筆者大學時修過管理財金類英文閱讀的通識
所以對於商業英文的閱讀有著一定程度的偏執熱情(?)
今天就以翻譯一則(1993年的)外電報導
來一窺萬能麥斯玩具當年是如何稱霸地球
In Itty-Bitty Toys,
Mega-Mega-Profits
By CAROL LAWSON
Published: October 28, 1993
While miniatures have been on the market before, industry analysts say they are enjoying a huge surge in popularity. There are dolls and airplanes the size of postage stamps, animals no bigger than fingernails, accessories the size of thumbtacks and entire play sets of fully furnished castles and alien universes that fit into the palm of the hand.
不論人偶或交通工具都只有郵票大小，以及拇指大的怪獸、不超過一片指甲面積的迷你配件，而擺放所有這些"小"玩具的外星怪獸基地，卻也才不過手掌大小!微型玩具組(miniatures)於玩具市場呼風喚雨，讓玩具公司笑得合不攏嘴。
Toy experts say that micro-toys, designed primarily for children between the ages of 4 and 10, have caught on for a variety of reasons. The big lure, of course, is price. Parents do not balk at buying an extra toy that costs only a few dollars, and children can often buy miniatures for themselves with their allowances.
這種客群設定在四到十歲兒童的微型玩具(micro-toys)的成功可探討出許多原因，其中的關鍵就是價格。看到孩子吵著要的玩具不不過才幾塊美金，父母通常都不會拒絕，更不用說有些小孩用自己零用錢就買得起。
These toys also appeal to children's fascination with collecting. A lot of miniatures are manufactured as multi-part series. These toys are also highly portable. Many come with small carrying cases that can hold numerous little pieces.
這系列玩具最賤的地方是更懂得激起小孩瘋狂收集的欲望，因為玩具公司通常會出好幾個不同系列，要集滿一個系列通常可得買個十幾組，因此雖然微型玩具單價低，但化整為零的吸金策略依然製造龐大收益。如同上述，微型玩具經常只有手掌大小，可攜性極高，很多玩具組設計成可攜帶的盒子般，隨時隨地要玩，打開盒子便可從中取出眾多細小零件。
Micro-toys are prime examples of how less can be more. "If you reduce the scale of a product, you can get a bigger environment in a small space and can have many more items," said Sean McGowan, a toy industry analyst with Gerard Klauer Mattison. "That is the whole mystique of Mighty Max and Polly Pocket -- wonderfully complex environments in a small space."
微型玩具完美詮釋了如何"以小搏大"(Less is More 是英文成語:少即是多"，但筆者認為這邊如此翻譯比較順)，玩具市場分析師Sean McGowan表示："玩具產品的體積變小，消費者家中可擺放玩具的空間相對變多，就會願意買更多組這樣的小玩具，萬能麥斯與芭莉口袋娃娃成功的秘訣就在此，以掌中小空間創造驚奇大世界。"
Mighty Max and Polly Pocket, both of which originated in England and are sold here by Mattel, are among the most popular micro-toys. "They should do in excess of $100 million this year," Mr. McGowan said.
英國藍鳥公司創始的萬能麥斯與芭莉口袋娃娃，在美國由美泰兒公司代理發售，目前為全美最受歡迎的微型玩具系列，Sean McGowan估計今(1993)年度於美國本土的銷售金額會超過一億美金。
(註：萬能麥斯於英國國內1992~1993兩年統計銷售金額為約四千六百萬英鎊)
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