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With more and more families finding it necessary to watch where every penny goes,
随着越来越多的家庭发现，有必要留意每一分钱的去处，
treating yourself to a special, luxury purchase is a huge deal.
那么给自己买一件特别的奢侈品就是一件大事儿。
It's easy to look to celebrities and pop culture to see what's hot and what's worth the hefty price tag,
从名人和流行文化中，很容易就可以发现哪些商品很热门，哪些商品物有所值，
because if A-listers are wearing it, it must be good, right? Not so fast.
因为如果一线明星都使用的话，那商品一定很不错，对吧？别太早下结论。
Since that's not always the case, let's talk about some luxury brands that aren't worth their weight in gold.
但事实并非总是如此，我们来盘点一下不必一掷千金的奢侈品牌吧。
Once touted as one of the most popular handbag lines in the world,
蔻驰（Coach）曾被吹捧为世界上最受欢迎的手袋品牌之一，
Coach has recently declined in popularity after too many sales made them far too accessible to be considered exclusive.
但由于销量太大，Coach的受欢迎程度已经下降，以至于无法被视为专属品牌。
Coach is trying to rectify that problem by introducing even more expensive bags to its already pricey line and cutting back on online flash sales.
Coach为了改善这一问题，在其本就昂贵的产品线中推出更加昂贵的新品，并削减在线限时抢购。
While that means things are getting better for the company, Coach is no longer viewed in quite the same light it once was...
尽管这意味着公司的状况正在好转，但人们对Coach的追捧已不再像过去那样狂热……
and that's something you might want to consider if you're purchasing one of their bags in order to make a statement.
如果你想买这家的包来表达自己的观点，那你可能需要好好考虑下了。
There was a time when Michael Kors handbags were highly coveted status symbols,
曾几何时，迈克尔·科尔斯(Michael Kors)的手袋是人们梦寐以求的地位的象征，
but the MK bubble burst right around the same time that Coach began to lose its following.
但随着MK泡沫破裂的同时，蔻驰的大批粉丝也开始流失。
According to Business Insider, the luxury brands had similar problems: overexposure and increased accessibility led to a huge decline in sales.
据“商业内幕”网站报道，这些奢侈品牌也存在类似的问题：过度曝光和大众普及程度的提高导致了销量的大幅下降。
The company is trying to turn itself around and improve its image, but it isn't quite there yet.
这家公司正在努力扭转局面，改善自身的形象，但还没有完全改变现状。
While the company still markets itself as a luxury brand,
虽然该公司仍然把自己列为一档奢侈品牌，
if you're going to shop Michael Kors you should wait for one of the many sales which often feature markdowns up to 50 percent.
但如果你还想购买MK，应该等到有许多促销活动的时候再入手，这些促销活动通常会有高达50%的折扣。
There's something shady about the sunglasses industry, and we aren't just talking about the lenses.
太阳眼镜行业也存在一些猫腻，我们不只是要谈论镜片。
It doesn't matter if you're buying a designer pair or some cheap shades from the drugstore,
不管是买名牌太阳镜还是从药店买的廉价太阳镜，
your sunglasses were likely made by the same company: Luxottica.
你的太阳镜很可能是同一家公司生产的：陆逊梯卡（Luxottica）。
Luxottica has a major monopoly on the sunglasses industry, with at least half a billion people around the world likely owning a pair made by the company.
陆逊梯卡几乎垄断了太阳镜行业，全球至少有5亿人可能都拥有该公司生产的太阳镜。
Luxottica makes sunglasses for brands like Chanel, Polo, Tiffany, Coach, and Ray-Ban,
陆逊梯卡还为香奈儿(Chanel)、Polo、蒂芙尼(Tiffany)、蔻驰(Coach)和雷朋(Ray-Ban)等品牌生产太阳镜，
and while Luxottica won't reveal their exact markup, their designer shades can retail for an estimated 20 times what they actually cost to produce.
虽然陆逊梯卡不会向外透露具体的价目，但据估计，这些设计师设计的太阳镜的零售价是实际生产成本的20倍。
Many of their cheaper glasses also look quite similar to the more expensive brands, making designer sunglasses quite the rip-off.
他们的许多廉价眼镜看起来也很像昂贵的品牌，导致名牌太阳镜很像冒牌货。
All you're really paying for is the brand's logo on the side of the frame, which most people probably won't see anyway.
花巨资购买的其实只是镜框侧面的品牌标识，而大多数人可能不会注意到。
There's no denying that SMEG appliances are gorgeous.
不可否认，Smeg品牌的电器十分奢华。
The retro-style brand was founded in Italy in 1948,
这个复古风格的品牌1948年创立于意大利，
but has become more popular since the 1990s when it launched a line of 1950s-style refrigerators.
但自上世纪90年代推出上世纪50年代风格的冰箱系列以来，它变得越来越受欢迎。
Today, they have other retro-inspired appliances that might look good in your kitchen
如今，他们还有其他复古风格的电器，可能这些电器在厨房里看起来很美观，
but aren't so great for your wallet or practical use, if reviews are any judge.
但如果客观评价的话，这些电器对钱包或实用性来讲就不是那么友好了。
SMEG might be regularly praised for its sleek design and brightly-colored finish, but it also tends to get marked down when it comes to things like general useability.
SMEG可能会因其光滑的设计和明亮的颜色而经常受到青睐，但当涉及到一般的实用性时，它也往往会被吐槽。
That's not the worst news.
这还不是最坏的消息。
When the brand paired up with Dolce & Gabbana, they succeeded in producing some beautifully designed appliances...
该品牌与杜嘉班纳合作时，他们成功地生产出了一些设计精美的电器……
with astonishingly high price tags.
然而标价高得令人咋舌。
How high? A Dolce Gabbana and SMEG blender will run you a whopping $850.
有多高？一款由杜嘉班纳和SMEG联名的搅拌机价格要850美元。
"That's insane!" It only gets worse, because a refrigerator from the line costs a laughable $50,000!
“想钱想疯了吧！”更糟的是，他们的冰箱售价高达5万美元！
No refrigerator is worth that much money, especially when it comes with less storage space than the average refrigerator model.
没听说哪家的冰箱卖这么贵的，尤其是它的存储空间还比一般型号的冰箱小得多。
While Prada might sell some quality goods befitting luxury brands, some of their offerings are questionable to say the least.
虽然普拉达可能也会出售一些适合奢侈品牌的优质产品，不过保守来讲，他们的一些产品还是挺有争议的。
For example, there is absolutely no world in which a $185 paperclip can be worth the cost.
例如，一个要价185美元的回形针绝对不可能物有所值。
Sure, it's made out of sterling silver and is officially advertised as a money clip,
当然，它是纯银制作的，官方是将其作为钱夹来大力宣传的，
but if you have so much cash that you can sink nearly $200 on a money clip, then you have too much cash for a money clip to hold.
不过如果你有大量现金，你可以花近200美元买这么一个钱夹，但是这个钱夹肯定hold不住那么多的现金。
"No I have never once experienced anything remotely like that. NEVER."
“不，我从来没有过这样的经历。从来没有。”
The high price tag is in keeping with the line's other outrageously priced products.
这么昂贵的价格与该公司其他定价高得离谱的产品如出一辙。
The average cost of a purse runs into the thousands.
一个钱包的平均价格达到数千美元。
While Hermès still retains its ironclad reputation as being one of the world's most iconic fashion brands,
虽然爱马仕（Hermès）仍然保持着作为全球最具标志性的时尚品牌之一的铁杆声誉，
this is still a line you might want to skip if you're looking to get good value for your money.
但如果大家想要物有所值，那么这可能也是个要忽略的品牌。
Let's examine the Hermès Birkin, a luxury purse that many consider to be the holy grail of handbags.
我们来看看爱马仕柏金包(Birkin)，这是一款被许多人视为手袋圣杯的奢侈品。
Prospective buyers have to sign up for a two-year waiting list and fork over a five-figure sum before taking one of these home.
想要入手的买家必须在一份为期两年的等候名单上签字，并支付五位数的费用，才能将其中一款带回家。
Is it worth the money?
这包真的值这么多钱吗？
Former CEO Patrick Thomas explained the exorbitant price tag, saying:
前首席执行官帕特里克·托马斯对这一昂贵的价格做出了解释，
"There's always one craftsman responsible for the whole process of the bag, from the start to the end.
他说:“这款包是由一名工匠负责整个的制作过程，从头跟到尾。
To create a single bag, it costs around 15 to 20 hours."
制作一款包需要花费15到20个小时。”
In other words, you're paying nearly $1,000 an hour to have that bag made just at the low end.
也就是说，你每小时要支付人家近1000美元，才能让这个包以最低的价格生产出来。
The crippling cost of the Birkin may be part of the reason so many of them end up being put up for collateral at pawn shops.
铂金包的高昂成本可能是众多铂金包最终被抵押给典当行的部分原因吧。
Cost aside, even the person the bag is named for, model and singer Jane Birkin,
撇开价格不谈，即使是以她本人名字命名的模特兼歌手简·柏金(Jane Birkin)，
went through a love-hate phase with the bag because of the cruel treatment endured by crocodiles that are slaughtered for the bags.
也对这款包经历了爱恨交织的阶段，因为这款包制作时，鳄鱼要遭受残酷的屠杀。
You're far better off spending your money on a brand that is kinder to animals, not to mention your wallet.
你最好把钱花在一个对动物更加友好的品牌上，更别提你的钱包了。
