VOA标准英语2012--Chocolate as a Lifestyle

Chocolate as a Lifestyle

Cecilia Perry has been coming to this shop, Chocolate Chocolate, almost every day for years.
"[I come here often] because they have the best chocolate in the entire region," said Perry.
Esther Alpert comes in a couple of times a week.
"It is just so sweet and pleasant to be here. We love these guys, and I think it is the best chocolate in the city," Alpert added.
Offering the best chocolate from around the world is what Frances and Ginger¹ Park had in mind when they opened the first independent chocolate shop in the nation's capital 28 years ago.
"We grew up on some very fine chocolate because our dad worked for the World Bank and would bring back European chocolate in suitcases when we were very young," said Frances Park.
When their father died in his mid-50s, the sisters grew closer and decided² to go into business together.
"But we did not know what we were doing and we definitely ate more chocolate than we sold that first year," Frances Park added. "But we learned one thing we did was we sort of over time created family with our customers."
That family has grown and includes long-time customers like Beth Smith.
"I have been coming here for a long time, probably 20 years," noted³ Smith. "She remembers the birth of my daughter. She remembers all the, you know, I feel like family here."
Sales have increased over the decades and, today, this little shop has four staff members... including Ginger's husband and a manager.
"It is a huge success," said Ginger Park. "I mean certainly not on the level of Donald Trump⁴, but for us it is a huge success. We wanted to build a life around our business and that is what we did."
The Park sisters also wanted to feed their literary⁵ side. They've co-authored eight books for children and adults. Their first, award-winning book, My Freedom Trip, is based on their mother's escape from North Korea when she was a teenager.
"We wanted to write the book as a tribute⁶ to our mother and her mother, and also perhaps to give children an idea of the price that other people had pay for freedom," said Frances Park.
The Park sisters also published a memoir⁷ that chronicles their quarter century behind the chocolate counter.
FRANCES PARK: "It is actually about the ups and downs of two sisters who have always been very close, who went from being very young girls to being not very young girls, but still smiling."
GINGER PARK: "Everyone who comes into our shop tells us you have the perfect life, and we say yes, you know what, we do, we really do. They go hand in hand, books and chocolate."
For the Park sisters, their little shop is packed not only with chocolate, but also with memories.

1 ginger   

n.姜，精力，淡赤黄色；adj.淡赤黄色的；vt.使活泼，使有生气

参考例句：

• There is no ginger in the young man.这个年轻人没有精神。
• Ginger shall be hot in the mouth.生姜吃到嘴里总是辣的。

2 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

3 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

4 trump   

n.王牌，法宝；v.打出王牌，吹喇叭

参考例句：

• He was never able to trump up the courage to have a showdown.他始终鼓不起勇气摊牌。
• The coach saved his star player for a trump card.教练保留他的明星选手，作为他的王牌。

5 literary   

adj.文学（上）的

参考例句：

• Literary works of this kind are well received by the masses.这样的文学作品很受群众欢迎。
• The book was favourably noticed in literary magazines.这本书在文学杂志上得到好评。

6 tribute   

n.颂词，称赞，(表示敬意的)礼物；贡品

参考例句：

• She accepted their tribute graciously.她慈祥地接受了他们的致意。
• Many conquered nations had to pay tribute to the rulers of ancient Rome.许多被征服的国家必须向古罗马的统治者朝贡。

7 memoir   

n.[pl.]回忆录，自传；记事录

参考例句：

• He has just published a memoir in honour of his captain.他刚刚出了一本传记来纪念他的队长。
• In her memoir,the actress wrote about the bittersweet memories of her first love.在那个女演员的自传中，她写到了自己苦乐掺半的初恋。