靠边站，好莱坞。中国的电影产业"中莱坞"(Chollywood)正变得极具影响力，以至于能够帮助另外一个国家避免陷入衰退。


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


这里所说的国家是泰国。过去两年里，泰国的贸易差额从占国内生产总值(GDP) 6%的贸易顺差变为同样比例的贸易逆差。Emerging Advisors Group的安德森(Jonathan Anderson)说，泰国的货币没有随之暴跌、经济没有出现衰退的唯一原因就在于，入境游客流抵消了贸易逆差。


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.


如今泰国净旅游收入占GDP的9%，较五年前增长了一倍。与其他很多事一样，新的需求来自中国。今年1月至4月，来自中国内地的游客同比增长了93%。


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.


对于最近的游客潮，泰国尤其应该感谢2012年的热映影片《人再囧途之泰囧》(Lost in Thailand)。这部中国喜剧片可以说是中国版的《宿醉2》(The Hangover II)，只是在《泰囧》中泰国似乎充满魅力，而不是破破烂烂的。泰国总理对此很是感激，她最近甚至还接见了《泰囧》的导演。


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.


中国目前在全球文化领域还远远没有好莱坞那样的影响力。不过，中国电影产业的经济影响力却是有目共睹的。


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.


Abheek Bhattacharya