By the end of the year, the company that built nearly $200 billion in sales on such mundane products as paper plates and lawn mowers will unseat General Motors Corp. as America's largest company.
Wal-Mart Stores Inc.'s rise to the top isn't just a sign of the retailer's mastery of “everyday low prices,” powerful logistics systems and cutting-edge technology. It also reflects Americans' continuing love affair with the discount sector, which is tapping into the increasingly sophisticated tastes of budget-conscious consumers.
mundane：世俗的，日常的；沃爾馬特公司主要出售打折的日常用品，比如紙盤(pán)子與除草機(jī)等。
lawn mower：除草機(jī)。
unseat：使退位；通用汽車(chē)長(zhǎng)期以來(lái)一直是全美國(guó)的公司，今年沃爾馬特公司憑借2000億美元的銷售額終于把他擠下王位。
discount：折扣，打折。
budget-conscious：關(guān)心預(yù)算的；美國(guó)人非常喜歡打折的商品，因此偏愛(ài)沃爾馬特公司。
“Wal-Mart has given consumers a new and appealing connotation to value, and in the process raised the stature of discounting,” said Kurt Barnard, publisher of Barnard's Retail Trend Report, based in Upper Montclair, N.J.
“Discounters used to be places to go because you couldn't afford shopping anywhere else,” said Wendy Leibmann, president of WSL Strategic Retail, a consulting firm based in New York. “Now it's a sign of a smart shopper.”
connotation：內(nèi)涵，含義。
stature：高度，成就；這位觀察家認(rèn)為沃爾馬特把打折商品提高到了新的高度。
Wal-Mart Stores Inc.'s rise to the top isn't just a sign of the retailer's mastery of “everyday low prices,” powerful logistics systems and cutting-edge technology. It also reflects Americans' continuing love affair with the discount sector, which is tapping into the increasingly sophisticated tastes of budget-conscious consumers.
mundane：世俗的，日常的；沃爾馬特公司主要出售打折的日常用品，比如紙盤(pán)子與除草機(jī)等。
lawn mower：除草機(jī)。
unseat：使退位；通用汽車(chē)長(zhǎng)期以來(lái)一直是全美國(guó)的公司，今年沃爾馬特公司憑借2000億美元的銷售額終于把他擠下王位。
discount：折扣，打折。
budget-conscious：關(guān)心預(yù)算的；美國(guó)人非常喜歡打折的商品，因此偏愛(ài)沃爾馬特公司。
“Wal-Mart has given consumers a new and appealing connotation to value, and in the process raised the stature of discounting,” said Kurt Barnard, publisher of Barnard's Retail Trend Report, based in Upper Montclair, N.J.
“Discounters used to be places to go because you couldn't afford shopping anywhere else,” said Wendy Leibmann, president of WSL Strategic Retail, a consulting firm based in New York. “Now it's a sign of a smart shopper.”
connotation：內(nèi)涵，含義。
stature：高度，成就；這位觀察家認(rèn)為沃爾馬特把打折商品提高到了新的高度。