2019.07.03

周三 Wednesday

charm
 [tʃɑːm] 
n.魅力

图片来源：雀巢

Kit Kats Could Help You Pass Your Next Test

Kit Kats可以帮助你通过下一次考试

If you thought Kit Kats were just delicious chocolate-covered wafers, think again. It turns out, there is a hidden meaning behind every Kit Kat that may make you want to eat more of them. In fact, your luck may be all the better for it.

如果你认为Kit Kats只不过是美味的巧克力夹心薄饼，那你就大错特错了。事实证明，每块Kit Kats背后都有一个隐藏的含义，可能会让你想多吃点。事实上，你的运气可能会因此变得更好。

CBS Sunday Morning went to Japan to figure out the country's obsession with Kit Kats. According to Cedric Lacroix, the managing director of chocolate & confectionery at Nestlé Japan, people have "up to five million Kit Kats a day." Part of the reason they're so popular has to do with the chocolate's name in Japanese, Kitto katto.

《CBS周日早新闻》(CBS Sunday Morning)前往日本，去搞清楚Kit Kats在日本有多火。据雀巢日本巧克力糖果董事总经理塞德里克·拉克鲁瓦(Cedric Lacroix)说，人们吃了“每天多达500万块Kit Kats。”它们如此受欢迎有一部分是因为这种巧克力在日语中的名字Kitto katto。

No doubt Kitto katto sounds more fun than just plain ol' Kit Kat, but to people in Japan it sounds like the Japanese phrase kitto katsu, which means “You surely will win!” The similarity in pronunciation turned the candy into a good luck charm. 

毫无疑问，Kitto katto听起来比简单的“Kit Kat”更有趣，但对日本人来说，这听起来像日本短语Kitto katsu，意思是“你一定会赢!”，发音上的相似性使糖果变成了一种好运符。

Families began sending Kit Kats to their college-aged kids before exams, hoping the sweet treats would help them get better grades. 

家长们开始在考试前给他们上大学的孩子们寄礼物，希望这些糖果能帮助他们取得更好的成绩。

In 2009, according to AdAge, Nestlé even teamed up with Japan's postal service to create "Kit Kat Mail," which was a "postcard-like product sold only at the post office that could be mailed to students as an edible good-luck charm."

据AdAge报道，2009年，雀巢甚至与日本邮政合作，推出了“奇巧邮”，这是一种“类似明信片的产品，只在邮局出售，可以作为一种可食用的好运护身符邮寄给学生”。

Nestlé admits they leaned into being a brand that inspired confidence. Lacroix went as far to tell CBS that "Kit Kat’s mission in Japan is really to encourage people.” 

雀巢承认，他们倾向于成为一个激发信心的品牌。拉克鲁瓦甚至告诉CBS，“奇巧在日本的使命就是鼓励人们。”

Who wouldn't want to eat a candy that wants to see them succeed like a delicious champion in your corner? 

你难道会不想吃一块祝你好运、祝你成功的糖果吗？

It certainly strikes up more emotions than the U.S. slogan for Kit Kats: “Have a break, have a KitKat."

这当然比Kit Kats在美国的口号“休息一下，吃个奇巧”(Have a break, Have a KitKat)更有感染力。

 

今日词汇

charm
 [tʃɑːm] 
n.魅力

 

文中a good luck charm，指“幸运饰物/幸运符”

He's surely a Mr. Charm.

他是位魅力先生。

The narrow streets of the old town are full of charm.

古镇狭窄的街道充满了魅力。