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中国对榴莲的热爱让东南亚致富(China's Lust for Durian Is Creating Fortunes in Southeast Asia)

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当陈先生在他的家乡马来西亚开始创业时,榴莲很便宜,经常放在卡车后面出售。然后,中国人大规模地喜欢上了榴莲。

中国对榴莲的热爱让东南亚致富(China's Lust for Durian Is Creating Fortunes in Southeast Asia)

双语精读

Before he started a company 15 years ago selling the world's smelliest fruit, Eric Chan had a well-paying job writing code for satellites and robots. His family and friends were puzzled when he made the career change.

15年前,在埃里克·陈创立公司去卖世界上最臭的水果之前,他有一份高薪工作,是为卫星和机器人编写代码。当他转行时,他的家人和朋友们都感到疑惑不解。

The fruit, durian, has long been a cherished part of local cultures in Southeast Asia, where it is grown in abundance. A single durian is typically the size of a rugby ball and can emit an odor so powerful that it is banned from most hotels.

这种水果是榴莲,一直是东南亚当地文化中备受珍视的组成部分,东南亚盛产榴莲。单个榴莲一般有橄榄球那么大,并且会散发出非常浓烈的气味,以至于大多数酒店都禁止将榴莲带入房间。

When Mr. Chan began his start-up in his native Malaysia, durians were cheap and often sold from the back of trucks. Then, China acquired a taste for durian in a very big way.

当陈先生在他的家乡马来西亚开始创业时,榴莲很便宜,经常放在卡车后面出售。然后,中国人大规模地喜欢上了榴莲。

Last year, the value of durian exports from Southeast Asia to China was 6.7billion,atwelvefoldincreasefrom6.7 billion, a twelvefold increase from 550 million in 2017. China buys virtually all of the world's exported durians, according to United Nations data.

去年,东南亚向中国出口榴莲的贸易额为67亿美元,与2017年的5.5亿美元相比增长了12倍。根据联合国的数据,全球所有出口的榴莲几乎都是中国买了。

Today, businesses are expanding rapidly -- one Thai company is planning an initial public offering this year -- and some durian farmers have become millionaires. Mr. Chan is one of them.

如今,榴莲生意正在迅速扩张——一家泰国公司计划今年进行IPO——而且一些榴莲种植户已经成为百万富翁。陈先生就是他们中的一员。

Seven years ago, he sold a controlling share of his company, which specializes in producing durian paste for cookies, ice cream and even pizza, for the equivalent of $4.5 million, nearly 50 times his initial investment.

七年前,他卖掉了自己公司的控股权,这家公司专门生产用于饼干、冰淇淋甚至披萨的榴莲酱,控股权卖了450万美元,几乎是他初始投资的50倍。

"Everybody has been making good money," Mr. Chan said of the once-poor durian farmers in Raub, a small city 90 minutes from Kuala Lumpur, the Malaysian capital. "They rebuilt their houses from wood to brick. And they can afford to send their children overseas for university."

“所有人都在赚大钱,”陈先生谈到曾经贫穷的劳勿榴莲种植户时说,劳勿是一个距离马来西亚首都吉隆坡90分钟路程的小城市,“他们把木头房子翻新成砖房。而且他们还供得起孩子去国外上大学。”

Farmers in Southeast Asian durian orchards say they can't recall anything like the China craze. When an increasingly wealthy country of 1.4 billion people gets a taste for something, entire regions of Asia are reshaped to meet the demand.

东南亚榴莲果园的农民说,他们不记得曾经有过像中国这样的榴莲热潮。当一个拥有14亿人口且日益富裕的国家对某种东西产生兴趣时,整个亚洲地区都会为满足其需求而重塑。

In Vietnam, state news media reported last month that farmers were cutting down coffee plants to make room for durian. The acreage of durian orchards in Thailand has doubled over the past decade.

在越南,官方新闻媒体上个月报道称,农民们正在砍掉咖啡树,为榴莲腾出空间。泰国榴莲果园的种植面积在过去十年中翻了一番。

In Malaysia, jungles in the hills outside Raub are being razed and terraced to make way for plantations that will cater to China's lust for the fruit. "I think durian will be the new economic boom for Malaysia," said Mohamad Sabu, the country's minister of agriculture.

在马来西亚,劳勿郊外山区的丛林正在被夷为平地并被开垦成梯田,为种植园让路,以满足中国对榴莲的狂热需求。“我认为榴莲将成为马来西亚新的经济繁荣点。”该国农业部长穆罕默德·萨布说。

词汇预习

  • economic [高考]

    美[ˌiːkəˈnɑːmɪk] | 英[ˌiːkəˈnɒmɪk]

    adj. 经济的,经济学的;有利可图的;节约的

  • increasingly [高考]

    美[ɪnˈkriːsɪŋli] | 英[ɪnˈkriːsɪŋli]

    adv. 逐渐地;越来越多地

  • code [高考]

    美[koʊd] | 英[kəʊd]

    n. 密码;法规;准则 v. 制成法典;把 ... 编码

  • recall [高考]

    美[rɪˈkɔːl] | 英[rɪˈkɔːl]

    n. 回忆;取消;召回 vt. 召回;恢复;回想起;唤起;与 ... 相似

  • investment [高考]

    美[ɪnˈvestmənt] | 英[ɪnˈvestmənt]

    n. 投资;投资额;投入

  • typically [高考]

    美[ˈtɪpɪkli] | 英[ˈtɪpɪkli]

    adv. 典型地;代表性地;通常,一般;不出所料地

  • abundance [高考]

    美[əˈbʌndəns] | 英[əˈbʌndəns]

    n. 丰富;充裕

  • equivalent [高考]

    美[ɪˈkwɪvələnt] | 英[ɪˈkwɪvələnt]

    adj. 等价的 相等的 n. 相等物

  • demand [高考]

    美[dɪˈmænd] | 英[dɪˈmɑːnd]

    n. 要求;需求 v. 要求;查问;需要

  • data [高考]

    美[ˈdeɪtə] | 英[ˈdeɪtə]

    n. 数据;资料

  • media [高考]

    美[ˈmiːdiə] | 英[ˈmiːdiə]

    n. 传播媒介;(medium的复数)媒体;新闻媒介

  • decade [高考]

    美[ˈdekeɪd] | 英[ˈdekeɪd]

    n. 十年,十年间,十年期(尤指一个年代)

  • agriculture [高考]

    美[ˈæɡrɪkʌltʃər] | 英[ˈæɡrɪkʌltʃə(r)]

    n. 农业;农学;农艺

  • entire [高考]

    美[ɪnˈtaɪər] | 英[ɪnˈtaɪə(r)]

    adj. 全部的;整个的;完全的 n. 全部;整体;〈英〉一种黑啤酒;种马

  • boom [高考]

    美[buːm] | 英[buːm]

    n. 繁荣;兴旺;激增;低沉声 n. 帆杠;吊杆;支臂;尾桁;水栅 vi. 急速增长;发出低沉声 vt. 使兴旺;促进

  • wealthy [高考]

    美[ˈwelθi] | 英[ˈwelθi]

    adj. 富有的 n. 富人

  • initial [高考]

    美[ɪˈnɪʃl] | 英[ɪˈnɪʃl]

    n. (词)首字母 adj. 开始的;最初的;字首的 vt. 签姓名的首字母于

  • minister [高考]

    美[ˈmɪnɪstər] | 英[ˈmɪnɪstə(r)]

    n. 外交使节;部长;大臣;牧师 v. 照顾;给予帮助

  • brick [高考]

    美[brɪk] | 英[brɪk]

    n.砖;砖块;积木;可靠的朋友 v.用砖砌;用砖镶填;用砖围砌;用砖铺筑 adj.用砖砌的;砖似的

  • cater [高考]

    美[ˈkeɪtər] | 英[ˈkeɪtə(r)]

    v. 提供饮食及服务;迎合;满足

  • rugby [高考]

    美[ˈrʌɡbi] | 英[ˈrʌɡbi]

    n. 橄榄球

  • where [高考]

    美[wer] | 英[weə(r)]

    adv. 在哪里;在那个地方 conj. 在 ... 地方

  • virtually [四级]

    美[ˈvɜːrtʃuəli] | 英[ˈvɜːtʃuəli]

    adv. 实际上;几乎

  • emit [四级]

    美[iˈmɪt] | 英[iˈmɪt]

    vt. 发出,发射;放射;吐露

  • paste [四级]

    美[peɪst] | 英[peɪst]

    n. 面团;浆糊;糊状物;糊 vt. 裱糊;粘贴

  • pizza [四级]

    美[ˈpiːtsə] | 英[ˈpiːtsə]

    n. 比萨饼

  • odor [四级]

    美[ˈoʊdər] | 英[ˈəʊdə]

    n. 气味;名声;气息

  • back of [四级]

    美[bæk ʌv] | 英[bæk ɔv]

    在 ... 后部; 在 ... 背部

  • make way [四级]

    美[meɪk weɪ] | 英[meɪk weɪ]

    让路; 开路; 腾出地方; 获得成就

  • planning [四级]

    美[ˈplænɪŋ] | 英[ˈplænɪŋ]

    n. 规划;计划;设计 v. plan的现在分词

  • offering [四级]

    美[ˈɔːfərɪŋ] | 英[ˈɒfərɪŋ]

    n. 供品;作品;出售物

  • craze [六级]

    美[krez] | 英[kreɪz]

    n. 狂热;风尚;裂纹 v. 使发狂;出现裂纹

  • according [专四]

    美[ə'kɔrdɪŋ] | 英[ə'kɔːdɪŋ]

    adj. 相符的;相应的;一致的 v. 给予;符合,一致;正式协议(accord的现在分词)

  • grown [专八]

    美[groʊn] | 英[grəʊn]

    adj. 长大的;成年的;长满某物的

重点讲解

Before he started a company 15 years ago selling the world’s smelliest fruit, Eric Chan had a well-paying job writing code for satellites and robots. His family and friends were puzzled when he made the career change.

15年前,在埃里克·陈创立公司去卖世界上最臭的水果之前,他有一份高薪工作,是为卫星和机器人编写代码。当他转行时,他的家人和朋友们都感到疑惑不解。

well-paying  adj. 报酬高的

【例】a well-paying industry 工资高的行业

【近义词】well-paid/high-income/lucrative  adj. 工资高的

The fruit, durian, has long been a cherished part of local cultures in Southeast Asia, where it is grown in abundance. A single durian is typically the size of a rugby ball and can emit an odor so powerful that it is banned from most hotels.

这种水果是榴莲,一直是东南亚当地文化中备受珍视的组成部分,东南亚盛产榴莲。单个榴莲一般有橄榄球那么大,并且会散发出非常浓烈的气味,以至于大多数酒店都禁止将榴莲带入房间。

in abundance  大量;丰富

【例】Thanks to the generous donations, food was provided in abundance at the shelter.

多亏了人们的慷慨捐赠,避难所提供的食物很多。

【搭配】an abundance of sth  大量的某物

【拓展】abundant  adj. 丰富的;大量的

【例】The region is abundant in natural resources.

这个地区自然资源丰富。

emit  v. 发出(光、热、声音、气味等)

【例】The lamp emits a soft, warm light.

灯发出柔和、温暖的光。

【近义词】give off  发出;散发

【拓展】emission  n. 发出;排放物

【例】greenhouse gas emissions 温室气体排放

When Mr. Chan began his start-up in his native Malaysia, durians were cheap and often sold from the back of trucks. Then, China acquired a taste for durian in a very big way.

当陈先生在他的家乡马来西亚开始创业时,榴莲很便宜,经常放在卡车后面出售。然后,中国人大规模地喜欢上了榴莲。

acquire a taste for sth  喜欢上

【例】She acquired a taste for luxuries after marrying a rich husband.

她嫁给了一个富有的老公后开始喜欢上奢侈品。

【近义词】develop a taste for sth 喜欢上

【拓展】acquire a habit  养成一种习惯

acquire a foreign language  学会一门外语

acquired taste  培养的爱好

export  n. & v.

1. 作名词:出口贸易;出口产品

【例】the country's major exports 

该国的主要出口产品

cultural/culinary export

文化/饮食输出

2. 作动词:出口

【例】to export cotton from...to...

把棉花从……出口到……

Last year, the value of durian exports from Southeast Asia to China was 6.7billion,atwelvefoldincreasefrom6.7 billion, a twelvefold increase from 550 million in 2017. China buys virtually all of the world’s exported durians, according to United Nations data.

去年,东南亚向中国出口榴莲的贸易额为67亿美元,与2017年的5.5亿美元相比增长了12倍。根据联合国的数据,全球所有出口的榴莲几乎都是中国买了。

acquire a taste for sth  喜欢上

【例】She acquired a taste for luxuries after marrying a rich husband.

她嫁给了一个富有的老公后开始喜欢上奢侈品。

【近义词】develop a taste for sth 喜欢上

【拓展】acquire a habit  养成一种习惯

acquire a foreign language  学会一门外语

acquired taste  培养的爱好

export  n. & v.

1. 作名词:出口贸易;出口产品

【例】the country's major exports 

该国的主要出口产品

cultural/culinary export

文化/饮食输出

2. 作动词:出口

【例】to export cotton from...to...

把棉花从……出口到……

Today, businesses are expanding rapidly -- one Thai company is planning an initial public offering this year -- and some durian farmers have become millionaires. Mr. Chan is one of them.

如今,榴莲生意正在迅速扩张——一家泰国公司计划今年进行IPO——而且一些榴莲种植户已经成为百万富翁。陈先生就是他们中的一员。

equivalent  n. & adj.

1. 作名词:等同物

【例】The corner store was the closest equivalent to a supermarket when I was young.

我小时候,街角的小卖部就是最接近超市的东西了。

【搭配】the equivalent to sth  与某物等同的东西

2. 作形容词:等同的

【例】Her job is equivalent in responsibility to mine, though the titles are different.

虽然职称不一样,但她的工作内容和我的是一样的。

【搭配】A is equivalent to B  A和B等同

【拓展】A equals B  A和B等同

Seven years ago, he sold a controlling share of his company, which specializes in producing durian paste for cookies, ice cream and even pizza, for the equivalent of $4.5 million, nearly 50 times his initial investment.

七年前,他卖掉了自己公司的控股权,这家公司专门生产用于饼干、冰淇淋甚至披萨的榴莲酱,控股权卖了450万美元,几乎是他初始投资的50倍。

equivalent  n. & adj.

1. 作名词:等同物

【例】The corner store was the closest equivalent to a supermarket when I was young.

我小时候,街角的小卖部就是最接近超市的东西了。

【搭配】the equivalent to sth  与某物等同的东西

2. 作形容词:等同的

【例】Her job is equivalent in responsibility to mine, though the titles are different.

虽然职称不一样,但她的工作内容和我的是一样的。

【搭配】A is equivalent to B  A和B等同

【拓展】A equals B  A和B等同

“Everybody has been making good money,” Mr. Chan said of the once-poor durian farmers in Raub, a small city 90 minutes from Kuala Lumpur, the Malaysian capital. “They rebuilt their houses from wood to brick. And they can afford to send their children overseas for university.”

“所有人都在赚大钱,”陈先生谈到曾经贫穷的劳勿榴莲种植户时说,劳勿是一个距离马来西亚首都吉隆坡90分钟路程的小城市,“他们把木头房子翻新成砖房。而且他们还供得起孩子去国外上大学。”

afford to do sth  能负担做某事的费用

【例】We can't afford to go abroad this summer. 

今年夏天我们没有足够的钱去国外。

【拓展】can’t afford to do sth 承担不起做某事的后果

【例】We can’t afford to lose the game again.

我们不能再输掉一场比赛了。

craze  n. 狂热;风行一时的潮流

【例】Liu Genghong set off a fitness craze a few years ago.

几年前,刘畊宏掀起了一阵健身热潮。

【近义词】frenzy  n. 狂热

Farmers in Southeast Asian durian orchards say they can’t recall anything like the China craze. When an increasingly wealthy country of 1.4 billion people gets a taste for something, entire regions of Asia are reshaped to meet the demand.

东南亚榴莲果园的农民说,他们不记得曾经有过像中国这样的榴莲热潮。当一个拥有14亿人口且日益富裕的国家对某种东西产生兴趣时,整个亚洲地区都会为满足其需求而重塑。

afford to do sth  能负担做某事的费用

【例】We can't afford to go abroad this summer. 

今年夏天我们没有足够的钱去国外。

【拓展】can’t afford to do sth 承担不起做某事的后果

【例】We can’t afford to lose the game again.

我们不能再输掉一场比赛了。

craze  n. 狂热;风行一时的潮流

【例】Liu Genghong set off a fitness craze a few years ago.

几年前,刘畊宏掀起了一阵健身热潮。

【近义词】frenzy  n. 狂热

In Vietnam, state news media reported last month that farmers were cutting down coffee plants to make room for durian. The acreage of durian orchards in Thailand has doubled over the past decade.

在越南,官方新闻媒体上个月报道称,农民们正在砍掉咖啡树,为榴莲腾出空间。泰国榴莲果园的种植面积在过去十年中翻了一番。

raze  v. 摧毁

【例】be razed to the ground 夷为平地

【拓展】razor  n. 剃刀

【例】razor-sharp  adj. 及其锋利的

cater to  满足需要;迎合

【例】GAP is a brand that caters to teenagers.

GAP是一个以青少年为对象的品牌。

In Malaysia, jungles in the hills outside Raub are being razed and terraced to make way for plantations that will cater to China’s lust for the fruit. “I think durian will be the new economic boom for Malaysia,” said Mohamad Sabu, the country’s minister of agriculture.

在马来西亚,劳勿郊外山区的丛林正在被夷为平地并被开垦成梯田,为种植园让路,以满足中国对榴莲的狂热需求。“我认为榴莲将成为马来西亚新的经济繁荣点。”该国农业部长穆罕默德·萨布说。

raze  v. 摧毁

【例】be razed to the ground 夷为平地

【拓展】razor  n. 剃刀

【例】razor-sharp  adj. 及其锋利的

cater to  满足需要;迎合

【例】GAP is a brand that caters to teenagers.

GAP是一个以青少年为对象的品牌。

课后练习

  • What can be learned about durians from the text?

    A. They used to be inexpensive in Southeast Asia.

    B. They are widely grown both in China and Malaysia.

    C. Eric Chan turned them into a popular fruit in China.

    D. Southeast Asians don’t eat them due to their odor.

  • What can be learned about the durian export from Southeast Asia to China?

    A. The number of durian farmers in China has increased sharply.

    B. The durian export market has remained stable over the years.

    C. China is the biggest consumer of the world's exported durians.

    D. The value of durian exports has decreased significantly since 2017.

  • What impact has China's demand for durians had on Southeast Asian agriculture?

    A. Farmers are growing durians in other countries.

    B. The profitability of coffee plants is decreasing .

    C. Farmers are converting other lands into durian orchards.

    D. New technology is applied to increase durian productivity.

  • What is the primary subject of the text?

    A. The unexpected craze for tropical fruits in China.

    B. The impact of China's demand for durians on Southeast Asia.

    C. The career change of Eric Chan from coding to selling durians.

    D. The history and cultural significance of durians in Southeast Asia.