英国卫报:奈斯派索的咖啡革命是如何被粉碎的(1)

In 1975, a young engineer named Eric Favre took a trip to Rome that would change the history of coffee.

1975年，一位名叫埃里克·法夫尔的工程师去罗马旅行，此行将改变咖啡的历史。

Favre had recently started working at Nestle’s headquarters in Vevey, Switzerland,

法弗雷最近开始在雀巢位于瑞士沃维的总部工作，

and one of his first projects was to develop a machine

他的第一个项目就是开发一台机器，

that would combine the convenience of domestic coffee with the quality of an Italian espresso bar,

这台机器可以将家庭咖啡的便捷和咖啡店里意大利浓缩咖啡的质量结合起来。

where customers paid more for a product made by an expert using large, expensive equipment.

在咖啡店，顾客会为能手使用大型，昂贵的设备制成的产品花更多的钱。

Successful products can look inevitable¹ in hindsight, but the gap in the market wasn’t obvious.

事后来看，成功产品是必然会出现的，但是当时市场的缺口不是那么明显。

At the time, two kinds of coffee were drunk at home.

当时，人们在家中喝两种咖啡。

There was roast and ground, which was tasty but laborious², whether prepared in a cafetiere, stove-top or filter machine.

一种是烤的和磨碎的咖啡，味道很好，但很费力，不管是用咖啡机、炉灶还是过滤器来做。

Or there was soluble³ instant coffee, which was quick and easy but had an unsubtle flavour.

一种是速溶咖啡，既快速又简单，但味道不太精细。

To be tempting⁴ at a higher price, Favre’s new machine had to offer high-quality coffee with the speed and ease of instant.

为了以更高的价格吸引顾客，法夫尔的机器必须得以速溶咖啡的速度和简便的方式制作高质量的咖啡。

Wandering through the centre of Rome, Favre noticed a long queue snaking from a coffee bar near the Pantheon.

在罗马市中心漫步时，法夫尔注意到万神殿附近的一家咖啡馆里排着蜿蜒长队。

Plenty of other cafes nearby used the same machines. What was it about this place, Favre wondered, that made it so special?

附近的许多咖啡馆都使用同样的机器。法夫尔好奇，到底是什么让这个地方如此特别？

Inside, the barista explained that other operators pumped the piston⁵ just once before releasing the coffee.

在里面，咖啡师解释说，在释放咖啡之前，其他操作人员只对活塞进行一次泵送。

But at Sant’Eustachio Il Caffe, the baristas pumped repeatedly.

但在鹿角咖啡店，咖啡师们反复地进行泵送。

This meant they forced more water and air into the ground beans, which meant greater oxidisation,

这意味着他们将更多的水和空气注入到咖啡豆中，这意味着更多的氧化作用，

which drew out more flavour from the beans and produced more of a crema – the layer of foam⁶ formed on top of a good espresso.

这将使咖啡豆释放更多的风味，产生更多的克丽玛——在一杯好的意式咖啡上面形成的一层泡沫。

In the history of at-home premium⁷ coffee, this is perhaps the closest anyone has ever come to a eureka moment.

在优质家庭咖啡的历史中，这也许是任何人中最接近顿悟时刻的时候。

Favre returned to Switzerland and, along with a small team, set about designing a machine that could replicate⁸ this procedure.

法夫尔回到瑞士后，和一个小团队着手设计一台可以复制这一过程的机器。

The idea of a portioned coffee system had been around since the 50s, but no one had seriously pursued it.

分割咖啡系统的想法早在50年代就有了，但是没有人认真地去追求它。

Favre’s aim was to build a world in which espresso was available at home.

法夫尔的目标是建立一个可以在家里喝到浓咖啡的世界。

Customers would own a machine, into which they would place a sealed pod filled with ground coffee.

顾客将拥有一台机器，他们可以将一个密封的装满咖啡粉的咖啡荚放入其中。

The pod would keep the coffee fresh. (Although roast coffee can stay fresh for weeks, ground coffee loses its freshness after about half an hour.)

这个咖啡荚可以使咖啡保持新鲜。(虽然烘烤咖啡可以保鲜几周，但磨碎的咖啡在半小时后就失去了新鲜度。)

The capsule design would also ensure greater aeration⁹, mimicking¹⁰ the repeat oxidisations at the Sant’Eustachio.

胶囊的设计也将确保更大的充气，模仿在鹿角咖啡店的重复氧化。

After the pod was inserted, a needle-like spout¹¹ would pierce one end. Hot water would be pumped through this needle at high pressure.

当咖啡荚被插入后，一个针状的喷口会刺穿它的一端。热水将以高压从针头中泵出。

As the capsule became pressurised with water, the foil would be forced against a spiked¹² plate, bursting it inwards, and out through the spout would run an espresso.

当胶囊被水加压时，金属箔会被压在一个带尖刺的盘子上，将其向内爆开，然后一杯浓缩咖啡就会从喷口流出。

1 inevitable   

adj.不可避免的，必然发生的

参考例句：

• Mary was wearing her inevitable large hat.玛丽戴着她总是戴的那顶大帽子。
• The defeat had inevitable consequences for British policy.战败对英国政策不可避免地产生了影响。

2 laborious   

adj.吃力的，努力的，不流畅

参考例句：

• They had the laborious task of cutting down the huge tree.他们接受了伐大树的艰苦工作。
• Ants and bees are laborious insects.蚂蚁与蜜蜂是勤劳的昆虫。

3 soluble   

adj.可溶的；可以解决的

参考例句：

• These tablets are soluble in water.这些药片可在水中溶解。
• Camphor is soluble in alcohol.樟脑在酒精中可以溶化。

4 tempting   

a.诱人的, 吸引人的

参考例句：

• It is tempting to idealize the past. 人都爱把过去的日子说得那么美好。
• It was a tempting offer. 这是个诱人的提议。

5 piston   

n.活塞

参考例句：

• They use a piston engine instead.他们改用活塞发动机。
• The piston moves by steam pressure.活塞在蒸汽压力下运动。

6 foam   

v./n.泡沫，起泡沫

参考例句：

• The glass of beer was mostly foam.这杯啤酒大部分是泡沫。
• The surface of the water is full of foam.水面都是泡沫。

7 premium   

n.加付款；赠品；adj.高级的；售价高的

参考例句：

• You have to pay a premium for express delivery.寄快递你得付额外费用。
• Fresh water was at a premium after the reservoir was contaminated.在水库被污染之后，清水便因稀而贵了。

8 replicate   

v.折叠，复制，模写；n.同样的样品；adj.转折的

参考例句：

• The DNA of chromatin must replicate before cell division.染色质DNA在细胞分裂之前必须复制。
• It is also easy to replicate,as the next subsection explains.就像下一个小节详细说明的那样，它还可以被轻易的复制。

9 aeration   

n. 通气，充气

参考例句：

• Theoretically sludge yield is nil for the extended aeration process. 对延时曝气法而言，理论上污泥生成量应为零。
• Roots must have good aeration in order to function properly. 为了根系机能正常活动，必须有个良好的通气条件。

10 mimicking   

v.（尤指为了逗乐而）模仿( mimic的现在分词 )；酷似

参考例句：

• She's always mimicking the teachers. 她总喜欢模仿老师的言谈举止。
• The boy made us all laugh by mimicking the teacher's voice. 这男孩模仿老师的声音，逗得我们大家都笑了。 来自辞典例句

11 spout   

v.喷出，涌出；滔滔不绝地讲；n.喷管；水柱

参考例句：

• Implication in folk wealth creativity and undertaking vigor spout.蕴藏于民间的财富创造力和创业活力喷涌而出。
• This acts as a spout to drain off water during a rainstorm.在暴风雨季，这东西被用作喷管来排水。

12 spiked   

adj.有穗的；成锥形的；有尖顶的

参考例句：

• The editor spiked the story. 编辑删去了这篇报道。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• They wondered whether their drinks had been spiked. 他们有些疑惑自己的饮料里是否被偷偷搀了烈性酒。 来自辞典例句