VOA慢速英語：包裝越來越小，價格卻越來越貴

VOA慢速英語：包裝越來越小，價格卻越來越貴
 
In the United States, India, Britain and Japan, people are starting to see smaller containers and higher prices for food.
在美國、印度、英國和日本，大家開始注意到食物的包裝變小，價格卻變高。
 
The cost increases are affecting snack food, cheese, drinks, soaps and more.
價格上漲還涉及到零食、奶酪、飲料、肥皂等。
 
Economic experts say the changes in package sizes are a result of inflation.They call it "shrinkflation".
經(jīng)濟(jì)專家稱，包裝大小的變化是通貨膨脹的結(jié)果。他們稱之為“縮水式通貨膨脹”。
 
In the U.S., a popular kind of facial paper once had 65 sheets in each box, now it has 60.A container of yogurt that once had 150 grams now has about 125 grams.In Britain, a kind of coffee once had 100 grams in each package.It now has 90 grams.In India, a kind of soap is smaller by 20 grams.
在美國，一種流行的面巾紙原來是每盒65張，現(xiàn)在是每盒60張。曾經(jīng)150克一盒的酸奶現(xiàn)在縮水到125克。在英國，有一種咖啡原來是每包100克，現(xiàn)在是每包90克。在印度，一種肥皂的重量減少了20克。
 
In some cases, people who buy these products are getting less for the same price.Some are seeing higher prices for smaller packages.Experts say the move by food companies is not new, but it is common in times of inflation.
還有另外的情況，購買這些產(chǎn)品的人花了同樣的錢得到的東西卻變少。有些人注意到，較小包裝的商品價格更高。專家表示，食品公司此舉并不新鮮，在通貨膨脹時期很常見。
 
Around the world, people paid on average seven percent more for goods in May than they did the year before.A company that researches prices, S&P Global, said people should expect the inflation rate to stay the same at least until September.
在世界范圍內(nèi)，5月份人們購買商品花的錢平均比去年高出7%。一家研究價格的公司——標(biāo)普全球表示，通貨膨脹率預(yù)計至少在9月份之前不再變化。
 
Edgar Dworsky is a former lawyer for the American state of Massachusetts.He runs a website called Consumer World.He noted that price increases and smaller packaging "comes in waves".He added, "We happen to be in a tidal wave at the moment."
埃德加·德沃斯基曾是美國馬薩諸塞州的一名律師。他經(jīng)營著一家名為“消費者世界”的網(wǎng)站。他指出，價格上漲和包裝變小“一波接一波地來”。他補充說：“我們此刻恰好處于這波浪潮之中。”
 
Dworsky said he started seeing smaller food containers last autumn.He notes coffee containers have less coffee and bathroom paper has fewer sheets.
德沃斯基說他從去年秋天開始注意到食品包裝變小。他指出，咖啡包裝里的咖啡變少了，衛(wèi)生紙的張數(shù)變少了。
 
Many companies that make these goods create smaller packagesbut also change the words on them to make them seem new or better, Dworsky said.
“許多生產(chǎn)這些商品的公司設(shè)計出更小的包裝，但這些公司也會改變包裝上面的文字，讓這些更小的包裝看起來更新穎或更美觀。”德沃斯基說。
 
One kind of corn snack made by PepsiCo is called Fritos.They recently had a "party size" bag that contained about 510 grams.New packages are still called "party size", but now they only have 439 grams.PepsiCo did not answer questions about the new size when asked by the Associated Press.But the company did say the bottles for a drink called Gatorade were made smallerso people could hold them more easily, not because of inflation.
百事公司生產(chǎn)的一種玉米零食叫菲樂多。這種零食最近出過“派對裝”大小的袋子，約裝510克。新包裝仍然被稱為“派對裝”，但現(xiàn)在它們只有439克。百事可樂在美聯(lián)社詢問時沒有回答有關(guān)新尺寸的問題。但該公司確實表示，佳得樂飲料的瓶子被做得更小，是因為這樣人們就能更方便地拿著，而不是出于通貨膨脹的原因。
 
Large consumer goods companies Kimberly-Clark and Proctor & Gamble also did not answer questions.
大型消費品公司金佰利和寶潔也沒有回答有關(guān)新尺寸包裝的問題。
 
But in Japan, the company that makes snacks called Calbee saidthe cost of materials was responsible for a price increase of 10 percent and a size decrease of 10 percent.Calbee makes soy and vegetable snacks.
但在日本，一家叫做卡樂比的零食公司表示，原材料成本是導(dǎo)致商品價格上漲10%、數(shù)量減少10%的原因?？繁戎饕a(chǎn)豆制品零食和蔬菜零食。
 
In India, Dabur India has been open about its changes.Byas Anand is head of communications for the company.He called the price increases and size decreases "down-switching".
在印度，醫(yī)藥企業(yè)印度達(dá)博一直對這種變化持開放態(tài)度。拜亞斯·阿南德是該公司的通訊部主管。他稱價格上漲和包裝變小是“為降低通脹所做的調(diào)整”。
 
People around the world have been noticing "shrinkflation".They have taken photos and shown examples of it on social media.
世界各地的人們都注意到了“縮水式通貨膨脹”。他們拍下了照片并在社交媒體上展示了一些例子。
 
Many people say they are changing the way they buy food.Alex Aspacher in the American state of Ohio is saving money by buying larger amounts of cheeseand cutting it himself instead of buying cut cheese.
許多人說他們正在改變購買食物的方式。美國俄亥俄州的亞歷克斯·阿斯帕徹通過購買大塊的奶酪來省錢，他自己把大塊的奶酪切開，來代替購買切好的奶酪。
 
He said he has been surprised by how quickly the changes have happened.
他說自己對“包裝變小，價格變高”這一轉(zhuǎn)變產(chǎn)生的速度感到驚訝。
 
"I was prepared for it to a degree," he said, but "there hasnt been a limit to it so far."
“在某種程度上，我對此有所準(zhǔn)備，”他說，但“到目前為止，這種轉(zhuǎn)變并未受到限制。”
 
Experts say prices may go down, but it is not likely packages will get larger.
專家表示，價格可能會下降，但包裝不太可能變大。
 
"Upsizing is kind of rare," Dworsky said.
德沃斯基說：“包裝變大是很罕見的情況。”
 
In some cases, experts say, costs for food manufacturers are going up and they need to pass that on to buyers.But some companies might just be seeking higher profits.
專家說，在某些情況下，食品制造商的成本在增加，他們需要把成本轉(zhuǎn)嫁給買家。但有些公司可能只是為了追求更高的利潤。
 
Hitendra Chaturvedi is a business professor at Arizona State University.
希滕德拉·查圖維迪是亞利桑那州立大學(xué)的商學(xué)教授。
 
He said he knows some companies are having trouble finding workers and paying higher costs.But he noted that PepsiCos profits rose 128 percent in the first three months of 2022.
他說自己知道一些公司很難找到工人以及支付更高的成本。但他指出，百事公司在2022年前三個月的利潤增長了128%。
 
"Im not saying theyre profiteering, but it smells like it," he said.
他說：“我不是說他們在牟取暴利，但看起來確實如此。”
 
Profiteering means selling things at very high prices at a time when they are hard to find.
牟取暴利是指在事物很難被找到的時候把它們高價出售。
 
Chaturvedi questioned: "Are we using supply constraints as a weapon to make more money?"
查圖維迪質(zhì)疑道：“我們是在把供給約束作為賺更多錢的手段嗎?”
 
Im Dan Friedell.
丹·弗雷德爾報道。