美国国家公共电台 NPR Sacré Beurre: France Faces A Butter Shortage

KELLY MCEVERS, HOST:

The country known for creamy sauces and croissants is suffering a butter shortage that has not been seen in recent times. The French per capita consume more butter than any other country, some 18 pounds per person every year, so fears of running out, whether real or trumped¹ up, have been causing meltdowns. Here's NPR's Eleanor Beardsley.

ELEANOR BEARDSLEY, BYLINE²: In the early morning hours inside this cozy³ Paris boulangerie, big batter⁴ mixing machines are kneading dough⁵ for the flaky breakfast pastry⁶ that's become a symbol of good French eating. Baker⁷ Frederic Pichard says it's no secret how to make a good croissant.

FREDERIC PICHARD: (Through interpreter) It takes savoir-faire and of course milk, sugar, eggs and flour. But the key ingredient is butter. More than a third of this croissant dough is butter.

BEARDSLEY: Pichard, who won an award for Paris' best croissant in 2017, has a contract with a farm that provides him fresh butter. Thank goodness, he says, because many Paris bakers⁸ are barely able to get the butter they need. Pichard predicts some may even turn to using margarine, a heresy⁹ for any French cook. Bernard Rouyer is head of the French national dairy board. He says the country's butter shortage is unnerving.

BERNARD ROUYER: You have to understand that butter holds a key role in French cuisine¹⁰. And we eat butter with every meal. Being French, I cannot imagine eating radishes without butter. And we do consider the combination of baguette and butter as the perfect pairing.

BEARDSLEY: The current crisis is the result of increased worldwide demand for butter with producers struggling to keep up. Rouyer says in the West butter is no longer considered unhealthy, and in the East people are starting to eat it for the first time.

ROUYER: Some new countries are also importing butter. And that was not the case 10 years ago, countries like China, because butter doesn't belong to Chinese eating habits.

BEARDSLEY: Rouyer says people in China have developed a taste for rich French pastries¹¹, and butter consumption has increased tenfold. The shortage of beurre is whipping up fears and humor across France.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

UNIDENTIFIED MAN: (Speaking French).

BEARDSLEY: Videos like this one showing how to make butter are increasingly popular, and Internet searches on the topic are up 925 percent according to French media. One French dairy sent a tweet warning of beurre-out and listed its telephone number as the emergency hotline. Eighty-four-year-old Nicole Regai is staring at the half-empty butter shelves in a supermarket in downtown Paris.

NICOLE REGAI: (Speaking French).

BEARDSLEY: "There's nothing left," she says. "Good thing I've got some butter stocked away in my freezer at home." Regai says the last time she remembers such a butter shortage was during the Second World War.

But the French butter shortage is somewhat self-inflicted. In other countries, supermarkets responded to the changing market by raising prices. Because the price of butter in France is negotiated annually¹², French supermarkets refused and producers sold their stock abroad. But after emergency negotiations¹³ retailers¹⁴ have accepted an increase in prices, so consumers will find shelves stocked with butter just in time for Christmas. Eleanor Beardsley, NPR News, Paris.

1 trumped   

v.（牌戏）出王牌赢（一牌或一墩）( trump的过去分词 )；吹号公告，吹号庆祝；吹喇叭；捏造

参考例句：

• That woman trumped up various baseless charges against him. 那个女人捏造种种毫无根据的罪名指控他。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Several of his colleagues trumped up a complaint to get him removed from the job. 他的几位同事诬告他，使他丟掉了工作。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

3 cozy   

adj.亲如手足的，密切的，暖和舒服的

参考例句：

• I like blankets because they are cozy.我喜欢毛毯，因为他们是舒适的。
• We spent a cozy evening chatting by the fire.我们在炉火旁聊天度过了一个舒适的晚上。

4 batter   

v.接连重击；磨损；n.牛奶面糊；击球员

参考例句：

• The batter skied to the center fielder.击球手打出一个高飞球到中外野手。
• Put a small quantity of sugar into the batter.在面糊里放少量的糖。

5 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。

6 pastry   

n.油酥面团，酥皮糕点

参考例句：

• The cook pricked a few holes in the pastry.厨师在馅饼上戳了几个洞。
• The pastry crust was always underdone.馅饼的壳皮常常烤得不透。

7 baker   

n.面包师

参考例句：

• The baker bakes his bread in the bakery.面包师在面包房内烤面包。
• The baker frosted the cake with a mixture of sugar and whites of eggs.面包师在蛋糕上撒了一层白糖和蛋清的混合料。

8 bakers   

n.面包师( baker的名词复数 )；面包店；面包店店主；十三

参考例句：

• The Bakers have invited us out for a meal tonight. 贝克一家今晚请我们到外面去吃饭。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The bakers specialize in catering for large parties. 那些面包师专门负责为大型宴会提供食品。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 heresy   

n.异端邪说；异教

参考例句：

• We should denounce a heresy.我们应该公开指责异端邪说。
• It might be considered heresy to suggest such a notion.提出这样一个观点可能会被视为异端邪说。

10 cuisine   

n.烹调，烹饪法

参考例句：

• This book is the definitive guide to world cuisine.这本书是世界美食的权威指南。
• This restaurant is renowned for its cuisine.这家餐馆以其精美的饭菜而闻名。

11 pastries   

n.面粉制的糕点

参考例句：

• He gave a dry laugh, then sat down and started on the pastries. 杜新箨说着干笑一声，坐下去就吃点心。 来自子夜部分
• Mike: So many! I like Xijiang raisins, beef jerky, and local pastries. 麦克：太多了。我最喜欢吃新疆葡萄干、牛肉干和风味点心。

12 annually   

adv.一年一次，每年

参考例句：

• Many migratory birds visit this lake annually.许多候鸟每年到这个湖上作短期逗留。
• They celebrate their wedding anniversary annually.他们每年庆祝一番结婚纪念日。

13 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。

14 retailers   

零售商，零售店( retailer的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• High street retailers reported a marked increase in sales before Christmas. 商业街的零售商报告说圣诞节前销售量显著提高。
• Retailers have a statutory duty to provide goods suitable for their purpose. 零售商有为他们提供符合要求的货品的法定义务。