【补全空缺】
Iranian _______
The ______ taste of _________
The world’s most valuable _____ has been stigmatised
【1】Alexander The Great ______ in it in the bath, believing that it helped ____ ______. Roman newly-____ sprinkled it on their beds, hoping for a bit of _______. Today _______ is mainly used to season and colour dishes such as paella. But the _____, made of the _____ stigmas of the _______ crocus (pictured), is still highly valued. In November a kilo of _______ from Iran, which ________ over 90% of the world’s supply, cost $1,400, says an importer in Britain.
【2】Yet Iranians in the _______ business are struggling. A recent jump in the price has been driven by increasing demand following the shock of the ________—but also by drought and rising shipping and ______ costs (it takes many hours of picking and _________ to produce a single kilo). Then there are America’s _________, which aim to cut Iran off from the world economy. To get around them, Iranian _______ traders often use non-Iranian middlemen, ______ supply chains and ___________ payment __________.
【3】A kilo of _______ might thus move by _______ from Khorasan, the region that ________ most of Iran’s ____, to Dubai or Spain, where all references to Iran are ________ before it is shipped _______. Plenty of funny business can _____ along the way. Sometimes Iranian _______ is mixed with flower ______ or other spices to increase its weight. In February the Spanish police seized 400kg of _______ threads from a _________ ____ that _________ imported Iranian stuff, added cheaper ___________ and then sold it as a much-_______ variety from La Mancha (which has “protected ___________ of origin” status).
【4】This may only be the tip of the ______, says Burkhard Mühl of Europol, the EU's police agency. A recent study ____________ by the EU found that 11% of _______ for sale within the bloc may be ___________. Studies by the French government suggest a higher figure.
【5】All of this causes problems for honest Iranian traders. “I am having to try harder to gain my customers’ trust,” says Vahid Jafari, an exporter who has just come off a video call with a Vietnamese ______. “They told me they were worried about receiving ____ _______.” Other customers are afraid that if they buy Iranian _______, even through middlemen, they will be blacklisted by America. Banks are nervous about ________ such transactions. The importer in Britain says he has had ________ in Dubai and Britain closed. “Every six months Barclays [a British bank] gets in _____ with me to ask if I am doing business with Iran,” he says. “I have to lie to them.”
【6】“It hasn’t always been so hard. Trading was made easier in 2015, when Iran agreed to limit its nuclear activities in exchange for the _______ of many international _________. But just three years later Donald Trump, then president, pulled America out of the deal and reimposed _________. Talks to _______ it are taking place in Vienna, giving traders a ______ of hope—although progress has been _____. Says a dealer based in Tehran, “If you can export _______ from Iran nowadays, you’re a superman.”
【答案】
Iranian saffron
The bitter taste of sanctions
The world’s most valuable spice has been stigmatised
【1】Alexander The Great stewed in it in the bath, believing that it helped heal wounds. Roman newly-weds sprinkled it on their beds, hoping for a bit of arousal. Today saffron is mainly used to season and colour dishes such as paella. But the spice, made of the dried stigmas of the saffron crocus (pictured), is still highly valued. In November a kilo of saffron from Iran, which produces over 90% of the world’s supply, cost $1,400, says an importer in Britain.
【2】Yet Iranians in the saffron business are struggling. A recent jump in the price has been driven by increasing demand following the shock of the pandemic—but also by drought and rising shipping and labour costs (it takes many hours of picking and stripping to produce a single kilo). Then there are America’s sanctions, which aim to cut Iran off from the world economy. To get around them, Iranian saffron traders often use non-Iranian middlemen, opaque supply chains and complicated payment procedures.
【3】A kilo of saffron might thus move by courier from Khorasan, the region that produces most of Iran’s crop, to Dubai or Spain, where all references to Iran are scrubbed before it is shipped onwards. Plenty of funny business can occur along the way. Sometimes Iranian saffron is mixed with flower debris or other spices to increase its weight. In February the Spanish police seized 400kg of saffron threads from a smuggling ring that allegedly imported Iranian stuff, added cheaper ingredients and then sold it as a much-beloved variety from La Mancha (which has “protected designation of origin” status).
【4】This may only be the tip of the stigma, says Burkhard Mühl of Europol, the EU's police agency. A recent study commissioned by the EU found that 11% of saffron for sale within the bloc may be counterfeit. Studies by the French government suggest a higher figure.
【5】All of this causes problems for honest Iranian traders. “I am having to try harder to gain my customers’ trust,” says Vahid Jafari, an exporter who has just come off a video call with a Vietnamese client. “They told me they were worried about receiving fake saffron.” Other customers are afraid that if they buy Iranian saffron, even through middlemen, they will be blacklisted by America. Banks are nervous about handling such transactions. The importer in Britain says he has had accounts in Dubai and Britain closed. “Every six months Barclays [a British bank] gets in touch with me to ask if I am doing business with Iran,” he says. “I have to lie to them.”
【6】“It hasn’t always been so hard. Trading was made easier in 2015, when Iran agreed to limit its nuclear activities in exchange for the lifting of many international sanctions. But just three years later Donald Trump, then president, pulled America out of the deal and reimposed sanctions. Talks to restore it are taking place in Vienna, giving traders a thread of hope—although progress has been scant. Says a dealer based in Tehran, “If you can export saffron from Iran nowadays, you’re a superman.”
1、短语
1）原文：A recent jump in the price has been driven by increasing demand following the shock of the pandemic—but also by drought and rising shipping and labour costs (it takes many hours of picking and stripping to produce a single kilo).
词典：be driven by 被。。。推动、驱动
例句：Part of the economic recovery of the UK will be driven by the next generation of research commercialisation spilling out of our universities.
英国经济复苏的部分动力将来自于大学里涌现出的新一代研究的商业化。
2）原文：Then there are America’s sanctions, which aim to cut Iran off from the world economy.
词典：aim to do sth. 目的是
例句：We aim to bring down prices on all our computers. 我们打算降低我们所有计算机的价格。
3）原文：This may only be the tip of the stigma, says Burkhard Mühl of Europol, the EU's police agency.
词典: be the tip of the iceberg 是冰山一角
例句：And that could just be the tip of the iceberg for anime creators. 而这对动漫创作者来说可能只是冰山一角。
4）原文：Talks to restore it are taking place in Vienna, giving traders a thread of hope—although progress has been scant.
词典: a thread of hope 一线希望
例句：A thread of hope sparkled in those gloomy days suddenly. 一线希望突然照亮了那些阴暗的日子。
2、长难句
1）原文：A kilo of saffron might thus move by courier from Khorasan, the region that produces most of Iran’s crop, to Dubai or Spain, where all references to Iran are scrubbed before it is shipped onwards.
2）分析：
红色部分是这个句子的主体部分，结构式 move A from… to…
蓝色部分是同位语，是插入语成分
紫色部分是同位语的定语从句，所以可以知道，同位语中也可以套用复杂的语法成分
绿色部分是where引导的定语从句，先行词是Dubai和Spain
3）译文：因此，一公斤藏红花可能会通过快递从呼罗珊（Khorasan）地区（伊朗大部分粮食产于此地）运送到迪拜（Dubai）或西班牙（Spain），在那里，所有有关伊朗的信息在运出之前都会被删除。
3、写作技巧
1）原文：Alexander The Great stewed in it in the bath, believing that it helped heal wounds. Roman newly-weds sprinkled it on their beds, hoping for a bit of arousal.
亚历山大大帝泡藏红花浴，相信这能治愈伤口；罗马的新婚夫妇在床上撒藏红花，希望能增加一点二人间的甜蜜。
2）技巧分析：
原文句子中两次使用这个结构，也就是现在分词作状语，属于非谓语动词的用法。这里两处可以分别理解为原因状语和伴随状语。
作时间状语
Entering the classroom, the students began to read English. （As soon as …）
一进教室，学生们就开始读英语。
作原因状语
The girl doesn't feel like eating any food, being ill for a few days. （Because the girl…）
女孩不想吃任何食物，她病了好几天了。
作条件状语
Working hard, he will succeed in passing the English examination. (If he works hard…)
努力学习的话，他就可以通过英语考试。
作让步状语
Being tired after work, he still insists on studying French. （Though he is tired…）
下班后很累，他依然坚持学习法语。
作结果状语
People all over the world sing the song, making it popular. (…, so that this song becomes popular.)
全世界的人都唱这首歌，使它流行了起来。
作伴随状语
She sat outside the room, crying. (… as she cried)
她坐在屋外哭。
4、背景分析
伊朗藏红花被称为“红色黄金”，价格昂贵，甚至高于黄金，而伊朗无疑是“藏红花之都”，3000多年的种植史以及独特的生态环境使其生产出的藏红花散发着浓郁的香气。在伊朗，货物进出口的一个重要领域就是藏红花，伊朗的藏红花占到了全球90%以上，其中大部分都以空运形式出口到其他国家。然而，近几年西方国家因核武器问题对伊朗进行经济制裁，伊朗的许多企业和银行被全球金融系统排斥在外，藏红花的出口以及藏红花农的生活受到了很大影响。例如，伊朗藏红花主产区霍拉桑·拉扎维省的海达里市有一家藏红花加工厂，往年出口量能达到10吨/年，但是在疫情持续和美国制裁的双重压力下，今年藏红花种植户的收入降低了许多。今年藏红花出口较低，一个原因是美国制裁，之前出口藏红花是通过在海外账户接受款项，但现在海外账户因制裁被冻结，只能通过其他渠道。二是因为疫情期间，全球对藏红花的需求减少了，藏红花出口量大约下降了30%。
面对制裁，许多供应商调整方向，将出口对象定位海湾和中东地区，此外，一些供应商通过将产品销往阿联酋、阿富汗等国家，依旧可以将伊朗藏红花出口到英国等欧洲国家，虽然这在无形当中为自己培养了许多竞争对手，但伊朗供应商认为只要保持高质量和严格的生产工序，伊朗藏红花不会被取代。
段落大意：
【1】珍贵的藏红花价值不菲，伊朗是主要产地。
【2】藏红花价格上涨的原因之一就是受到了美国的经济制裁，商家的做法是不再通过伊朗中间商，使用不透明的供应链和复杂的支付程序。
【3】为了避开制裁，会删去有关伊朗的信息；为了增重，会掺杂花屑和其他香料。西班牙警方便查获400斤掺杂了次等藏红花的藏红花线。
【4】而藏红花的污名化其实很严重，根据调查，欧盟国市场上11%的藏红花是假冒产品，而这一情况在法国更严重。
【5】而这使得诚实经商的伊朗商人难以得到用户信任，并且还受到了银行方面的限制。
【6】当伊朗同美国签署协议，承诺限制自己的核活动之后，才避免了许多国际制裁，在特朗普退出该协议之后，该协议正在恢复。据一位经销商表示，从伊朗出口藏红花几乎不可能。(共12张PPT)
The bitter taste of sanctions 被制裁的苦涩
Iranian saffron
The bitter taste of sanctions
The world’s most valuable spice has been stigmatised
伊朗藏红花
被制裁的苦涩
世界上最珍贵的香料惨遭污名化
The bitter taste of sanctions 被制裁的苦涩
【1】Alexander The Great stewed in it in the bath, believing that it helped heal wounds. Roman newly-weds sprinkled it on their beds, hoping for a bit of arousal. Today saffron is mainly used to season and colour dishes such as paella.
亚历山大大帝泡藏红花浴，相信这能治愈伤口；罗马的新婚夫妇在床上撒藏红花，希望能增加一点二人间的甜蜜。如今，藏红花主要用于给西班牙海鲜饭等菜肴调味和着色。
The bitter taste of sanctions 被制裁的苦涩
But the spice, made of the dried stigmas of the saffron crocus (pictured), is still highly valued. In November a kilo of saffron from Iran, which produces over 90% of the world’s supply, cost $1,400, says an importer in Britain.
但这种由藏红花的干燥柱头（如图）制成的香料仍价值不菲。英国的一位进口商说，11月份，伊朗藏红花的价格为一公斤1400 美元，且全球90% 以上的藏红花都产自伊朗。
The bitter taste of sanctions 被制裁的苦涩
【2】Yet Iranians in the saffron business are struggling. A recent jump in the price has been driven by increasing demand following the shock of the pandemic—but also by drought and rising shipping and labour costs (it takes many hours of picking and stripping to produce a single kilo).
尽管如此，从事藏红花产业的伊朗人正在苦苦挣扎。最近价格上涨是因为疫情冲击结束后，购买需求增加——但同时也因为干旱以及运输和劳动力成本升高（生产一公斤藏红花需要花几个小时采摘和剥离花瓣）。
The bitter taste of sanctions 被制裁的苦涩
Then there are America’s sanctions, which aim to cut Iran off from the world economy. To get around them, Iranian saffron traders often use non-Iranian middlemen, opaque supply chains and complicated payment procedures.
此外，价格上涨同样是因为美国的制裁，此举旨在切断伊朗与世界的经济联系。为了避开这些制裁，伊朗藏红花贸易商经常不再选择伊朗的中间商，而使用不透明的供应链和复杂的支付程序进行贸易。
The bitter taste of sanctions 被制裁的苦涩
【3】A kilo of saffron might thus move by courier from Khorasan, the region that produces most of Iran’s crop, to Dubai or Spain, where all references to Iran are scrubbed before it is shipped onwards. Plenty of funny business can occur along the way. Sometimes Iranian saffron is mixed with flower debris or other spices to increase its weight.
因此，一公斤藏红花可能会通过快递从呼罗珊（Khorasan）地区（伊朗大部分粮食产于此地）运送到迪拜（Dubai）或西班牙（Spain），在那里，所有有关伊朗的信息在运出之前都会被删除。一路上会发生各式各样奇怪有趣的事情。有时为了增加重量，商家会把伊朗藏红花和花屑或其他香料混合起来。
The bitter taste of sanctions 被制裁的苦涩
In February the Spanish police seized 400kg of saffron threads from a smuggling ring that allegedly imported Iranian stuff, added cheaper ingredients and then sold it as a much-beloved variety from La Mancha (which has “protected designation of origin” status).
2 月，西班牙警方发现了一个声称进口伊朗产品的走私团伙，并查获了 400 公斤藏红花线，而这些掺杂了次等藏红花的藏红花线将被当作一种火爆的拉曼恰（La Mancha）地理标志产品售出。
The bitter taste of sanctions 被制裁的苦涩
【4】This may only be the tip of the stigma, says Burkhard Mühl of Europol, the EU's police agency. A recent study commissioned by the EU found that 11% of saffron for sale within the bloc may be counterfeit. Studies by the French government suggest a higher figure.
欧盟警察机构——欧洲刑警组织的伯克哈德·穆尔(Burkhard Mühl) 表示，这可能只是藏红花遭受污名化的冰山一角。欧盟最近进行的一项研究发现，欧盟国家市场上11% 的藏红花都可能是假冒的。而法国政府进行的一项研究表明，在法国该比例则更高。
The bitter taste of sanctions 被制裁的苦涩
【5】All of this causes problems for honest Iranian traders. “I am having to try harder to gain my customers’ trust,” says Vahid Jafari, an exporter who has just come off a video call with a Vietnamese client. “They told me they were worried about receiving fake saffron.”
所有这些都给诚实无欺的伊朗商人带来了麻烦。“现在，赢得客户的信任变得越来越困难，”刚刚同越南客户结束视频通话的出口商瓦希德·贾法里（Vahid Jafari）说，“他们告诉我，他们担心收到假藏红花。”
The bitter taste of sanctions 被制裁的苦涩
Other customers are afraid that if they buy Iranian saffron, even through middlemen, they will be blacklisted by America. Banks are nervous about handling such transactions. The importer in Britain says he has had accounts in Dubai and Britain closed. “Every six months Barclays [a British bank] gets in touch with me to ask if I am doing business with Iran,” he says. “I have to lie to them.”
而其他客户则担心，即使他们通过中间商购买伊朗藏红花，也会被美国列入黑名单。银行处理此类交易时也十分谨慎。英国的进口商表示，他在迪拜和英国的账户均被冻结。“每六个月，巴克莱（一家英国银行）就会联系我，问我是否和伊朗有生意往来，”他说，“我必须对他们撒谎。”
The bitter taste of sanctions 被制裁的苦涩
【6】“It hasn’t always been so hard. Trading was made easier in 2015, when Iran agreed to limit its nuclear activities in exchange for the lifting of many international sanctions. But just three years later Donald Trump, then president, pulled America out of the deal and reimposed sanctions.
其实，情况并非一直都如此棘手。2015年，藏红花贸易情况有所好转，当时伊朗同意限制其核活动，以此才免去了许多国际制裁。然而仅在三年后，当时的美国总统唐纳德·特朗普（Donald Trump）退出这一协议，并再次对伊朗实施制裁。
The bitter taste of sanctions 被制裁的苦涩
Talks to restore it are taking place in Vienna, giving traders a thread of hope—although progress has been scant. Says a dealer based in Tehran, “If you can export saffron from Iran nowadays, you’re a superman.”
恢复该协议的谈判正在维也纳（Vienna）进行，这给藏红花商家带来了一线希望——尽管进展甚微。德黑兰（Tehran）的一位经销商说，“如果你现在能从伊朗出口藏红花，那你简直就无敌了。”
