VOA慢速英语--爱尔兰法院裁定 Subway“面包”不是面包

The highest court in Ireland has ruled that bread sold by an American fast-food restaurant cannot be legally defined as bread. The court said Subway restaurant's bread contains so much sugar that it failed to meet the legal definition of the food product.

The ruling came in a tax dispute brought by Bookfinders Limited, which operates Subway restaurants in Ireland.

Bread is one of the world's most popular foods. It is made from a mixture of flour, water and yeast¹, which causes the bread to expand when heated.

Bookfinders had argued that some of its takeaway, or take-out, products should not be subject to a value-added tax. The list of products included hot drinks, such as tea and coffee, and heated sandwiches.

Ireland's Supreme² Court rejected the company's appeal. Its judges ruled that the bread sold by Subway contains too much sugar to be considered a "staple³ food."

A staple food is something that is eaten all the time and part of many people's diets. Such foods are not subject to the value-added taxed.

"There is no dispute that the bread supplied by Subway in its heated sandwiches has a sugar content of 10% of the weight of the flour included in the dough⁴, and thus exceeds the 2% specified⁵," the court said.

The law notes a difference between "bread as a staple food" and other baked goods "which are, or approach...fancy baked goods," the judgement read.

Subway disagreed with the court's findings in a statement.

"Subway's bread is, of course, bread," the company said in an email. "We have been baking fresh bread in our restaurants for more than three decades and our guests return each day for sandwiches made on bread that smells as good as it tastes."

Bookfinders was appealing a 2006 decision by officials who refused to return value-added tax payments to the company. Lower courts had dismissed the case before it reached the Supreme Court.

Subway said last week it was studying the latest tax ruling.

Words in This Story

flour – n. fine particles made from grain

sandwich – n. a food product made with two pieces of bread, meat, cheese or other filling between them

dough – n. a mixture of flour, water and other materials that is cooked

exceed –v. to go beyond a limit, to surpass something

specified – adj. named in a document or speech

bake – v. to cook by dry heat

fancy –adj. special, costly⁶ or done with care

decade – n. a period of 10 years

1 yeast   

n.酵母；酵母片；泡沫；v.发酵；起泡沫

参考例句：

• Yeast can be used in making beer and bread.酵母可用于酿啤酒和发面包。
• The yeast began to work.酵母开始发酵。

2 supreme   

adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的

参考例句：

• It was the supreme moment in his life.那是他一生中最重要的时刻。
• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。

3 staple   

n.主要产物，常用品，主要要素，原料，订书钉，钩环；adj.主要的，重要的；vt.分类

参考例句：

• Tea is the staple crop here.本地产品以茶叶为大宗。
• Potatoes are the staple of their diet.土豆是他们的主要食品。

4 dough   

n.生面团；钱，现款

参考例句：

• She formed the dough into squares.她把生面团捏成四方块。
• The baker is kneading dough.那位面包师在揉面。

5 specified   

adj.特定的

参考例句：

• The architect specified oak for the wood trim. 那位建筑师指定用橡木做木饰条。
• It is generated by some specified means. 这是由某些未加说明的方法产生的。

6 costly   

adj.昂贵的，价值高的，豪华的

参考例句：

• It must be very costly to keep up a house like this.维修这么一幢房子一定很昂贵。
• This dictionary is very useful,only it is a bit costly.这本词典很有用，左不过贵了些。