“车厘子自由”已经out了！今天，你实现“香椿自由”了吗？ This vegetable is the taste of financial ‘freedom’ in China

就在你还为无法实现“车厘子自由”而懊恼时，转眼却发现，香椿也买不起了。

来一盘香椿炒蛋的小小愿望，被一个个刺眼的价格标签击得粉碎。一斤香椿等于10只鲍鱼，今天，你实现“香椿自由”了吗？

First it was cherries. Now, the young red leaves of the Chinese mahogany tree are being talked about as a gauge of financial health among the middle class.

早先，人们崇尚“车厘子自由”，而现在，香椿树的红色嫩叶被认为是衡量中产阶级财务健康水平的指标。

avocado [,ævə'kɑ:dəʊ]：n.鳄梨；牛油果

The spring vegetable, which tastes a bit like onion and is used in a variety of dishes, is not cheap. And in some places in the north of the country, like Beijing, its popularity has been driving up prices. It has been selling for 80 yuan to 200 yuan ($12 to $30) for 500g at markets in Beijing in recent weeks, China News Service reported.

这种春季蔬菜味道有些像洋葱，可以做成各种菜肴，但售价不菲。在北方的一些城市，比如北京，香椿的流行已推动其价格直线上升。中新社报道称，近几周，香椿在北京市场上的零售价为每斤80元至200元。

That has led some consumers to take to social media, complaining they can no longer afford to buy the vegetable, which is known as xiangchun in Chinese.

这导致一些消费者在社交媒体上抱怨称，他们已经买不起这种蔬菜了。

One post on microblogging site Weibo, which has drawn more than 10,000 comments, claimed a bunch of the leaves could now cost as much as a lobster, 10 abalone, or 39 crayfish.

微博上一篇评论过万的文章称，一把香椿的价格相当于一只龙虾、10只鲍鱼或39只小龙虾。

“You can buy this [vegetable] to show off your wealth,” one person commented.

“你可以买香椿炫富”，一位微博用户评论道。

Another said: “There’s plenty of xiangchun trees at my grandmother’s house. I feel like I’ve just found the path to riches.”

另一位用户说：“我奶奶家有很多香椿树，我仿佛发现了致富之路。”

但香椿在食界的地位也颇具争议，一些人表示，家里就有香椿树，但我不爱吃。

The first spring leaves of the tree are traditionally used in Chinese cooking, especially in the north where it is fried with eggs, mixed with tofu, or used in stuffing for dumplings.

初春的香椿嫩叶在中国一直都用于烹制菜肴，特别是在北方，香椿炒蛋、香椿炒豆腐和香椿馅饺子都很常见。

But the price in Beijing makes it more expensive than pork, which costs an average 8 to 10 yuan for 500g there, according to the report.

但在北京，香椿的价格高于猪肉，据报道，猪肉的售价一般为每斤8到10元。

In other cities, it is cheaper – the leaves are being sold for 40 yuan for 500g in Qingdao, Shandong province, Xiaogan in Hubei and Xi'an in Shaanxi, the report said.

报道称，在其他城市，香椿的价格要低一些，如山东青岛、湖北孝感、陕西西安，香椿的售价为每斤40元。

And in Zhengzhou, Henan province, the price is much lower, at 18 yuan for 500g.

在河南郑州则更低，仅为每斤18元。

Social media users complaining about the cost of the vegetable refer to people who can afford to buy it with the term “xiangchun freedom” – the same word used earlier in the year to describe those who could buy expensive imported cherries.

抱怨香椿价高的社交媒体用户戏称那些能够买得起的人实现了“香椿自由”。早些时候，那些能够买得起昂贵进口车厘子的人曾被形容为实现了“车厘子自由”。

The fruit has become a popular choice for gifts during festivals and strong demand has driven up the price. At the end of January, ahead of the Lunar New Year, imported cherries were selling for 60 yuan for 500g in Beijing.

车厘子已经成为节日礼品的流行选择，强劲的需求推高了价格。今年1月底，正值农历新年前夕，进口车厘子在北京的售价为每斤60元。

Around that time, an article titled “Twenty-six years old, monthly income of 10,000 yuan but can’t afford cherries” was widely circulated on social network WeChat, reflecting a sentiment shared by many who said they did not have the “freedom” to buy the fruit.

当时，一篇题为“26岁月薪过万，却买不起车厘子”的文章在微信朋友圈热传，反映出很多人抱怨买不起车厘子的情绪。

除了成为财务自由的标志物，车厘子花束也成为求爱利器。红玫瑰会凋谢还容易拉仇恨，但车厘子就不一样了。不但可以填饱肚子，还可以分给室友有助于和睦共处……

然而转眼间，香椿也买不起了。吃货们的路，为何如此艰难……

来源：南华早报、环球时报、中国日报双语新闻微信

编审：yaning