2019经济学人考研英文文章阅读六十三

China is a nation of tea-drinkers,but coffee is taking off

在中国这个爱喝茶的国家，咖啡正在兴起

It’s not just the drink that appeals,it’s the chance to share pictures of it 吸引人的不仅仅是咖啡，还有拍照分享的机会

On a spring morning in Chengdu,the capital of the south-western province of Sichuan,Zhang Xiaoyu stands in her classroom,teaching the art of coffee-making.

在一个春天的清晨，成都（中国西南部四川省的省会）的张晓宇正站在教室里教授咖啡制作技巧。

On the wall a dozen plaques from the Specialty Coffee Association of Europe certify her proficiency in skills ranging from roasting beans to serving the drink.Seven students,all women in their20s and30s hoping to open coffee shops,take sips from tiny cups and make notes on the flavours.

教室的墙面上挂着十几块欧洲专业咖啡协会颁发的奖牌，足以证明她精通从烘焙咖啡豆到咖啡服务的各项技能。她的七名学生（都是想要开一家咖啡馆的二十几岁或三十几岁的女性）用小杯子品尝着咖啡，并记录下咖啡的味道。

Until the1990s coffee was rarely served in China except at luxury hotels aimed at foreigners.When Starbucks opened its first outlet there in1999 it was far from clear that the country’s avid tea-drinkers would take to such a different—and usually more costly—source of caffeine.

直到20世纪90年代，除了接待外国人的豪华酒店外，在中国还很少有地方会供应咖啡。当星巴克于1999年在中国开设了第一家分店时，人们尚不清楚这个国家热衷于喝茶的人是否会接受这样一种大不相同的（通常比茶叶更昂贵的）咖啡因饮品。

Starbucks tried to entice customers unused to coffee’s bitter taste by promoting milk-and sugar-heavy concoctions such as Frappuccinos.

为了吸引不习惯咖啡苦味的顾客，星巴克还推出了含有牛奶的高含糖量混合饮品，例如星冰乐。

The average Chinese still only drinks five cups per year,says the International Coffee Organisation,a London-based group.That is just

1.3%of the amount consumed by the average Japanese or American.

总部位于伦敦的国际咖啡组织表示，中国人均每年只喝5杯咖啡。这仅仅是日本或美国人均消费量的1.3%。

But coffee has become fashionable among the middle class.Starbucks now has about3,800outlets in China—more than in any other country outside America.

但是，咖啡在中国的中产阶级中已经流行开来。目前，星巴克在中国拥有约3800家门店，超过除美国以外的任何国家的门店数量。

Statista,a business-intelligence portal,says the roast coffee market in China is growing by more than10%a year.Starbucks and its rivals see big scope for expanding there.

商业情报门户网站Statista表示，中国的烘焙咖啡市场正在以每年超过10%的速度增长。星巴克及其竞争对手看到了中国咖啡市场扩张的巨大空间。

So too,however,do home-grown competitors.A major new presence is Luckin Coffee,a Beijing-based chain.Since its founding less than two years ago it has opened more than2,300outlets.On May17th Luckin’s initial public offering on the Nasdaq stockmarket raised more than$570m, giving it a value of about$4bn.

当然，本土竞争者也同样看到了。总部位于北京的连锁咖啡品牌瑞幸咖啡便是一个重要的新晋竞争对手。瑞幸咖啡成立还不到两年就已经开设了2300多家门店。5月17日，瑞幸咖啡在纳斯达克股票市场的首次公开募股筹集了超过5.7亿美元的资金，使其市值达到了40亿美元。

Luckin’s remarkable growth is a sign of change.No longer do Chinese consumers see coffee as such a luxury.Most of Luckin’s outlets are merely kiosks where busy white-collar workers pick up their drinks,having ordered them online.Super-fast delivery can also be arranged through the company’s app.

瑞幸咖啡的迅猛扩张正是中国咖啡市场转变的标志。中国消费者不再将咖啡视为奢侈品了。瑞幸咖啡的大多数门店只是小店，供行色匆匆的白领们前来取走他们从网上订购的咖啡。使用瑞幸咖啡的App也可以实现超快速交付。

But,as demand for Ms Zhang’s classes suggests,the posh end of the market is flourishing too.Independent coffee shops are springing up,at which preparation of the drink is taken to artisanal extremes.No longer are whipped cream and sweet sauces essential.

从张晓宇咖啡课程的需求来看，中国高端咖啡市场也在蓬勃发展。独立的咖啡馆如雨后春笋般涌现，咖啡制作的手工工艺已经达到了极致。掼奶油和甜酱不再是必不可少的了。

(红色标注词为重难点词汇)

重难点词汇：

plaque[plæk]n.匾；血小板；饰板；奖章

entice[ɪn'taɪs]vt.诱使；怂恿

concoction[kən'kɑkʃən]n.混合；调合；调合物

portal['pɔrtl]n.大门，入口

kiosk['kiɑsk]n.凉亭；公用电话亭；报摊

whipped[wɪpt]adj.受到鞭打的；筋疲力尽的；（奶油、蛋及其他食物）搅打起泡沫的