Swiss cheese exports swell amid pandemic cooking frenzy

Thursday, February 4, 2021 - 01:00

Print Edition World

 Exports of Swiss cheeses hit record highs in 2020, as Covid-induced lockdowns spurred increased interest in home cooking, the Switzerland Cheese Marketing organisation said Tuesday.

“Despite the difficult economic conditions linked to the coronavirus pandemic, the export levels seen in 2019, a record year, were once again surpassed,” the organisation said in a statement.

瑞士奶酪市场协会在周二表示：由于疫情带来的封锁刺激了家庭料理的增加，瑞士的奶酪在2020年出口创下新纪录。其协会申明中写道：虽然疫情带来了经济上的困难，但2020年超越了2019年创造的出口记录。

spur    /spɜː(r)/  

名词 1.马刺；靴刺；2. ~ (to sth) 鞭策；激励；刺激；鼓舞•His speech was a powerful spur to action. 他的讲话很有鼓动力。3.山嘴；尖坡；支脉；4.（公路或铁路的）支线，岔线

动词1.~ sb/sth (on) (to sth/to do sth)鞭策；激励；刺激；鼓舞•Her difficult childhood spurred her on to succeed. 她艰辛的童年激励她取得成功。2. 促进，加速，刺激（某事发生）•The agreement is essential to spurring economic growth around the world. 这项协议对于促进世界经济的增长是至关重要的。3.策（马）前进；（尤指用马刺）策（马）加速

IDIOMS 习语

1. on the ˌspur of the ˈmoment一时冲动之下；心血来潮 •I phoned him up on the spur of the moment. 我一时心动，给他打了电话。•a spur-of-the-moment decision 心血来潮的决定

2. win/earn your ˈspurs获得名望；取得成功

Last year, Switzerland exported over 77,100 tonnes of cheese, up 1.6 percent from 2019. Income from the exports swelled nearly four percent to almost 700 million Swiss francs ($770 million, 640 million euros), Switzerland Cheese Marketing said. Exports of ready-to-use fondue cheese saw the biggest jump of 4.9 percent.

去年，瑞士一共出口了77100吨奶酪，与2019年出口量相比，增涨1.9%。进口收入膨胀了近4%，大约7亿瑞士法郎（7.7亿美元，6.4亿欧元）。即食火锅奶酪增长最大，增长率4.9%。

Swell  v. 膨胀，肿胀；（使）凸出，鼓出；（使）增加，扩大；（声音）变响亮；充满（激情）；n. 凸起处，隆起处；逐渐增长；感情高涨；浪涌；音量调节器；（非正式）名流；adj. （非正式）极好的，非常愉快的；漂亮的，时髦的；adv. 极好地，出色地

Swiss francs：瑞士法郎

Fondue  n. /ˈfɒndjuː/ 1. 奶酪火锅（瑞士特色菜，蘸面包片吃）；2. 热油火锅（在热油中涮肉片、蔬菜等）

“The closure of restaurants, people working from home, but also the restrictions on leisure activities have forced us to spend more time at home,” the organisation’s spokeswoman Christa Wettstein told AFP in an email.

该协会发言人发邮件告诉法新社：“餐馆关门，人们开始居家工作。再加上，娱乐活动的限制让人不得不花更多的时间在家。”

Cheese consumption had been bolstered by the fact that time spent around the table had become one of few occasions where “sharing and conviviality” remained possible, she pointed out.

她指出，围坐在餐桌旁的时间成为了为数不多的可以“分享和欢宴”的场合，这一事实推动了奶酪的消费。

bolster /ˈbəʊlstə(r)/

1. ~ sth (up) 改善；加强•to bolster sb's confidence/courage/morale 增加某人的信心╱勇气╱士气； 2.垫枕（长而厚）

Conviviality /kənˌvɪviˈæləti/n. 欢乐；高兴；宴乐；宴饮交际

Drinks and appetisers have also helped many get through the long months of pandemic restrictions, with cheese platters often an essential ingredient, she said.

At the same time, Wettstein said the restrictions had increased the need for and interest in home cooking, “explaining the heightened use of products that simplify cooking, like grated cheese”.

Imports of cheese to Switzerland also rose last year, swelling 11.7 percent to nearly 71,700 tonnes, according to figures from Swiss Cheese Marketing.- AFP

她说到：饮料和开胃菜也帮助许多人熬过了长达数月的新冠疫情居家限制，而奶酪拼盘往往是必不可少的元素。与此同时，Wettstein表示，这些限制增加了人们对家庭烹饪的需求和兴趣，“解释了人们越来越多地使用碎奶酪等可以简化烹饪的产品”。瑞士奶酪市场的数据显示，去年瑞士的奶酪进口也增加了11.7%，达到近71700吨。--法新社

Platter n. /ˈplætə(r)/ 大平盘• a silver platter 大银盘子 • I'll have the fish platter (= several types of fish and other food served on a large plate) . 我来一盘鱼套餐吧。

grate /ɡreɪt/  

1.擦碎，磨碎（食物）•grated apple/carrot/cheese, etc. 擦成细丝的苹果、胡萝卜、干酪等

2.~ (on/with sb)  使人烦躁；使人烦恼；使人难受 •Her voice really grates on me. 她的声音真刺耳。

3.（使）发出刺耳的声音，发出吱吱嘎嘎的摩擦声 •He grated his knife across the plate. 他用刀子划过盘子时发出刺耳的声音。

http://www.dailynews.lk/2021/02/04/world/240641/swiss-cheese-exports-swell-amid-pandemic-cooking-frenzy