Record catches aren’t necessarily great for lobstermen.
對(duì)捕蝦人而言，近來的銷售業(yè)績不算太好。

In 2012, Maine caught 126 million pounds of lobsters, which at the time was off the charts. Prices promptly plunged.
在2012年，美國緬因州的漁夫們捕獲了1億2600萬噸龍蝦，這在當(dāng)時(shí)是破紀(jì)錄的成績，然而龍蝦的價(jià)格卻遭遇了劇烈下滑。

The luxury crustacean that typically retails for around $18 a pound was suddenly “cheaper than deli meats.”
這些零售價(jià)一般為18美元一磅的奢美大蝦一夜之間成了廉價(jià)的滯銷貨，價(jià)格“比熟肉還便宜”。

So desperate were lobstermen to offload their supply that lobster were selling for as little as $1.25 a pound—even though the break-even point is roughly $4 per pound.
捕龍蝦的人實(shí)在太絕望了，為了清空存貨，他們把龍蝦賤賣到1.25美元/磅，然而盈利底線卻是4美元/磅。

Last year, Maine lobstermen landed around the same volume they had during the catastrophic glut of 2012.
去年，緬因州的漁夫們又獲得了大豐收，產(chǎn)量與2012年慘淡的滯銷時(shí)節(jié)相當(dāng)。

This time, however, prices per pound were comfortably above the break-even mark.
不過，今年每磅龍蝦的價(jià)格卻令人十分欣慰，漁夫們可以收支平衡啦。

So how can Maine’s docks be crawling with lobsters without dragging down prices? It’s (mostly) thanks to China.
不靠拉低價(jià)格，緬因州是如何讓大批大批的龍蝦登上碼頭，游向四海八荒的吃客的呢？這（大部分）歸功于中國！

Back in 2010, China accounted for about 1% of US exports of American lobsters, by value.
在2010年，中國進(jìn)口美國龍蝦的份額還只占到美國出口量總值的1%。

By last year, that figure had leapt to 15%.
然而到去年為止，這個(gè)比值已經(jīng)猛增到了15%。

China is now the US’s second-biggest American destination for lobster exports, after Canada.
如今，中國已經(jīng)是美國龍蝦出口的第二大輸出國，輸出份額僅次于加拿大。

However, the 2012 price crash had one big upside.?
2012年龍蝦價(jià)格的跳水卻讓漁夫們因禍得福了。

In the rush to unload soft-shell lobsters before they spoiled, lobstermen and dealers began shipping them live to China.?
為了將這些軟殼龍蝦在變質(zhì)之前銷出去，漁夫和經(jīng)銷商開始把活龍蝦運(yùn)往中國。

Once the new trade channels had been established, live lobster shipments to China continued to climb, nearly tripling in value last year.
這條新的貿(mào)易線一經(jīng)拓定，銷往中國的活龍蝦的數(shù)量就一路攀升，到去年產(chǎn)值幾乎增長了兩倍。

As demand has picked up, a slew of vendors have taken to selling Maine lobsters via online platforms, such as Tmall, Alibaba’s Amazon-like retail site.?
隨著龍蝦需求量的增加，許多供應(yīng)商開始關(guān)注網(wǎng)上平臺(tái)，在類似亞馬遜網(wǎng)的天貓和淘寶上銷售緬因州龍蝦。

Tellingly, they’re selling them under the moniker “Maine big lobster,” not Boston. Chinese consumers may be half a world away, but now they know where the good stuff comes from—and how to get it. ?
他們還給自己的產(chǎn)品取了一個(gè)響亮的名字，不是“波士頓龍蝦”，而是“緬因州龍蝦”。中國的消費(fèi)者們遠(yuǎn)在半個(gè)地球之外，不過現(xiàn)在他們已經(jīng)知道這些美味的龍蝦從何而來了——也知道去哪兒買到它們。

（翻譯：小木）

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