为什么绿豆蔻这么贵 | 昂贵之谜：英语精读讲义

Green cardamom is one of the most expensive spices in the world. 語法

绿豆蔻是世界上最昂贵的香料之一。

Just 1 kg of it can sell for $90. 短語搭配

仅仅1公斤就能卖到90美元。

But getting that little bit of green cardamom requires a lot of work.

但要得到这么一点绿豆蔻，却需要付出大量劳动。

Harvesters need to collect 6 kg of these small raw pods by hand 短語搭配

采收工必须用手采下6公斤这种尚未成熟的小果荚，

to produce just 1 kg of the spice.

才能制成仅仅1公斤香料。

So why is it so hard to grow green cardamom?

那么，绿豆蔻为什么这么难种？

And is that what makes it so expensive? 語法

这是否就是它如此昂贵的原因？

Known as the queen of spices, 講解

豆蔻被誉为“香料皇后”，

cardamom comes from small oval-shaped fruits called pods,

它来自一种椭圆形的小果实，也就是豆蔻荚，

which contain several black seeds inside.

里面含有数颗黑色种子。

Those seeds are what give green cardamom its uniquely citrusy,

正是这些种子赋予了绿豆蔻独特的柑橘清香、

sweet flavor and aroma.

香甜风味和芬芳气息。

The green cardamom plant grows in select regions around the world, 用詞

绿豆蔻只生长在世界上的少数地区，

but it especially thrives in India's Idukki district,

但印度伊杜基地区尤其适合它生长，

where Raja's family has grown the spice for 30 years. 語法

Raja一家已经在那里种植这种香料30年了。

After cardamom is planted,

豆蔻种下后，

farmers must wait 3 years for the plants to mature.

农民必须等待3年，植株才会成熟。

When that waiting period is finally over,

漫长的等待终于结束后，

workers have most of the year,

工人在一年中的大部分时间里，

from July to next February,

从7月一直到次年2月，

to harvest.

都可以进行采收。

While that's a long harvesting period, 語法

虽然采收期很长，

not all of the pods can be harvested at the same time. 語法

但并非所有果荚都能同时采摘。

And knowing precisely when to harvest is a job for highly skilled workers. 語法

准确判断采摘时机，是熟练工人才能胜任的工作。

And then we have to look at the garden all the time

所以我们必须时刻查看园里的情况，

and pick the fruits when they are ripe.

在果实成熟时把它们摘下来。

If we don't pick them when they are ripe,

如果成熟时没有及时采摘，

they will go waste.

它们就会白白坏掉。

And picking them before they are ripe

如果还没成熟就采摘，

will pinch them and they won't be sold in the market.

就会把果实掐伤，卖不到市场上去。

It won't

它也不会

have a good smell.

有好闻的香气。

And you can't pick all of them at the same time.

而且不能把它们一次全摘下来。

And the women who know how to pick the fruits

那些懂得如何采摘果实的女工，

pick the fruits that are ripe

只摘成熟的果实，

and leave the raw ones.

把未成熟的留下。

There will be five fruits

会有五个果实，

and they will pick two of them.

她们只会摘下其中两个。

One is the ripe one 語法

一个是成熟的，

and the other is the raw one.

另一个则还没熟。

The ripe one is the one that is picked as soon as it is touched. 語法

成熟的果实一碰就能摘下来。

And the raw one is a little bit harder to pick. 語法

未成熟的则要稍微费力一些。

To do the job right,

为了把这项工作做好，

harvesters train for 6 months alongside experienced farmers.

采收工要跟着经验丰富的农民学习6个月。

This is when they learn to decipher a ripe fruit that can be picked

他们会在这期间学会辨别哪些成熟果实可以采摘，

versus a raw pod that is not yet ready to harvest.

哪些生果荚还没到采收的时候。

And the fruit will not be ripe

果实尚未成熟，

and it won't be ready to pick.

就还不能摘。

In the end,

最终，

the plant doesn't yield much. 用詞

每株豆蔻的产量并不高。

Farmers harvest a maximum of 10 pods

农民能收获的果荚最多只有10个，

on average from each plant. That number of pods produces

这是平均每株的数量。这些果荚只能制成

only about 1 and 1/2 tsp of ground cardamom.

大约1.5茶匙的豆蔻粉。

But harvesting is just the beginning. 習語

但采收只是第一步。

Only after the pods are dried 語法

只有将果荚烘干后，

will they look like the green cardamom sold in stores.

它们才会呈现出商店所售绿豆蔻的样子。

You can buy cardamom pods,

你可以买整颗豆蔻荚，

just the black seeds,

也可以买里面的黑色种子，

or ground cardamom, 用詞

或是豆蔻粉，

which are the seeds in powdered form.

也就是磨成粉末的种子。

All of the pods head to a separate location

所有果荚都会被运到另一个地方，

to dry for about 18 hours

烘干约18个小时；

within a day or so after harvesting.

这必须在采收后大约一天内进行。

Any delay will cause the pods to decay and lose flavor. 語法

任何延误都会导致果荚腐坏、风味流失。

Drying also preserves the spice's green color,

烘干也能保留这种香料的绿色，

a factor that directly impacts how valuable a pod will be

而颜色会直接影响果荚的价值，

and what it will be used for.

也决定它的用途。

And the air and the steam must go out

空气和蒸汽必须排出去，

in order to get a good color.

才能烘出漂亮的颜色。

From here, 表達脈絡

接下来，

the pods are cleaned and sorted.

果荚会经过清理和分拣。

Workers use their hands to push and separate the smaller,

工人用手推动果荚，把较小、

lower quality pods through the holes.

品质较差的果荚从孔洞中筛下去。

Each pod is then graded based on its size, 短語搭配

然后根据大小、

weight, and color.

重量和颜色给每个果荚分级。

Highly valued pods are bigger,

价值较高的果荚个头更大、

greener, and full of seeds.

颜色更绿，而且种子饱满。

Out of all the cardamom Raja harvests,

在Raja收获的所有豆蔻中，

the majority won't be worth very much.

大部分其实卖不上什么价。

In fact,

事实上，

only a sixth will qualify as good quality marketable cardamom. 短語搭配

只有六分之一能达到可上市销售的优质豆蔻标准。

This cardamom is the first quality, 8 mm.

这种豆蔻是一等品，规格为8毫米。

This is the XO quality.

这是XO等级。

It will be good.

品质很好。

It will have a lot of seeds.

里面会有很多种子。

This one is 1,600 rupees.

这种是1,600卢比。

Some exported whole green cardamom pods from other producers can be even costlier,

其他生产商出口的整颗绿豆蔻荚有时甚至更贵，

retailing for over four times the price at $90 per kilogram. 短語搭配

零售价可达每公斤90美元，是这个价格的四倍多。

The company's lowest grade costs 900 Indian rupees,

这家公司最低等级的豆蔻售价为900印度卢比，

or about $12 per kilogram,

约合每公斤12美元，

and can be sold as ground cardamom.

可以磨成豆蔻粉出售。

Pods with any sign of discoloration or rot aren't marketable 短語搭配

任何有变色或腐烂迹象的果荚都无法上市，

and will therefore be rejected.

因而会被淘汰。

This is called vaavudhal.

这种情况叫作vaavudhal。

This is over ripened and burst

这是熟过头后爆裂的，

and that's why it is like this. This is the rejected one.

所以才会变成这样。这种要被淘汰。

This is the rotten cardamom.

这是腐烂的豆蔻。

It rotted on the plant

它在植株上就烂掉了，

and that's why it is like this.

所以才会变成这样。

There will be no good ones inside.

里面不会有完好的种子。

But this whole process could be totally disrupted by changes in weather.

但天气变化可能会彻底打乱整个生产过程。

If there's too much rain, 語法

如果雨水过多，

the pods will rot.

果荚就会腐烂。

If there's not enough,

如果雨水不足，

they'll burn out from the sun.

它们就会被太阳晒坏。

More recently,

近些年来，

the world's climate crisis and unpredictable weather in India's Idukki district specifically

全球气候危机，以及印度伊杜基地区尤为难测的天气，

have hurt supplies of green cardamom.

已经影响了绿豆蔻的供应。

The district makes up at least a sixth of global production 短語動詞

该地区至少占全球产量的六分之一，

and roughly three quarters of India's green cardamom production.

也占印度绿豆蔻产量的约四分之三。

But its supply took a hit in recent years 習語

但近几年，当地供应量遭受重创，

as harsh weather and rains ruined farmers' crops.

因为恶劣天气和降雨毁掉了农民的作物。

This drove up the prices of cardamom in 2019, 短語動詞

这推高了2019年的豆蔻价格，

but didn't necessarily benefit small farmers. 語法

但小农户未必因此受益。

In order to make a huge profit,

要想赚取巨额利润，

farmers need a large inventory.

农民必须拥有大量存货。

And when cardamom is sold in small amounts by small farmers,

而当小农户只能少量出售豆蔻时，

most of the payment is used to cover the cost of production only. 短語搭配

所得款项大多只能用来弥补生产成本。

Raja spends about 15,000 Indian rupees,

Raja要花大约15,000印度卢比，

or about $200 per acre,

也就是每英亩约200美元，

just on fertilizer.

而这还只是肥料费用。

That's between 10 and 15% of the total profits he'll make off that acre.

这相当于他从那一英亩土地中所获总利润的10%到15%。

And those profits often don't cover the total Raja must spend on production.

而这些利润往往不足以覆盖Raja的全部生产成本。

All this considered, 表達脈絡

综合考虑这些因素，

the global cardamom market is expected to grow by about $169 million 短語搭配

预计全球豆蔻市场将增长约1.69亿美元，

between 2021 and 2025.

时间跨度为2021年至2025年。

This is good for the industry,

这对整个行业来说是好消息，

but could present a challenge for farmers unable to meet demand 短語搭配

但无法满足需求的农民可能会面临挑战，

as the climate crisis continues to threaten the supply of this coveted spice.

因为气候危机仍在继续威胁这种珍贵香料的供应。