雅思阅读材料：做个精明的“海淘族”

Everyone who knows Olivia Griffiths is impressed by her unique sense of style. Whenever she walks into a room, heads turn. Her friends wonder where she buys her scarves made from the finest Chinese silk. Or how she managed to snag the new Mulberry satchel that no one had thought was available in Australia yet.

每一个认识奥利维亚•格里菲思的人都会对她独特的穿衣品味印象深刻。每次她走进房间总是能引起别人的关注。朋友们都想知道：她是在哪里*到上等的丝绸围巾?又是如何抢到在澳洲还没有发售的Mulberry新款皮包的?

The truth is that Olivia has never left Australia. But with a few clicks of her computer mouse, she can travel to shopping destinations around the world.

事实上，奥利维亚从没离开过澳洲，但她只需轻击几下电脑鼠标，便能前往世界各地的购物天堂。

Online shopping has revolutionized the consumer experience. With the help of an increasing number of online shops overseas, shoppers can now pick up interesting goods made in exotic locations all over the world.

网购已经使消费者的购物体验发生了革命性的变化。随着国外网店数量的增多，如今购物者可以搜遍全球，挑选自己喜欢的异国商品。

The biggest advantage of shopping on foreign websites is the wide range of choices available. For example, Chinese shoppers are often frustrated when Gap products are not available locally. But now it’s possible to order these products straight from the US with a credit card and a *all delivery fee.

在国外网站购物的优势便是选择范围很广。例如，国内消费者常常因为*不到一些还未在大陆发售的GAP款式而失望。而如今，只需要一张信用卡再加上一小笔运费，你便可以直接从美国订购这些商品了。

Other benefits of online shopping include competitive prices. When items are bought online from other countries, they’re often tax-free.

网购的一大好处便是价格合理。当你海淘时，这些商品通常都是免税的。

However, when you buy things from a foreign website, things can get tricky too. So make sure you pay extra attention to protecting your rights.

然而，海淘也可能会出现一些棘手的麻烦。所以你要特别注意*。

Sometimes it can be difficult to navigate foreign websites because of the unfamiliar language. For example, the term “shipped in 1-5 working days” can be confusing for Chinese shoppers, as it doesn’t clarify whether this is the time in which the product will arrive or the time it takes for it to be processed.

由于语言不通，浏览国外网站有时很困难。例如，“1到5个工作日发货”这一条款令中国消费者十分费解，因为分不清这是指商品送达的时间还是指订单处理的时间。

The method of shipping can also determine whether you get your product at all. Unless you choose expedited or priority shipping, which only takes a few days to deliver but is more expensive, most standard international shipping doesn’t offer a tracking option ― which means once your products are shipped outside of the country there’s no way of finding out where they are.

送货方式也是让商品成功送达的关键。除非你选择加急送货或优先送达，这样商品只需数日便能送达，当然费用也更高。常见的国际航运商大都不会提供包裹跟踪服务——这就意味着你购*的商品一旦运送出境，根本无法掌握它的踪迹。

Since not every overseas online retailer chooses major delivery companies like DHL or FedEx, it’s even possible for your package to get lost.

并非所有的国外网络零售商都会选择像DHL或FedEx这类的大型快递公司，你的包裹甚至有可能会寄丢。

So pay attention to the expected delivery date and keep in touch with the company’s customer service. If your products don’t arrive by the delivery date the company promised, you can request a reshipment or refund.

所以，留心商品预计送达的日期并与商家的客服保持联系。如果你的商品在商家承诺的日期内没有送达，你可以要求重新发货或是退款。

The best consumers are the most savvy ones. If you’re interested in expanding your shopping territory to foreign websites, make sure you do your research beforehand to avoid your money and products being lost on the way.

最用心的消费者才最精明。如果你有意进军海淘，那么事先做些研究，免得财物两空。

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