美国国家公共电台 NPR--For businesses in Manhattan's Chinatown, inflation is a tough economic hurdle

For businesses in Manhattan's Chinatown, inflation is a tough economic hurdle¹

Transcript²

Inside Grand Tea and Imports, a cultural store in Manhattan's Chinatown, there are glittering floor-to-ceiling shelves of tea, incense³ and goods for Buddhist⁴ holidays — such as paper shoes left at ancestors' tombs during the annual grave-sweeping festival.

"We usually sell this at $3.99. It's increased a little to $6 now," says Alice Liu, a second-generation owner of Grand Tea and Imports.

Though inflation is touching⁵ every part of the economy, it has created a particularly difficult puzzle for businesses in Chinatown.

Many of them rely on selling a lot, at a low price, to make a profit. But buying and shipping⁶ inventory⁷ costs much more now, so stores like Grand Tea and Imports have had to raise prices.

"You can't rely on the old model anymore," says Alice Liu.

The store has had to put up a sign by the register telling customers it can't offer discounts or negotiate on prices anymore, because the cost of doing business is just too high.

Part of the challenge for the neighborhood's businesses is that many of them source their products from Asia. COVID-19 lockdowns and closed ports there are limiting supplies and delaying shipments, which increases prices.

Liu says she's found creative ways to obtain inventory, such as asking her sister, Karen, to bring suitcases of tea and incense from Hong Kong when she visits.

"It's just more reliable, because you know when Karen will come and when she'll arrive. Whereas like with the mail, we mailed a bunch of tea from China a month and a half ago, and we're still waiting for it."

Liu says what's especially frustrating⁸ is that supply is so hard to get, just as demand has finally started to return.

At Golden Diner, a restaurant in Chinatown, owner Sam Yoo says he's had to raise prices too. From canola oil to limes, almost every ingredient is more expensive. He used to be able to keep prices lower by working with neighborhood suppliers instead of big distributors. But those suppliers have limited inventory now, so their prices went up.

"Those competitive advantages don't exist anymore because they need to make their ends meet," Yoo says.

Even though businesses in Chinatown are navigating⁹ an international economic puzzle, many still feel guilty about raising prices.

"Chinatown's median income is about $34,000. So these price increases make a difference," says Vic Lee, co-founder of Welcome to Chinatown, a community nonprofit organization.

Businesses owners know residents rely on products to be affordable¹⁰. But Lee says inflation on goods isn't the only thing putting pressure on prices. Rents and labor¹¹ costs are going up too. The rise of anti-Asian hate has made businesses limit their operating hours — and their revenue — because employees are scared for their safety at night.

"How much more can these businesses sustain? Because the community is extremely resilient and these business owners have put so much grit¹² into it, but there are times where it feels like the odds¹³ are stacked against them," says Lee.

1 hurdle   

n.跳栏，栏架；障碍，困难；vi.进行跨栏赛

参考例句：

• The weather will be the biggest hurdle so I have to be ready.天气将会是最大的障碍，所以我必须要作好准备。
• She clocked 11.6 seconds for the 80 metre hurdle.八十米跳栏赛跑她跑了十一秒六。

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 incense   

v.激怒；n.香，焚香时的烟，香气

参考例句：

• This proposal will incense conservation campaigners.这项提议会激怒环保人士。
• In summer,they usually burn some coil incense to keep away the mosquitoes.夏天他们通常点香驱蚊。

4 Buddhist   

adj./n.佛教的，佛教徒

参考例句：

• The old lady fell down in adoration before Buddhist images.那老太太在佛像面前顶礼膜拜。
• In the eye of the Buddhist,every worldly affair is vain.在佛教徒的眼里，人世上一切事情都是空的。

5 touching   

adj.动人的，使人感伤的

参考例句：

• It was a touching sight.这是一幅动人的景象。
• His letter was touching.他的信很感人。

6 shipping   

n.船运（发货，运输，乘船）

参考例句：

• We struck a bargain with an American shipping firm.我们和一家美国船运公司谈成了一笔生意。
• There's a shipping charge of ￡5 added to the price.价格之外另加五英镑运输费。

7 inventory   

n.详细目录，存货清单

参考例句：

• Some stores inventory their stock once a week.有些商店每周清点存货一次。
• We will need to call on our supplier to get more inventory.我们必须请供应商送来更多存货。

8 frustrating   

adj.产生挫折的，使人沮丧的，令人泄气的v.使不成功( frustrate的现在分词 )；挫败；使受挫折；令人沮丧

参考例句：

• It's frustrating to have to wait so long. 要等这么长时间，真令人懊恼。
• It was a demeaning and ultimately frustrating experience. 那是一次有失颜面并且令人沮丧至极的经历。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 navigating   

v.给（船舶、飞机等）引航，导航( navigate的现在分词 )；（从海上、空中等）横越；横渡；飞跃

参考例句：

• These can also be very useful when navigating time-based documents, such as video and audio. 它对于和时间有关的文档非常有用，比如视频和音频文档。 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓
• Vehicles slowed to a crawl on city roads, navigating slushy snow. 汽车在市区路上行驶缓慢，穿越泥泞的雪地。 来自互联网

10 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。

11 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。

12 grit   

n.沙粒，决心，勇气；v.下定决心，咬紧牙关

参考例句：

• The soldiers showed that they had plenty of grit. 士兵们表现得很有勇气。
• I've got some grit in my shoe.我的鞋子里弄进了一些砂子。

13 odds   

n.让步，机率，可能性，比率；胜败优劣之别

参考例句：

• The odds are 5 to 1 that she will win.她获胜的机会是五比一。
• Do you know the odds of winning the lottery once?你知道赢得一次彩票的几率多大吗？