为什么甜食这么贵？

当俄乌冲突于2022年开始时，世界上最大的粮仓之一爆发了战争，导致各类食品价格飙升，但糖是个例外。

双语精读

Sugar high: Why sweet treats are so expensive?

糖价暴涨：为什么甜食这么贵？

When Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, the arrival of war in one of the world's breadbaskets sent the price of foodstuffs soaring-with one exception, sugar. But last year was worse for folk with a sweet tooth. As grain prices fell, sugar prices jumped.

当俄乌冲突于2022年开始时，世界上最大的粮仓之一爆发了战争，导致各类食品价格飙升，但糖是个例外。但对于喜欢吃甜食的人来说，去年的情况更糟。随着谷物价格下跌，糖价上涨。

Although they have fallen more recently, they remain high. So do prices of a varied class of non-essential agricultural materials we dub "gourmet commodities".

尽管糖价最近有所回落，但仍居高不下。许多种非必需农业原料（我们称之为“美食商品”）的价格也在上涨。

The price of cocoa, up by 82% in 12 months, is at a 46-year high. The coffee market is sleepier, but prices for Arabica beans-the finer kind-are still up by 44% since 2021.

可可的价格在12个月内上涨了82%，达到46年来的最高水平。咖啡市场较为疲软，但自2021年以来，阿拉比卡咖啡豆——一种品质较高的咖啡豆——的价格仍上涨了44%。

The reason for surging prices is not that consumers have a sudden taste for Coca-Cola and KitKats, but a litany of problems in regions where gourmet commodities are produced.

价格飙升的原因不是消费者突然爱上了可口可乐和奇巧巧克力的味道，而是美食商品的生产地区出现了一系列问题。

El Nino, a climate pattern, has caused droughts in Australia, India and Thailand, three of the four biggest exporters of sugar. Torrential rain in Brazil, the largest, has complicated shipping.

厄尔尼诺气候现象在澳大利亚、印度和泰国造成了干旱，这是四大蔗糖出口国的其中之三。最大的蔗糖出口国巴西遭遇了超大暴雨，从而阻碍了海上运输。

Heavy rain through the summer months allowed the dreaded black-pod disease and swollen-shoot virus to spread in Ghana and Ivory Coast, the world's two largest cocoa producers.

夏季暴雨使得可怕的黑豆病和肿枝病毒在加纳和科特迪瓦传播，这两个国家是世界上最大的可可生产国。

Elevated prices for gourmet commodities are already feeding through into those of finished goods.

美食商品价格的上涨已经影响到了制成品的价格。

The cost of sugar and sweets rose by almost 9% in America in 2023, and several confectionery giants have warned that such goods are likely to become still more expensive over the coming year.

2023年，美国蔗糖和甜食的价格上涨了近9%，几家糖巧甜品大公司警告说，这类商品在未来一年可能会变得更加昂贵。

In theory, this should depress demand. Yet there is little sign of higher prices denting consumer appetite so far.

理论上，涨价应该会抑制需求。然而，到目前为止，几乎没有迹象表明价格上涨会削弱消费者的胃口。

Cake fans have little choice but to hope that prices will fall when El Nino fades, as is expected in June, and that farmers will start to plant more in response to existing prices.

蛋糕爱好者们别无选择，只能寄希望于厄尔尼诺现象消退后价格会下降，预计消退时间是6月，到时候农民们会因为现在的高价而开始种植更多的产糖作物。

Any respite will probably prove short-lived, however. The EU's "Deforestation-free Regulation"-tough new rules for exports into the bloc, which cover cocoa, coffee and palm oil-will come into force at the end of 2024.

然而，任何缓和期都可能是短暂的。欧盟的《零毁林法案》将于2024年底生效，该条例是针对向欧盟出口产品的严格新规，其中包括可可、咖啡和棕榈油。

Increased compliance costs and uncertainty regarding enforcement may prompt European importers to stockpile before the deadline. Since Europe typically accounts for a third of global cocoa and coffee imports, such a rush for supply would give global markets a jolt.

增加的合规成本和执行方面的不确定性可能会促使欧洲进口商在条例生效之前囤积相关产品。由于欧洲通常占全球可可和咖啡进口的三分之一，这样的抢购热潮将给全球市场带来震荡。

More worrying still are longer-lasting phenomena. In Ghana and Ivory Coast the prices at which farmers sell to wholesalers, which are fixed by the state, remain too low; something Paul Joule of Rabobank, a Dutch lender, says dis courages new planting despite sky-high global prices.

更令人担忧的是持续时间更长的现象。在加纳和科特迪瓦，农民卖给批发商的价格由国家规定不变，一直保持在低位，荷兰合作银行的保罗·乔尔表示，尽管全球价格极高，但这种低价无法激励农民扩大种植。

He does not expect policies to change soon. And as climate change makes extreme weather more frequent, the risk that several crucial production regions suffer at the same time-and that the world's biggest producers curb exports in response-only rises.

他预计政策不会很快改变。随着气候变化使极端天气变得更加频繁，几个关键产区同时遭受损失——全球最大的几个生产国因此限制出口——的风险将只增不减。

Thus consumers will have to pay up. Farmers will keep missing out. And the middlemen who feed on price swings will grab an ever greater slice of the pie.

这样一来，消费者将不得不为高价买单。农民们将继续错失获利的机会。而靠价格波动赚钱的中间商分得的蛋糕将越来越大。

词汇预习

despite [高考]
美[dɪˈspaɪt] | 英[dɪˈspaɪt]
prep. 尽管；不管 n. 憎恨；轻视
essential [高考]
美[ɪˈsenʃl] | 英[ɪˈsenʃl]
adj. 本质的；必要的；重要的 n. 要素；必需品
response [高考]
美[rɪˈspɑːns] | 英[rɪˈspɒns]
n. 反应；回答；响应；答复
depress [高考]
美[dɪˈpres] | 英[dɪˈpres]
vt. 使沮丧；压下；使萧条；降低；压抑
typically [高考]
美[ˈtɪpɪkli] | 英[ˈtɪpɪkli]
adv. 典型地；代表性地；通常，一般；不出所料地
grab [高考]
美[ɡræb] | 英[ɡræb]
v.抓住，拿，攫取，吸引 n.不法所得，被抓住的人，抓取装置
exception [高考]
美[ɪkˈsepʃn] | 英[ɪkˈsepʃn]
n. 例外；不合规则；反对；[律]异议
uncertainty [高考]
美[ʌnˈsɜːrtnti] | 英[ʌnˈsɜːtnti]
n. 不确定；不可靠；易变
compliance [高考]
美[kəmˈplaɪəns] | 英[kəmˈplaɪəns]
n. 顺从；服从；遵守；屈服；柔度；灵活性
demand [高考]
美[dɪˈmænd] | 英[dɪˈmɑːnd]
n. 要求；需求 v. 要求；查问；需要
theory [高考]
美[ˈθiːəri] | 英[ˈθɪəri]
n. 学说；理论；原理；意见
arrival [高考]
美[əˈraɪvl] | 英[əˈraɪvl]
n. 到达；达到；到达者；新生儿
tough [高考]
美[tʌf] | 英[tʌf]
adj. 强硬的；棘手的，难办的；艰苦的；严厉的；牢固的，强壮的；坚强的，坚韧的 adv. 以强硬的态度；强硬地，顽强地 n. 暴徒; 恶棍
agricultural [高考]
美[ˌæɡrɪˈkʌltʃərəl] | 英[ˌæɡrɪˈkʌltʃərəl]
adj. 农业的
extreme [高考]
美[ɪkˈstriːm] | 英[ɪkˈstriːm]
adj. 极度的；极端的 n. 极端；极限
frequent [高考]
美['frikwənt] | 英['friːkw(ə)nt]
adj. 频繁的；经常的 vt. 常到；常去
appetite [高考]
美[ˈæpɪtaɪt] | 英[ˈæpɪtaɪt]
n. 食欲；嗜好；欲望
cocoa [高考]
美[ˈkoʊkoʊ] | 英[ˈkəʊkəʊ]
n. 可可粉；可可饮料；可可色
in response [高考]
美[ɪn rɪˈspɑns] | 英[in riˈspɔns]
作为回答
feed on [高考]
美[fiːd ɑːn] | 英[fiːd ɒn]
用 ... 喂养；靠吃 ... 过活；以 ... 为能源
complicated [高考]
美[ˈkɑːmplɪkeɪtɪd] | 英[ˈkɒmplɪkeɪtɪd]
adj. 复杂难懂的；结构复杂的
crucial [高考]
美[ˈkruːʃl] | 英[ˈkruːʃl]
adj. 决定性的；关键的
palm [高考]
美[pɑːm] | 英[pɑːm]
n. 手掌；棕榈 vt. 把 ... 藏于掌中；诓骗某人
regarding [高考]
美[rɪˈɡɑːrdɪŋ] | 英[rɪˈɡɑːdɪŋ]
prep. 关于；至于
where [高考]
美[wer] | 英[weə(r)]
adv. 在哪里；在那个地方 conj. 在 ... 地方
would [高考]
美[wʊd , wəd] | 英[wʊd , wəd]
aux. 将；可能；大概；总会；愿意；will的过去式
prompt [四级]
美[prɑːmpt] | 英[prɒmpt]
v. 促使，导致；鼓励，提示（说话者）；（计算机上）提示；（给演员）提词，提白 adj. 迅速的，立刻的；（人）利索的，敏捷的；及时的，准时的；（商品）即期要送的，即期要付的 n.（给演员的）提词；（计算机屏幕上显示准备接受指令的）提示；鼓励，催促；（付款通知单上的）付款期限 adv.准时地
curb [四级]
美[kɜːrb] | 英[kɜːb]
v. 控制，抑制; 约束，限定 n. 起控制（或限制）作用的事物
short-lived [四级]
美[ˈʃɔrtˈlaɪvd, -ˈlɪvd] | 英[ˈʃɔ:tˈlaɪvd, -ˈlɪvd]
adj. 短命的；短暂的；短期的；无常的
enforcement [四级]
美[ɪn'fɔsmənt] | 英[ɪn'fɔ:smənt]
n. 执行；强制；实施
existing [四级]
美[ɪɡˈzɪstɪŋ] | 英[ɪɡˈzɪstɪŋ]
adj. 现存的；现有的
fixed [四级]
美[fɪkst] | 英[fɪkst]
adj. 固定的；不变的；确定的
shipping [四级]
美[ˈʃɪpɪŋ] | 英[ˈʃɪpɪŋ]
n. 船运；发货；运输；乘船
pay up [六级]
美[pe ʌp] | 英[pei ʌp]
全部付清
dub [六级]
美[dʌb] | 英[dʌb]
v. 给…起绰号; 为…配音 n. 强节奏音乐; 强节拍诗歌
fell [专四]
美[fel] | 英[fel]
vt. 砍伐；击倒 n. 丘原；沼泽地 adj. 凶残的；毁灭性的
swollen [专八]
美[ˈswoʊlən] | 英[ˈswəʊlən]
adj. 肿大的；水涨的
jolt [专八]
美[dʒoʊlt] | 英[dʒəʊlt]
n. 震摇；摇动；震惊；少量 vt. 颠簸；敲击；动摇；震动 vi. 颠簸而行
respite [专八]
美[ˈrespɪt] | 英[ˈrespaɪt]
n. 暂缓；缓刑 vt. 延迟；推延
finer [考研]
美['faɪnə] | 英['faɪnə]
adj. 好的；出色的
non [考研]
美[nɒn] | 英[nɒn]
adv. [拉]非；不是
lender [考研]
美[ˈlendər] | 英[ˈlendə(r)]
n. 出借人；贷方
varied [托福]
美[ˈverid] | 英[ˈveərid]
adj. 各种各样的
stockpile [雅思]
美[ˈstɑkpaɪl] | 英[ˈstɒkpaɪl]
n. 贮藏堆；积蓄 v. 储备；储存

重点讲解

Sugar high: Why sweet treats are so expensive?

糖价暴涨：为什么甜食这么贵？

have a sweet tooth 爱吃甜食

【例】I definitely have a sweet tooth.

我确实爱吃甜食。

When Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, the arrival of war in one of the world’s breadbaskets sent the price of foodstuffs soaring—with one exception, sugar. But last year was worse for folk with a sweet tooth. As grain prices fell, sugar prices jumped.

当俄乌冲突于2022年开始时，世界上最大的粮仓之一爆发了战争，导致各类食品价格飙升，但糖是个例外。但对于喜欢吃甜食的人来说，去年的情况更糟。随着谷物价格下跌，糖价上涨。

have a sweet tooth 爱吃甜食

【例】I definitely have a sweet tooth.

我确实爱吃甜食。

Although**** they**** have**** fallen**** more**** recently****,**** they**** remain**** high****.**** So**** do**** prices**** of**** a varied**** class of**** non-essential agricultural**** materials we**** dub “gourmet**** commodities”.

尽管糖价最近有所回落，但仍居高不下。许多种非必需农业原料（我们称之为“美食商品”）的价格也在上涨。

The price of**** cocoa,**** up**** by**** 82****%**** in**** 12**** months****,**** is**** at**** a 46****-year**** high****.**** The coffee**** market**** is**** sleepier****,**** but prices**** for Arabica beans—the finer kind****—are still up**** by**** 44****%**** since 2021****.****

可可的价格在12个月内上涨了82%，达到46年来的最高水平。咖啡市场较为疲软，但自2021年以来，阿拉比卡咖啡豆——一种品质较高的咖啡豆——的价格仍上涨了44%。

The reason for surging prices is not that consumers have a sudden taste for Coca-Cola and KitKats, but a litany of problems in regions where gourmet commodities are produced.

价格飙升的原因不是消费者突然爱上了可口可乐和奇巧巧克力的味道，而是美食商品的生产地区出现了一系列问题。

surge v. & n.

1. 作动词

（1）迅速涌动，蜂拥向前

【例】The crowd surged through the gates.

人群蜂拥着通过大门。

（2）（情感）涌起，涌现

【例】She could feel anger surging inside her.

她感到怒火中烧。

（3）突然上涨，激增

【例】Oil prices surged.

油价暴涨。

2. 作名词

（1）（人群）蜂拥

【例】a surge of refugees into the country 涌入这个国家的难民潮

（2）（情感）突发；涌现

【例】a surge of excitement 一阵兴奋

（3）（数量）急剧增加，激增

【例】a surge in food costs 食品成本的急剧增加

taste n. & v.

1. 作名词

（1）味道；味觉

【例】The soup has very little taste.

这汤没什么味道。

（2）喜爱，爱好

【例】While she was in France she developed a taste for fine wines.

她在法国的时候喜欢上了美酒。

（3）（对衣服、饰品等的）鉴赏力，品位

【例】She has such good taste.

她的品位很高雅。

2. 作动词

（1）有…味道；品尝

【例】This tastes good! 好吃！

（2）尝到成功/自由/胜利等的滋味

【例】There was a lot of hard work before we first tasted success.

我们经过非常艰苦的努力，总算初次尝到了成功的滋味。

El Nino, a climate pattern, has caused droughts in Australia, India and Thailand, three of the four biggest exporters of sugar. Torrential rain in Brazil, the largest, has complicated shipping.

厄尔尼诺气候现象在澳大利亚、印度和泰国造成了干旱，这是四大蔗糖出口国的其中之三。最大的蔗糖出口国巴西遭遇了超大暴雨，从而阻碍了海上运输。

complicate v. 使更复杂/困难

【例】To complicate matters further, there will be no transport available till 8 o'clock.

使事情更难办的是 8 点钟之前不会有交通工具。

Heavy rain through the summer months allowed the dreaded black-pod disease and swollen-shoot virus to spread in Ghana and Ivory Coast, the world’s two largest cocoa producers.

夏季暴雨使得可怕的黑豆病和肿枝病毒在加纳和科特迪瓦传播，这两个国家是世界上最大的可可生产国。

complicate v. 使更复杂/困难

【例】To complicate matters further, there will be no transport available till 8 o'clock.

使事情更难办的是 8 点钟之前不会有交通工具。

Elevated prices for gourmet commodities are already feeding through into those of finished goods.

美食商品价格的上涨已经影响到了制成品的价格。

feed through to/into 传导到…

【例】It will take time for the higher rates to feed through to investors.

需要时日投资者才能最终得到较高的回报率。

still more/ another 还有更多（用于强调）

【例】Kevin grew still more depressed.

凯文变得更加消沉了。

The cost of sugar and sweets rose by almost 9% in America in 2023, and several confectionery giants have warned that such goods are likely to become still more expensive over the coming year.

2023年，美国蔗糖和甜食的价格上涨了近9%，几家糖巧甜品大公司警告说，这类商品在未来一年可能会变得更加昂贵。

feed through to/into 传导到…

【例】It will take time for the higher rates to feed through to investors.

需要时日投资者才能最终得到较高的回报率。

still more/ another 还有更多（用于强调）

【例】Kevin grew still more depressed.

凯文变得更加消沉了。

In theory, this should depress demand. Yet there is little sign of higher prices denting consumer appetite so far.

理论上，涨价应该会抑制需求。然而，到目前为止，几乎没有迹象表明价格上涨会削弱消费者的胃口。

depress v.

1. 使抑郁；使沮丧

【例】Wet weather always depresses me.

阴雨天总使我心情抑郁。

2. 降低；减少（价值或工资等）

【例】High interest rates may depress share prices.

高利率可能打压股价

3. 使萧条；使不景气

【例】The recession has depressed the housing market.

经济衰退导致住房市场不景气。

dent v.& n.

1. 作动词

（1）使凹陷；使产生凹痕

【例】No one was injured, but the car was scratched and dented.

没有人受伤，只是汽车被剐蹭并撞出了凹痕。

（2）伤害，挫伤（信心、名誉等）

【例】It seemed that nothing could dent his confidence.

似乎任何事情都不会使他的信心受挫。

2. 作名词

（1）凹痕，凹坑

【例】There was a large dent in the passenger door.

乘客门上有一大块凹陷。

（2）减少，削减

【例】The trip made a big dent in our savings.

这次旅行花掉了我们一大笔积蓄。

Cake fans have little choice but to hope that prices will fall when El Nino fades, as is expected in June, and that farmers will start to plant more in response to existing prices.

蛋糕爱好者们别无选择，只能寄希望于厄尔尼诺现象消退后价格会下降，预计消退时间是6月，到时候农民们会因为现在的高价而开始种植更多的产糖作物。

respite n.

1. （不好事情的）暂停，暂缓

【例】The drug brought a brief respite from the pain.

药物暂时缓解了疼痛。

2. 短暂的延缓

【例】We have a few days’ respite before we have to pay them.

我们可以缓几天再付他们钱。

come into force/bring sth. into force 开始生效；开始实施

【例】When do the new regulations come into force?

新规章什么时候开始执行？

Any respite will probably prove short-lived, however. The EU’s “Deforestation-free Regulation”—tough new rules for exports into the bloc, which cover cocoa, coffee and palm oil—will come into force at the end of 2024.

然而，任何缓和期都可能是短暂的。欧盟的《零毁林法案》将于2024年底生效，该条例是针对向欧盟出口产品的严格新规，其中包括可可、咖啡和棕榈油。

respite n.

1. （不好事情的）暂停，暂缓

【例】The drug brought a brief respite from the pain.

药物暂时缓解了疼痛。

2. 短暂的延缓

【例】We have a few days’ respite before we have to pay them.

我们可以缓几天再付他们钱。

come into force/bring sth. into force 开始生效；开始实施

【例】When do the new regulations come into force?

新规章什么时候开始执行？

Increased compliance costs and uncertainty regarding enforcement may prompt European importers to stockpile before the deadline. Since Europe typically accounts for a third of global cocoa and coffee imports, such a rush for supply would give global markets a jolt.

增加的合规成本和执行方面的不确定性可能会促使欧洲进口商在条例生效之前囤积相关产品。由于欧洲通常占全球可可和咖啡进口的三分之一，这样的抢购热潮将给全球市场带来震荡。

prompt a. & v. & ad. & n.

1. 作形容词：立即的；迅速的

【例】Prompt action was required as the fire spread.

由于火势蔓延，须要立即采取行动。

2. 作动词

（1）促使；导致

【例】What prompted you to buy that suit?

什么原因让你买下了那套西装？

（2）提示，提醒（某人说话）

【例】She was too nervous to speak and had to be prompted.

她紧张得说不出话来，只好听人提示。

3. 作副词：准时地

【例】The meeting will begin at ten o'clock prompt.

会议将于十点钟准时开始。

4. 作名词：（给演员的）提词，提示

更令人担忧的是持续时间更长的现象。在加纳和科特迪瓦，农民卖给批发商的价格由国家规定不变，一直保持在低位，荷兰合作银行的保罗·乔尔表示，尽管全球价格极高，但这种低价无法激励农民扩大种植。

prompt a. & v. & ad. & n.

1. 作形容词：立即的；迅速的

【例】Prompt action was required as the fire spread.

由于火势蔓延，须要立即采取行动。

2. 作动词

（1）促使；导致

【例】What prompted you to buy that suit?

什么原因让你买下了那套西装？

（2）提示，提醒（某人说话）

【例】She was too nervous to speak and had to be prompted.

她紧张得说不出话来，只好听人提示。

3. 作副词：准时地

【例】The meeting will begin at ten o'clock prompt.

会议将于十点钟准时开始。

4. 作名词：（给演员的）提词，提示

He does not expect policies to change soon. And as climate change makes extreme weather more frequent, the risk that several crucial production regions suffer at the same time—and that the world’s biggest producers curb exports in response—only rises.

他预计政策不会很快改变。随着气候变化使极端天气变得更加频繁，几个关键产区同时遭受损失——全球最大的几个生产国因此限制出口——的风险将只增不减。

miss out (on sth.) 错失机会

【例】Prepare food in advance to ensure you don’t miss out on the fun!

事先预备好食物，确保你不会错过好玩的机会！

【拓展】miss sb./sth. out 漏掉某人/某物

【例】Make sure you don’t miss any details out.

你要确保不漏掉任何细节。

Thus consumers will have to pay up. Farmers will keep missing out. And the middlemen who feed on price swings will grab an ever greater slice of the pie.

这样一来，消费者将不得不为高价买单。农民们将继续错失获利的机会。而靠价格波动赚钱的中间商分得的蛋糕将越来越大。

miss out (on sth.) 错失机会

【例】Prepare food in advance to ensure you don’t miss out on the fun!

事先预备好食物，确保你不会错过好玩的机会！

【拓展】miss sb./sth. out 漏掉某人/某物

【例】Make sure you don’t miss any details out.

你要确保不漏掉任何细节。

课后练习

What happened in the food market following the Russia-Ukraine conflict in 2023?
A. The price of sugar jumped.
B. The prices of all foodstuffs soared.
C. The price of sugar remains unchanged.
D. The price of gourmet commodities fell.
What are the primary reasons for the surging prices of gourmet commodities?
A. The price increases by confectionery giants in America.
B. A global decrease in the production of sugar and cocoa.
C. An increase in consumer demand for sweet food and dessert.
D. Natural disasters and extreme weather in major producing regions.
Why might the decrease in the prices of gourmet commodities be short-lived?
A. Because the unusual climate patterns will occur every year.
B. Because the consumer demand for sweet treats is expected to increase.
C. Because there aren’t enough farmers to plant more cocoa and coffee beans.
D. Because the EU’s “Deforestation-free Regulation” affects the export of such products.
One of the contributors to the lasting high prices for gourmet commodities is ____.
A. the unpredictable policy in production regions
B. the lack of incentive to expand planting
C. the consumers’ willingness to pay for desserts
D. the grabbing of profits by the middlemen