美国国家公共电台 NPR--The economics behind the pumpkin spice trend

The economics behind the pumpkin¹ spice trend

Transcript²

Now that it's fall, it's hard to avoid pumpkin spice everything. Why is this seasonal³ marketing⁴ strategy so ubiquitous?

A MART?NEZ, HOST:

We're now well into fall, a.k.a. pumpkin spice season.

BRUCE CLARK: There's pumpkin spice beer. There's pumpkin spice Oreos. There's pumpkin spice cream cheese, pumpkin spice spam, pumpkin ramen noodles.

MART?NEZ: We called an expert to answer our hard-hitting questions about pumpkin and spice.

CLARK: My name is Bruce Clark. I'm an associate professor of marketing at Northeastern University.

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

Professor Clark says this flavor trend has lasted almost 20 years, ever since the great pumpkin spice latte craze of 2003. Clark has theories about its staying power.

CLARK: It's got a very strong association. People go pumpkin picking. People put out their pumpkins⁵ for Halloween, and it is kind of a nice, nostalgic thing.

INSKEEP: And the aroma⁶ triggers those memories.

CLARK: You smell that pumpkin spice, and you almost smell fall. It's like smelling food from home. It's like smelling the perfume of somebody that you love. It evokes⁷ all these emotions and sensations that simply looking at something doesn't do.

MART?NEZ: Clark has gone from a scholar of pumpkin spice to a fan.

CLARK: Allow yourself to have an affordable⁸ luxury. Do something nice for yourself. If it's not pumpkin spice latte, do something nice for yourself in another way. It's OK to have an affordable luxury once in a while, especially with the change of the season.

INSKEEP: When I think affordable luxury, I do think pumpkin spice spam. But here's my question. When do farmers finally grow a pumpkin spice...

MART?NEZ: Oh, Lord.

INSKEEP: ...Pumpkin? Come on, a pumpkin spice pumpkin would be great. It's just already spiced.

MART?NEZ: You got to squash that, Steve.

INSKEEP: There - oh, he's here all week. He's here all week.

1 pumpkin   

n.南瓜

参考例句：

• They ate turkey and pumpkin pie.他们吃了火鸡和南瓜馅饼。
• It looks like there is a person looking out of the pumpkin!看起来就像南瓜里有人在看着你！

2 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

3 seasonal   

adj.季节的，季节性的

参考例句：

• The town relies on the seasonal tourist industry for jobs.这个城镇依靠季节性旅游业提供就业机会。
• The hors d'oeuvre is seasonal vegetables.餐前小吃是应时蔬菜。

4 marketing   

n.行销，在市场的买卖，买东西

参考例句：

• They are developing marketing network.他们正在发展销售网络。
• He often goes marketing.他经常去市场做生意。

5 pumpkins   

n.南瓜( pumpkin的名词复数 )；南瓜的果肉，南瓜囊

参考例句：

• I like white gourds, but not pumpkins. 我喜欢吃冬瓜，但不喜欢吃南瓜。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Then they cut faces in the pumpkins and put lights inside. 然后在南瓜上刻出一张脸，并把瓜挖空。 来自英语晨读30分（高三）

6 aroma   

n.香气，芬芳，芳香

参考例句：

• The whole house was filled with the aroma of coffee.满屋子都是咖啡的香味。
• The air was heavy with the aroma of the paddy fields.稻花飘香。

7 evokes   

产生，引起，唤起( evoke的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• The film evokes chilling reminders of the war. 这部电影使人们回忆起战争的可怕场景。
• Each type evokes antibodies which protect against the homologous. 每一种类型都能产生抗同种病毒的抗体。

8 affordable   

adj.支付得起的，不太昂贵的

参考例句：

• The rent for the four-roomed house is affordable.四居室房屋的房租付得起。
• There are few affordable apartments in big cities.在大城市中没有几所公寓是便宜的。