1) It won't be difficult to notice these days that more and more companies turn to price promotions to boost sales, especially the ones which produce such consumer goods as TV, refrigerators and air conditioners. Although I know nothing about market economy, I have a feeling that such short-termism as price promotions will do much damage to a good brand.(文章一开始就描述了许多厂家大搞价格促销这种普遍现象,紧接着就这个现象发表看法,表明态度)

2) It is true that price promotions can have a dramatic short-term effect on a brand's sales. For example, increases of more than 200% for fruit drinks during the period of price promotions are not uncommon. But a study shows that such promotions have no lasting effect on sales or brand loyalty. Once the promotions ends, customers go back to the one they normally prefer. Hence it won't contribute much to the increase in market share.(承认其短期效应,但从第二句开始就分析这种促销并不能持久增加销售量，更不能扩大市场份额)

3) What the companies fail to notice is that a marketing plan centered on discounts and promotions will bring their brands to ruin. Since price is often a signal to consumers of a product's quality, a brand that is always on special offer will lose its appeal. A good case in point is Changhong TV. Frequent promotions caused Changhong to lose its position as a premium TV.  In just few years, Changhong went from RMB 48m in net profits to RMB 50m in losses.(这一段进一步分析了价格促销会损害一个商品的品牌)

4) Rarely can rivals inflict such severe damage. To advertise a new product and help it to break into a crowded market in China can cost more than RMB 50, even then, most fail. At the same time, however, old popular brands tend to be invulnerable. In the category of food blenders, for example, consumers were still ranking General Electric second-20 years after the company had stopped making them.(承接上文,分析创建一个商品品牌的不容易以及品牌对于一个商品的重要性。特别用通用电器生产的食品搅拌机在停产20年后仍被评为同类商品的第二位来说明问题)

5) Brands are insubstantial treasure. They are vital to a product's or a company's reputations. Price promotion may make big short-run gains in sales, but will cheapen a brand's image and finally ruin a brand's reputation. Obviously if you want to make continuous profits, what you need is to try promotions that reinforce a brand's image.(最后再一次表明价格促销不可取)

闪光点:

1. 首尾呼应: Although I know. nothing about the market economy, I have a feeling that such short-termism as price promotions will do much damage to a good brand. -- Price promotion may make big short-run gains in sales, but will cheapen a brand's image and finally ruin' a brand's reputation.

2. 词汇变化: make big gain--make continuous profits, do much damage--afflict damage, short-term-short run-short termism

3. 词汇亮点: do much damage to, have a dramatic effect on, afflict damages, bring sth. to ruin, be a signal to, lose its appeal, break into a market, rank sth. second, cheapen/reinforce an image

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