20090629 -- Watches Tell More Than Time(1)

Watches Tell More Than Time

From cool Japanese styles to multi-function models, watches make a statement

In today’s world of cell phones, mini laptops and MP3 players, most people have at least one time-telling tool with them. Since these devices are so common, is time running out for the 500-year-old watch? According to some consumers, yes. New Jersey teenager Charlie Wollman says a watch is "an extra piece of equipment with no necessary function." Many young adults agree – and use their cell phones to tell time. Louis Galie, a senior vice president at Timex, said that fewer young people wear watches today than five years ago.

As a result, some people claim that the watch industry is at a crossroads. However, watchmakers optimistically say that watches regain popularity when consumers reach their 20s and 30s. By then, they are willing to spend money on a quality timepiece that doesn't just keep good time. Fifty years ago, watchmakers boasted about their products' accuracy. But in recent years, the watch industry has transformed itself into an accessory business. And for many today, the image a watch communicates has become more important than the time it tells


device n. 裝置
eg: With this mobile device, I can listen to music, play games and surf the
Internet.
eg: This special device shows where the patients are located in the
hospital.
eg: The device the doctor put in her chest regulates her heartbeats.

consume v. 消費
consumer n. 消費者
eg: Angry consumers called the stored to complain about the damaged
products they had purchased.
eg: The rise of oil prices impacts all consumers.
eg: Consumers should be educated about their rights.
eg: Consumers spending decreased dramatically last year.

popular adj. 受歡迎的
popularity n. 受到大眾歡迎/流行
eg: Social networking websites are increasing in popularity. Even my grandmother uses one!
eg: The movie's success boosted(提升) the actor's popularity(知名度)
eg: Many companies have started to notice the increasing popularity of
organic food.

accuracy n. 精確度
-> how correct/exactly something is
eg: Some universities don't allow students to use information from wikis
because of problems with the sites' accuracy.

crossroads n. 十字路口/轉折點/重大的抉擇時刻
-> two roads come together to form a shape of cross

timepiece n.錶/鐘/計時器
-> a piece of equipment that tells time

accessory n. 附件/配件/附加物件
eg: A radio is an accessory to a car.

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tool
tools of the trade 專業器具

utensils (不用插電的) 廚房的用具(鍋婉瓢盆)
appliance (要插電的) 家電

instrument 精密工具/儀器
eg: scalpel 解剖刀(屬於instrument)