内容简介

单词 inflation 的意思是“通货膨胀”，那么什么是“shrinkflation”? Rob 在节目中以一包薯片为例，给大家分析现如今常见的“shrinkflation 缩水式通胀”现象。

文字稿

（关于台词的备注: 请注意这不是广播节目的逐字稿件。本文稿可能没有体现录制、编辑过程中对节目做出的改变。）

Rob
Hello, I'm Rob.

Feifei
大家好，欢迎收听《地道英语》。我是冯菲菲。Hold on… Rob, are you eating?!

Rob
I am. Would you like a crisp? They're cheese and onion flavour.

Feifei
Oh, go on then – I see you've eaten most of them, but I'll have the last one, shall I?

Rob
Actually, Fefei, there weren't many crisps to start with. It's this 'shrinkflation'.

Feifei
Hmm! 现在的薯片包装，一袋里没有几片，Rob 说这都是因为 shrinkflation。Shrinkflation 是 inflation 的反义词，表示“缩水式通货膨胀”。

Rob
That's correct. Inflation is where prices rise or the size of things get bigger, they inflate, like a balloon. But with shrinkflation things get smaller – but not the physical size of things, it's the quantity of something.

Feifei
是的，也就是说一包薯片的外包装虽然没有变化，但里面装的薯片和以往比却少了。“缩水式通货膨胀”简称“缩水式通胀”描述事物的数量、分量减少。

Rob
Yes. Let's hear some examples of other people using the word 'shrinkflation'.

Examples
I paid the same price for this chocolate bar as I always have but when I unwrapped it, it was smaller. I guess that's shrinkflation!

It appears lots of brands are practising shrinkflation these days, probably to cut costs and maximise their profits.

I don't believe it! There used to be 20 biscuits in the packet but now shrinkflation means there are only 16!

Feifei
单词 shrinkflation“缩水式通胀”是一个用来描述货物数量减少的经济现象。Why does this happen, Rob?

Rob
It's a marketing trick. It's so a manufacturer does not put up the price of a product but just reduces the cost of making it by putting less inside. But we think we're getting the same amount.

Feifei
Shrinkflation 这个经济现象近些年比较常见 – 很多生产商和制造商在面临成本上升时通过“减量不加价”的隐性加价手段希望消费者继续购买他们的产品。That's very clever! It's the same these days with chocolate bars, packets of cereals…

Rob
… and BBC Learning English programmes.

Feifei
What?

Rob
Yes, even this programme is affected by shrinkflation – there's less in it. Even though our listeners might think they're getting the same amount. So, come on, it's time to go.

Feifei
Really? I think this programme seems to go on for longer than ever.

Both
Bye!

Rob
Would you like another crisp?