VOA标准英语2009年-Rising Food Prices Hurt Indians Ahead of M

By Anjana Pasricha
New Delhi
09 October 2009
 
Women sell decorative¹ flowers at a wholesale² market ahead of the Indian festival of Diwali in New Delhi, 09 Oct 2009
India is grappling with rising food prices in the wake of a drought, which affected³ large parts of the country. The high prices, particularly of sugar, are putting a dampener on the country's main festival.

Confectioners in the capital New Delhi are busy preparing the traditional sweets, which Indians distribute to friends and relatives for the country's main Hindu festival, Diwali.  

The week before the festival is usually a boom time for sales. But Girish Agarwal, the owner of a popular shop selling sweets in Central Delhi, says he is not seeing too many customers.

He says he has tried to hold prices of his sweets steady in order to boost sales, although this might lower profits. But it is not helping⁴ much.

The lack of customers is not surprising. Food prices have been jumping in the last two months, forcing many people to buy less. The price of sugar, demand for which jumps during the festival season, is up by over 40 percent - both due to a massive fall in sugar production and rising prices worldwide. Other staples⁵ in the Indian diet, such as lentils, vegetables, wheat and rice are also more expensive.

The government says wholesale food prices are up by 15 percent. Prices have risen after the lowest monsoon⁶ rain levels since 1972 affected production of crops such as rice, sugar and groundnut. The drought was followed by flash floods in southern India, further damaging crops. 

Shweta Singh, who is shopping for the Diwali festival, says spending more on daily food items is forcing people like her to cut back on festival shopping.

"If you check about the prices, the rice, the sugar, everything has been rising," said Singh. "So, it really affects the entire monthly budget. If you are spending more on your monthly budget, then you have a limited budget for occasions as well."

The high food prices are particularly worrisome for millions of poor Indians who earn less than two dollars a day. Among them is 19-year-old Ajay who works at a parking lot in a busy market.

Ajay says he cannot even think of buying sweets on his income of two dollars a day. He says even potatoes, selling for bout⁷ 50 cents a kilogram, are out of reach for him.

The government has assured people that the country has sufficient stockpiles of food. It has banned exports of rice, wheat and lentils to ensure that there are no shortages in the domestic market. It has put limits on companies that stockpile sugar in order to check hoarding⁸. And it has promised to protect poor people through subsidized food programs.

But for the time being, the high food prices are dampening the festival mood.

1 decorative   

adj.装饰的，可作装饰的

参考例句：

• This ware is suitable for decorative purpose but unsuitable for utility.这种器皿中看不中用。
• The style is ornate and highly decorative.这种风格很华丽，而且装饰效果很好。

2 wholesale   

n.批发；adv.以批发方式；vt.批发，成批出售

参考例句：

• The retail dealer buys at wholesale and sells at retail.零售商批发购进货物，以零售价卖出。
• Such shoes usually wholesale for much less.这种鞋批发出售通常要便宜得多。

3 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

4 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

5 staples   

n.（某国的）主要产品( staple的名词复数 )；钉书钉；U 形钉；主要部份v.用钉书钉钉住( staple的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• The anvil onto which the staples are pressed was not assemble correctly. 订书机上的铁砧安装错位。 来自辞典例句
• I'm trying to make an analysis of the staples of his talk. 我在试行分析他的谈话的要旨。 来自辞典例句

6 monsoon   

n.季雨，季风，大雨

参考例句：

• The monsoon rains started early this year.今年季雨降雨开始得早。
• The main climate type in that region is monsoon.那个地区主要以季风气候为主要气候类型。

7 bout   

n.侵袭，发作；一次(阵，回)；拳击等比赛

参考例句：

• I was suffering with a bout of nerves.我感到一阵紧张。
• That bout of pneumonia enfeebled her.那次肺炎的发作使她虚弱了。

8 hoarding   

n.贮藏；积蓄；临时围墙；囤积v.积蓄并储藏（某物）( hoard的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• After the war, they were shot for hoarding. 战后他们因囤积而被枪决。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Actually he had two unused ones which he was hoarding up. 其实他还藏了两片没有用呢。 来自英汉文学