7-11创始人去世

今天你练听力了吗？

🤔️小作业：

1. What can be inferred about the state of 7-Eleven's U.S. stores before the 1991 acquisition?

A. They were highly profitable and well-managed.

B. They were struggling financially and operationally.

C. They were focused on disaster relief services.

D. They had already adopted Japanese-style inventory systems.

无注释原文：

Japanese Retail Pioneer Who Transformed 7-Eleven Dies at 93

From: The Wall Street Journal

Toshifumi Suzuki was a midlevel executive at a Japanese retailer when it opened the first 7-Eleven convenience store in Tokyo in the 1970s.

Over the following decades, first as president of 7-Eleven in Japan and later chairman and chief executive of the chain's Japanese parent, he transformed the familiar green, white, red and orange brand into a global phenomenon and a cultural icon. He died May 18 from heart failure, according to a statement Monday from 7-Eleven owner Seven & i. He was 93.

Born in Japan's mountainous Nagano region in 1932, Suzuki's success with 7-Eleven sprang from a scrupulous attention to detail and an insight into the possibility of software and logistics to give retailers an edge.

As early as 1982, 7-Eleven was using computers to manage inventory and minimize waste at stores that were by then multiplying across Japan.

Today, 7-Eleven's 85,000 stores in almost 20 countries are stocked according to data that relentlessly tracks local tastes. A Japanese convenience store, known as a “combini,” might include rice balls, stationery and clean pairs of socks. Its U.S. counterpart would more likely sell Slurpees, sandwiches and finger food you can eat while driving.

7-Eleven's roots go back to the Southland Ice Co. in 1920s Dallas, which sold ice, cigarettes and gasoline. The burgeoning chain decided on the new name in 1946 after a successful experiment with longer opening hours. The first Japanese franchise was opened by Japanese retailer Ito-Yokado in 1974.

Suzuki, then an employee at Ito-Yokado, negotiated a bigger licensing deal with the U.S. firm and 7-Elevens proliferated across Japan, where they have become so enmeshed in daily life that people regularly use them to pay utility bills and print documents. They and other convenience stores play a vital role in earthquakes, serving as disaster-relief hubs during emergencies, distributing supplies and fresh water.

In 1991, Ito-Yokado acquired 70% of Southland, 7-Eleven's U.S. parent, for $430 million. Southland had gone bankrupt under the financial strain of a 1987 leveraged buyout. Suzuki, in an autobiography, recalled how shocked he was at the parlous state of some U.S. stores. He set about a rapid program of revitalization, earning him the moniker “Hurricane Suzuki,” he wrote.

His reign at the 7-Eleven empire came to an end in 2016, when he resigned following a boardroom clash with U.S. investor Third Point, a rare example of U.S.-style shareholder activism intruding into Japanese boardrooms. He had run Seven & i and its predecessor since 1992. He remained at the company as an adviser.

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注：完整题目见本文开头；中文文本为华尔街日报官方译文，仅供参考

含注释全文：

Japanese Retail Pioneer Who Transformed 7-Eleven Dies at 93

From: The Wall Street Journal

Toshifumi Suzuki was a midlevel executive at a Japanese retailer when it opened the first 7-Eleven convenience store in Tokyo in the 1970s.

20世纪70年代，一家日本零售商在东京开设了首家7-11便利店，当时的铃木敏文(Toshifumi Suzuki)还只是公司的一名中层管理人员。

retailer /ˈriː.teɪ.lər/ 表示“零售商；零售店”，英文解释为“a person, shop, or business that sells goods to the public”如：a big electronics retailer 大型电子产品零售店。

Over the following decades, first as president of 7-Eleven in Japan and later chairman and chief executive of the chain's Japanese parent, he transformed the familiar green, white, red and orange brand into a global phenomenon and a cultural icon. He died May 18 from heart failure, according to a statement Monday from 7-Eleven owner Seven & i. He was 93.

在接下来的几十年里，铃木敏文历任日本7-11总裁以及该连锁品牌日本母公司的董事长兼首席执行官。正是他，将这个人们熟知的绿、白、红、橙相间的品牌打造成了一种全球现象与文化符号。7-11母公司Seven & i周一发表声明称，铃木敏文于5月18日因心力衰竭去世，终年93岁。

chain /tʃeɪn/ 1）表示“链条，链子；锁链；项链”，英文解释为“(a length of) rings usually made of metal that are connected together and used for fastening, pulling, supporting, or limiting freedom, or as jewellery”举个🌰：The gates were locked with a padlock and a heavy steel chain. 大门被一把挂锁和一根沉重的钢链锁着。

2）表示“一连串，一系列（的事物）”，英文解释为“a set of connected or related things”

3）表示“（尤指跨城市、跨国家）连锁商店（或酒店）”，英文解释为“a group of shops/stores or hotels owned by the same company or person, especially in different places.”

icon /ˈaɪ.kɒn/ 1）表示“象征物；偶像”，英文解释为“If you describe something or someone as an icon, you mean that they are important as a symbol of a particular thing.”如：a fashion icon 时尚偶像。

2）表示“图标；图符”，英文解释为“a small symbol on a computer screen that represents a program or a file”

heart failure表示“心力衰竭”，英文解释为“Heart failure is a serious medical condition in which someone's heart does not work as well as it should, sometimes stopping completely so that they die.”

Born in Japan's mountainous Nagano region in 1932, Suzuki's success with 7-Eleven sprang from a scrupulous attention to detail and an insight into the possibility of software and logistics to give retailers an edge.

1932年，铃木敏文出生于日本多山的长野地区。他在7-11取得的成功，源于对细节的一丝不茍，以及深刻洞察到软件和物流能为零售商带来竞争优势。

spring /sprɪŋ/ from sth表示“起源于；来自；由…造成”，英文解释为“to come from or be a result of something”举个🌰：His need to be liked obviously springs from a deep-rooted insecurity. 他渴望别人喜欢他，这显然源于一种根深蒂固的不安全感。

scrupulous /ˈskruː.pjə.ləs/ 1）表示“襟怀坦白的；审慎的；严格认真的”，英文解释为“extremely honest ”举个🌰：A scrupulous politician would not lie about her business interests. 一个光明磊落的政治家并不会隐瞒自己的职务权益。

2）表示“严格的，严谨的，小心的”，英文解释为“doing everything correctly and exactly as it should be done”举个🌰：The nurse told him to be scrupulous (= extremely careful) about keeping the wound clean. 护士告诉他务必保持伤口清洁。

logistics /ləˈdʒɪs.tɪks/ 表示“后勤；物流；组织工作”，英文解释为“the practical organization that is needed to make a complicated plan successful when a lot of people and equipment is involved”

As early as 1982, 7-Eleven was using computers to manage inventory and minimize waste at stores that were by then multiplying across Japan.

早在1982年，7-11就开始使用计算机管理库存，并尽可能的减少门店里的浪费，当时7-11门店已在日本各地迅速扩张.

1）表示“（商店的）存货；存货价值”，英文解释为“the amount of goods a shop has, or the value of them”举个🌰：The inventory will be disposed of over the next twelve weeks. 在未来的十二个星期中将进行清仓处理。

2）表示“（某处的）物品清单”，英文解释为“a detailed list of all the things in a place”

3）表示“盘点，清点存货”，英文解释为“the counting of all the goods, materials, etc. kept in a place such as a shop”

Today, 7-Eleven's 85,000 stores in almost 20 countries are stocked according to data that relentlessly tracks local tastes. A Japanese convenience store, known as a “combini,” might include rice balls, stationery and clean pairs of socks. Its U.S. counterpart would more likely sell Slurpees, sandwiches and finger food you can eat while driving.

如今，7-11在近20个国家拥有8.5万家门店，是依据持续追踪当地口味的数据来备货。在日本，这种被称为“combini”的便利店可能会出售饭团、文具和干净的袜子。而在美国的门店则更有可能售卖Slurpee饮料、三明治以及适合开车时食用的手抓食品。

作动词，stock /stɒk/ 1）表示“（商店或工厂）储备，贮存”，英文解释为“If a shop or factory stocks something, it keeps a supply of it.”举个🌰：Most supermarkets stock a wide range of wines. 大多数超级市场备有许多种类的葡萄酒。

2）表示“为…备货；把…填满”，英文解释为“to fill something such as a cupboard or shelves with food or goods”举个🌰：He has a part-time job stocking shelves in the local supermarket. 他有一份兼职工作，在当地超市摆货架。

作名词，1）表示“（商店的）库存，存货”，英文解释为“the total amount of goods or the amount of a particular type of goods available in a shop”

2）表示“股份；股票”，英文解释为“part of the ownership of a company that can be bought by members of the public”举个🌰：Stock prices fell yesterday in heavy trading. 股价昨日放量下跌。

类似的：

📍share作名词，表示“股份，股票”，英文解释为“any of the units of equal value into which a company is divided and sold to raise money. People who own shares receive part of the company's profits.”

stationery /ˈsteɪ.ʃən.ər.i/ 表示“文具”，英文解释为“the things needed for writing, such as paper, pens, pencils, and envelopes”

counterpart一词经常出现，counter-表示“相反的；对立的；相应的”（opposite; against; in return; corresponding），和part一起就是“对立的，相应的事物”，从而表示“职位相当的人；作用相当的事物”，英文解释为“Somene's or something's counterpart is another person or thing that has a similar function or position in a different place.”

7-Eleven's roots go back to the Southland Ice Co. in 1920s Dallas, which sold ice, cigarettes and gasoline. The burgeoning chain decided on the new name in 1946 after a successful experiment with longer opening hours. The first Japanese franchise was opened by Japanese retailer Ito-Yokado in 1974.

7-11的起源可追溯至20世纪20年代达拉斯的Southland Ice Co.，该公司当时主要销售冰块、香烟和汽油。在延长营业时间的实验取得成功后，这家迅速发展的连锁品牌于1946年决定采用新名字7-11。1974年，日本零售商伊藤洋华堂(Ito-Yokado)开设了在日本的首家特许经营店。

burgeoning /ˈbɜː.dʒən.ɪŋ/ 表示“迅速发展的；快速生长的，繁荣的”，英文解释为“developing quickly”举个🌰：The company hoped to profit from the burgeoning communications industry. 公司希望能从飞速发展的通讯业中获利。

franchise /ˈfræntʃaɪz/ 最常见的意思与“特许经营权”有关，既可以作可数名词，又可以做及物动词。作可数名词时具体表示“（公司授予某人的）特许经营权”，英文解释为“A franchise is an authority that is given by an organization to someone, allowing them to sell its goods or services or to take part in an activity which the organization controls.”比如“建造、运营隧道的特许权”就可以用“the franchise to build and operate the tunnel”表示。

📍可以理解为「一部电影的所有系列，系列电影」A film series is also called a film “franchise” which consists of a number of films based on the same characters. 或者“franchise”可以指一个商业品牌或者产品系列，它由相同主题或品牌下的多个作品组成，这些作品可以是电影、电视剧、漫画、视频游戏等。

📍作及物动词时具体表示“出售…的特许经营权”，英文解释为“If a company franchises its business, it sells franchises to other companies, allowing them to sell its goods or services.”举个🌰：She has recently franchised her business. 她最近已出售了其公司的特许经营权。

📍它还有另外一个意思，表示“选举权”，用作不可数名词，英文解释为“Franchise is the right to vote in an election.”

📍而在体育运动领域，指的是“球队，职业运动队”（a professional sports team），如在“湖人总冠军！”文中出现过：Second, Pelinka lived up to Bryant's prediction that Pelinka would help turn the franchise around within two to three years after the Lakers hired him in 2017. 第二，佩林卡不负布莱恩特的预言，在2017年湖人队聘请他之后，佩林卡将在两到三年内帮助球队扭转局面。

Suzuki, then an employee at Ito-Yokado, negotiated a bigger licensing deal with the U.S. firm and 7-Elevens proliferated across Japan, where they have become so enmeshed in daily life that people regularly use them to pay utility bills and print documents. They and other convenience stores play a vital role in earthquakes, serving as disaster-relief hubs during emergencies, distributing supplies and fresh water.

当时还是伊藤洋华堂员工的铃木敏文出面与这家美国公司谈判，达成了一项规模更大的许可协议，7-11随后在日本各地迅速扩张。如今在日本，这些便利店已与人们的日常生活深度交织，人们经常在店里缴纳水电费和打印文件。在地震等紧急情况下，7-11及其他便利店更是发挥着至关重要的作用，它们充当救灾枢纽，负责分发物资和淡水。

negotiate /nəˈɡəʊ.ʃi.eɪt/ 表示“（就…）谈判，（就…）磋商”，英文解释为“to have formal discussions with someone in order to reach an agreement with them”举个🌰：I'm negotiating for a new contract. 我正在为签订一份新合同进行协商。

licensing /ˈlaɪ.sən.sɪŋ/ 表示“许可；授权”，英文解释为“the act of giving people official permission to do, have, or sell something”举个🌰：In many countries, licensing is used as a method of deciding who should sell what. 在许多国家，授权被用作决定谁应该销售什么的方法。

proliferate /prəˈlɪf.ər.eɪt/ 表示“激增”，英文解释为“to increase a lot and suddenly in number”举个🌰：Small businesses have proliferated in the last ten years. 在过去的10年里，小型企业大量涌现。

enmesh /enˈmeʃ/ 表示“缠住；使陷入；使卷入”，英文解释为“to catch or involve someone in something unpleasant or dangerous from which it is difficult to escape”举个🌰：The whales are caught by being enmeshed in nets. 这些鲸鱼因被渔网缠住而被捕获。

In 1991, Ito-Yokado acquired 70% of Southland, 7-Eleven's U.S. parent, for $430 million. Southland had gone bankrupt under the financial strain of a 1987 leveraged buyout. Suzuki, in an autobiography, recalled how shocked he was at the parlous state of some U.S. stores. He set about a rapid program of revitalization, earning him the moniker “Hurricane Suzuki,” he wrote.

1991年，伊藤洋华堂斥资4.3亿美元，收购了7-11美国母公司Southland的70%股份。此前在1987年，Southland因一场杠杆收购带来的财务重压而走向破产。铃木敏文在一本自传中回忆称，一些美国门店的糟糕状况令他感到震惊。他写道，自己随后启动了一项快速复兴计划，这也为他赢得了“飓风铃木”的绰号。

acquire /əˈkwaɪər/ 作动词，表示“取得，获得；购得；学到；收购”，英文解释为“to get something”举个🌰：He acquired the firm in 2026. 他于2026年收购了这家公司。

strain /streɪn/ 1）表示“压力；重负；重压之下出现的问题（或担忧等）”，英文解释为“pressure on sb/sth because they have too much to do or manage, or sth very difficult to deal with; the problems, worry or anxiety that this produces”举个🌰：You will learn to cope with the stresses and strains of public life. 你要学会怎样应付公众人物生活的紧张和辛劳。

2）表示“（动植物的）品系，株系，品种”，英文解释为“an animal or plant from a particular group whose characteristics are different in some way from others of the same group”举个🌰：Scientists have discovered a new strain of the virus which is much more dangerous. 科学家们已经发现了一种危险得多的新病毒。

📍此前9000名乘客因鼻拭子重复使用受害文中出现的例句：The health ministry confirmed this week that it had recorded two cases of the more infectious strain that was first detected in India. 卫生部本周证实，已发现了两例在印度首次发现的更具传染性的病毒株。

3）表示“（肌肉等软组织的）损伤，拉伤，扭伤”，英文解释为“an injury to a muscle or similar soft part of the body caused by using that part too much”如：a groin/hamstring strain 腹股沟/腘旁腱拉伤。

4）strains 表示“旋律；曲调”，英文解释为“the sound of music being played or performed”举个🌰：I could hear the strains of Mozart in the background. 我听见背景音中有莫扎特的旋律。

leveraged buyout /ˌliː.vər.ɪdʒd ˈbaɪ.aʊt/ 表示“杠杆收购，衡平收购”，英文解释为“an occasion when a small company buys a larger one using money borrowed against the value of the equipment, buildings, etc. of both companies”

autobiography /ˌɔː.tə.baɪˈɒɡ.rə.fi/ 表示“自传”，英文解释为“a book about a person's life, written by that person”举个🌰：His autobiography was a bestseller. 他的自传曾十分畅销。

parlous /ˈpɑː.ləs/ 表示“糟糕的；危险的；不可预测的”，英文解释为“very bad, dangerous, or uncertain”举个🌰：Relations between the two countries have been in a parlous state for some time. 这两国之间的关系已经僵持了一段时间。

moniker /ˈmɒn.ɪ.kər/ 表示“名字；绰号”，英文解释为“a name or nickname”

His reign at the 7-Eleven empire came to an end in 2016, when he resigned following a boardroom clash with U.S. investor Third Point, a rare example of U.S.-style shareholder activism intruding into Japanese boardrooms. He had run Seven & i and its predecessor since 1992. He remained at the company as an adviser.

2016年，他在与美国投资者Third Point发生董事会冲突后辞职，他在7-11帝国的掌舵生涯就此画上句号。这是美国式股东激进主义侵入日本企业董事会的罕见案例。自1992年以来，铃木敏文一直执掌Seven & i及其前身。辞职后，他仍留在该公司担任顾问。

reign /reɪn/ 作名词，1）表示“为王，为君；当政；统治”，英文解释为“the period of time when a king or queen rules a country”如：the reign of Henry VIII 亨利八世的统治。

2）表示“主宰（或支配）的时期”，英文解释为“a period when a particular person, feeling, or quality is very important or has a strong influence”如：his successful reign as manager of the team 他作为经理对这个小组的成功驾驭。

作动词，1）表示“统治；当政；为王；为君”，英文解释为“to rule as king, queen, emperor , etc.”举个🌰：Queen Victoria reigned from 1837 to 1901. 维多利亚女王自1837年至1901年在位。

2）从第一个含义引申出来，可以解释为“主宰；盛行；成为最显著的 ”，英文解释为“to be the most obvious feature of a place or moment”举个🌰：Confusion reigned about how the debate would end. 这场辩论将如何结束的问题令人困惑。

📍写作里可以试试这个表达，xxx reigned. 表示某个东西“占据了主导地位”，既简洁又高级。当然，要注意主语单复数/可不可数。At last silence reigned (= there was complete silence). 最后，万籁俱寂。

🎬电影《黑衣人2》（Men in Black II）中的台词提到：We have lived by its word, and peace has reigned throughout our world. 我们一直谨守诫律 和平相处。

intrude /ɪnˈtruːd/ 表示“闯入，侵扰”，英文解释为“to go into a place or situation in which you are not wanted or not expected to be”举个🌰：I hope I'm not intruding. 但愿我没有打扰你们。

predecessor /ˈpriː.dɪˌses.ər/ 表示“前任，前辈；原有事物，前身”，英文解释为“someone who had a job or a position before someone else, or something that comes before another thing in time or in a series”

📍successor表示“继任者，接替者；继承人；接替的事物”，英文解释为“someone or something that comes after another person or thing”举个🌰：This range of computers is very fast, but their successors will be even faster. 这个系列的电脑速度很快，但它的换代产品速度会更快。

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