据美国《纽约邮报》30日报道，由于通货膨胀率居高不下，犯罪率达到空前水平，纽约市一些商超不得不把午餐肉罐头这样的廉价肉类都放在防盗盒子里。而这一幕，正是美国国家危机的缩影。
 

 

Inflation and crime have gotten so bad in New York City that even cheap meat like Spam has to be locked up.

纽约市的通货膨胀和犯罪率达到空前水平，商家不得不把午餐肉罐头等廉价肉制品都锁起来。

 

At Duane Reade's store in the Port Authority bus depot¹, the shelf-stable product — only $3.99 a can — is now being stocked in plastic, anti-theft cases.

在位于港务局公交站的杜安里德便利店里，这种售价为3.99美元（约合人民币27元）的耐储藏午餐肉罐头被存放在塑料防盗盒里售卖。

 

"I've never seen that before!" one cashier laughed while using a magnet to remove a can of Spam from its cage.

一位收银员笑着用磁铁从盒子里取出一罐午餐肉说，“我从没见过这种情况！”

 

The cashier was among the employees, tourists and store regulars stunned² that the iconic blue-and-yellow cans are now being kept under lock-and-key.

收银员、店员、游客和店里的常客对此场景都感到震惊。

 

Jenny Kenny, 43, who was visiting from Louisville, KY, was aware of the ongoing³ crime waves hitting cities like New York and San Francisco, but still couldn't believe the sight of "so many things in boxes."

43岁的顾客珍妮·肯尼来自肯塔基州路易斯维尔市，她表示，自己知道犯罪浪潮正在席卷纽约和旧金山等地，但仍然不敢相信店家“把这么多食物锁在盒子里”。

 

"Some of these things are pretty ridiculous," she said.

她说：“有些事情相当离谱。”

 

As prices and crime skyrocket, New York City stores have taken to locking up staples⁴ like toothpaste and soap to prevent crooks⁵ from stealing and then hawking⁶ the products on the sidewalk or online marketplaces like Amazon and eBay.

随着物价上涨、犯罪率飙升，纽约的商店已经开始给牙膏和肥皂等日常用品上锁，以防小偷偷窃这些产品，并在路边或亚马逊和易趣等网站兜售兜赃物。

 

Employees at the store said thefts have been surging over the past two-plus years, with one estimating a minimum of four shoplifters every evening shift.

该店员工表示，在过去两年多的时间里，盗窃案持续激增，有员工估计，每个夜班至少会出现四个小偷。

 

With inflation out of control — the consumer price index spiked⁷ 9.1 percent in June compared to a year ago, even as President Biden last week refused to acknowledge the nation is in a recession despite the economy contracting two quarters in a row — emboldened⁸ thieves have found a ready market for discounted stolen goods among recession-weary consumers.

6月消费者价格指数同比上涨9.1%，尽管美国经济连续两个季度出现萎缩，但美国总统拜登上周仍拒绝承认经济处于衰退之中。由于通货膨胀失控，胆大包天的小偷在深受经济衰退影响的消费者中找到了“销赃的市场”。

 

Petit larceny⁹ complaints for the NYPD Midtown South Precinct, which includes the Port Authority bus terminal, have shot up 52 percent — to 1,771, through July 24 — compared to the same period last year.

截至7月24日，港务局公交总站所在辖区的纽约警局中城南分局处理的小型盗窃案同比增加了52%，达到1771起。

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