中国消费者都是冤大头:赚着卖白菜的钱，付着买奢侈品的价

Chinese at all socioeconomic levels try to "win"—that is, climb the ladder of success—while working within the system, not against it. In Chinese consumer culture, there is a constant tension between self-protection and displaying status.

各个社会经济阶层的中国人都在努力“赢”──也就是攀爬成功的阶梯──他们都在适应着体制，而不是去对抗它。在中国人的消费文化中，一直存在着自我保护 和彰显身份的矛盾。

If you picked up your cup of joe from Starbucks this morning, you might have noticed that it cost a little more. Just when inflation was beginning to ease here in China, the coffee chain says: not so for its business and raised the prices on certain types of its drinks sold in China - starting from this morning.

如果你今天早上从星巴克买了杯咖啡的话，你就会发现星巴克涨价了。虽然中国的通胀情况刚刚有所缓解，星巴克却不买账，开始在中国的连锁店对部分产品进行涨价。

Hey, don't try to rip me off. I know what this is worth. I can get this cheaper at other places.

别想宰我，我识货。这样东西我在别的地方可以买到更便宜的。

To win a following among Chinese buyers, brands have to follow three rules. First and most important, products that are consumed in public, directly or indirectly, command huge price premiums relative to goods used in private.

要赢得中国的消费者，品牌需遵循三个规则。第一点也是最重要的，公开使用的产品，无论是直接公开还是间接公开，价格都要高于私下使用的产品。

Luxury items are desired more as status investments than for their inherent beauty or craftsmanship. The Chinese are now the world's most avid luxury shoppers, at least if trips abroad to cities like Hong Kong and Paris are taken into account. According to Global Refund, a company specializing in tax-free shopping for tourists, the Chinese account for 15% of all luxury items purchased in France but less than 2% of its visitors.

购买奢侈品更多的是身份投资，而不是为了其本身的美观或工艺。中国目前是世界胃口最大的奢侈品买家，把前往香港和巴黎等城市的出境游算上的话至少是这样。据免税购物公司Global Refund统计，在法国，占游客总数不到2%的中国游客消费了15%的奢侈品。

China has raised gasoline and diesel prices by 350 yuan per ton, in a bid to reflect rising international crude-oil prices. It's also a move that could shake the country's taxi industry, as it pushes up operating costs.

为了应对国际原油价格上涨，中国汽柴油应声涨价，每吨涨价350元。此举对于出租车行业是一大打击，因为这会推高出租车的运营成本。

Stagnant earnings growth has combined with an ever-increasing burden of VAT, income tax and other Government-related charges to put heavy downward pressure on living standards.

收入增长缓慢，税收负担却越来越大，尤其是所得税和其他政府相关收费严重抬高了生活成本。

Luxury buyers want to demonstrate mastery of the system while remaining understated, hence the appeal of Mont Blanc's six-point logo or Bottega Veneta's signature cross weave—both conspicuously discreet. Young consumers want both stylishness and acceptance, so they opt for more conventionally hip fashion brands like Converse and Uniqlo.

奢侈品消费者既要表现自己对体制游刃有余的掌控，同时又要保持低调，因此万宝龙的六角星标识和宝缇嘉标志性的编织皮革颇受欢迎，二者都是低调的奢华。年轻消费者既想要时尚，又希望被人接受，因此选择匡威（Converse）和优衣库（Uniqlo）等比较传统的时尚服装品牌。