10月9日午间英语新闻：麦当劳宣布：上调！30年来首次！

>Biden forms first federal gun control office
美国成立首个联邦控枪办公室

US President Joe Biden announced the creation of the first White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention recently aimed at reducing the epidemic of gun violence in the US. The office will be headed by Vice President Kamala Harris.
美国总统拜登近日宣布设立首个联邦枪支暴力预防办公室旨在减少美国枪支暴力泛滥的问题。该办公室将由美国副总统哈里斯负责。

In recent years, US gun violence has become increasingly deadly. The Washington Post reported that Biden is preparing for next year's presidential election and hopes the establishment of the new office could reduce gun violence, and that more anti-gun activists vote for him.
近年来，美国枪支暴力问题愈发严重。美国《华盛顿邮报》报道称，当前拜登正在为明年的美国总统大选做淮备，拜登希望新办公室的成立能够减少枪支暴力发生，从而让更多反拥枪人士为他投票。

Many young people support stricter gun control, and the new office could help boost young voters' enthusiasm. According to a survey jointly released by the Southern Poverty Law Center and American University, 80 percent of people between age 14 and 30 said gun violence is a major problem in the US, and most young people do not feel safe
because of guns.
此外，很多年轻人支持实施更严格的枪支管控，新办公室的设立，有助于提升年轻选民的投票热情。美国南方贫困法律中心和美利坚大学等机构此前联合发布一项调查显示，在14岁至30岁的人群中，80%的人表示枪支暴力是美国存在的一大问题，多数年轻人因枪支问题缺乏安全感。

According to the Gun Violence Archive website, there have been more than 500 mass shootings
(four or more casualties each) in the US so far this year, with more than 30,000 people
killed by guns, which equates to about 120 deaths per day.
据美国“枪支暴力档案”网站25日的数据，今年迄今为止，美国己经发生了500多起大规模枪击事件（4人及以上伤亡事件），其中3万多人死于枪支，这相当于每天约120人死于枪支。

>McDonald’s to raise royalty fees for new franchised restaurants for first time in nearly 30 years
麦当劳宣布：上调！30年来首次！

According to CNBC, McDonald's franchisees who add new restaurants will soon have to pay higher royalty fees. The fast-food giant is raising those fees from 4 percent to 5 percent, starting Jan 1. It's the first time in nearly three decades that McDonald’s is hiking its royalty fees.
据美国消费者新闻与商业频道（CNBC）报道，美国餐饮业巨头麦当劳日前表示，从明年1月1日开始，将美国新开设餐厅的特许权使用费从店铺销售额的4%提高到5%。这是麦当劳近30年来首次提高这一费用。

The change will not affect existing franchisees who are maintaining their current footprint or who buy a franchised location from another operator. It will also not apply to rebuilt existing locations or restaurants transferred between family members.
这一变化不会影响现有的特许经营商，他们可以继续保持现有的经营。同样也不会影响现有经营门店的重建或家庭成员之间互相转移经营门店。

However, the higher rate will affect new franchisees, buyers of company-owned restaurants, relocated restaurants and other scenarios that involve the franchisor.
然而，更高的特许权使用费率将影响到新的特许经营商、公司自营餐厅的买家、搬迁的餐厅以及其他涉及特许经营商的情况。

Franchisees run about 95% of McDonald’s roughly 13,400 U.S. restaurants.
麦当劳在美国约13400家餐厅中，约95%由特许经营商经营。

However, backlash will likely come, due to the company’s rocky relationship with its U.S. operators.
然而，由于麦当劳与其美国特许经营商的关系不稳定，这一变化可能会引起特许经营商的强烈反对。

Despite the turmoil, McDonald’s U.S. business is booming. In its most recent quarter, domestic same-store sales grew 10.3%. 
尽管如此，麦当劳在美国的业务仍在蓬勃发展。数据显示，麦当劳第二季度美国同店销售额增长10.3%，好于市场预期。

The company said average cash flows for US operators have climbed 35 percent over the last five years.
此外，过去五年，麦当劳美国特许经营商的平均现金流增长了35%。

McDonald's entered the mainland Chinese market in 1990. Currently, China is the second-largest and fastest-growing market for McDonald's worldwide. As of June 2023, there are over 5,400 McDonald's restaurants nationwide, employing more than 180,000 people.       
麦当劳于1990年进入中国内地市场。目前，中国是麦当劳全球餐厅数量第二大及发展最快的市场。截至2023年6月，全国有超5400家麦当劳餐厅，员工超过18万。

In contrast to many other markets worldwide, McDonald's in China effectively manages food inflation costs by leveraging economies of scale, resulting in only minor price adjustments.
相对于麦当劳全球很多市场，中国市场的食品通胀成本控制得非常好，尽量通过规模来消化通胀，所以涨价也是小幅度的。