> China's online retail sales up 11.5% in January-April period 商务部：今年前4月全国网上零售额同比增长11.5%
A staff member sells summer oranges via live broadcasts at a digital e-commerce center in Zigui county, Yichang, Hubei province on Aug 4, 2023. [Photo/VCG]
China's online retail sales saw steady expansion in the first four months of 2024, with emerging growth forces continuing to boost consumption, official data showed on Tuesday. 5月21日发布的官方数据显示，今年1至4月，我国网络零售实现稳步增长，网络消费新增长点持续发力。
The country's online retail sales rose 11.5 percent year-on-year to 4.41 trillion yuan ($620.52 billion) during the period, according to the Ministry of Commerce. 据商务部消息，1-4月全国网上零售额为4.41万亿元，同比增长11.5%。
Specifically, online retail sales of physical goods climbed 11.1 percent year-on-year to 3.74 trillion yuan, contributing 23.9 percent to China's retail sales of consumer goods, the ministry said. 其中，实物商品网上零售额达到了3.74万亿元，同比增长11.1%，占社会消费品零售总额的比重为23.9%。
The country's consumption of key online services monitored by the ministry jumped 25.1 percent year-on-year in the same period, and its consumption of digital, green and health commodities also grew rapidly. 1-4月商务部重点监测网络服务消费额同比增长25.1%，数字、绿色、健康类商品网络零售额也实现较快增长。
In April, China's online sales of home appliances and furniture increased 9.3 percent and 12.2 percent, respectively, supported by the country's consumer goods trade-in policy. 在以旧换新政策的支持下，4月份家电和家具网络销售额分别增长9.3%和12.2%。
> New study shows 1/3 of young adults worry about homelessness 民调：生活成本飙升困扰美国年轻人 1/3受访者担心会无家可归
A homeless man sits on a luggage bag along a downtown Los Angeles street lined with tents housing the homeless on Nov 22, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. [Photo/Agencies]
Acorns, a leading saving and investing app, released its 2024 Money Matters Report, shedding light on the current financial concerns gripping Americans. The report reveals approximately a third of Gen Z and Millennials (29% and 32%, respectively) responded that they fear their financial situation could lead to homelessness, which is nearly three times more than Boomers and older respondents (11%). 行业领先的储蓄和投资应用Acorns发布了《2024年金钱问题报告》，揭示了当前困扰美国人的财务问题。报告显示，大约三分之一的Z世代和千禧一代年轻人（分别为29%和32%）表示，他们担心自己的经济状况可能导致无家可归，这几乎是婴儿潮一代和老年受访者（11%）的三倍。
The major drivers behind this fear, and the top three biggest financial concerns among adults, are cost of living, inflation and debt. Additionally, over a quarter of Americans surveyed (27%) have never had an emergency fund. 这种担忧背后的主要原因是生活成本、通货膨胀和债务，它们也是成年人最关心的三大财务问题。此外，超过四分之一的受访美国人（27%）从未准备过应急基金。
Noah Kerner, Acorns CEO, explains that this fear is understandable. “If you’re afraid you might lose your job, or not make enough income to combat inflation, and can’t borrow money at reasonable rates, then it doesn’t seem out of bounds to be worried about not having a home.” Acorns首席执行官诺亚•克纳解释说，人们的担忧是可以理解的。“如果你担心自己可能会失业，或者没有足够的收入来对抗通货膨胀，并且无法以合理的利率借钱，那么担心没有房子住似乎并不过分。”
In fact, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) counted 653,104 homeless Americans in its 2023 point-in-time report, which measures homelessness across the US on a single night each winter. That's a 12.1% increase from the same report in 2022. 事实上，美国住房与城市发展部（HUD）发布的2023年时间点统计报告显示，美国有653104名无家可归者，该报告衡量了美国每年冬天一个晚上的无家可归者情况。这一数字比2022年增长了12.1%。
According to the report, these anxieties will continue to loom, with only 35% of those surveyed projecting that they would be more financially secure next year than they are currently, while 44% expect their financial security to be about the same. 根据Acorns的报告，这些财务焦虑将继续显现，只有35%的受访者预计他们明年的经济状况将比目前更安全，而大多数人（44%）预计他们的经济安全状况会大致相同。
> Word of the day丨 preferential measures to boost tourism 每日一词丨旅游惠民措施
5月19日，游客在陕西西安长安十二时辰景区观看表演《霓裳羽衣舞》。图片来源：新华社
Over 6,300 preferential measures in seven categories have been introduced across China to boost tourism in a month-long campaign to mark this year's China Tourism Day, according to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. The ministry said that all localities have worked with industry associations, platform companies, telecom operators, and financial platforms to issue over 100 million yuan worth of consumer vouchers. 据文化和旅游部消息，在今年贯穿整个5月的“中国旅游日”活动期间，各地携手行业协会、平台企业、电信运营商、金融平台等，推出7大类6300余条旅游惠民措施，发放总额1亿多元的消费券。
