(来源:芝士英语)
It seems that chocoholics (巧克力“控”) do mind the gap—especially if it suddenly appears in their favorite bars.
巧克力“控”的确很在意价格和分量之间的关系——尤其对于他们最爱的巧克力棒。
Loyal fans of Toblerone (三角巧克力) reacted with horror after discovering that the distance between the peaks in their favorite chocolate bars had expanded.
三角巧克力的忠实粉丝已经陷入了“惶恐”之中,因为当他们打开最爱的巧克力棒时,发现三角巧克力的齿距变宽了!
Mondelez International, which makes the bars, blamed rising ingredient prices for the change. By adding space between the triangles, the company was able to keep the bar's original packaging but reduce the amount of chocolate.
这种巧克力棒的生产商亿滋国际将其“减量不减价”的行为归咎于日益攀升的原料价格。通过增加三角巧克力的间隙,亿滋既能沿用巧克力棒原来的包装盒,又能减少每条巧克力棒的实际分量。
The result is that bars that formerly weighed 170 gram have been reduced to 150 grams. Forty grams have been carved out of bars that used to contain 400 grams. The price remains the same, but customers are getting roughly 10% less chocolate.
结果,原来170g装的巧克力棒瘦身成了150克。而原来400g装的巧克力棒经刻制形状,整整少了40克。巧克力棒的价格虽然保持不变,但事实上消费者买到的巧克力少了约10%。
The change did not go down well with chocoholics. The reaction was particularly fierce on social media. "The key part of a Toblerone is the shape of peaks," wrote one customer. "Why couldn't you just lose a triangle at the end?"
巧克力“控”对此可不买账。社交媒体上对此事的反应非常激烈。“三角巧克力的精髓就在于三角形的形状,”一位消费者写道,“为什么你就不能干脆减少一个三角形(而不要破坏所有三角的形状)呢?”
"The new Toblerone is yet another example of shrinkflation (缩水式通胀), where shrinking (使缩水) contents allows for a secret price rise," said Ratula Chakraborty, a professor in retailing (零售业) at the University of East Anglia.
“新款三角巧克力是缩水式通胀的一种体现,通过缩减产品分量,从而隐形涨价,”东安格利亚大学的零售学讲师Ratula Chakraborty说。
The triangular chocolate bar, sold in a yellow package with red letters, has been around since 1908. The Matterhorn in the Alps (阿尔卑斯山脉马特峰) is said to be the inspiration behind the pointed bar and is sometimes featured on the packaging.
瑞士三角巧克力棒采用黄底红字的外包装,从1908年已经销售至今。据说阿尔卑斯山脉马特峰是三角巧克力的灵感来源,有时候还会被印在巧克力棒的外包装上。
Mondelez International noted that while the overall look of the bar is different, the recipe remains the same and the chocolate is still made in Switzerland.
亿滋国际表示,尽管巧克力棒的外观发生了变化,但是其配方和产地依旧不变。