2007年VOA标准英语-Coffee Wins New Fans in Tea-Growing India

By Anjana Pasricha
New Delhi
11 March 2007

India has traditionally been a nation of tea-drinkers, but coffee is beginning

sips1 coffee next to a poster advertising2 a coffee brand at the India International Coffee Festival 2007 in Bangalore (File photo - 24 Feb 2007)" hspace="2" src="/upimg/allimg/070523/1503030.jpg" width="210" vspace="2" border="0" />

A visitor sips coffee next to a poster advertising a coffee brand at the India International Coffee Festival 2007 in Bangalore (File photo - 24 Feb 2007)

to win new fans in the country. As Anjana Pasricha reports from New Delhi, the coffee-drinking culture is being promoted by hundreds of cafes opening in Indian cities.

The door of a popular coffee bar in central Delhi is seldom shut for long as a steady stream of customers walk in and out.

 

Many of them are youngsters - college students and young working people wanting to relax over a cup of coffee.

"Without being bothered, you can sit for a long time and have a cup of coffee, and chat, nobody bothers you here," said a girl.

"You can sit and you can talk and spend time here, and have a cup of coffee, hang out with your friends, nice time," added another customer.

"Basically the ambiance and the fact that you can sit here, chill out. They actually allow you to relax, that's the thing," a girl said. "I get to meet a lot of people here."

The coffee culture has been spreading rapidly in recent years as coffee bars began mushrooming in Indian towns and cities. It is a trend that has been repeated in some of the traditional tea-drinking cultures of East Asia, such as China and Hong Kong.

One of the most successful Indian coffee bar chains, Café Coffee Day, was started a company that owned coffee plantations³ and wanted to create a taste for the beverage⁴ in a nation addicted⁵ to tea.

The experiment has been a runaway⁶ success, and the coffee-drinking habit is growing in all parts of the country. The cafes have even made a foray into the northeastern city of Guwahati, the heart of one of India's main tea-growing regions.

Tea is grown in both the north and south, whereas coffee has traditionally been consumed only in the south, which is home to India's coffee plantations.

Simran Sablok, national marketing⁷ head of Café Coffee Day, says the cafes are a hit among young people, whom the booming economy has given money to spend.

"Youngsters were looking for a place where they could hang out, let down their hair, and have a good time, and the coffee was an excuse to bring them together. It made coffee far more accessible," said Sablok.

The results have been dramatic: domestic consumption of coffee last year increased by nearly one-third, from 60,000 to 80,000 tons.

That is good news for the coffee industry, which is recovering from a five-year crisis sparked by a price slump⁸ in international markets. Indian coffee growers, who export three-quarters of their produce, were hit hard at that time. Although the export market has now revived, the growers hope to make at least some of their profits in the home market in the future.

The success of cafes in India has attracted the attention of international chains. U.S. coffee giant Starbucks is exploring potential partners, and says it wants to enter the country by the end of the year.

1 sips   

n.小口喝，一小口的量( sip的名词复数 )v.小口喝，呷，抿( sip的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• You must administer them slowly, allowing the child to swallow between sips. 你应慢慢给药，使小儿在吸吮之间有充分的时间吞咽。 来自辞典例句
• Emission standards applicable to preexisting stationary sources appear in state implementation plans (SIPs). 在《州实施计划》中出现了固定污染的排放标准。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法

2 advertising   

n.广告业；广告活动 a.广告的；广告业务的

参考例句：

• Can you give me any advice on getting into advertising? 你能指点我如何涉足广告业吗?
• The advertising campaign is aimed primarily at young people. 这个广告宣传运动主要是针对年轻人的。

3 plantations   

n.种植园，大农场( plantation的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Soon great plantations, supported by slave labor, made some families very wealthy. 不久之后出现了依靠奴隶劳动的大庄园，使一些家庭成了富豪。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件
• Winterborne's contract was completed, and the plantations were deserted. 维恩特波恩的合同完成后，那片林地变得荒废了。 来自辞典例句

4 beverage   

n.(水，酒等之外的)饮料

参考例句：

• The beverage is often colored with caramel.这种饮料常用焦糖染色。
• Beer is a beverage of the remotest time.啤酒是一种最古老的饮料。

5 addicted   

adj.沉溺于....的，对...上瘾的

参考例句：

• He was addicted to heroin at the age of 17.他17岁的时候对海洛因上了瘾。
• She's become addicted to love stories.她迷上了爱情小说。

6 runaway   

n.逃走的人，逃亡，亡命者；adj.逃亡的，逃走的

参考例句：

• The police have not found the runaway to date.警察迄今没抓到逃犯。
• He was praised for bringing up the runaway horse.他勒住了脱缰之马受到了表扬。

7 marketing   

n.行销，在市场的买卖，买东西

参考例句：

• They are developing marketing network.他们正在发展销售网络。
• He often goes marketing.他经常去市场做生意。

8 slump   

n.暴跌，意气消沉，（土地）下沉；vi.猛然掉落，坍塌，大幅度下跌

参考例句：

• She is in a slump in her career.她处在事业的低谷。
• Economists are forecasting a slump.经济学家们预言将发生经济衰退。