世界杯正酣 英国啤酒却要“断供”

看世界杯的标配是什么？啤酒、鸭脖和小龙虾？英国的球迷或将无法凑齐这个“看球套餐”了。世界杯足球赛白热化之际，英国却面临欧洲数十年来最严重的二氧化碳供应不足危机，球迷在酒吧看球时，恐怕连啤酒和碳酸饮料都可能短缺。

World Cup barbecues may be under threat as beers, fizzy drinks and meat producers warn of potential shortages caused by a lack of CO2.

由于二氧化碳供应不足，啤酒、碳酸饮料和肉类制造商警告说这些商品都可能面临短缺，世界杯烧烤野餐可能办不起来了。

The British Retail Consortium has written to major retailers informing them that drinks and meat supplies could be affected as at least one UK gas supplier has had to ration orders.

英国零售商协会给几家大型零售商发信说，由于至少一家英国气体供应商不得不限量供应，饮料和肉类食品的供应都将受到影响。

The shortages come as many prepare to party while they follow England’s progress in the football World Cup in Russia. Sales of alcohol and soft drinks are also expected to be boosted after the World Cup by what is forecast to be a long hot summer running through until August.

很多球迷正准备开派对庆祝英格兰队在俄罗斯世界杯的战绩之时，却遭遇派对饮品和食品的短缺。据预报称，今年英国的夏天漫长而炎热，这种天气状况将持续到八月底，这也将在世界杯后刺激酒精饮品和软饮料的销量。

It is understood that most drinks manufacturers hold at least two weeks stock, while retailers are likely to hold more. But retailers have expressed concerns that stocks of fizzy drinks could run short in a few days during one of their busiest times of the year.

据称，大多数饮料制造商有至少两周的库存，零售商的库存可能更多。但在全年的这一销售旺季，零售商担心碳酸饮料的库存可能几天就会卖完。

Tesco’s website already showed a number of its own-label fizzy drinks were out of stock on Tuesday and its website warned of “a supply issue”. Morrisons said some Sprite and R Whites products were out of stock due to “limited supply”.

在上周二，乐购网站就显示，其自有品牌的碳酸饮料已经售罄。网站还提醒这类商品有“供应问题”。莫里森超市称，由于“供应受限”，雪碧和R Whites等产品已脱销。

One industry source said Britvic, which also produces Pepsi and R Whites in the UK, and Heineken were already being affected. Another said one small brewer, thought to be Brewdog, had also been hit.

一位业内人士称，英国软饮料生产商Britvic和荷兰啤酒品牌喜力也受到影响。英国的百事可乐和R White就是由Britvic公司生产的。还有人说一家小的生产商，据称是酿酒狗啤酒，也受到影响。

Brigid Simmonds, chief executive of the British Beer and Pub Association, said: “We are aware of a situation affecting the availability of CO2 across Europe, which has now started to impact beer producers in the UK.

英国啤酒和酒馆协会会长布丽吉德-赛孟兹说：“我们注意到欧洲的二氧化碳产量受到影响，现在也开始波及到英国的啤酒生产商。”

“We will continue to monitor the situation carefully. However, given the time of year and the World Cup, this situation has arisen at an unfortunate time for the brewing industry.”

“我们将继续密切监控目前的状况。然而，由于正值酷暑，又逢世界杯，供应短缺出现在这种时候对酿酒行业来说不太妙。”

Retailers told the Guardian that there were also fears about fresh food supplies as CO2 is used in packing fresh meat and salads, as well as in the slaughtering process for poultry and pigs.

零售商告诉《卫报》称，他们担心新鲜食品的供应也会受到影响，因为新鲜肉类和沙拉的包装、以及家禽和生猪的屠宰也会使用二氧化碳。

“At the moment we are looking at ways to keep the supply chain moving and we have not heard that any of our members have stopped production,” said Fiona Steiger, deputy director of the British Meat Processors Association.

英国肉类加工协会副会长菲奥娜-斯泰尔格说：“现在我们正想办法维持供应链正常运转，我们还没听说哪家会员单位停产。”

Trade journal Gas World said the UK was hit particularly hard as only one major CO2 plant was operating earlier this week and imports from the continent had been affected by shut-downs in Benelux and France. It said shortages were expected to continue throughout this month.

行业杂志《气体世界》称，英国受危机的影响特别大，最近仍在运转的英国二氧化碳大厂仅有一家，由于比荷卢经济联盟及法国工厂停产，从欧洲大陆的进口也受到影响。这种影响将持续到月底。

Gasworld says most food-grade CO2 comes from ammonia plants that manufacture fertilizer, which normally slow down production in the summer months.

《气体世界》称，大多数食品级的二氧化碳都来自于生产肥料的氨气厂，这些工厂通常会在夏季减产。

It said well known soft drinks brands were “desperate to obtain product”.

该刊物指出，一些著名的软饮料品牌正“急于获取产品”。

球迷：没有啤酒还怎么看世界杯？

It couldn’t come at a worse time, as British soccer fans are expected to consume an extra 14 million pints of beer over the next two weeks thanks to the 2018 World Cup.

供应不足出现在世界杯期间简直太糟糕了。根据预测，未来两周英国球迷较平时将多喝1400万品脱啤酒。

“Who’s going to watch the World Cup if there’s no beer?!” one fan in the UK told Global News.

一位英国球迷在接受《环球新闻》采访时说：“没有啤酒还怎么看球啊？”

“Obviously with the World Cup on, nobody wants to be running out with a pub full of hopefully happy England fans,” Pub owner Mark O’Neill said.

酒吧老板马克-奥尼尔说：“显然在世界杯期间，酒吧里到处都是充满希望又兴高采烈的英格兰球迷，这时候没有啤酒再糟糕不过了。”

The news also comes as reports that Moscow restaurants are being drunk dry in the midst of the World Cup.

还有报道说，世界杯期间，莫斯科饭馆的啤酒也被喝光了。

“We just didn’t think they would only want beer,” said one waiter at a upscale eatery in central Moscow, who asked not to be identified for fear of scaring off future customers.

莫斯科中部一家高档餐厅的服务员说：“我们没想到他们只点啤酒喝。”因为怕吓跑顾客，他要求不要透露餐馆信息。

The waiter said his restaurant ran out of draft lager on Monday and deliveries are taking longer than usual, at least 24 hours, because suppliers’ stocks are also running low.

这位服务员说，上周一店里的生啤就卖光了，上酒也比平时慢，这种状况持续了至少一整天。因为供应商也快没货了。

“There are really a lot of people in Moscow … and they are all drinking,” he said. “It’s hot, and it’s football.”

他说：“莫斯科人太多了，他们都要喝酒。天热，又要看世界杯。”

英文来源：卫报、globalnews.ca

翻译&编辑：yaning