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脫歐了連巧克力都縮水?拿什么治愈你word英國人民

所屬教程:讀金融時報學英語

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2022年02月06日

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09 脫歐了連巧克力都縮水?拿什么治愈你word英國人民

巧克力的凈含量在減少、薯片的價格在提高——這些身邊的小變化都在提醒著英國和全世界的人們,波動的經(jīng)濟對我們生活的影響。

如果要說2016年里,對英國影響最大的一件事,那必定是“脫歐”了。這場政治豪賭不僅引發(fā)了市場動蕩,同時也讓英國面臨自身政治分化的局面。

不過除了那些政經(jīng)方面的困境,最近還有一件讓英國人感到“切膚之痛”的糟心事:

他們喜歡的瑞士Toblerone三角巧克力居然要減量不減價!

Toblerone這個詞是由其創(chuàng)始人的姓名Jean Tobler和單詞torrone (n.蜂蜜杏仁糖,意大利語意為牛軋?zhí)牵┖喜⒍鴣怼?/p>

△縮水后的Toblerone巧克力。來源:FT.com

據(jù)FT報道:

The distinctively peaked Toblerone chocolate bar will be partly flattened in the UK after Mondelez International blamed higher costs for the need to cut back the size of its bar.

造型獨特的尖三角巧克力棒Toblerone制造商億滋國際(Mondelez International)日前宣布,受生產(chǎn)成本增高影響,英國版Toblerone巧克力棒將要縮減其尺寸。

British consumers took to social media to complain about changes to the Swiss-made luxury chocolate bar, which has had its unique shape for more than a century.

社交媒體上,英國消費者紛紛抱怨這一改變。因為一百多年來,這一高端巧克力棒都維持了它獨特的造型。

Two products, one sold exclusively in the UK, have fewer peaks and wider troughs to reduce weight without changing the packaging.

Toblerone的兩款產(chǎn)品將要減少凈含量,其中之一還是在英國獨家販賣的。在維持外包裝不變的前提下,Toblerone巧克力棒減少了“三角”的個數(shù),加大了每一塊巧克力之間凹槽的寬度。

Twitter上有網(wǎng)友表示,這哪是三角巧克力啊,能當手機或者Kindle的支架使了。

△“新版Toblerone拿來做設(shè)備支架,完美!” 來源: Twitter.com

In a Facebook post, Mondelez blamed the move on higher costs.“Like many other companies, we are experiencing higher costs for numerous ingredients,” it said.

制造商億滋把這一改變歸咎于高額的成本,其Facebook上顯示:“和許多別的公司一樣,巨量的原材料采購,讓我們正承受著高額的成本?!?/p>

It later said the main factor behind the change was the 2015 rise in the Swiss franc that had driven up costs for Toblerone, which manufactures exclusively in Switzerland.

隨后該公司又表示,這一變化背后的主要因素是2015年瑞士法郎的升值讓只在瑞士生產(chǎn)的Toblerone巧克力成本趨高。

調(diào)整銷售策略的,不止億滋國際的Toblerone巧克力一家。他們采取的方式不同,但主要是“加價”和“減量不減價”兩種。

The move comes at a time when other companies are raising prices in Britain for several well-known consumer products, including Walker crisps and Typhoo Tea, and blaming the fall in sterling triggered by the UK vote for Brexit.

在Toblerone采取行動的同時,其它公司也提高了許多廣為人知的產(chǎn)品在英國的售價,如Walkers薯片、Typhoo茶等,并歸因為英國脫歐導致的英鎊貶值。

But a Mondelez spokesman pointed out that the company has benefited from the fall in the pound as it buys cocoa priced in sterling.Rather than raise prices to preserve margins, as some companies have threatened, Mondelez said it was cutting the weight of the two products.

不過億滋國際發(fā)言人還指出,英鎊的貶值也為他們公司帶來效益,原因在于,他們購買可可豆時以英鎊結(jié)算。鑒于其他公司采取的用提價來保持利潤的營銷策略并不順利,億滋決定減少其兩款產(chǎn)品的重量。

他們說:

“We carry these costs for as long as possible, but to ensure Toblerone remains on-shelf, is affordable and retains the triangular shape, we have had to reduce the weight of just two of our bars in the UK.”

“公司已盡力承擔成本,不過,為保證Toblerone繼續(xù)售賣,價格實惠,并且維持它三角形的造型,我們不得不給這兩款英國售賣的巧克力棒減重?!?/p>

The weight of the 400g bars has been reduced to 360g and the 170g bars to 150g, while the size of the packaging has remained the same.The larger product is also sold outside the UK.

凈含量為400克的巧克力棒如今減少到360克,原170克的減少到150克,同時外包裝保持不變。英國以外的市場仍然販售原版。

Toblerone bars were first produced in Switzerland in 1908, and have a unique place in the hearts of many British consumers.The chocolate treats are traditionally brought back from holidays abroad.

Toblerone巧克力棒最早于1908年在瑞士生產(chǎn),它在許多英國消費者心目中,占據(jù)著獨特的位置。習慣上,人們出國度假歸來通常帶巧克力作為伴手禮。

Mondelez, which owns Cadbury in the UK, attracted the ire of consumers in 2015 when it changed the recipe of its Cadbury Creme Egg.

億滋在英國還擁有老牌糖果品牌吉百利。在2015年,該公司修改了吉百利奶油蛋的配方,招致了消費者的憤怒。

消費者們跑到Toblerone的Facebook主頁下聲討,質(zhì)問為何三角巧克力中間的溝越來越大。

“Fair enough reducing the weight of the bar, but why the big gap in between segments? Looks stupid imo [in my opinion], could have just made the bar shorter and kept the original design.”

“減少巧克力棒的重量算是情有可原,但是每塊巧克力之間那么大的縫是什么鬼?我覺得看起來太蠢了。你們可以把巧克力棒做短一點,保持原來的形狀啊?!?/p>

On the day the US goes to the polls to elect a new president, another tweeted: “It is axiomatic.A world that changes Toblerone can elect Trump.”

在美國大選日的那天,還有人發(fā)推說,顯而易見,一個可以改變Toblerone的世界也可以選出來特朗普當總統(tǒng)。

But one commentator said the bar was easier to break, and another said it would help people with arthritis.

不過還有人評論說巧克力棒更容易掰了,另一個人諷刺道那有助于得了關(guān)節(jié)炎的群體。

Other food manufacturers have announced rises in their product prices, blaming the falling value of the pound following the UK's decision to leave the EU.

還有其他的食品制造商宣布提高它們的產(chǎn)品價格,歸因于英國決定脫歐致使英鎊一路貶值。

Walkers this week said it planned to increase the price of its crisps by 10 per cent in response to “fluctuating foreign exchange rates”.

Walkers薯片本周宣布它計劃提價10%以應(yīng)對波動的國際匯率。

The Leicester-based group, which is owned by the US-based foods conglomerate PepsiCo, said a standard pack would rise from 50p to 55p, and a grab bag from 75p to 80p.

Walkers品牌總部位于英國萊斯特,隸屬于美國食品集團百事公司。它表示標準裝的薯片價格將從50便士上調(diào)到55便士,大包裝(grab bag)的從75便士上調(diào)到80便士。

Consumer groups have said the changes cannot be justified because the crisps are made from British-grown potatoes and produced in the UK.

消費群體認為這樣的調(diào)價并不合乎情理,因為該薯片原料為本地土豆,并且就在英國加工生產(chǎn)。

除了巧克力和薯片,英國人的“老干媽”——馬麥醬也曾因調(diào)整售價遭遇銷售風波。

In October a dispute broke out between Tesco and Unilever after the food group said it was raising prices in Britain to compensate for the fall in the pound.The supermarket briefly removed Marmite, a salty spread, from its shelves.

10月,英國零售商樂購和聯(lián)合利華食品有限公司之間爆發(fā)了一場爭端,起因是后者宣布將要提高在英產(chǎn)品售價以彌補英鎊貶值。樂購超市短暫地下架了馬麥醬(一款咸味醬料)。

曾經(jīng)有人在Youtube上分享了Toblerone的“非官方正確吃法”:將三角向內(nèi)掰開,而不是向外掰:

△來源: Youtube.com

也不知道這個方法是否適用于“縮水版”的Toblerone了。(攤手)

詞匯總結(jié)

sterling ['st??l??]

n.英國貨幣;標準純銀

But a Mondelez spokesman pointed out that the company has benefited from the fall in the pound as it buys cocoa priced in sterling.

不過億滋國際發(fā)言人還指出,英鎊的貶值也為他們公司帶來效益,原因在于,他們購買可可豆時以英鎊結(jié)算。

imo [in my opinion]

Looks stupid imo [in my opinion], could have just made the bar shorter and kept the original design.

我覺得看起來太蠢了。你們可以把巧克力棒做短一點,保持原來的形狀啊。

axiomatic [axiomatic]

adj.公理的;自明的

It is axiomatic.A world that changes Toblerone can elect Trump.

顯而易見,一個可以改變Toblerone的世界也可以選出來特朗普當總統(tǒng)。

arthritis [ɑ?'θra?t?s]

n.[外科]關(guān)節(jié)炎

But one commentator said the bar was easier to break, and another said it would help people with arthritis.

不過還有人評論說巧克力棒更容易掰了,另一個人諷刺道那有助于得了關(guān)節(jié)炎的群體。

fluctuating

v.波動(fluctuate的ing形式)

adj.波動的;變動的

Walkers this week said it planned to increase the price of its crisps by 10 per cent in response to “fluctuating foreign exchange rates”.

Walkers薯片本周宣布它計劃提價10%以應(yīng)對波動的國際匯率。


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