美国国家公共电台 NPR Be Mine? Nope. SweetHeart Candies Hard To Find This Valentine's Day

 

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

For more than a century, those little, brightly colored, chalky candy hearts have helped people share their messages of love.

RACHEL MARTIN, HOST:

We're talking about Sweethearts. This is a candy made by Necco, the New England confectionary company. Even Martha Stewart loved them.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

MARTHA STEWART: And in my hand, I just happened to randomly¹ pick out a handful. Miss you. Yes, dear. You are a 10. And, my pet, my love. So romantic.

INSKEEP: But this year, the romance² is in short supply. Or, at least, the little hearts are. Necco, which was one of the oldest candy companies in America, abruptly³ shut down in 2018. And while a different company has purchased the Sweethearts' brand, it did not have enough time to produce enough candies for this Valentine's Day.

SHIRLEY GOULART: That's terrible. That's a staple⁴. They're getting rid of the conversation hearts.

MARTIN: She's so upset. That's Shirley Goulart (ph). We caught up with her and Hannah Derousseau (ph) outside a candy store in Washington, D.C.

HANNAH DEROUSSEAU: I'm sorry. If they can put a man on the moon but they can't make hearts...

GOULART: (Laughter).

DEROUSSEAU: I'm sure that someone could do it. If they really wanted to, they could.

GOULART: Yes. It's a great way for kids to talk to each other that are shy when they're little. And I just think it's sad.

INSKEEP: Chris Stanovic (ph) in Los Angeles was one of those kids who used the candies to let his grade-school crushes know his feelings.

CHRIS STANOVIC: You know, I was a little kid walking up with those little heart-shaped candies in your hand. You know, sweaty palms-type of Valentine's, queasy⁵ stomach. You know, I think every kid did that at one point.

MARTIN: Let's be honest, though. These candies didn't taste that great. Carissa Brones (ph) from Los Angeles never cared for the chalky taste.

CARISSA BRONES: I would always throw 'em out and give 'em away. (Laughter). I'd rather have, like, chocolate candy or something better-tasting.

MARTIN: There are versions from competitors available, but not the classic. And you can still find Sweethearts on eBay for your valentine.

INSKEEP: Good to know. They may not be fresh, but it's the message that counts.

1 randomly   

adv.随便地，未加计划地

参考例句：

• Within the hot gas chamber, molecules are moving randomly in all directions. 在灼热的气体燃烧室内，分子在各个方向上作无规运动。 来自辞典例句
• Transformed cells are loosely attached, rounded and randomly oriented. 转化细胞则不大贴壁、圆缩并呈杂乱分布。 来自辞典例句

2 romance   

n.恋爱关系，浪漫气氛，爱情小说，传奇

参考例句：

• She wrote a romance about an artist's life in Tokyo.她写了一个关于一位艺术家在东京生活的浪漫故事。
• They tried to rekindle the flames of romance.他们试图重燃爱火。

3 abruptly   

adv.突然地，出其不意地

参考例句：

• He gestured abruptly for Virginia to get in the car.他粗鲁地示意弗吉尼亚上车。
• I was abruptly notified that a half-hour speech was expected of me.我突然被通知要讲半个小时的话。

4 staple   

n.主要产物，常用品，主要要素，原料，订书钉，钩环；adj.主要的，重要的；vt.分类

参考例句：

• Tea is the staple crop here.本地产品以茶叶为大宗。
• Potatoes are the staple of their diet.土豆是他们的主要食品。

5 queasy   

adj.易呕的

参考例句：

• I felt a little queasy on the ship.我在船上觉得有点晕眩想呕吐。
• He was very prone to seasickness and already felt queasy.他快晕船了，已经感到恶心了。