英語回顧 - 6分鐘英語：咖啡背後的故事 ☕：英語精讀講義

Hello, the program you're about to listen to was first broadcast in April 2015 on the BBC Learning English website. 文法

大家好，您即將收聽的節目最初於2015年4月在BBC Learning English網站上播出。

For more English language learning programs and podcasts,

想了解更多英語學習節目和播客，

search for BBC Learning English.

請搜尋BBC Learning English。

Six Minute English from BBC Learning English.

BBC Learning English 的六分鐘英語。

Hello, I'm Rob.

大家好，我是 Rob。

Welcome to Six Minute English.

歡迎收聽六分鐘英語。

With me today is Neil.

今天和我在一起的是 Neil。

Hello, Neil.

你好，Neil。

Hello, Rob.

你好，Rob。

In this program,

在本期節目中，

we're going to be talking about coffee. 文法

我們將聊聊咖啡。

Mm, coffee.

嗯，咖啡。

I've actually got one here in front of me, Rob.

Rob，我面前正好有一杯。

All right.

好的。

What kind of coffee are you drinking?

你喝的是什麼咖啡？

It's a skinny latte. 文化背景

是脫脂拿鐵。

And and what's that that you've got?

那你手裡的那杯是什麼？

Well, I've gone for a flat white today. 講解

呃，我今天點了一杯澳白。

Mm, that tastes good.

嗯，味道不錯。

Mm, it looks good, too.

嗯，看起來也不錯。

The market for the world's most popular drink has come a long way since the days of instant coffee, 慣用語

自從即溶咖啡時代以來，世界上最受歡迎的飲料市場已經取得了長足的進步，

when we just added boiling water to some brown powder.

那時候我們只是往一些棕色粉末裡加點開水。

Yes, that's very true, Neil.

是的，確實如此，Neil。

After that came the giants like Starbucks and Costa Coffee, 慣用語

之後出現了像星巴克和 Costa Coffee 這樣的巨頭，

who made coffee drinking trendy and a lifestyle statement. 用詞

他們讓喝咖啡成為一種潮流和生活態度的象徵。

People are far more aware of what they're drinking these days. 片語搭配

如今人們對自己喝的是什麼要清楚得多。

Mm, but Rob,

嗯，但是 Rob，

I don't think we should forget what lies behind the coffee we enjoy every day. 慣用語

我認為我們不應該忘記每天享受的咖啡背後的故事。

It's a hugely complicated business.

這是一項極其複雜的業務。

Yes, it's the second biggest commodity in the world after oil. 用詞

是的，它是繼石油之後世界上第二大商品。

That means the price of coffee is changing every day,

這意味著咖啡的價格每天都在變化，

every hour or even, as traders speculate about the price. 用詞

甚至每小時都在變，因為交易商會在價格上進行投機。

And it means farmers in countries like Ethiopia,

這也意味著在衣索比亞、

Costa Rica and Brazil are dependent on the deals that are made in commodity markets 講解

哥斯大黎加和巴西等國家的農民，依賴於在商品市場上達成的交易，

thousands of miles from their farms.

而這些市場距離他們的農場有數千英里。

It makes them extremely vulnerable. 用詞

這讓他們變得極度脆弱。

Let's listen to food journalist Sheila Dillon

讓我們來聽聽食品記者 Sheila Dillon 的看法，

as she explains the impact of coffee markets on local growers. 片語搭配

她解釋了咖啡市場對當地種植者的影響。

She uses an expression that means has a big effect.

她用了一個短語，意思是「產生巨大影響」。

Can you tell me what it is?

你能告訴我是什麼嗎？

What happens in the coffee market makes waves around the globe. 講解

咖啡市場發生的事情會在全球範圍內掀起波瀾。

Entire national economies depend on the price of coffee.

整個國家的經濟都依賴於咖啡價格。

It's the key to whether individual farmers can provide for their families, 講解

這關係到個體農民能否養家餬口、

face unemployment,

是否面臨失業，

and ultimately whether whole communities stay on the land or trek to the cities. 表達脈絡

最終也決定了整個社區是留在土地上還是長途跋涉去城市。

She said makes waves.

她說了 makes waves。

This means have a big effect.

這個意思是產生巨大的影響。

She also used the expression provide for their families.

她還使用了 provide for their families 這個表達。

This means the farmer's family have enough income to live comfortably.

這意味著農民的家庭有足夠的收入可以舒適地生活。

Good.

很好。

Right.

對了。

So, what about our quiz question today?

那麼，今天的測驗問題是什麼呢？

Neil, do you know how many cups of coffee are drunk worldwide each year? 文法

Neil，你知道全世界每年喝掉多少杯咖啡嗎？

Is it A, 38 billion,

是A，380億，

B, 400 billion,

B，4000億，

or C, 950 billion?

還是C，9500億？

Well, it's going to be a huge number, of course.

嗯，這當然會是一個巨大的數字。

But I still think I'll go for the lowest figure,

但我想我還是選最低的數字，

which is 38 billion.

即380億。

Okay.

好的。

Well, we'll see if you've got the answer right at the end of the program. 片語搭配

嗯，我們會在節目最後看看你答對了沒有。

Now, the price of coffee has soared, 用詞

Rob，近年來咖啡價格飆升，

that means gone up quickly in recent years, Rob.

意思就是快速上漲。

Surely that's good for everyone involved in the business.

這對業內所有參與者來說肯定是件好事。

I believe the profit margins for coffee are amongst the highest in the world. 用詞

我相信咖啡的利潤率是世界上最高的之一。

I can't see what all the fuss is about. 慣用語

我不明白這有什麼可大驚小怪的。

Well, Neil,

呃，Neil，

just because the price is high, 文法

僅僅因為價格高，

it doesn't mean that everyone benefits.

並不意味著所有人都能從中受益。

It all depends on how the profits are distributed. 文法

這完全取決於利潤是如何分配的。

You see, there are countless transactions between the grower and the drinker. 用詞

你知道，在種植者和飲用者之間有無數次交易。

A grower can have a really good crop,

種植者可能有非常好的收成，

but the amount he makes stays the same or can even fall. 用詞

但他賺的錢卻保持不變，甚至可能減少。

Mm, I see the problem.

嗯，我明白問題所在了。

I expect most of the profits go to the commodity traders and very little to the individual growers of the bean. 用詞

我估計大部分利潤都歸了商品交易商，而咖啡豆的個體種植者只能得到很少的一部分。

It sounds like the growers have no control. 語氣意圖

聽起來種植者沒有任何控制權。

That's what happens in other agricultural sectors.

在其他農業領域也是這樣。

I'm afraid so. 語氣意圖

恐怕是這樣。

Of course, some people are trying to distribute the profits more widely, 片語搭配

當然，有些人正試圖更廣泛地分配利潤，

and they have been having some success. 文法

並且取得了一些成功。

Yes.

是的。

I heard about some small-scale projects where the company takes charge of the whole process from field to shop. 講解

我聽說過一些小規模的專案，由公司負責從田間到商店的整個過程。

Yes, these organizations tend to farm organically. 文法

是的，這些組織傾向於有機種植。

This is very labor-intensive. 用詞

這非常需要勞動力。

That means a lot of people are employed,

這意味著要僱用很多人，

and it creates a lot of jobs for people within the local community.

也為當地社區的人們創造了許多就業機會。

In this way, they're not victims of market fluctuations. 慣用語

這樣一來，他們就不會成為市場波動的受害者。

Let's listen to Leo Virmani,

讓我們來聽聽 Leo Virmani 的話，

who runs a small plantation like this in Costa Rica. 用詞

他在哥斯大黎加經營著這樣一個小型種植園。

What's the verb he uses for putting the coffee in a box before selling it?

他用哪個動詞來表示在出售前將咖啡裝進盒子裡？

For our plantation,

對於我們的種植園，

the approach we have is to go through every step of the way, 片語動詞

我們採取的方法是參與每一個步驟，

every step of the process,

過程的每一步，

so that we grow it,

因此我們種植、

we pick it,

採摘、

we process it in the mill, 用詞

在磨坊加工，

then eventually we'll roast it,

然後最終我們會進行烘焙、

we'll package it, and we sell it as a small plantation we are. 用詞

包裝，並且作為一家小型種植園進行銷售。

And that would allow us to stay or be profitable at the end of the day. 講解

這將使我們最終能夠維持下去或實現盈利。

So, he used the verb package, which means put a product in a packet or box before selling it.

因此，他使用了動詞 package，意思是出售前將產品裝入小包或盒子中。

And he said his community can stay profitable.

他說他的社區能夠保持盈利。

This means they can always maintain profits or make money.

這意味著他們可以始終維持利潤或賺錢。

Well, it's good to know that small growers can live reasonably comfortably despite what the world markets are doing. 文法

嗯，很高興知道儘管世界市場在波動，小種植者也能過得相當舒適。

The next time I grab a takeaway coffee, 片語搭配

下次我買外帶咖啡時，

I'll try to remember all the politics involved in the production process. 用詞

我會努力記住生產過程中涉及的所有政治因素。

Yes, me too.

是的，我也是。

So, shall we have the answer to the quiz question now? 語氣意圖

那麼，我們現在公佈測驗問題的答案好嗎？

Yes.

好的。

You asked me how many cups of coffee are drunk worldwide each year?

你問我全世界每年喝掉多少杯咖啡？

38 billion,

380億，

400 billion,

4000億，

or 950 billion?

還是9500億？

And I guessed 38 billion.

我猜是380億。

Mm, I'm afraid you're wrong. 語氣意圖

嗯，恐怕你錯了。

The answer is actually 400 billion.

答案實際上是4000億。

No way. 語氣意圖

不會吧。

That's incredible.

真是不可思議。

Yes, it's an extraordinary statistic.

是的，這是一項驚人的數據。

Well, we're almost out of time, 片語搭配

好了，我們差不多沒時間了，

so let's remind ourselves of some of the words we've said today, Neil. 片語搭配

所以 Neil，讓我們回顧一下今天說過的一些詞彙吧。

Commodity.

商品。

Speculate.

投機。

Fluctuations.

波動。

Vulnerable.

脆弱的。

Make waves.

掀起波瀾。

Provides for.

撫養。

Labor-intensive.

勞力密集型的。

Package.

包裝。

Profitable.

盈利的。

Well, that's it for today.

好了，今天就到這裡。

Do visit bbclearningenglish.com 文法

請造訪 bbclearningenglish.com

to find more Six Minute English programs.

尋找更多六分鐘英語節目。

Until next time, goodbye.

下次再見，拜拜。

Bye.

拜拜。

Six Minute English from BBC Learning English.

BBC Learning English 的六分鐘英語。