2022年经济学人 冲绳的酿酒厂正在努力改造当地的烈酒

Asia

亚洲版块

Japanese booze

日本酒

Awamori? Go on then

泡盛酒？继续吧

Okinawa's distillers are trying to posh up the local firewater

冲绳的酿酒厂正在努力改造当地的烈酒

THE EYES water as your correspondent enters Sakimoto Distillery.

记者进入坂本酒厂时，眼睛湿润了。

Large vats¹ of rice bubble over open flames, filling the air with boozy fumes².

一大桶大米在明火上冒着气泡，空气中充满了酒味儿。

The solution will be distilled³ into awamori, a liquor native to the islands of Okinawa, the most southern and western of Japan's prefectures.

这种溶液将被蒸馏成泡盛酒，一种原产于冲绳群岛（冲绳是日本最南部和西部的县）的酒。

Sakimoto Toshio, the distillery's boss, pours out a sample of the stuff, which with an alcohol content of 60% is about half as strong again as a typical spirit.

酒厂老板坂本敏雄倒了一杯这种酒的样品，酒精含量为60%，大约是普通烈酒的一半。

Your correspondent's throat burns as it goes down.

记者在品酒下咽时，喉咙会有灼热感。

Awamori was invented in Okinawa in the 15th century.

泡盛酒发源于15世纪的冲绳。

It uses long-grain rice and, to stimulate⁴ fermentation, black koji mould, distinguishing it from shochu, a better-known Japanese spirit invented in nearby Kyushu, which uses white koji and short-grain rice or other starches⁵.

它使用长粒大米和黑米曲菌来刺激发酵，这与附近九州岛发明的日本烈酒“烧酒”不同，后者使用米曲菌和短粒大米或其他淀粉制成的。

The punch it packs reflects local conditions: its strength helped preserve the drink on the hot, humid islands in the days before refrigeration.

包装后的泡盛酒反映了当地的情况：在冷藏前的几天，酒烈度有助于在炎热潮湿的岛屿上保存。

The throat-burning 60% variant⁶ emerged on Yonaguni, Japan's westernmost island, where Sakimoto is based.

日本最西端岛的与那国岛出现了60%泡盛酒的变种。

Known as hanasake, it is said to have started life as a disinfectant for medical use on ships, and later came to play a role in rituals such as funerals.

据说它被称为花酒，最初是作为船上医疗用的消毒剂，后来在葬礼等仪式中发挥作用。

When locals actually drink it, they usually cut it with ice and water and have it with roast pork.

实际上，当地人通常会将泡盛置于冰和水中饮用，并且就着烤猪肉一起吃。

Awamori has lately fallen on hard times.

泡盛酒最近陷入了困境。

Two-thirds of the 45 members of Okinawa Awamori Distillers Association were in the red in 2020.

2020年，冲绳泡盛酒厂协会的45名会员中有三分之二出现赤字。

Production volumes that year dipped by nearly 20%, the fourth straight year of decline.

那一年的产量下降了近20%，这是连续第四年下降。

Younger Japanese are drinking less booze, and they prefer softer stuff or mixed drinks.

日本年轻人饮酒较少，他们更中意软饮料或混合饮料。

That has forced the industry to experiment.

这迫使该行业进行各种试验。

Japan's external trade organisation⁷ has sought to market shochu and awamorias premium⁸ drinks for discerning foreign tipplers, but few are biting (or sipping).

日本的对外贸易组织一直试图向有鉴赏力的外国酒徒推销烧酒和泡盛优质饮料，但很少有人会吃（或啜饮）。

Distillers have released flavoured awamori drinks, organised awamori festivals and enlisted⁹ influencers to appeal to younger consumers—with mixed results.

酿酒商推出了风味泡盛饮料，组织了泡盛节，并招募了有影响力的人（网红）来吸引年轻消费者，结果喜忧参半。

Nakamura Shunki, a researcher at Okinawa's manufacturing promotion¹⁰ office, reckons it helps if the drink looks Instagrammable.

冲绳制造业促进办公室的研究员中村俊基认为，如果这种饮料能在Instagram上流行，那会有所帮助。

Mr Sakimoto has got the idea.

坂本敏雄先生已经有个想法。

He launched a collaboration¹¹ with Rebun, Japan's northernmost island, which supplies mineral water to make a "limited edition" awamori.

他与日本最北端的礼文岛展开合作，礼文岛供应矿泉水，生产“限量版”的泡盛。

The "PR effect" of bringing together Japan's extreme north and west has helped sales, he says.

他说，将日本最北部和最西部结合起来的“公关效应”有助于销售。

Wisely, he also watered it down: its alcohol content is a more palatable¹² 43%.

他还明智地稀释了酒的浓度：酒精含量是43%，会更可口。

1 vats   

varieties 变化，多样性，种类

参考例句：

• Fixed rare issue with getting stuck in VATS mode. 修正了极少出现的VATS模式卡住的问题。
• Objective To summarize the experience of VATS clinic application. 目的总结电视胸腔镜手术(vats)胸外科疾病治疗中的临床应用经验。

2 fumes   

n.(强烈而刺激的)气味，气体

参考例句：

• The health of our children is being endangered by exhaust fumes. 我们孩子们的健康正受到排放出的废气的损害。
• Exhaust fumes are bad for your health. 废气对健康有害。

3 distilled   

adj.由蒸馏得来的v.蒸馏( distil的过去式和过去分词 )；从…提取精华

参考例句：

• The televised interview was distilled from 16 hours of film. 那次电视采访是从16个小时的影片中选出的精华。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Gasoline is distilled from crude oil. 汽油是从原油中提炼出来的。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 stimulate   

vt.刺激，使兴奋；激励，使…振奋

参考例句：

• Your encouragement will stimulate me to further efforts.你的鼓励会激发我进一步努力。
• Success will stimulate the people for fresh efforts.成功能鼓舞人们去作新的努力。

5 starches   

n.淀粉( starch的名词复数 )；含淀粉的食物；浆粉v.把（衣服、床单等）浆一浆( starch的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• You should avoid sugars and starches. 你应避免吃糖和含淀粉的食物。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Cotton and rayon yarns are most often sized with water-insoluble starches. 棉和人造丝纱多用不溶于水的淀粉上浆。 来自互联网

6 variant   

adj.不同的，变异的；n.变体，异体

参考例句：

• We give professional suggestions according to variant tanning stages for each customer.我们针对每位顾客不同的日晒阶段，提供强度适合的晒黑建议。
• In a variant of this approach,the tests are data- driven.这个方法的一个变种，是数据驱动的测试。

7 organisation   

n.组织，安排，团体，有机休

参考例句：

• The method of his organisation work is worth commending.他的组织工作的方法值得称道。
• His application for membership of the organisation was rejected.他想要加入该组织的申请遭到了拒绝。

8 premium   

n.加付款；赠品；adj.高级的；售价高的

参考例句：

• You have to pay a premium for express delivery.寄快递你得付额外费用。
• Fresh water was at a premium after the reservoir was contaminated.在水库被污染之后，清水便因稀而贵了。

9 enlisted   

adj.应募入伍的v.（使）入伍， （使）参军( enlist的过去式和过去分词 )；获得（帮助或支持）

参考例句：

• enlisted men and women 男兵和女兵
• He enlisted with the air force to fight against the enemy. 他应募加入空军对敌作战。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

10 promotion   

n.提升，晋级；促销，宣传

参考例句：

• The teacher conferred with the principal about Dick's promotion.教师与校长商谈了迪克的升级问题。
• The clerk was given a promotion and an increase in salary.那个职员升了级，加了薪。

11 collaboration   

n.合作，协作；勾结

参考例句：

• The two companies are working in close collaboration each other.这两家公司密切合作。
• He was shot for collaboration with the enemy.他因通敌而被枪毙了。

12 palatable   

adj.可口的，美味的；惬意的

参考例句：

• The truth is not always very palatable.事实真相并非尽如人意。
• This wine is palatable and not very expensive.这种酒味道不错，价钱也不算贵。