英语文化随身带

听力小提示：文中出现了一些与巧克力和味道有关的词汇，建议听录音前先利用文章左边列出的词汇注释熟悉生词。

Confectionery manufacturers must be marvelling at[对……惊讶] their chocolate box balance sheets[资产负债表] in the middle of the economic downturn[衰退]. That’s because sales of chocolate products are up.

Chocoholics have pushed one UK company’s profits up 25%. In Syria, one of the largest producers has increased sales over the past six years from 150 packs a day to more than a million.

Analyst[分析家] Marcia Mogelonsky from Mintel said: “Unlike a lot of other foodstuffs chocolate is somewhat recession-resistant[抗衰退]. Consumers will turn to chocolate as a reward or a treat.”

The scrumptious and widely-available snack has come a long way[取得很大进步] from its origins in the jungles[丛林] of Central and South America. The seeds of the cocoa tree fruit were used by the Mayan and Aztec civilisations as currency[货币].

Then, the cocoa beans were used to produce a spicy, rather bitter drink for special occasions. The beverage reached Europe thanks to the Spanish adventurer Hernán Cortés and landed on the tables of kings and queens.

The first chocolate bars didn’t have the yummy, velvety taste they have today. In the 1840s, they were a coarse mixture of cocoa powder and sugar with a little of the melted cocoa butter extracted from the beans.

Choccy bars, biscuits and drinks that satisfy even the most sweet-toothed consumer are within the reach of most people. But there are those who can’t resist a little extravagance[奢侈]. This week, British businessman Carl Weininger tucked into a ￡22,000 (218,000 yuan) chocolate-laced pudding that included champagne jelly[果子冻] and edible gold leaf. It was eaten with a gold spoon set with diamonds.

在这个经济低迷的时期，糖果厂商一定对他们好得不能再好的资产负债表惊讶不已，因为巧克力产品的销售额正在不断上升。

巧克力迷们让一家英国公司的利润增长了25%。在叙利亚，其中一家最大的巧克力生产商过去六年间的销售额由每天150盒增长到上百万盒。

（英国）敏特咨询公司的分析师玛西娅・莫杰劳斯基说：“和其他食品不同的是，巧克力能抵抗经济衰退（的影响）。消费者会用巧克力奖励或犒劳自己。”

这种美味可口、随处可见的零食来自中南美洲丛林，与其起源相比有了极大的改进。可可树果实的种子曾在玛雅文明和阿兹特克文明中充当货币。

可可豆随后被用于制造一种味道醇厚的苦涩饮料，多亏西班牙探险家荷南・科尔蒂斯，这种在特殊场合才会饮用的饮料才得以传到欧洲，并从此登上国王和王后的饭桌。

早期的巧克力并不像如今这般美味柔滑。在十九世纪四十年代，它们由可可粉、糖以及少许从可可豆中萃取的可可油粗糙地混合而成。

巧克力条、巧克力饼干和巧克力饮料不仅可以满足嗜甜如命的消费者，而且大多数人都买得起。可是也有一些人抵抗不住一点点的奢侈。本周，英国商人卡尔・威宁格吃掉了价值22000 英镑（合人民币218000元）的巧克力布丁，这个布丁含有香槟酒冻和可食用的金叶。他是用一个镶嵌着钻石的金汤匙将它吃掉的。

Quiz 小测验

阅读短文并回答问题：

1. Chocolate sales across the Middle East are up. Is this statement true, false or not given?

2. How do consumers see chocolate, according to an analyst quoted in the article?

3. Has chocolate always tasted sweet?

4. What expressions refer directly to cocoa in the article?

5. What phrasal verb is used to mean to eat something with eagerness in the article?