EZCNN 易英网

Fast Fraud 「诉」食店？

课文朗读

课文讲解

繁體中文譯本

Class action lawsuits are now being brought against fast food chains for their misrepresentative and misleading marketing techniques. Many major American fast food companies are being sued for not adequately or accurately revealing the nutritional content of their food.

现在有人因为快餐连锁店隐瞒事实和误导消费者的营销手法而提出集体诉讼。许多美国大型的快餐连锁店公司，都因为没有充分或正确地标示他们食物的营养内容而面临被告。

A suit against the leading American hamburger chain is based on the premise that the company did not do enough to inform customers of its food’s fat and cholesterol content. Even worse, the manufacturer of a popular snack food is alleged to have drastically underrepresented the fat content of its product by more than three hundred and forty percent; while a leading American pizza chain is charged with not informing its customers that its vegetarian pizza is made with beef fat.

这家美国首屈一指的汉堡连锁店的被告案是基于这家公司没有充分地告知消费者他们食物中的脂肪与胆固醇含量。甚至更糟的是，一家知名的点心制造商被指控他们低报产品的脂肪含量达百分之三百四十以上，而一家美国首屈一指的匹萨连锁店被控没有告知顾客他们的素食匹萨用牛油做成。

Some of the corrective measures proposed by the plaintiffs are that receipts should carry not only the itemized costs of fast food, but caloric and fat content information as well. A second proposal is that if a company intends to market a product’s health benefit, then it should also be clear about how much of the recommended daily calorie intake that product contains.

一些原告所提出的补救措施，是在收据上除了详细载明快餐品的价钱之外，还需要加注热量和脂肪含量的讯息。第二项提议是，如果一家公司打算推销一项产品对健康的好处，那么这家公司应该清楚说明这项产品含有多少所建议的每日卡洛里摄取量。

Fast food representatives have argued that dietary regulation is one’s own personal choice and responsibility. However, without the pertinent information, how can one shoulder personal responsibility?

快餐界的代表们主张节制饮食是个人的选择及责任。然而，没有适切的讯息，消费者如何负起个人的责任？

Vocabulary

单词发音

fraud [frɔd] n. 欺骗（行为）；诡计；骗局

class action【律】团体诉讼，集体诉讼；共同起诉（由一至数字原告代表所有有利害关系的人提起的诉讼）

misrepresentative [͵mɪsrɛprɪˋzɛntətɪv] adj. 不如实表达的，歪曲的

adequately [ˋædəkwɪtlɪ] adv. 充分地; 足够地; 适当地

premise [ˋprɛmɪs] n.【英】前提

drastically [ˋdræstɪk!ɪ] adv. 大大地；彻底地

underrepresented [͵ʌndɚ͵rɛprɪˋzɛntɪd] adj. 未被充分代表的，代表名额不足的 to state or imply as being lower in quantity, quality, or degree than is actually the case

corrective [kəˋrɛktɪv] adj.【正式】改正的; 纠正的

plaintiff [ˋplentɪf] n.【律】起诉人，原告

caloric [kəˋlɔrɪk] adj. 热量的；卡（路里）的

dietary [ˋdaɪə͵tɛrɪ] adj. 饮食的

pertinent [ˋpɝtnənt] adj.【正式】直接相关的﹐ 有关的

shoulder [ˋʃoldɚ] v. 承担责任/职责/费用等

Sentence of the Day

Where's the beef?

抱怨的主诉求是甚么？

beef [bif] n.【非正式】老发牢骚﹐抱怨

课文讲解

Jasmine, an angry consumer, is arguing with Raymond, a representative from a fast food chain:  一名愤怒的顾客杰丝敏，跟一名快餐连锁店的代表雷蒙争论：

R: So, on just exactly what grounds are you making this claim?

妳究竟凭什么理由提出这样的申诉？

J: On the grounds that your company is largely responsible for my obesity due to your negligence in informing consumers of the nutritional content of your food.

我的理由是因为你们公司疏于告知顾客食物中的营养成份，而要为我的过胖负大部分的责任。

R: That’s absurd. We’re no more responsible for your health than any other restaurant. Why should we be held accountable for your eating habits?

那就奇怪了。我们跟其他的餐厅一样，不用为妳的健康负责。为什么我们应该为妳的饮食习惯负责。

J: Because you intentionally led me to believe that what I was eating was healthy. That’s manipulation.

因为你们故意让我相信我吃的食物是健康的。那是人为操纵的。

R: Absolutely not. At no time did we stipulate the nutritional value of our food.

绝对不是。我们一定会保证我们食物的营养价值的。

J: Perhaps not directly, no. But your advertisements always illustrate a wholesome, family restaurant.

或许不是直接的，不。但是你们的广告总是标榜你们是一家适合全家人的健康餐厅。

R: Yes, what’s your point?

是啊，妳的意思是？

J: That it’s not; that if people knew what they were eating, they would seriously question whether or not they or their children would want to continue eating there.

并不是。如果大家知道他们吃的是什么，他们会认真地考虑他们或他们的小孩是不是要继续在那里吃。

R: Look, what people feed themselves and their children isn’t our responsibility.

这样说吧，人们自己或是他们的小孩要怎么吃，那不是我们的责任。

J: It may not be your responsibility to take care of people’s children, but it is your responsibility to let people know what’s in their food.

照顾到别人的小孩或许不是你们的责任，但你们有责任让大家知道你们的食物中有什么。

R: So, your being obese is our fault then?

那妳的过胖是我们的错啰？

J: I’ll take some of the blame, but you need to accept some responsibility as well.

不完全是。有部分该怪我。但你们也有错。

－by David Needham

Vocabulary

单词发音

ground [graʊnd] n. 根据，理由

claim [klem] n.（根据权利而提出的）要求; （对保险公司的）索赔

negligence [ˋnɛglɪdʒəns] n. 疏忽，粗心；玩忽行为

absurd [əbˋsɝd] adj. 不合理的，荒谬的；可笑的

accountable [əˋkaʊntəb!] adj. 负有责任的

manipulation [mə͵nɪpjʊˋleʃən] n. 操纵，控制

at no time 在任何时候都不, 从来没有

stipulate [ˋstɪpjə͵let] v. 规定；约定

illustrate [ˋɪləstret] v.（用图，实例等）说明，阐明

wholesome [ˋholsəm] adj. 合乎卫生的；有益健康的

obese [oˋbis] adj. 肥胖的；过胖的

Sentence of the Day

They'll have to beef up their defenses.

他们必须强化他们的辩词。

beef up  增强，加强