Something’s up with the meat in Zhenjiang. It’s selling fast. In this economic climate. Equally strange is the fact that local government is getting the thumbs up. What the heck is going on in Zhenjiang? In a word, sausages.
镇江的肉出了问题。它卖得很快。在这样的经济大环境下。同样奇怪的是，地方政府却对此表示赞赏。镇江到底怎么了？一句话，香肠。
On the morning of 2 December, the Zhou family’s butchery in the Baoyan Market in Dantu District of Zhenjiang City was bustling with customers from 06:00 to lunchtime. The six people at work are so busy that they cannot even lift their heads. Although the temperature has dropped to freezing in the past few days, they are all sweating profusely.
12月2日上午，镇江市丹徒区宝岩市场的周家屠宰场，从早上6点到午餐时间，顾客熙熙攘攘。工作中的六个人忙得连头都抬不起来。虽然这几天气温已经降到冰点，但他们个个都是大汗淋漓。
39 year old shop owner Zhou Haiwen told reporters that it’s not just this year they have been so busy; it’s been that way for the past 6 or 7 years.
39岁的店主周海文告诉记者，他们不仅今年这么忙，今年也很忙。过去六七年都是这样。
So what’s the secret formula? Do they spice the sausages with something to make them addictive?
那么秘诀是什么？他们是否在香肠中添加了一些让人上瘾的香料？
Far from it. Responsible is in fact the Baoyan Food Festival, a local government initiative given the go ahead in 2017. Now a well-known culinary attraction, the Festival’s promoting of Baoyan’s food products has also brought in popularity from all around.
远非如此。罪魁祸首其实是当地政府于2017年发起的宝岩美食节。现在宝岩美食节已成为知名美食景点，美食节对宝岩食品的推广也受到了各地的欢迎。
At this time of year especially, people from the four surrounding counties have been flocking to Baoyan to stock up for New Year. Every household needs meat. Dozens of butchers in Baoyan are bustling, making it something of a border-town commercial hub.
尤其是每年这个时候，周边四县的人们纷纷涌向宝岩，囤积年货。每个家庭都需要肉。宝岩的数十家肉店熙熙攘攘，颇有边城商业中心的感觉。
Backing up a bit, Zhou Haiwen and his wife were at first busy every day, but as the Festival took hold they gradually became overwhelmed. This year, they have hired six people to help staff their butchery. With the recent drop in temperature, so has the popularity of preserved meats soared. It’s entirely possible for the Zhou family to sell 500 kilograms of sausages in a single day, although a daily average is more like 400.
退一步，周海文夫妇一开始每天都很忙碌，但随着节日的到来，他们渐渐变得不知所措。今年，他们雇佣了六名员工来帮助他们的屠宰场配备工作人员。最近气温下降，腊味的受欢迎程度也随之飙升。周家一天卖出500公斤香肠是完全有可能的，虽然平均每天400公斤左右。
It’s a far cry from the old days, when pre food festival, the Zhou family was very far from anything approaching affluent.
与往日相比，过节前的周家还远未达到富裕的程度。
Zhou Haiwen Explained to the Yangtze Evening News that he and his wife started their business after coming to the area from their hometown of Linyi in Shandong Province. At first, their life in Baoyan was “al fresco”; they had their meals and slept outdoors.
周海文向扬子晚报介绍，他和妻子从老家山东临沂来到这里创业。起初，他们在宝岩的生活是“户外”的。他们在户外吃饭、睡觉。
During the toughest times, they even had a child. Business was sluggish and it was difficult to sustain the family’s livelihood.
在最困难的时候，他们甚至还生了孩子。生意不景气，一家人的生计难以维持。
But finally, the government has done something right. The Zhou family and the other good folk of Zhenjiang have jobs. Their stomachs are full. But only with sausages, it would seem.
但最终，政府做了一些正确的事情。周家和镇江的其他好人都有工作。他们的肚子已经饱了。但似乎只有香肠。
