买二手衣服从来没有像现在这样流行。然而,许多几十年来一直出售捐赠衣物的慈善商店,如今赚的钱却变少了。据《卫报》报道,英国一些最知名的慈善商店利润大幅下滑,一些慈善机构正在关闭门店。
The numbers are clear . Unpublished accounts seen by the Financial Times show that Oxfam’s shop profit fell 23% last year , from £6.4m to £4.9m . Oxfam’s own filings show that for every £100 people spend in its shops , only £6 now goes to its work against poverty . In 2022, the figure was £22. The British Heart Foundation , which runs more charity shops on British high streets than any other charity , lost £3.3m on its shops in the year to March 2026. It plans to close about 150 stores by early 2028.
本段译文 数字很清楚。《金融时报》看到的未公开账目显示,乐施会去年的商店利润下降了 23%,从 640 万英镑降至 490 万英镑。乐施会自己提交的文件显示,人们在其商店每花 100 英镑,如今只有 6 英镑用于它的扶贫工作;2022 年这一数字是 22 英镑。英国心脏基金会在英国商业街上经营的慈善商店比其他任何慈善机构都多,在截至 2026 年 3 月的一年里,它的商店亏损了 330 万英镑。该机构计划到 2028 年初关闭约 150 家门店。
This seems strange , because people are spending more on used clothes than before . GlobalData says UK spending on secondhand clothing has grown four times over the past ten years , to £8.8bn a year . Much of that growth , however , has moved online . On apps such as Vinted and Depop , people can sell their clothes directly to other buyers and keep the money . As a result , some people who once gave their clothes away may now sell the best pieces themselves .
本段译文 这似乎有些奇怪,因为人们花在二手衣服上的钱比以前更多了。GlobalData 称,过去十年英国二手服装消费增长到原来的四倍,达到每年 88 亿英镑。然而,这种增长有很大一部分转移到了线上。在 Vinted 和 Depop 等应用上,人们可以把衣服直接卖给其他买家,钱归自己。因此,一些过去把衣服捐出去的人,现在可能会自己卖掉最好的那几件。
There is also a problem with quality . Tansy Hoskins , who wrote a book about charity shops , told The Guardian that shops are facing “avalanches ” of poor , cheap clothes . Many people now use the shops as an easy place to leave things they no longer want . Shops must still pay to collect , sort , price and store these items , even when they cannot sell them .
本段译文 质量也是个问题。写过一本关于慈善商店的书的坦西·霍斯金斯对《卫报》说,商店正面临“雪崩”般涌来的劣质廉价衣服。如今许多人把这些商店当作随手丢弃不想要的东西的方便去处。即使卖不出去,商店仍要花钱收集、分拣、定价和储存这些物品。
Not everyone blames the apps . Robin Osterley , who leads the Charity Retail Association , said online platforms have made secondhand shopping feel normal , which can help everyone . Some people even buy from charity shops to sell online . In his view , higher rents , rising prices and tax changes announced in late 2024, which made employers pay more for many workers , including part-time staff , have hurt the shops more .
本段译文 并非所有人都把问题归咎于这些应用。慈善零售协会负责人罗宾·奥斯特利说,线上平台让购买二手货变得平常,这对大家都有帮助。有些人甚至从慈善商店买东西,再拿到网上去卖。在他看来,更高的租金、上涨的物价,以及 2024 年底宣布、让雇主为许多员工(包括兼职员工)多付钱的税收调整,对商店的打击更大。
Charities are now looking for new ways to work . Oxfam , whose shops focus on books and music , has no plans to cut its number of shops . Its chief executive , Richard Hawkes , said the growth of secondhand shopping brings real chances , but charities need to think differently . He added that the shops also give Oxfam a place in local communities and give more than 20,000 volunteers a chance to help .
本段译文 慈善机构如今正在寻找新的经营方式。乐施会的商店以图书和音乐为主,它没有减少门店数量的计划。乐施会首席执行官理查德·霍克斯说,二手消费的增长带来了真正的机会,但慈善机构需要换个思路。他还说,这些商店也让乐施会在当地社区有一席之地,并给两万多名志愿者提供了出力的机会。
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