每日英语：China's Conflicted Consumers

The sharpest downturn in growth since the financial crisis doesn't appear to have dampened the spirits of China's consumers too much.
Conflicted：冲突的，抵制的　　　　dampen：抑制，使...沮丧，使...潮湿，丧气　　　　downturn：衰退，低迷时期，逆转
Retail sales growth came in at a robust 14% on-year in the second quarter. A survey of sales of fast-moving consumer goods by market research firm Nielsen suggests the situation could be even better. Sales of the snacks, shampoo and toothpaste they track rose 17% on-year in the second quarter.
toothpaste：牙膏　　　　　　shampoo：洗发水
Behind the strong sales figures though, there are signs of unease on the high street.
unease：不安，不舒服，焦虑　　　　
The National Bureau of Statistics survey of consumer satisfaction came in at 93.3 in June, down from 97.1 in May and a lower level than in the financial crisis. A July survey by Market News International also found consumers in a despondent mood, and the reading on Nielsen's second-quarter confidence survey fell.
despondent：沮丧的，失望的，懊恼　　　　
Underneath the deterioration in confidence is concern about the impact a slowdown in growth might have on the jobs market. Nielsen's survey showed consumers' expectations on income and employment fell slightly from the first quarter: 34% of respondents had a negative view on their income prospects in the second quarter, compared with 27% in the first quarter.
deterioration：恶化，退化，堕落　　　 　prospect：前途，预期，景色，展望，勘探
For retailers, China has become a key driver of growth, and any sign consumers are clicking their wallets closed is bad news. But dramatic variation in firms' results so far this year - with checkouts working overtime at some and empty aisles at others - suggests it's competition that's having a bigger impact on sales than sluggish demand.
retailer：零售商　　　　　　checkout：检验，签出，付款台　　　　aisle：通道，走廊，过道

sluggish： 萧条的；迟钝的；行动迟缓的；懒惰的，市况呆滞；市势疲弱
German luxury sportswear maker Hugo Boss AG reported Tuesday that its sales in China decelerated, growing just 1% on-year in the second quarter. Upscale handbag maker Coach Inc. meanwhile, reported the same day that its profit rose 24% for the quarter through June, driven in large measure by a 60% sales gain in China.
decelerated：减速，降低速度　　　　Upscale：高档的，高级的
Whatever China's woes, with the economy still growing at a very respectable 7.6% on-year, consumers in Beijing and Shanghai remain considerably more confident than their counterparts in the U.S. Nielsen's U.S. consumer confidence index dropped to 89 in the second quarter from 92 in the first, signaling that Americans are very reluctant to spend.
woe：悲痛，悲哀，灾难　　　　counterparts：副本，相对物，相对的　　　　
Competition on China's high street is intensifying, but with sales in much of the rest of the world sluggish, retailers have little choice but to rise to the challenge.

intensifying：加紧，加剧，加强，增强