VOA标准英语2010年-Surplus Swells Australia's Massive 'Wi

Australia's once mighty¹ wine industry is facing one of the biggest ever surpluses as supply levels soar and sales shrink. The country's wine surplus is estimated at about 100 million cases. That figure is expected to increase by 40 percent over the coming year as a strong Australian dollar continues to erode² key markets in the United States and the United Kingdom.

Phil Mercer | Sydney 11 January 2010

 

In the past seven years, Australia has planted 75,000 hectares of new grape vines, as much as was sown in the previous quarter century.

Such frantic³ activity reflected an industry enjoying great success that began in the mid-1990s, when high prices for grapes encouraged massive investment in Australia vineyards.  Pension funds joined the rush to invest in grape harvesting as demand for Australian wines spread across the United States and much of Europe.

As prices have fallen, however, the boom has crumbled⁴.  Australia now has vast reserves of cheap wine it can not sell.  The so-called 'wine lake' is estimated at about 100 million cases and will likely increase by 40 percent this year.

Around the country, growers are abandoning the industry in large numbers.

Graeme McManus has ripped up his fruit trees in the southern state of Victoria after accepting a government grant of about $100,000 to help indebted farmers leave the land.

McManus says he is extremely disappointed to be walking away from a once thriving business.

"It was very heartbreaking, very hard.  This time of year it should be green out there now and as you can see it is just dirt and there is a lump of dead vines.  We took the money, we got out, paid off our bills, got a job.  That is all we can do at this stage, can not do anymore," McManus said.

As prices tumble, those grape producers who decide to stay in business face the prospect⁵ of being paid less per ton than it costs them to grow the crop.

A strong Australian dollar has also damaged the lucrative⁶ export trade with the United States and Great Britain.

Australia's competitors in New Zealand, California, Argentina and other South American nations are facing similar over-supply problems.

Some industry experts say the solution lies in the wholesale⁷ removal of large areas of Australian vines.

While another tough year looms⁸ for this troubled industry, Australian consumers are enjoying sharply falling prices, with retailers⁹ selling popular brands of chardonnay and cabernet merlot for less than $2 a bottle.

1 mighty   

adj.强有力的；巨大的

参考例句：

• A mighty force was about to break loose.一股巨大的力量即将迸发而出。
• The mighty iceberg came into view.巨大的冰山出现在眼前。

2 erode   

v.侵蚀，腐蚀，使...减少、减弱或消失

参考例句：

• Once exposed,soil is quickly eroded by wind and rain.一旦暴露在外，土壤很快就会被风雨侵蚀。
• Competition in the financial marketplace has eroded profits.金融市场的竞争降低了利润。

3 frantic   

adj.狂乱的，错乱的，激昂的

参考例句：

• I've had a frantic rush to get my work done.我急急忙忙地赶完工作。
• He made frantic dash for the departing train.他发疯似地冲向正开出的火车。

4 crumbled   

（把…）弄碎， （使）碎成细屑( crumble的过去式和过去分词 )； 衰落； 坍塌； 损坏

参考例句：

• He crumbled the bread in his fingers. 他用手指把面包捻碎。
• Our hopes crumbled when the business went bankrupt. 商行破产了，我们的希望也破灭了。

5 prospect   

n.前景，前途；景色，视野

参考例句：

• This state of things holds out a cheerful prospect.事态呈现出可喜的前景。
• The prospect became more evident.前景变得更加明朗了。

6 lucrative   

adj.赚钱的，可获利的

参考例句：

• He decided to turn his hobby into a lucrative sideline.他决定把自己的爱好变成赚钱的副业。
• It was not a lucrative profession.那是一个没有多少油水的职业。

7 wholesale   

n.批发；adv.以批发方式；vt.批发，成批出售

参考例句：

• The retail dealer buys at wholesale and sells at retail.零售商批发购进货物，以零售价卖出。
• Such shoes usually wholesale for much less.这种鞋批发出售通常要便宜得多。

8 looms   

n.织布机( loom的名词复数 )v.隐约出现，阴森地逼近( loom的第三人称单数 )；隐约出现，阴森地逼近

参考例句：

• All were busily engaged,men at their ploughs,women at their looms. 大家都很忙，男的耕田，女的织布。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The factory has twenty-five looms. 那家工厂有25台织布机。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 retailers   

零售商，零售店( retailer的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• High street retailers reported a marked increase in sales before Christmas. 商业街的零售商报告说圣诞节前销售量显著提高。
• Retailers have a statutory duty to provide goods suitable for their purpose. 零售商有为他们提供符合要求的货品的法定义务。