【時事英文】
Is busy life supposed to be cereal killer?
生活繁忙是否造成穀片早餐的衰亡？
If you are a fan of US TV series, you’ll be familiar with the morning breakfast routine: Each family member pours a mound of cereal into a bowl, adds enough milk to send it flowing over the top, before getting stuck into their sugary start to the day. 如果你是美國電視劇粉絲的話，你一定很熟悉這樣的例行早餐場景：家裡的每個 人都往碗裡倒了一堆穀物，再從上頭倒入牛奶，接下來就可以開始享用他們甜蜜蜜的 早餐，展開新的一天。
For generations, cereal has been the bedrock of the American breakfast, but it now seems to be losing some of its momentum. Sales of breakfast cereals in the US have gone stale, owing to concerns about the morning food’s lack of nutrition, as well as a rise in demand for more convenient options for those constantly in a hurry. 對於好幾個世代來說，穀物已經成為了美式早餐的基礎，然而現在似乎不再如此 了。在美國，由於人們擔心這種早餐缺乏營養，而且趕時間的人也希望能有更方便的 選擇，穀物早餐的銷量已逐漸式微。
There’s nothing new about cereal being labeled less than nutritious and too high in calories. Critics for years have been saying that some cereals—too much sugar. 穀物被貼上了「沒營養又高熱量」的標籤，這並不稀奇。批評者們經年累月地一 直指出，某些穀物含有太多的糖分。
But the consumer’s desire for a healthier way to start the day is now at its highest ever. 但消費者要求以更健康方式展開一天生活的需求已經高過以往的任何時候。
Shoppers are seeking out “high protein and fiber content and natural ingredients,” the US-based research firm Mintel Group Ltd. said in a report. “Consumers today believe cereal is overly processed and doesn’t contain enough nutrients.” 位於美國的調查公司英敏特集團有限公司在一份報告中指出，消費者們正在尋找 「高蛋白又富含纖維的自然食材。」「如今的消費者們認為，穀物被過度加工，不夠 營養。」
That means cereal is facing stiff competition from fresh fruit, yogurt, breakfast bars and drinks, and even all-day breakfast meals at McDonald’s or other fast-food chains. 這意味著穀物正面臨著來自鮮果、優格、早餐棒或早餐飲料，甚至是麥當勞或者 其他速食連鎖店販售全時段早餐套餐的激烈競爭。
“Consumers are increasingly seeking products that match their personal definition of real food, and that can mean foods that are less processed and have simple labels with recognizable ingredients,” Kendall Powell, chairman of the US-based food company General Mills, said at an investors’ conference in July. 「越來越多的消費者在尋找符合自身對於真正食物的定義的產品，這意味著食品 要減少加工，並貼上可辨認的成分標籤，」美國食品公司通用磨坊董事長 Kendall Powell 在七月的一場投資人大會上如此表示。
Another big challenge for the industry is the ever-changing pattern of breakfast eaters, with an emphasis increasingly being placed on satisfying time-squeezed lifestyles. This desire for convenience seems to be especially evident among millennials – those aged 18 to 34. When Mintel surveyed consumers last year, 39 percent of millennials said that cereal was inconvenient because it involved cleaning a dish afterwards. 該行業面臨的另一大挑戰是人們千變萬化的早餐模式，且他們越來越關注滿足緊 縮時間的生活形式。這種追求方便的渴望似乎在千禧世代（18-34 歲）中特別明顯。 英敏特去年對消費者進行調查時，39%的千禧世代表示，穀物吃起來並不方便，因為 吃完後還要洗碗。
“Millennials want something quick and simple in the morning, and they love variety,” said Craig Bahner, president of US morning foods at Kellogg Co. 「千禧世代希望早上是吃那種簡單快捷的餐點，而他們也喜歡多樣性，」美國早 餐食品公司家樂氏的董事長 Craig Bahner 認為。
Then, there’s the issue of price. Brand-name cereal prices jumped after the financial crisis in 2008, owing largely to the higher prices of grains and other ingredients. It’s only in the last two years that prices have stabilized. 然後就是價格問題。2008 年的金融海嘯之後，知名品牌穀物的價格暴漲。這很大 程度上源于穀粒和其他食材的價格上漲。而這些食品的價格近兩年來才趨於穩定。
However, manufacturers and industry analysts say that if breakfast cereal makers can keep on adapting to changing consumer needs, especially among millennials, the business can grow again. 然而，製造商和產業分析師認為，如果穀物早餐的生產商能夠適應消費者們，尤 其是千禧世代不斷變化的需求，業績依然能夠再次成長。
“While millennials may look at breakfast differently, they are still eating a lot of cereal, just not always for breakfast,” said Jim Murphy, president of General Mills’ cereal division. “According to Nielsen data, ready-to-eat cereal is in 90 percent of all households and nearly 94 percent of millennial households. For this group, cereal is more than just a breakfast item. It is also a popular snack option.” 「儘管千禧世代看待早餐的方式或許不同了，但他們仍食用不少穀物，只不過不 僅僅是作為早餐，」通用磨坊早餐穀物部的負責人 Jim Murphy 如是說。 「尼爾森公司 的資料顯示，在所有家庭中，90%購買了即食穀物，而將近 94%的千禧世代家庭中備 有穀物。對於這一群體而言，穀物不僅僅是早餐，也是個很受歡迎的零食選擇。」
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