2006年VOA标准英语-Thriving Asian Supermarkets Profit By Amer

By June Soh
Washington, DC
26 January 2006
 
watch Asian Grocery report

Asian food markets in the U.S. are thriving, as they serve a growing number of diverse customers.  This report is narrated¹ by Crystal Park.

Dong Jung, a college student from Korea, shops at Lotte Plaza², an Asian supermarket, in Baltimore, Maryland. "I came here [to the U.S.] five years ago.  I miss a lot of Korean food and Asian food every day. 

Han Kim has been in the U.S. more than 30 years.

 
Han Kim
  
"I still miss a lot of Korean food.  I really like it. When I came here first time in 1968, the price was really expensive and [there were] not many [Asian] stores.  Nowadays [it is] really cheap and [there are] a lot of competitive stores we really like."

Rhee Bros. Incorporated is an Asian food wholesaler³ and distributor based in Columbia, Maryland. Syng Man Rhee, a Korean immigrant, is the company founder⁴.

Syng Man Rhee, company founder  
  
"I started in 1976 as a small wholesaler in Silver Spring, Maryland. After that I moved to this warehouse⁵, now this main warehouse is 165,000 square feet [more than 18,000 square meters, another extra three warehouses⁶ around here, all together maybe 350,000 square feet [almost 40,000 square meters]."          

Rhee Bros. has nine retail⁷ stores, called Assi or Lotte Plaza, and it also distributes to 1,500 supermarkets across the U.S.  Many of its 10,000 items are imported but it has its own brands too. This year Rhee Bros. expects $500 million in revenue. 

But the competition is fierce.  Just in the Washington suburban⁸ area there are several chain stores such as Super H Mart, Han Ah Reum, Grand Mart, Global Market and Lotte.

There's been a demographic sea change.  The Asian and Pacific Islanders population in the U.S. increased from 3.7 million in 1980 to 13 million in 2004 according to the U.S. Census⁹ Bureau. The grocery chains cater¹⁰ to South Asians, such as customers from India and Pakistan.

 
Beleor Bhagavan, customer
  
"There are a variety of fresh vegetables, which I can't get anywhere else. And the assorted¹¹ ethnic¹² food that I can find here,” said one customer.

"Most of seafood¹³ we buy from here.  We cannot find them in American stores.   Some grocery like Eastern food, we buy from here,” said another.

The general American public is also exploring new tastes. "They have a big selection. Things I don't know about, said one woman.  “So I am going to learn about them because it's healthy and tastes good."

Even mainstream¹⁴ supermarket chains dedicate more shelf space to ethnic foods.

Barry Scher is vice¹⁵ president of public affairs for Giant Foods Incorporated. "The growth of ethnic foods in our stores has been phenomenal.  Even five years ago we had nowhere near the wide variety of products we are selling in our stores today," said Mr. Scher.

The market for Asian food is expected to continue to grow in the United States, as Asian-Americans spend their own dollars on the food they like, and change the palates of their fellow Americans.

1 narrated   

v.故事( narrate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Some of the story was narrated in the film. 该电影叙述了这个故事的部分情节。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Defoe skilfully narrated the adventures of Robinson Crusoe on his desert island. 笛福生动地叙述了鲁滨逊·克鲁索在荒岛上的冒险故事。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

2 plaza   

n.广场，市场

参考例句：

• They designated the new shopping centre York Plaza.他们给这个新购物中心定名为约克购物中心。
• The plaza is teeming with undercover policemen.这个广场上布满了便衣警察。

3 wholesaler   

n.批发商

参考例句：

• We're the largest furniture wholesaler in Illinois. 我们是伊利诺伊州最大的家具批发商。 来自辞典例句
• These are used to create profiles for each wholesaler. 这是他日常的工作或通过与批发商的正式会谈。 来自互联网

4 Founder   

n.创始者，缔造者

参考例句：

• He was extolled as the founder of their Florentine school.他被称颂为佛罗伦萨画派的鼻祖。
• According to the old tradition,Romulus was the founder of Rome.按照古老的传说，罗穆卢斯是古罗马的建国者。

5 warehouse   

n.仓库；vt.存入仓库

参考例句：

• We freighted the goods to the warehouse by truck.我们用卡车把货物运到仓库。
• The manager wants to clear off the old stocks in the warehouse.经理想把仓库里积压的存货处理掉。

6 warehouses   

仓库，货栈( warehouse的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The whisky was taken to bonded warehouses at Port Dundee. 威士忌酒已送到邓迪港的保稅仓库。
• Row upon row of newly built warehouses line the waterfront. 江岸新建的仓库鳞次栉比。

7 retail   

v./n.零售；adv.以零售价格

参考例句：

• In this shop they retail tobacco and sweets.这家铺子零售香烟和糖果。
• These shoes retail at 10 yuan a pair.这些鞋子零卖10元一双。

8 suburban   

adj.城郊的，在郊区的

参考例句：

• Suburban shopping centers were springing up all over America. 效区的商业中心在美国如雨后春笋般地兴起。
• There's a lot of good things about suburban living.郊区生活是有许多优点。

9 census   

n.(官方的)人口调查，人口普查

参考例句：

• A census of population is taken every ten years.人口普查每10年进行一次。
• The census is taken one time every four years in our country.我国每四年一次人口普查。

10 cater   

vi.(for/to)满足，迎合；(for)提供饮食及服务

参考例句：

• I expect he will be able to cater for your particular needs.我预计他能满足你的特殊需要。
• Most schools cater for children of different abilities.大多数学校能够满足具有不同天资的儿童的需要。

11 assorted   

adj.各种各样的，各色俱备的

参考例句：

• There's a bag of assorted sweets on the table.桌子上有一袋什锦糖果。
• He has always assorted with men of his age.他总是与和他年令相仿的人交往。

12 ethnic   

adj.人种的，种族的，异教徒的

参考例句：

• This music would sound more ethnic if you played it in steel drums.如果你用钢鼓演奏，这首乐曲将更具民族特色。
• The plan is likely only to aggravate ethnic frictions.这一方案很有可能只会加剧种族冲突。

13 seafood   

n.海产食品，海味，海鲜

参考例句：

• There's an excellent seafood restaurant near here.离这儿不远有家非常不错的海鲜馆。
• Shrimps are a popular type of seafood.小虾是比较普遍的一种海味。

14 mainstream   

n.（思想或行为的）主流；adj.主流的

参考例句：

• Their views lie outside the mainstream of current medical opinion.他们的观点不属于当今医学界观点的主流。
• Polls are still largely reflects the mainstream sentiment.民调还在很大程度上反映了社会主流情绪。

15 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。