Beijing boasts a variety of traditional snacks which are imbued with local culture. But many snacks are rapidly disappearing as time passes. CCTV's Nie Jia went to one snack center in downtown Beijing and took a look at the challenges facing these traditional delicacies.北京的小吃
Having some douzhier, or mung bean milk from a street vendor - this is how traditional Beijingers begin their days. Invaluable cultural treasures, these delicacies have been a major part of locals' lives for hundreds of years.
在街边小贩那里喝点豆汁儿——这是老北京人开始一天的方式。非常宝贵的文化财富，这些美食几百年来一直是当地生活的一个重要部分。
Hou Jia, pres. of Assoc. of Traditional Beijng Snacks, said, "Traditional Beijing snacks are as important as the Great Wall or Summer Palace. It's not only a part of cultural heritage, but the embodiment of a city."
老北京传统小吃协会会长侯嘉表示：“北京传统小吃和长城或颐和园一样重要。它不仅是文化遗产的一部分，还是一座城市的化身。”
But as the city develops into an international metropolis, many of these time-honored brands are being crowded out of the market. At Mending Meat Patty, a culinary brand dating back to more than 100 years ago, the owner told us that high ingredient costs and low-selling prices are eating away at their profits.
但是，由于北京发展成一座国际大都市，许多老品牌的小吃正被挤出市场。在Mending Meat Patty这个可以追溯到100多年前的烹饪品牌店里，老板告诉我们，高原料成本和低售价侵蚀了他们的利润。
Ma Guoqing, owner of Mending Meat Patty Store, said, "My husband is the third generation to own this store. We are doing so on very small profits. For one patty, the ingredients and labor costs take up two-thirds of the price. All prices of goods are rising, but we still keep our price at 4 yuan for each patty."
Mending Meat Patty Store的老板Ma Guoqing称：“我丈夫是这间店的第三代传人。我们做这生意的利润非常小。一块馅饼，原料和劳动成本占了价格的三分之二。所有商品的价格都在上涨，但是每块馅饼我们仍然卖4元。”
But what troubles the owner most is not profits, but the prospect that one day, the brand could vanish.
但是，让老板最烦恼的不是利润，而是前景，有一天，这个品牌可能会消失。
Ma Guoqing said, "I'm very concerned. My child is in the IT industry and is not willing to take over. But I'm willing to teach whomever is interested in this. I can teach whatever skills I have to anyone interested in order to keep the business going."
Ma Guoqing表示：“我非常担心。我的孩子从事IT行业，不愿意接班。但是我愿意教任何对这个感兴趣的人。为了将这生意做下去，我可以将所有我会的技术教给任何感兴趣的人。”
Similar worries are held by other workers in the culinary industry as well. They hope that the government can offer more help in terms of publicity and funding.
烹饪行业的其他工人也有同样的担忧。他们希望政府可以提供更多宣传和资金的帮助。
Yao Guobao, assist. owner of Baoduman Store, said, "I think we need more exposure to the public so that they can know more about Beijing's culinary culture. Meanwhile, government funding is indispensable as we earn very little profits."
爆肚满的老板助理Yao Guobao表示：“我觉得我们需要向观众做更多地展示，让他们更加了解北京的烹饪文化。同时，政府资金也是必不可少，因为我们挣的利润非常少。”
CCTV's Nie Jia said, "What we are having right now is Baodu, or deep fried tripe. It is a very traditional Muslim food. It is first cut into slices and then boilded into hot water. And now I'm going to have a try."
央视记者Nie Jia称：“我们正在吃的是爆肚。这是非常传统的穆斯林食物。要先将牛肚切成片，然后用热水爆熟。现在，我要去试试。”
The food is very saucy and crispy. But experts say that having a good taste is not enough. To make these delicacies more competitive, standardization is essential.
这种食物非常香脆。但是专家称，味道好是不够的。为了使这些美食更有竞争力，标准化是必不可少的。
Hou Jia said, "For example, a pancake needs to be 6 centimeters in diameter and 1 centimeter in height. Only with standardization can owners develop chain stores and achieve economies of scale."
侯嘉称：“例如，一块馅饼的直径必须是6厘米，高度必须是1厘米。只有通过标准化，店主才能发展连锁商店，获得经济规模。”
Statistics from the Association of Traditional Beijing Snacks show that over the past century, traditional Beijing snacks have declined from 700 at their peak to fewer than 100 today.
来自老北京传统小吃协会的统计数据显示，过去100多年里，北京传统小吃从高峰时期的700多种减少到今天的不到100种。
From: www.hxen/englishvideo/newsvideo/2012-03-30/174874.html
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