內容簡介

單詞 inflation 的意思是“通貨膨脹”，那么什么是“shrinkflation”? Rob 在節目中以一包薯片為例，給大家分析先如今常見的“shrinkflation 縮水式通脹”現象。

文字稿

（關于臺詞的備注: 請注意這不是廣播節目的逐字稿件。本文稿可能沒有體現錄制、編輯過程中對節目做出的改變。）

Rob
Hello, I'm Rob.

Feifei
大家好，歡迎收聽《地道英語》。我是馮菲菲。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! 現在的薯片包裝，一袋里沒有幾片，Rob 說這都是因為 shrinkflation。Shrinkflation 是 inflation 的反義詞，表示“縮水式通貨膨脹”。

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，也就是說一包薯片的外包裝雖然沒有變化，但里面裝的薯片和以往比卻少了。“縮水式通貨膨脹”簡稱“縮水式通脹”描述事物的數量、分量減少。

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
單詞 shrinkflation“縮水式通脹”是一個用來描述貨物數量減少的經濟現象。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 這個經濟現象近些年比較常見 – 很多生產商和制造商在面臨成本上升時通過“減量不加價”的隱性加價手段希望消費者繼續購買他們的產品。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?