How much is a
name worth? 一個名字值多少錢？
Look around you. Is there Coke in your refrigerator? Is your computer a
Dell or Asus? From toothpaste to electronics, brands and brand-name products
are all around us. It hasn’t always been this way. Before the Industrial
Revolution and the age of mass media, brands were far less prevalent. But since
then, brands have become an increasingly prominent part of our daily lives.
An asset worth protecting
In 2006, a container ship, the Cougar Ace, floundered in the Pacific
Ocean. Its cargo included 4,703 brand-new Mazda cars, worth more than US$100
million. None of the cars were damaged, but there was still a problem. The ship
had spent several weeks floating at a 60-degree angle, and nobody knew how that
would affect the cars’ engines, electronics and safety devices. Incredibly, Mazda
decided to destroy all of the cars – including the individual parts. “We couldn’t
run the risk of damaging the brand name that Mazda worked so hard over the
years to develop, “ explained company spokesperson Jeremy Barnes. Why would a
company go to such great lengths to protect its brand name? The answer is
simpler than you might imagine.
Industrial Revolution
prevalent
spokesperson
go to great lengths to do somethingàextremely hard to go to do
something
【Chat room】
brands品牌
generic brand非品牌商品(如超市或藥妝連鎖店自製自銷的一些商品)
no-name brand
store brand
【Key word】
prevalent 盛行的、普遍的、流行的
Addiction to on-line games is prevalent among young people.
網路遊戲上癮的現象在年輕人中很常見。
This disease is still prevalent in some countries in Africa.
這個疾病在非洲某些國家仍然很普遍
flounder (動詞)在水中、泥地中、雪中越陷越深；掙扎的移動
Our car floundered in the mud and it took us hours to get the car
driving again.
The swimmer suddenly had a cramp and floundered in the water.
這個游泳的人突然抽筋了並在水中掙扎
go to great lengths to do something不餘遺力、無所顧忌的去做某事
The hostess went to great lengths to make us feel welcome.
女主人費盡全力要讓我們覺得賓至如歸
The extreme fans went to great lengths to get the singer’s autograph.
有些很極端瘋狂的粉絲無所不用其極的要拿到這位歌星的簽名
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