This is the VOA Special English Technology Report.
这里是美国之音慢速英语科技报道。
A report by the Consumer Electronics Association says electronics are among the most popular gifts being bought this holiday season. It also predicts that spending on these devices will set new records.
美国消费电子协会的一份报告称，电子产品是这次假日销售最火爆的礼物之一。协会同时预测，电子产品消费支出将创新高。
The CEA says consumers will spend an average of about two hundred thirty dollars on electronics. This is five percent more than last year and the highest level since the organization began keeping records of holiday spending.
美国消费电子协会称，消费者在电子产品上的平均花费可能将达到230美元。这比去年高出5%，也是自该协会开始统计假日消费数据以来最高的一次。
Jim Barry is a spokesman for the Consumer Electronics Association. He says the CEA study found that electronics represent three of the top five things on its "holiday gift wish list" this year.
吉姆·巴里（Jim Barry）是美国消费电子协会发言人。他说，消费电子协会的研究发现，电子产品在今年的五大“最希望收到的圣诞礼物清单”中占据了3席。
JIM BARRY: "Notebook computers are at the top, followed by iPads and then e-readers. IPad is a touch-screen tablet computer and that's really the big player in that category."
巴里：“笔记本电脑位居首位，紧随其次分别是iPad和电子阅读器。iPad是一种触摸屏平板电脑，是平板电脑中的王者。”
The computer company Apple began selling its small, touch-screen computers in April. The company reported that it had sold more than three million iPads by the end of July. Its latest earnings report shows sales of more than four million iPads during the last three months of this year.
苹果电脑公司4月份开始销售其小型触摸屏电脑。该公司称，截至7月底，该公司已售出300万部iPad。公司最新的盈利报告显示，过去三个月的销售量超过了400万部。
People use the touch-screen computers to surf the Web, write e-mails, watch movies and read books. Since the iPad's release earlier this year, several other companies have come out with their own tablet computers just in time for Christmas.
人们使用平板电脑上网，发电邮，看电影以及阅读电子书。自今年年初iPad的发布，其他几家公司也赶圣诞推出了自己的平板电脑。
A report from the e-Marketer research group predicts that worldwide, tablet sales will reach more than eighty-one million in two thousand twelve. Still, Jim Barry says these devices are facing tough competition this year from another Christmas favorite.
一份电子营销研究组织的报告预测，2012年全球平板电脑销量将超过8100万部。不过，巴里称，今年平板电脑还面临着其他圣诞礼物的激烈竞争。
JIM BARRY: "Another hot category right behind that are the e-readers. So you can read on an iPad or a touch-screen tablet, but the e-book readers are less expensive. The Kindle is the market leader there, from Amazon. But you also have the Nook from Barnes and Noble and the e-reader from Sony. And you have more and more of those e-readers coming into the market as well."
巴里：“紧随其次的另一热门类别是电子阅读器。你可以使用iPad或其他平板电脑阅读，但是电子阅读器价格更便宜。来自亚马逊的Kindle（一种电子阅读器）是市场霸主，但你可也以选择来自Barnes and Noble（美国最大实体书店及第2大网上书店）的Nook（一种电子阅读器），和来自索尼公司的电子阅读器。还有更多的电子阅读器投入市场。”
Jim Barry says modern technology is changing the way people relate and increasing their expectations for their electronic devices.
巴里说，现代科技改变了人们的联络方式，也提升了他们对电子设备的期望。
JIM BARRY: "The buzz phrase in the industry is 'content anywhere.' And it's really the ability to take your information and entertainment with you just about anywhere to stay connected to your work and your family. And that's what all of these devices do."
巴里：“该行业的流行说法是“信息无处不在（content anywhere）”。它可以在任何地方带给你信息和娱乐，并与家人和工作保持联络。而这是所有这些设备的功能。”
The Consumer Electronics Association report found that iPod music players are also in high demand this holiday season. So are video game systems and digital cameras.
美国消费电子协会的报告显示，这个假期，iPod音乐播放器需求也很大，同时还有视频游戏系统和数码相机。
But not all of the things on the holiday gift wish list involved electronics. Clothes, cars and motorcycles also made the list. So did family togetherness and good health. And the one thing that people wanted most?
但最想收到的圣诞礼物清单上并非都是电子产品。服务，汽车和摩托车也榜上有名。还包括家庭和睦，身体健康。人们最想要的是什么？
JIM BARRY: "At the top of the list was peace and happiness."
巴里：“人们最想要的是和平幸福。”