当铺在中国开始流行

Pawnshops in China have long played the role of providing people with cash during desperate times. But over the past few decades, pawnshops have nearly disappeared. Recently, they’re coming back to life as small borrowers are turn to these stores for loans.
在中国，当铺长期以来都起着为危急中的人们提供现金的作用。但是，过去几十年间，当铺几乎消失了。近来，随着小额借款人向这些商店贷款，当铺正在复生。

Chen Wenlong is a broker at the Huaxia Pawnshop in downtown Beijing. Everyday he receives dozens of customers coming to pawn their goods in exchange for a loan.
陈文龙是北京商业区华夏典当行的中间人。每天他要接待很多前来典当他们的商品以换取贷款的顾客。

Chen Wenlong said,“Most of our customers are individual businessmen, and there are also some from small and medium sized enterprises. For example, most of our jewellery on sale comes from jewellery wholesalers who come to us for short term loans."
陈文龙表示：“我们顾客中的大多数人是个体商人，也有一些来自中小型企业。例如，我们出售的大多数首饰都是来自来我们这里获取短期贷款的首饰批发商。”

Items like watches, jewellery, gold and almost anything that is worth money can be pawned in this shop, and it takes almost no time at all.
像手表、首饰、黄金这样的东西以及几乎所有值钱的东西都可以在这间商店典当，而且几乎不用花什么时间。

Chen Wenlong said,“The process to secure a loan here is very simple. For example, you just have to take your personal ID, your properties and the documents when you bought them, then you can receive hard cash in five or six minutes."
陈文龙称：“在这里获得一笔贷款的过程是非常简单的。例如，你只需带上个人身份证、财物和你购买时的文件，那么你就可以在五六分钟内获得现金。”

But pawnshops are still under the shadows of the past. For most Chinese, turning to a pawnshop for money is often considered disgraceful and an act of last resort for people in desperate need of money.
但是，典当行仍然处于过去的阴影之下。对大多数中国人而言，为了钱而求助于当铺常常被认为是可耻的，是人们在急需用钱的情况下最后才采取的方法。

Yang Jingkun, deputy general manager of Huaxia Pawnshop, said, “When I first came in, I felt embarrassed working here. But as people know more about it, it’s getting more popular now, its popularity is a recognition of our positive role in people’s life.”
华夏典当行的副总经理Yang Jingkun称：“我第一次进来的时候，我觉得在这里工作很尴尬。但是随着人们对它的了解加深，它现在变得更加受欢迎，它的受欢迎是人们对我们的积极作用的一种认可。”

But this popularity didn’t come out of nowhere. Last year the central bank of China raised its reserve requirement ratio six times to combat rising inflation. But measures to mop up excessive liquidity in the market also weighed on the already cash-strapped SMEs and individuals.
但是这种受欢迎并不是无处不在。去年，中国央行六次提高存款准备金率以应对不断增加的通货膨胀。但是，打击市场流动性过剩的措施也加重现金紧缺的中小型企业和个体户。

Yang Jingkun, deputy general manager of Huaxia Pawnshop, said, “One outstanding feature of a pawnshop is it can provide customers with swift and convenient financial services. Some of our customers, need short term financial support to get over difficult times, but they are often turned down by traditional banks which only offer longer term loans.”
华夏典当行的副总经理Yang Jingkun表示：“典当行的一个突出特征是它可以为顾客提供快速、便捷的金融服务。我们的一些顾客需要短期资金支持来度过困难时期，但是他们经常被只提供长期贷款的传统银行拒绝。”

That’s when pawnshop businesses spotted a good opportunity, and rapid growth came with strong demand. According to Huaxia Pawnshop, by the end of 2011, over 5000 pawnshops were opened around the country, seeing a total transaction of over 200 billion RMB. And more investment is expected to follow. http://www.hxen.net
这是典当行业看到好时机、快速发展和强大需要的时候。据华夏典当行称，到2011年年底，全国有5000多间典当行，总交易额超过2000亿人民币。预计接下来将有更多的投资。

Pawnshops are one of the oldest financial businesses in China. Now they are welcoming a new booming era. Quick money from the brokers might protect small businesses from short term financial straps, but its rapid growth also in a way indicates that many small borrowers are feeling the pinch from a tight financial environment.
当铺是中国最古老的金融行业之一。现在它们正迎来一个新的发展时代。来自中间人的快钱可以使小企业免遭短期的金融困境，但是其快速发展在某种程度上也表明，在银根紧的金融环境下，许多小额贷款人都感到拮据。