危机四伏

Thebeercrisis

啤酒危机

Trouble brewing

危机四伏

Ashortage of hops threatens Christmas

啤酒花的短缺正威胁圣诞佳节

Drinkers in America are finding their favourite beer suddenly more expensive or even—horrors!—not available at all. Hit by price increases and shortages, many breweries, particularly the small “craft brewers” and the even smaller microbreweries, are being forced to raise prices, make do with modified recipes or shut off the spigots altogether.
美国境内的饮酒者发现自己喜爱的啤酒突然大幅涨价了，甚至--更为恐怖的是--根本购买不到。受价格上涨和库存短缺的影响，许多啤酒厂，特别是小型规模的"手工酿酒厂"和更小规模的微型酿酒厂正被迫提高价格，改良配方或停止供应。

The humble hop, the plant that gives beer its distinctive flavour, is the main problem. Many farmers in the Pacific north-west, where America's hop production is concentrated, have turned to more profitable lines—especially corn, which can be made into ethanol. The decrease in hop production, put at some 50% over the past decade, has sent prices through the roof. Brian Owens, the brewmaster of the O'Fallon Brewery near St Louis, Missouri, says that the variety he once bought for $3 a pound (0.45kg) now costs five times that. Many smaller breweries cannot find what they need at any price. Industry giants like Anheuser-Busch and Miller are better off, thanks to long-term contracts. But even Anheuser-Busch has been forced to raise prices for its six-packs.
啤酒花可给啤酒增添独特的美味，而这一毫不起眼的植物恰恰就是罪魁祸首。美国啤酒花的生产集中地位于太平洋西北部，但许多当地的农民转向更为有利可图的农作物，尤其是可制作乙醇的玉米。啤酒花产量的下降（约占过去10年的50％）导致价格飞涨。O'Fallon啤酒厂位居密苏里州圣路易斯的附近，该厂生产负责人布赖恩•欧文斯（Brian Owens）表示，他以前花费3美元/磅购买的那种啤酒现在上涨了5倍。尽管不惜一切代价去寻找急需的啤酒花，但许多规模较小的啤酒厂还是一无所获。啤酒业界巨头，如安海斯-布希（Anheuser-Busch）啤酒公司和美乐(MILLER)啤酒公司，凭借同供应商签定的长期合同，则是景况颇佳。即便如此，安豪泽-布施公司还是被迫在其六瓶装的啤酒上提高了价格。

Without their supply of hops, some smaller producers are going out of business, bringing to a halt the fastest-growing segment of the industry. Other craft brewers and brewpubs are experimenting with new recipes, hoping their customers will adapt.
没有啤酒花的供应来源，一些规模较小的啤酒生产商将要停业，并引发这个增长最迅速的一块市场停滞不前。其他一些手工酿酒厂和出售自制啤酒的酒馆在实验新配方，希望顾客能够适应。

The hops shortage is only part of the problem. Things are no better for barley, used to make the malt that yeast turns into alcohol. It too has been ploughed under in favour of corn. Crop failures in Australia and Europe, combined with the weak dollar, have made it harder to replace the shortage with imports. Other price increases, of fuel, glass and metal, add to the pressure.
啤酒花的短缺只是问题的冰山一角。而用来制成麦芽（麦芽酵母菌可转化为啤酒）的大麦也好不到那去。大麦为玉米让路已被根除。澳大利亚和欧洲农作物的歉收，以及美元的疲软促使进口解决短缺的做法雪上加霜。燃料，玻璃和金属等其他物价的上涨又使压力持续增强。