The english we speak(BBC教學)第328期:Shrinkflation 縮水式通脹

Nobody likes inflation – when prices go up - but what about 'shrinkflation'? Rob becomes a victim of this when he shares a packet of crisps with Feifei. Find out what this new word means and how it affects the things we buy.

沒人喜歡通貨膨脹，因爲通貨膨脹意味着價格上漲，那縮水式通脹呢？羅布和菲菲分享薯片時成爲了縮水式通脹的受害者。請收聽本期節目，瞭解這個詞的含義以及它對我們購買物品產生的影響。

Rob: Hello, I'm Rob...

羅布：大家好，我是羅布。

Feifei: I'm Feifei and this is The English We Speak. Hold on... Rob, are you eating?!

菲菲：我是菲菲，歡迎收聽地道英語節目。等一下……羅布，你是在吃東西嗎？！

Rob: I am. Would you like a crisp? They're cheese and onion flavour.

羅布：對。你想吃薯片嗎？是芝士洋蔥味的。

Feifei: Oh go on then – oh, I see you've eaten most of them, but I'll have the last one, shall I?

菲菲：你繼續吃吧，我看你已經吃掉一大半了，最後一片留給我吃，可以嗎？

Rob: Actually Fefei, there weren't many crisps to start with – it's this 'shrinkflation'.

羅布：菲菲，其實本來就沒有多少薯片，這是縮水式通脹。

Feifei: Shrinkflation – I guess that's the opposite of 'inflation'?

菲菲：縮水式通脹，我猜這是通貨膨脹的反義詞吧？

Rob: That's correct – inflation is where prices rise, or the size of things get bigger – they inflate – like a balloon. But with shrinkflation things get smaller – but not the physical size of things, it's the quantity of something.

羅布：沒錯，通貨膨脹是指價格上漲，或者東西的量更大了，也就是它們膨脹了，就像氣球一樣。但縮水式通脹是指量越來越少，不是物品的物理尺寸變小，而是含量減少。

Feifei: I see. So the crisp packet is the same size, but the number of crisps in side has been reduced.

菲菲：我明白了。所以薯片的包裝和原來一樣大，但裏面裝的薯片卻變少了。

Rob: That’s right. Let's hear some examples of other people using the work 'shrinkflation'...

羅布：沒錯。我們來聽幾個例句，看看其他人如何應用縮水式通脹這個詞。

Examples

例句

I paid the same price for this chocolate bar as I always have, but when I unwrapped it, it was smaller – I guess that's shrinkflation!

我買這個巧克力棒時付了和平常一樣的錢，但拆開包裝以後，我發現巧克力棒變小了，我猜這就是縮水式通脹！

It appears lots of brands are practising shrinkflation these days, probably to cut costs and maximise their profits.

最近好像很多品牌都在縮水式通脹，可能是要縮減成本，使利潤最大化。

I don't believe it! There used to be 20 biscuits in the packet, but now shrinkflation means there are only 16!

真不敢相信！以前一包有20塊餅乾，但是現在縮水式通脹，一包只有16塊餅乾了！

Feifei: So shrinkflation is where the quantity of something is reduced. Why does this happen Rob?

菲菲：縮水式通脹用來描述物品數量減少這一現象。羅布，爲什麼會發生這種現象？

Rob: Well, it's a marketing trick – it's so a manufacturer does not put up the price of a product, but just reduces the cost of making it by putting less inside – but we think we're getting the same amount.

羅布：這是一種營銷技巧，製造商沒有提高產品價格，但是通過減少含量來縮減成本，而我們會覺得我們買到的量還是一樣的。

Feifei: Clever! It's the same these days with chocolate bars, packets of cereals...

菲菲：太聰明瞭！最近巧克力棒和袋裝麥片也一樣……

Rob: BBC Learning English programmes.

羅布：還有有BBC英語教學頻道的節目。

Feifei: What?

菲菲：什麼？

Rob: Yes, even this programme is affected by shrinkflation – there's less in it – even though our listeners might think they're getting the same amount. Come on it's time to go.

羅布：對，就連我們的節目也受到了縮水式通脹的影響，節目的內容變少了，雖然我們的聽衆可能覺得他們聽到的量和以前是一樣的。快點，該結束了。

Feifei: Really? This programme seems to go on for longer than ever.

菲菲：真的嗎？我覺得這期節目比以往任何一期的時間都長。

Both: Bye!

二人一起：再見！

譯文屬僅供學習交流使用，未經許可請勿轉載

重點講解：
1. hold on 稍等；等一下；
例句：Hold on, please. He will be here in a minute.
請等一下。他馬上就過來。
2. used to do sth. 過去常常；過去曾；
例句：I used to get them new plaything to keep them quiet.
我過去總是給他們買新玩具來使他們安靜。
3. put up 提高（價格）；
例句： Their friends suggested they should put up their prices.
他們的朋友建議提高價格。
4. even though 即使；儘管；縱然；
例句：Even though he has problems, he is a good soccer player.
雖然他有很多問題，但我還是覺得他是個很好的球員。