正在形成巨大影響力的"中萊塢"

Move over, Hollywood. China's movie industry, or 'Chollywood, ' is getting so influential it can now save another country from recession.

靠邊站，好萊塢。中國的電影產業“中萊塢”(Chollywood)正變得極具影響力，以至於能夠幫助另外一個國家避免陷入衰退。

The country in question, Thailand, has seen its trade balance disintegrate to a deficit of 6% of gross domestic product from a surplus of the same over the past two years. The only reason this hasn't sent the currency plummeting, and forced a recession, is that tourist inflows are acting as an offset, says Jonathan Anderson of the Emerging Advisors Group.

這裏所說的國家是泰國。過去兩年裏，泰國的貿易差額從佔國內生產總值(GDP) 6%的貿易順差變爲同樣比例的貿易逆差。Emerging Advisors Group的安德森(Jonathan Anderson)說，泰國的貨幣沒有隨之暴跌、經濟沒有出現衰退的唯一原因就在於，入境遊客流抵消了貿易逆差。

Net travel revenue doubled to 9% of Thai GDP today from five years ago--and like in so much else, the new demand comes from China. Visitors from the mainland jumped 93% year-over-year between January and April.

如今泰國淨旅遊收入佔GDP的9%，較五年前增長了一倍。與其他很多事一樣，新的需求來自中國。今年1月至4月，來自中國內地的遊客同比增長了93%。

For the recent tourists, Thailand can especially thank the 2012 box-office-hit 'Lost in Thailand.' Consider that comedy China's version of 'The Hangover II, ' except the movie makes Thailand seem charming, not seedy. The Thai prime minister was so grateful she even invited the movie's director for a recent meeting.

對於最近的遊客潮，泰國尤其應該感謝2012年的熱映影片《人再囧途之泰囧》(Lost in Thailand)。這部中國喜劇片可以說是中國版的《宿醉2》(The Hangover II)，只是在《泰囧》中泰國似乎充滿魅力，而不是破破爛爛的。泰國總理對此很是感激，她最近甚至還接見了《泰囧》的導演。

China isn't anywhere near yet to exerting the global cultural influence wielded by Hollywood. Still, there's a lot to be said for Chollywood's hard-currency clout.

中國目前在全球文化領域還遠遠沒有好萊塢那樣的影響力。不過，中國電影產業的經濟影響力卻是有目共睹的。