Opting for a career of good taste
Zang Chaiyuan has recently been working deep into the night as people are lined up for her steamed buns. The 25-year-old from Yantai, East Chinas Shandong province, has managed to turn flour into a gold mine through her ingenious maneuvers that breathe modern elements into "Jiaodong huabobo", a popular traditional food dating back more than 300 years, especially in the provinces Jiaodong peninsula.
臧柴媛最近一直工作到深夜，因为人们都在排队买她做的馒头。这位25岁的姑娘来自中国东部山东省烟台市，她通过巧妙的手法将现代元素注入到“胶东花波波”中，成功地将面粉变成了一座金矿。“胶东花波波”是一种有300多年历史的流行传统食物，在胶东半岛尤其受欢迎。
steamed buns：馒头，小笼包 flour：面粉 gold mine：金矿 ingenious：巧妙的 maneuver：动作，策略，手段，军事演习 peninsula：半岛
--------------------------------------------------------
Huabobo refers to a flower-shaped steamed bun, which has been a treat at local folk activities, such as celebrations and festivals.
花波波指的是一种花形状的馒头，在当地的民俗活动中，如庆祝和节日，花波波一直是一种美味。
treat：美食，享受，招待 folk activities：民间活动
-------------------------------------------------
It was listed as a provincial intangible cultural heritage in Shandong in 2009.
2009年被列为山东省非物质文化遗产。
intangible：无形的 heritage：遗产
--------------------------------------------------
The buns are shaped by Zangs adept hands. These shapes range from cute rabbits dressed in lion dance costumes to treasure bowls and lucky bags, among others.
包子是由臧师傅熟练的手捏成的。这些造型从穿着舞狮服装的可爱兔子到宝碗和幸运袋等等。
costumes：服饰 adept：熟练的
--------------------------------------------------
They have made her an online sensation and ignited a media frenzy that has earned her approximately 100 million views on multiple platforms, including Douyin and Sina Weibo.
这些照片让她在网上引起了轰动，并引发了媒体的狂热，她在抖音和新浪微博等多个平台上的播放量达到了近1亿次。
sensation：感觉 ignited：点燃 approximately：大约
------------------------------------------------
"Its the details that matter," Zang says about the popularity of her buns.
“细节才是最重要的，”谈到包子的受欢迎程度时，臧说。
------------------------------------------------
As demonstrated in one of her videos, she took pains to create a red-flour layer to dress up her rabbit and meticulously sculpt its facial features and fur.
正如她在一段视频中展示的那样，她煞费苦心地用红面粉给兔子做了一层衣服，并精心雕刻了兔子的面部特征和皮毛。
demonstrated：证明，展示 took pains：煞费苦心的 layer：层 meticulously：细致的，一丝不苟的 sculpt：雕刻
------------------------------------------------
"I also made a point of highlighting the cuffs," she says.
“我还特别强调了袖口，”她说。
cuffs：袖口
------------------------------------------------
As the flour swells in the steamer, the rabbit seems to take on a life of its own.
当面粉在蒸笼中膨胀时，兔子似乎有了自己的生命。
swells：膨胀 steamer：轮船，蒸锅
--------------------------------------------------
The corners of its mouth turn upward, and its skin springs back perfectly when Zangs fingers press it.
它的嘴角向上翘起，当藏的手指按压它时，它的皮肤完美地弹回来。
turn upward：向上转
-----------------------------------------------------
Many of her followers have made purchase inquiries for her buns and commented that they are too cute to be eaten.
她的许多粉丝都来咨询购买她的包子，并评论说它们太可爱了，不能吃。
purchase：购买 inquiries：调查
-----------------------------------------------------
"The New Year holiday is coming, and were snowed under with orders," Zang says.
“新年假期就要到了，我们的订单被淹没了，”臧说。
-------------------------------------------------------
Zang found her opportunity when she noticed that most of huabobo shops were running the old-fashioned way. "Their customers are basically people in the neighborhood," Zang says.
当她注意到大多数花波波店都在以传统的方式经营时，藏发现了她的机会。“他们的顾客基本上都是附近的人，”臧说。
---------------------------------------------------------
"Although the buns taste good, the sales channels are quite limited," she says, adding that the buns can be preserved for more than two months in a freezer, which makes long-distance sales possible.
她说:“虽然包子味道很好，但销售渠道相当有限。”她补充说，包子可以在冰箱里保存两个多月，这使得长途销售成为可能。
freezer：冰箱
--------------------------------------------------------
That was when she figured if she could move the intangible cultural heritage online to expand its sales and boost its popularity.
那时她想到，如果她能把这个非物质文化遗产搬到网上，扩大销量，提高知名度。
-------------------------------------------------------
However, it was not plain sailing at the beginning.
然而，一开始并不是一帆风顺的。
plain sailing：一帆风顺
---------------------------------------------------------
Her parents initially opposed her decision to open a huabobo shop.
她的父母最初反对她开花卷店的决定。
initially：最初 opposed：反对
---------------------------------------------------------
"They believed young people should find a steady job, like being a civil servant or a teacher," Zang recalls, adding that they also thought bun making was better for more elderly women.
“他们认为年轻人应该找一份稳定的工作，比如公务员或教师，”臧回忆道，并补充说，他们还认为包子更适合老年妇女。
civil servant：公务员
-------------------------------------------------------
However, she stood her ground.
然而，她坚持自己的立场。
（完）